Holiday Ale
North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to bentwookie for this treat. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a medium-dark golden color with a few cm. of off white head which dissipate pretty quickly, leaving a ring. No lacing. Excellent clarity.

S: Sugar coated raisin, toffee, molasses, and some smokiness, toast and honey, apple and cinnamon. Lots going on here over the course of a pint.

T: On the sweeter end of the spectrum, like Old Foghorn. Pale malt, some light apple, winter spices like cinnamon, finishing pretty dry (despite the initial sweetness).

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Enjoyable English barleywine with good depth of flavor and aroma. Nice cold weather beer, and good example of the non-barrel aged style.

thanks to jason for this one. cracked this one while watching stuart scott and his creepy ass eye/eye brows with some other jackass that fell asleep in a tanning bed talk about the NBA...help me beer. 375ml bottle poured into a stone specialty glass. a deep transparent mahogany that gave a one finger head that fell to a thin layer with good retention. the nose is of dark fruit, sweet caramel, some grassy hints which im not too sure what thats about. toffee, malty, very bready and not the most complex aroma ive come across. the taste is very subtle and easy, made of toffee, dark fruit, touches of caramel, english malt with a very subtle bitterness in the finish brown sugar as it warms. the alcohol is invisible. im surprised this is a good as it is, i will say it is not a huge brew but its not over done and is very easy to drink. the mouth feel is medium to full and the carbonation is moderate. overall im glad to try this i just don't like english style barleywines but i feel like this is a well made brew. improves as it warms with brown sugar coming through with some spices showing as well.

On tap at the brewery. Listed as an English Barleywine.

The beer pours a hazy dark reddish brown color with a tan head. The aroma is very heavy on the dark fruit and some very sweet malt. The flavor is similar with some added notes. I get a lot of brown sugar from the malt as well as some piney hops, dark fruit and some alcohol. The beer is fairly boozy, but less so than some other barleywines. The predominant flavor is brown sugar. Medium mouthfeel and low to medium carbonation.

750mL bottle courtesy of slimchill poured into a tulip.

Pours a murky caramel orange with small floaties in the first pour underneath a small head of big bubbles that recedes to a small collar and left some delicate lacing.

The aroma is musky but sweet with lots of apple and pear sweetness with a healthy dose of bready malts as well. There are hints of spices, maybe cinnamon and pepper.

The taste has an interesting spicy kick up front before the big light fruit sweetness comes on with apples mainly and a hint of floral sweetness. The spices come back in the finish with a slight peppery dryness.

The mouthfeel is very slick with low carbonation - drinks almost like a cask ale.

This is a very interesting beer from NXNW with lots of fruity sweetness battling with an herbal spiciness throughout. Certainly worth a try and very original.