~~~~For the Fourth beer of Christ-mas,~~~~
~~~~the beer-store gave to me,~~~~
~~~~Winter Ale by Alaskan Brewing Company!~~~~
~~~~Winter Ale by Alaskan Brewing Company!~~~~
Today I tasted a winter beer from a place that by all accounts should know everything there is to know about winter.
Alaskan Winter Ale is produced in Juneau, Alaska and is
released at the beginning of October. This is the first year I've had the chance to try their winter ale and although I wasn't crazy about it, I do think it is a pretty good beer that's well worth a try!It has great clarity, and pours a beautiful bright orange. The beer has a nice thick, white head and a strong orange blossom aroma. The sweet orange flavor comes through very nicely on the palate and there's also a lovely green component (pine?) and a touch of sweet malt.
The alcohol level is about average for a winter seasonal and is well balanced by its rich sweet flavoring, resulting in an extremely smooth brew. In fact, it might be a little too smooth... I mean, at 6.4% ABV this semi-sweet beer might be enough to keep me warm on a December night in Tempe, but if I were freezing my chestnuts off in Juneau Christmas Eve, I might just have to leave this one in the fridge, and reach for a glass of bourbon instead!
Stay tuned, more seasonal suggestions to come!-Prost!
D.Lux
P.S. Oh, and I forgot to mention, it's brewed using Spruce Tips, how cool is that?! :)
Spruce tips are chock full of vitamin C, the perfect complement to this cold weather beverage. Next time you're in AK (or the first time), check out Haines Brewery or the Skagway Brewing Co... Spruce Tip Ale out the wazoo.
ReplyDeleteYou know I though about heading up north for the 2010 Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival-http://auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html -but then I thought about what the weather would be like and decided I'd rather drink a Corona in Mexico than visit Anchorage in mid-January :-/
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