Heat Miser
McKenzie Brewing Company

*Note: Not retired, or not fully as I purchased this 19.2oz can in 2021

Look: Semi-clear reddish amber in color with a vigorous light tan head that mounds up and slowly recedes, leaving good lacing
Aroma: Toasted bread, caramel, some earthiness, sweet cereal grains, fruity notes abound, and floral and some light citrus fruit notes
Taste: Floral hops, caramel, and toasted cereal grains start the party off and are soon joined by a big bready malt punch along with some fruitiness. Earthy and citrus notes hold through as the malt fades only for it to be reinvigorated and lead to a sweet bready and lightly fruity finish
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, quite smooth throughout, medium to medium-high carbonation, and soft on the finish with almost no hint of the ABV
Overall: I dig this one a lot. These folks’ stuff continues to be good and this really reminds me of an American take on a British strong ale. Lots of malt flavors that are reminiscent of British ales, as are some of the earthy and floral hop notes and a very well hidden 7.8%. Color me impressed and definitely one I’d recommend

 

 

 

I thought I’d found the best new winter seasonal this year when I tried Festivus at Eugene City. But a week later I returned to Eugene and found this fabulous ale down the street at Steelhead. Heat Miser presents with a dense creamy carpet of head suggestive of a nitro pour. The head is light beige and leaves thick striations of lace on the glass. An aroma of plum and brown sugar rises like a dancing cobra.

Heat Miser is turbid auburn and has a solid malty backbone surging with fruity esters. But the bittering is simply masterful. It is at once spicy and resinous, crisp and articulate, making for a gutsy, top-notch beer that takes no prisoners. Seek with due haste.