Sled Wreck Winter Ale
Barley Brown's Brewpub

16oz can. Citra hops dominate the taste, faint hop aroma. Clear dark brown body, thin head, good lacing. Mostly grapeftuit tast, nice malt backbone. Winter warmer.

neat to have an unspiced winter ale, usually these sorts of things are full of cinnamon and nutmeg and whatnot, but here they let the malt do the walking and talking, deep amber in color and pretty clear from the tap, mahogany in the low light, short patchy off white head on top settles fast, looks right for what it is, and smells awesome. fresh baked bread, light molasses and brown sugar but not terribly sweet, raisin and leather too, but its all from the grain. there really isnt any alcohol here in the flavor, its well hidden, surprisingly well for a beer that actually drinks a little thin for what it is, thin in a good way, but still, light for the style, and fast finishing too without a lot of residual sugar or spices clinging to the palate. dried cherry and toffee notes, raisin again, a light woodiness, and maybe a trace of almond to it, nothing too light, sweet, or dark, its all in that mid range, but its nuanced. lighter body and lesser carbonation but both are kind of cool together in this style, and on the whole i thought this was rather interesting beer, neat for what its not, but also a cool keep it simple sort of approach, well done as always from these guys! nice change of pace, got me a little buzzed up too!

Can from Market of Choice.

Deep red with orange head,this looks great. The nose is an old school hoppy winter beer with caramel,simple syrup and loads of hops. Orange, a little pine, a spicy note from the combination of hops and alcohol are present. The palate opens moderately bitter with pine orange peel, a little grapefruit and some festive spice notes that pairs well with the pine. The mid-palate has caramel and a little sweetness. Medium full in body and softly carbonated, this beer finishes long and mildly sweet. Lovely, creamy mouthfeel.

 

 

16-ounce can purchased from Uptown Beer Co. Canned on 12/22/20. Poured into a nonic half-pint.

Note:
The label indicates the ABV of this version is 8.9%.

Look:
Sled Wreck is a clear and brilliant deep red-orange, capped with thick ivory-colored foam. The head shrinks to a ring at the edges but still leaves behind fragments of lacing on the glass.

Smell:
The beer starts out fruity and hoppy with a mix of raisins, orange peel, and plenty of pine. There's a warm brown sugar sweetness underneath, with a little earthy spiciness that reminds me of nutmeg (but is likely from hops, not actual nutmeg). Alcohol emerges as the beer warms.

Taste:
Bittersweet orange, candied pineapple, and caramel lead the way. These are followed quickly by flavors of roasted mixed nuts, shortbread cookie, and some big piney bitterness. A little spiciness through the middle makes me wonder if there is any rye in the malt bill. Some roast malt character comes through in the finish, ahead of a lingering pine and grapefruit peel bitterness.

Feel:
Medium-bodied and nicely rounded with moderate carbonation. Alcohol adds unobtrusive warmth.

Overall:
Barley Brown's Sled Wreck is bold and full of intense flavors, yet achieves its own kind of balance because everything works together so nicely. I'd actually prefer it if the bitterness were dialed back a notch to let the malt and fruit shine through with a bit more detail, but this is a quibble, not a gripe. The beer gets better and better as it warms, so sit back, fasten your seatbelt, and enjoy this wreck in slow motion.

 

 

Unless I was poured the wrong beer, this tastes more like an IPA than a winter warmer.

Red color, clear, with thin, bubbly head. Aroma is caramel malt forward with hints of spice and herbs. Flavor is malt forward with some hops bitterness in the aftertaste. Pine and herbal notes in this strong winter ale.

 

 

 

Served On-Tap

A — Pours a dark brownish amber hue into the glass. There is a khaki colored head 1" tall that leaves behind some pretty nice lacing.

S — Smell is very hoppy and fresh, kind of unexpected but amazing. Nice earthy pithy notes of hops, somewhat grungy in a good way.

T — Taste is bold, rich, strong, and intense. With notes of sweet malts and bold assertive hop qualities. Almost a bit of oak as well.

M — Medium bodied, not too heavy.

O — Pretty good overall, very hoppy, but still bold, heavy, and dry.

 

 

 

 

 

RB

Growler filled tonight from Whole Foods Boise... Enjoyed tonight form a standard tulip... The brew is a pretty deep mahogany... off-white head lasts forever and leaves behind great sheets of lacing.

Nose is a monster PNW BW complete with loads of citrus and pine hops... a bigger than expected caramel maltiness and a bit of dark fruit esters help balance the hop punch.

Flavor is huge from front to back... big piney/citrus zest hops pummel the palate and are barely balanced by a dark fruitiness and caramel/dark toast maltiness... hints of cocoa move into the finish... surprisingly the bitterness seems restrained given the heavy hops... very drinkable even when cold, but this really comes together with warmth.

Big boned, but not sweet or cloying ever... the body is a solid medium.

4/4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5