Since I’ve been travelling, I don’t have a store of beer to start the year with. Didn’t make a lot of sense, although I could have left it in my closet; without the radiator my room is pretty cool. I’ll just have to use my present!
It is a special beer, since it was created by my brother-in-law for his brewpub, but which he has sold to be run by more business-interested people. So, no more Warm Fuzzies. It was a limited edition anyway, but there’s always a chance you can get a repeat when the same people are involved. The new brewers don’t use the same water source, so even the same recipes don’t come out identical to their past selves. While the majority of the collection were lighter beers, ales and sours and easier drinking options, there were also some pretty solid stouts. I seem to remember a lot of barrel-aged ones, but being far away I can’t swear to it.
It doesn’t look extra dark and thick, but pours nicely and has good color. The off-beige head doesn’t build up too much and relaxes quickly. The bourbon aroma is front and center, drowning out anything else. The taste is something of a surprise; it’s very woody to start, and winey over the tongue. It doesn’t seem to have the weight that I’ve experienced with other barrel-aged beers. It’s remarkably smooth, in fact, given the alcohol content of over 13%. The wine flavor ripens into raisin, but the beer stays pretty crisp, not descending into sticky fruitiness. It’s not quite what I was expecting, but it is undoubtedly a special beer, not only because of its extinction. The warmth of it sneaks up on you, and by the end of the can you can definitely feel that 13%. There are those warm fuzzies!
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