Oak Aged Old Scrooge
Silver City Brewery & Taproom

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark reddish orange with a one finger off-white head with great retention an nice lacing. Aroma of candi malt, oaky vanilla, fresh and dried plums and raisins. Flavor is candi and dry caramel malt, figs, dried plums, raisins, vanilla and oak chips. Lingering dark fruit, caramel and oak finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. I wasn't sure when I added this whether it was significant different than the bourbon barrel variant of this winter ale, but I'm not getting much whiskey in this one and it has beautiful oak character, as indicated by the label, so I'm satisfied it deserves its own entry. Back before whisky/bourbon barreling became the default treatment for barreled big ales, there were quite a few "oaked" ales that were largely finished with new oak barrels or chips. It was a style I enjoyed and is quite rare now. I got a happy reminiscent memory on pouring this to smell the oaky vanilla character of this years version. The can says it has rested in whiskey barrels, and some of the fruit notes may come from that, but its subtle; I'm tasting the oak barrel, though. As with the other variants, the profile reminds me a Scotch ale, but without smokiness. It is a fine winter ale, with hints of plum pudding in the fruit mix. I'd frankly like to see this version next year year than the bourbon one, although I enjoyed that one too.