Brooklyn Winter Ale

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We first poured a special draught version of this beer at last year's Extreme Beer Fest. Brooklyn's first "command performance" beer was brewed for their European importers to pair with Christmas food in Denmark. They called it "Brooklyn Christmas Ale," and it sported around 7 percent alcohol by volume. The concept behind the beer was to recall both the Danish and British holiday ale traditions, which included a range of spices in the days before hops became the primary "spice" in beer. In England, these spiced ales were referred to as "wassail"-a term that also has roots as a salutation to one's health and denotes festive occasions where plenty of imbibing occurred.

Brooklyn Brewery's Winter Ale goes Scottish-styleBut that's all changed.

Brooklyn completely overhauled the recipe. It's now a Scottish-style ale. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver explains, "There are no spices at all. Good British floor malts and hops, along with our yeast strain, account for all the flavors. It has a Scottish-style cooler fermentation, which pushes malt to the forefront rather than fruitiness." It was brewed with Scottish floor-malted Maris Otter, English crystal malts, Belgian aromatic malts, American roasted malts, American oats and hopped with Willamette.

The Taste A rich-looking, deep-copper-hued beer, leaning toward the dark side, with an off-white foam head that drops to a fine ringed lace. Aroma is unique. Uniquely British, with a suggestion of dryness, metallic hints, prominent nutty malt character, interesting orchard-esque notes, deep caramel beneath, toasty and soft powdery spices. Lively in the mouth, with a slightly crisp carbonation that peaks and provides some creaminess. Medium, even-bodied, with a round fullness about it. Quite dry up front, with slightly abrasive raw, leafy and pithy characters mixed with some tamed hop bitterness. Wood and earth? Yeah, a bit. Some fruity and berry-like tartness, reminiscent of holiday pie fillings and plump, juicy, almost over-ripe black cherries. Definite apple flavors follow-fruit and skin-as well as juicy pear. Robust and hearty-as far as beers go. Toasty malts, bready, crust-like. Watery toffee, with hints of vanilla beneath. Dusting of cinnamon. Orange zest flavors become more pronounced as the beer warms, pulling through toward the finish. Man, this beer is all over the place. Quite dry in the finish, with a lingering yeasty character, touch of toasty sweetness and a bitey feel on the palate.

Final Thoughts Still quite festive and very UK-notably in its malt profile, hops and yeast. A deliciously complex beer that you could easily get lost in, perfect for the upcoming holidays and one of our favorite seasonal releases this year. Serve cool, in a nonic-style pint glass, and take your time with it so you can witness its unfolding as it warms and enjoy everything that this beer has to offer. Pair with roast poultry, game stew and pie, or enjoy it on its own. It would also pair nicely with a cigar after a big holiday meal. 6 percent alcohol by volume. Available now.

More info: brooklynbrewery.com

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