High Ball
Ausable Brewing Co.

 

this is far and away the best beer these guys are making right now, at least in my opinion. a strong ale aged in whiskey barrels with ginger, modeled on the cocktail, not only is it their tastiest, but also their most inventive and inspired recipe, and its absolutely amazing. it gives me really high hopes for the future of this brewery. paler in color than expected, llighter than copper, with a strong whiskey nose and a live fresh spicy ginger element, not as intense as the juice of fresh ginger in the raw, but somewhere near it. an almost menthol sinus clearing thing is there too. the flavor is awesome too, the whiskey is a lot more subtle than it smells, but the oak and vanilla definitely permeate. strong sweet caramelized malts fill in the for simple syrup, and the ginger is sweet and spicy at the same time, in perfect proportion as well. carbonation is a touch soft, but i dont mind all the body or the sweetness, it seems to make sense in this particular brew. to this day, with all of these beers passed across my palate, i truly have never had anything like this. well done, and a tweak or two away from being all time!

edit: it has been a couple years since i visited this place and this one is even more refined than it was when i first had it. incredible quality overall here right now, these guys really have it dialed in!