Brewed By: FX Matt Brewing
Brewed In: Utica, NY
ABV: 5.5%
Type: Schwarzbier

What They Say: In the dusk of winter, when you come in from the cold, grab a Saranac Black Lager to warm up by the fire! This black, German style Schwarzbier has a full body and dark chocolaty flavor. Look for hints of coffee and waves of maltiness that will make you warm and “roasty”.

Why I Picked It: The Saranac 12 Beers Of Winter series continues with this, the third of six in this pack and the third of five new reviews.

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Presentation (5): Saranac forgoes the usual peaceful forest scene and just sticks a big ol’ black bear on the front standing in front of mountains. Oddly, I’m a fan of the black bear mascot. I suggest they use him more. I would have liked a stuffed version of the black bear for my dorm room. 3

Originality (5): As much as I enjoy the flavors of them, a schwarzbier with roasted coffee and chocolate malts isn’t exactly cutting edge. The schwarzbier stye comes from Germany, which probably means it’s something like a thousand years old. Literally. 1

Body (10): A not quite black, cola-esque body with obviously less carbonation. A rapidly-settling head is the prologue to a lightly-carbonated beer. I didn’t get much of an aroma after the pour. Trying really hard I was able to pick up some light malt odor. Considering the very obvious browned chocolate malts, the beer surprisingly not bitter, finishing much crisper than expected of such a dark beer. It’s refreshing as schwarzbiers go without the dryness that usually accompanies the type. Sadly, there’s just not quite enough oomph to get in to it. 6

Taste (10): The dark malts are supposed to be the star here but, as evidenced by the not-quite-potent nose, it’s difficult to find. Nothing very bold as Saranac seems to going for a masses-friendly schwarzbier instead of anything with a lot of substance. It’s perfectly serviceable and completely inoffensive, but nothing to write home about. 6

Efficiency (10): This is a fairly drinkable beer with a moderate ABV and a low-ish cost. However, if you’re going to look for something in the 5.5 range, I’d personally find something with a little more flavor punch. This is very session-able and, were it available by itself, reasonably-priced — but offered in the sampler I just wasn’t feeling it. 5

Versatility (10): True snobs won’t like this because it’s not a bold schwarzbier. The label promises strong flavors that just aren’t there. Non-snobs aren’t going to like it because the flavors something they don’t expect. It falls in to that random gray area of weak session beer for low-level snobs. Not the best category to be placed in, but I sees it how I sees it. 4

The Snob Sez: As the final score indicates, it’s a perfectly average beer. It’s about as generic a beer as the style allows. The taste is fine and I’d absolutely drink it again, but I wouldn’t go out of my for it either.

Final Score: 25 (of 50) – Good beer

What They Say: A hop lover’s delight. In the India Pale Ale tradition this brew is very hoppy in both aroma and flavor from the generous amounts of cascade hops used in brewing. Look for a medium to full body and golden straw color.

Why I Picked It: Part two of the six-part Adirondack Trail Mix. You may notice that the previous parts were posted months ago. This may or may not be because I forgot to post these final two.

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Presentation: The green label and red logo on this frames a picture of a mountain waterfall. Surprisingly, not nearly as many pine trees as one would expect for an IPA label. I’d expect a veritable Vermont forest of green including a delicious waterfall of pine sap.3

Originality: As will be the case with a lot of these core beers — it’s an IPA. Every brewery has their own take on this recipe. Also, as mentioned when I reviewed their Belgian Ale — there are a lot of other companies that do this beer and some specialize in it. While I suppose I understand the need to market these and other malt beverages and soft drinks to the non-beer drinkers in the country, others do it better and there’s nothing stand-outish here. 1

Taste: If you’ve tasted an IPA, you’ve tasted an IPA. It hits your tongue with a nice fruity, somewhat citrusy note and finishes with the delicious taste of blended pine cone. I don’t like these beers and I don’t get them. If you’re an IPA snob, I’d kindly suggest going somewhere else for IPA reviews. As IPAs go, I do like this better than most. The pineconey flavor isn’t quite so obnoxious to make it as undrinkable as, say, Hoptimator — but it’s still not something I’d go for every day. Or really ever again. 5

Body: Fine, I guess. It’s a full-bodied beer with a nice golden color. It’s very attractive to look at. The thick, coating mouthfeel with the accompanying tastebud armageddon that is the calling card of the type might be good for some. I generally like to be able to taste something else over the course of the evening than the beer I drank two hours ago. But, by all means, if you’re looking to pair with hop sandwich, have at it. 4

Efficiency: You can’t drink IPAs fast — you just can’t. With that in mind, the ABV has to be really high to be efficient in my book. For me to get drunk off an IPA, the ABV would have to fall somewhere between Bacardi 151 and Grain. Otherwise, I just kind of sip it until it’s blessedly gone. 4

Versatility: This would be great for a lot of things. Watering pine trees, attracting bugs away from your garden, substitution for Pine-Sol. In all seriousness — as IPAs go I do like it. I’d be able to drink this if I absolutely had to drink an IPA for something. The Saranac website suggests pairing it with seafood and, honestly, I do actually think that would be good. It’s just not something I’d ever personally go for. 4

The Snob Says: This isn’t a knock on Saranac. They just happened to include an IPA in a variety pack. The fact that I actually drank it instead of just snarkily writing “0″ should tell you how much I like the brewery.

Final Grade: 21 (of 50) – OK beer.

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.6%
Type: Winter Warmer

What they say: “Old Fezziwig Ale is in the tradition of special seasoned beers for the winter Holidays, and takes its name from the festive character in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. This is a hearty, rich, brownish-red ale that gets its character from large amounts of specialty malts. These roasted caramel and chocolate malts give it a very full body and a smooth taste that’s then spiced with a touch of cinnamon, ginger, and orange. Happy Holidays.”

Website: Couldn’t get a blurb off their website as I was writing this because they still have a stupid Flash website that isn’t indexed by Google. So, not only could I not get information about their beer at the time I was writing this, but Sam’s website doesn’t even come up on the first page in Google. And, confidential to the site that shall not be named: Making your search function require log in is really dumb when I can go to Google, type a beer name and your site’s name, and go directly to the page. This is reason number two you shall remain the site that shall not be named in my heart.

Why I picked it: This is beer four of six in 2009’s Sam Adams Winter Classics. This beer has only been, and is pretty much always, available in the Winter Classics pack.

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Presentation (5): One of the few Sam Adams beers that eschews the traditional image of Sam Adams holding a mug in some way, shape, or form. I don’t think it’s ever changed — likely because it was designed before Sam went corporate and worried about things like branding and such. Since it’s never sold outside of the holiday pack, there’s no reason to rigorously brandify the bottle. The neck label has the beer’s name written on a festive red ribbon and the primary image is Old Fezziwig tipping his hat to the drinker while a well-dressed lady looks on like she wants a little of him. I’ve always liked this label and I like that it’s never changed, thus separating in to “something special” that only shows up in Winter Classics. 5

Originality (5): Another Sam Beer with a largely retroactive originality score. Old Fezziwig was first introduced in 1995 and, again, the craft beer revolution hadn’t quite started. That was back in my supermarket days and I don’t remember anything fancier than Guinness going out the door back then. 4

Body (10): The beer pours brown with heavy carbonation to convey the big flavors. My issue with Old Fezziwig is similar to my general complaint with most early Sam recipes. They’re extremely heavy and almost syrupy. The beer sticks to the tongue, throat, larynx, nose, eyes, hands, belly, and everything else it touches. It’s a heavy-bodied beer that blows out tastebuds without the ABV to really back it up. If a beer’s going to do this to the taste buds, it should at least have the rocks to be the only thing quaffed that night. 4

Taste (10): I’m pretty sure this beer is the granddaddy of Winter Lager. It has the same wintery flavor, but with much bolder caramel and chocolate malt flavor. There’s always been a specific flavor in this recipe that’s bothered me and it took me until now to realize it’s ginger. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing. It kills the beer for me. Maybe it’s the combination of chocolate with ginger? I’m not sure. Whatever it is, the beer was never right for me but now I can put a name to it. 6

Efficiency (10): The body is so heavy and the flavors are so bold that it doesn’t really hold up to the 5.6% ABV. The chocolate and caramel is all over your tongue from the first taste through the next three beers. It’s a heavy, meal-like quality beer and not something drinkable for any amount of time. All these things together crushes the efficiency. 4

Versatility (10): Tough to rate because it’s a special thing only included as a treat in the Winter Classics pack. It’s not available in kegs or six-packs and they even stopped offering it as a bomber. I considered N/Aing the versatility rating but, since I don’t do it with Saranac, it’s not fair to do here. There’s just too much flavor here to be good for much. It’s offered perfectly for what it is, but what it is isn’t very versatile. 3

The Snob Sez: I won’t go so far as to say I look forward to my seasonal 24 oz’s of Old Fezziwig, but I will say it’s become enough of a winter institution that I’d miss it if it were gone. I also feel safe in saying that if this didn’t exist, Winter Lager wouldn’t exist as we know it today. For that alone, it has my respect.

Final Score: 26 (of 50) – good beer

On their Facebook page today, they announced they will be offering some of their used barrels for sale. So, any homebrewers out there looking to make their own whiskey-aged beers — your time has come.

Brewed By: Rogue Ales
Brewed In: Newport, OR
Type: Ale matured in whiskey barrels
ABV: ~6.4%

What they say: “In a collaboration of crafts, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier and Rogue Spirits Master Distiller John Couchot have joined forces to create a distinct, innovative series of brews called John John Ales. The series will take Rogue Ales legends and age them in Rogue Spirits barrels. A 3,100 gallon batch of John John Ale produces 1357 cases of beer. The first of the John John series is John John Dead Guy Ale, Rogue’s award winning Dead Guy Ale matured in Rogue’s award winning Dead Guy Whiskey barrels.”

Website: Covered in the last review. Well laid out. Thumbs up.

Why this one, Show? This beer was brought to my attention by Ms. BigShow in the store where we picked up the Dirtoir Black Lager. Barrel-aged beers are among my favorites, and the fact that this was aged in the brewery’s own whiskey barrels seemed too good to not try.

First Thoughts:
Head: White, thick, good cling at first, some retention.
Nose: Crisp, hoppy notes.
Color: Ruddy gold.

Presentation (5): Instead of the fist-raising Rogue dude in one of his various costumes, the front of the bottle bears a picture of the two Johns hoisting a pint of their collaborative brew. In addition there’s various and sundry info about the beer like ingredients, IBUs, Apparent Attenuation, and a brief description. While comprehensive, they had me at “Dead Guy Ale aged in Dead Guy Whiskey barrels.” 5

Originality (5): While aging a beer in [whiskey] barrels is quickly becoming craft beer commonplace, it IS fairly unique for a brewery to age its beer in the barrels of its own distillery. As this diagram shows, it is a totally closed system: the spent wort from Dead Guy ale is used to distill Dead Guy whiskey, the barrels of which are then used to age the beer. Even the hops and some of the malts are from Rogue’s own farms. 5

Body (10): The sip moves lightly through the mouth, and the carbonation gives it a good snappy feel. The bitterness stays on the tongue for a bit after the swallow, subtly crackling away. This beer certainly doesn’t feel like you’re drinking a meal, but is still pronounced enough to leave an impression. 8

Taste (10): In better collaborations, both parties are present without any one overshadowing the other. The first notes on the tongue are all Dead Guy Ale, with its hoppyness evident. Before it can get too bitter, the taste mellows out with notes of wood, cherry, and subtle-sweet bourbon. As the beer warms in the glass, hints of vanilla emerge in the middle of the sip. While at first I found this to be great, over time it almost felt like I was drinking two distinct liquids—beer up front and iced down bourbon in the back. I like the taste of both, though. This one’s tough to call. 7

Efficiency (10): This is hard to pin down. Rogue seems to be making a habit of not putting their ABV content in any sort of easily-found locations, so it’s hard to nail an efficiency rating. Rogue’s “Beers” page lets me know that an inexact way to approximate the ABV is to divide the PLATO number by 2.5. This—maybe—gives this beer an approximate ABV of 6.4%, so it seems it would be fairly efficient. For some people, the flavors may turn this into a “one and done [with]” beer but there’s enough of a kick here to make its presence felt. 6

Versatility (10): One-off beers like this don’t really make for a lot of versatility. If it suddenly becomes one of your favorites, it’s going to be off the shelf before you know it. If you base a great recipe around it, same thing goes. Right now, this is a pretty snoberrific beer—being a Rogue beer aged in Rogue spirit barrels—so it’s good to grab now and bust out later to impress folks. The bitter-and-sweet flavors would match well with spicy foods or a rich sauce (Rogue’s page gives their pairings as pork or spicy foods). So while it’s available, it’s fairly versatile. 7

Final Score: 38 – Really Good Beer

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.9%
Type: Wheat Ale

What they say: Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic is a fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it is brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by the rare wild yeast strain. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries and bananas, cloves and nutmeg. The yeast fermentation also will create a slight sourness on the sides of the palate, a signature of the original Lambic style which, with the subtle cereal note from the wheat malt, remind its drinker that, as fruity a beer as this is, it is still a beer.

Why I picked it: Beer three of six in the 2009 Samuel Adams Winter Classics. One of the beers that’s included, it seems, almost yearly in Sam’s Holiday Pack.

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Presentation (5): The one thing I appreciate about the old beers offered in the Winter Classics is that they use the older-style labels with Mr. Adams raising a glass instead of the current rigoursly diminished version. I’m a sucker for throwbacks. You should see my Michael Jordan Washington Bullets jersey. 4

Originality (5): Tough to rate because it was first brewed in 1990. This is one of those “grandfather of craft brewing” ratings because they were experimenting with this stuff before anyone else. I’m sure Jim Koch did something along the lines of “hey, let’s take the ale recipe, dump some cranberries in to it, and see what happens.” Original idea with a grade retroactive to 1990. Twenty years ago. 5

Body (10): As people on The Site That Shall Not Be Named are quick to point out, this is not actually a lambic but a wheat ale. Whatever it is, it’s tough to rate the body because it’s really hard to notice anything other than the knock-your-socks-off cranberry flavor. It’s a muddy red with minimal head and crisp carbonation. There’s also an unpleasant, syrupy consistency that coats your tongue and just won’t go away. Very dry, syrupy, and just not that great. 3

Taste (10): Full disclosure here: I don’t like lambics. I don’t get them, I never have. I’ve tried different varieties of them and I find them just too sweet regardless if they’re peach or cranberry or whatever. This one is no different. All I can taste in this beer is cranberry and nutmeg. That’s a delicious flavor profile… for cranberry sauce. I just don’t get it in beer. Cranberry Lambic is frequently included in the holiday pack and I truly wish that this and Cherry Wheat would just go somewhere together in never come back… like Vermont. Don’t fruit the beer. 2

Efficiency (10): The 5.9% ABV is about the only efficient part of this beer. The flavor is too intense with cranberry tartness which makes consumption slow-going. The ABV could be 25.5% but if the flavor sucks then it’s no fun. 3

Versatility (10): There are only two uses for this I can think of. First — a party in which the goal is to bring the worst beer and second — giving someone who hates beer a beer they might like. 2

The Snob Sez: Clearly not my fave.

Final Score: 19 (of 50) – bad beer

Brewed By: Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Brewed In: San Diego, California
Type: Belgian-Style Brown Ale
ABV: 6.3%

What They Say: “Fullsuit is brewed with the changing seasons in mind. Firm toasted malt and roasted nut flavors are underpinned by a hint of vanilla that comes from aging the beer on French oak. Belgian ale yeast adds a peppery, fruity character to the beer’s slightly dry and warming finish, making it perfect for the (kind of) cold Southern California winter.”

Website: At this risk of running afoul of any web-designing beer elitists out there, I freaking love the Karl Strauss site. Yes, the home page is a little blocky, but it’s clean and easy to read. The “Brews” page not only shows the full assortment of beers by their names/types, but it also offers up a visual of what’s inside the bottle. I know it’s not the same as seeing a pour in front of you, but it’s still a nice touch. The “Eats” tab takes you to maps and menus of their six Southern California restaurants (get the beer-brined pork chops and thank me later). And, the obligatory “Who We Are” and “Beer Gear” areas aren’t at all intrusive.

Why I Picked It: The first time I had Karl Strauss (Amber Lager) was during my last semester of college at San Diego State. Two friends and I finished two pitchers in our on-campus pub, right before our “Marketing 471″ midterm. In the pantheon of bad academic ideas, this isn’t as high on my personal list as you might think. I got a “C” on the exam and, like steroids and baseball, no one really knows the true impact of BAC and test-taking. Anyways, I fell in love with the Karl Strauss brand back then. While I don’t drink it much anymore, I’ll always find time for one of their seasonal releases.

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Presentation (5): Isn’t it standard operating procedure for “winter seasonal” offerings to at least hint at winter on their label? I get that the average high in San Diego this time of year is 66 degrees, but the drab all-brown look didn’t work for the local baseball team in the 1980s and it’s hard to get behind it now. 2

Originality (5): Even the most conservative accounts estimate that brown ale was being brewed in England as early as the 19th century. Some go as far back as the 1600s. Anything this old and brown is usually honored with a cardboard cutout stapled to the wall inside a second-grade classroom during Black History Month. That doesn’t make it original. Sorry, Harriet Tubman. 1

Body (10): A rust-colored pour with minimal head and lacing, Fullsuit doesn’t hold up better or worse than any other brown ale out there. That’s not an insult — it’s aesthetically pleasing in a pint glass, but with an ale’s thinness and level of carbonation. 6

Taste (10): There’s a toasted spiciness here that hits the tongue immediately. That gives way to slightly bittersweet vanilla notes which never really take over the taste, but should’ve been stronger and/or stuck around longer. If Karl Strauss could’ve combined this flavor tweak with a more substantive mouthfeel, I’d have gone higher with my score. 7

Efficiency (10): It’s hard to imagine someone doing epic damage to a six-pack. It’s plenty smooth and goes down just fine, but the bitterness — while not at all pronounced — really lingers. Fullsuit is one of those beers that you’d start your night with, but not spend an entire evening. 6

Versatility (10): It’ll take about half a bottle for the extremely casual beer drinker to appreciate Fullsuit. I’m not trying to paint an overly-complex picture of a relatively simple brew, but no one will ever confuse this with $2.00 Bud Lights during your league’s bowling night. Karl Strauss is arguably the most recognizable brewery name in San Diego, so a little reliance on the locals’ brand awareness could get this beer into a Chargers playoff party. 6

Grade: 28 (out of 50) — Good Beer

Brewed By: Rogue
Brewed In: Newport, OR
Type: Black Lager
ABV: ~6%
Brewed With: Malts: Melanoidin, Carafe Special II, Black, Chocolate, and Rouge Micro Barley Farm first-growth Risk malts; Hops: Rogue Micro Hopyard first-growth Independent and Revolution hops.

What they say: “Available nationwide on 1-1-2010, Dirtoir Black Lager is the second in the limited availability Chatoe Rogue series. Dirtoir Black Lager and the brews to follow are all GYO Certified, First Growth, Appelation products made with hops and malt from our Department of Agriculture’s Hopyard and Barley Bench.”

Website: Rogue’s website is exactly what you’d think it is—a wellspring of news, information, beers, spirits, and everything else. The page opens enormous with news posts that go all the way back to January 1. Along the side are links to different events. Along the top are links for the beers, the spirits, their locations, news, events, awards, and store. Clicking the “Beers” link takes to the list; clicking on a beer’s name brings up its own page. You could spend all day looking at everything on this site.

Why this one, Show? I found this beer while searching for another local brewery’s limited-time offerings, and it looked too good to skip. It’s essentially a homebrew; all of the ingredients (except the yeast) come from Rogue and only Rogue.

First Thoughts:
Head: Thick, tan, coffee-with-a-tad-of-cream-colored, some lacing.
Nose: Crisp chocolate malt, coffee.
Color: Jet black.

Presentation (5): Rogue bottles are similar to Southern Tier’s bottles in their wealth of information including ingredients, AA, ABV, and icons to indicate what types of food the beer will pair with (fowl and grilled food in this case). This bottle incorporates Rogue’s signature “Raised Fist” in a stylized blocky fashion (think Stern’s logo for Sirius) holding on to some barley and a hop vine. Different from the norm is the “Chatoe Rogue” and the “Grow the Revolution” slogan. 5

Originality (5): According to Rogue, this is the second beer in their Chatoe Rogue “Grow Your Own (GYO)” certified series of beers. These are made with ingredients grown by Rogue on their hopyard and their micro barley farm (GPS coordinates are given for those that want to check them out). The only thing that doesn’t come from their backyard is the German Oktoberfest yeast used to ferment it. 5

Body (10): The label may say lager but this is no crisp pale beer. The feeling in the mouth is all stout, having the body of an Imperial Stout more than, say, a Toasted Lager. There is not a ton of carbonation, which makes for an easy sip. That sip lingers on the palate, though, reminding you that this is a very full-bodied beer. 8

Taste (10): The taste is reminiscent of an Imperial Stout, with big chocolate malt flavors underscored by that unique “iced coffee” bitter flavor that big stouts tend to have. The hop bitterness moves the flavors along through the sip, and the finish is thick and lingering. A perfect dark beer. 10

Efficiency (10): Here’s where it gets weird. The ABV is not listed on the beer’s label, Rogue’s site, or even on the Site That Shall Not Be Named. However, Rogue’s “Beers” page lets me know that an inexact way to approximate the ABV is to divide the PLATO number by 2.5. This—maybe—gives this beer an approximate ABV of 6. I can run with that. 6

Versatility (10): And here’s where we hit a snag. The big mouthfeel, strong flavors,and stout-ness of this beer make it really nothing more than a one-bottler. In fact, if this was found on draught somewhere, it’d be good to try a glass of and then move on to something new. Rogue suggests pairing this with hot and spicy foods; I agree. It’s just not something you can make a night out of. 5

Final Score: 39 – Really Good Beer

Brewed By: FX Matt Brewing
Brewed In: Utica, NY
ABV: 5.9%
Type: German- or Vienna-Style Lager depending on who you ask.

What They Say: Our Saranac Winter Lager is a rich, malty, old school German Lager, made with traditional German malts and hops and fermented with a lager yeast. Look for a rich but smooth malty taste, balanced by an impressive Hallertau hopping-A nice reward for enduring our winter months.

Why I Picked It: This is the second of four new beers (and the second of five unreviewed beers) in Saranac’s 12 Beers Of Winter 2009. We can also designate this Saranac’s entry in to the crowded winter seasonal market.

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Presentation (5): Saranac offers a Winter Lager that’s blue with red lettering. I’m curious as to why red on blue is the go-to color for winter beers. The painting is a nice winter scene with snow covered trees. Nice, if not a little bland. 2

Originality (5): As mentioned previously, I can’t fault a brewer for bringing a product to market that most other brands offer even if it’s not very original. Bringing a Winter Lager to the market in 2009 is a little behind the curve but it’s forgivable when it takes a brewery a long time to get something right. 2

Body (10): It pours the same reddish-brown as most winter lagers with a healthy, creamy head hinting at a hearty beer. The body has a touch more depth then Sam’s or Blue Point’s offerings with a perfect amount of carbonation to offset the extra heartiness. It’s a really nicely done German with an excellent body and head to carry the flavor. 8

Taste (10): The flavor is incredibly balanced. There’s no specific overpowering taste I can isolate out to say “this tastes like ingredient X.” There’s a nice, malty flavor that blends remarkably well with the hops. As seems to be the case with me, I enjoy beers with a Hallertau hop finish. There are distinct spicy notes, a hint of caramel, and a general warmness from the ABV but nothing that stands out. There is a distinct German flavor which I’ve come to appreciate more since my Oktoberfest trip. A good, solid beer that blends all the ingredients remarkably well. Nothing wrong with that. 8

Efficiency (10): Hard to knock the efficiency of this beer. It’s 5.9% with a really tasty flavor and a great balance of body vs. carbonation. It’s only currently available in the 12 Beers Of Winter but, should it end up by itself in a six-pack next year, I’d be hard pressed to not put it up with my favorite winter offerings. It would be a reasonably-priced session beer with a strong ABV. 10

Versatility (10): As winters go, pretty high. The flavor is gentler then other winters and yet somehow pretty complex. The body is rich, yet carbonated and light. Sometimes, when a beer does a lot of things pretty good instead of one thing really well, it makes for a better product. Call it the Blyleven argument. 7

The Snob Sez: It’s really just a simple beer done the right way. Whereas the Maple Porter would enjoy life more as a 22 oz. bomber, the Winter Lager has future six-pack or session draft written all over it. I’d be pumped if they released this as a winter seasonal next year… so I’m filing this as my official request.

Final Score: 37 (of 50) – Great beer

Brewed By: Otter Creek Brewing
Brewed In: Middlebury, VT
Type: Barleywine
ABV: 12%
Brewed With: Malts: 2-row, Wheat, Vienna, Crystal, Munich, Aromatic; Hops: UK Goldings, Strisselspalt

What they say: “QVH is our brewers’ tribute to the mighty oak, luscious grape, and humble hop. The homage begins with a bold 27 degree plato barley-wine, warm-fermented with Bohemian lager yeast, then blended with Sauvignon Blanc grape juice and fermented a second time with a pure culture of Champagne yeast. When this intricate brew was complete, our brewers aged it on lightly toasted French Oak. The six week journey through our brewery results in a deeply complex ale which clocks in at 12% ABV, with 38 IBU.”

Website: Otter Creek’s page automatically gets a point for no “Are You 21?” splash page. The site is laid out with some frames, and tabs with pop-up branches across the top for “Our Brewery,” “Otter Creek,” “Wolaver’s” (their Organic branch), a store, and News & Events. At the bottom are graphics for current releases, clicking on it brings you to that beer’s entry. Not bad.

Why this one, Show? Otter Creek is a local New England brewery from which I’ve been meaning to acquire some reviewable selections. I found this in my local Beer Guy’s store during a small Otter Creek tasting, and it looked too unique to pass.

First Thoughts:
Head: Bubbles up thick, then leaves a nice white ring around the top of the beer.
Nose: Not unlike white grapes, also a bit of leafiness.
Color: Dark cherry wood

Presentation (5): Comes in a nice 24-oz bottle with graphics of a field and tree in soft focus. “Otter Creek Imperial Series” is written in a stylized font written across the top. Almost passed on this one b/c I thought they were hop vines. Lots of info on the bottle like the story of the beer, ingredients used, and ABV and IBUs. It’s a departure from their standard label scheme, which is a nice touch. 5

Originality (5): Barleywine fermented once with lager yeast, then blended with Sauvignon Blanc grape juice, then fermented again with champagne yeast, and then aged in French oak barrels? Is there any way this is NOT getting the full score here? 5

Body (10): There is almost no carbonation to the sip, and looking at the bubbles lazily rising here-and-there in the glass confirms this. There is a slight tingle on the tongue, but the back of the sip has almost a syrupy quality to it. The mouthfeel is nice, though, and this is something that can be easily sipped. I credit the oak-aging. 8

Taste (10): For those expecting a beer that tastes like wine, this may not be the right fit for you. There’s definitely a grape presence in the taste, but it mixes well with the hop bitterness. After starting off slightly sweet, the flavor ends on a dry note; I can’t tell if this is the oak I’m tasting or the wine. A cursory glance at wine websites informs me that some varieties of Sauvignon Blanc can be dry. Those things combined just make it into a pleasant-tasting beer—this isn’t bad, just not what I was expecting from something included in this “extreme beer” article. As it warms in the glass, as with most strong ales, the flavors mellow and blend even better. 8

Efficiency (10): High scores here, naturally, with this being an easy drinker with a very impressive ABV. In the time it took me to finish one 25 cl tulip glass, I was already feeling a bit heady. Otter Creek has wisely put this into 24 oz. bomber bottles, and one of those is really all you’d need. 9

Versatility (10): I would stack this beer up against anything you’d use a good hearty wine for. The sweet-to-dry flavors would compliment a good roast fowl dish, strong or smoked cheeses, or even some herbed olive oil pasta. At less than $10, this would be a great bottle to bring over to a friend’s place for a dinner party or get-together. Or, if you’re like me, something new to hit your beer palette with to see what shakes loose. 6

Final Score: 41 – Great Beer