K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale
12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. 7.4% ABV, IBU: 30, 074A11. A - A badass looking beer, K-9 pours a totally clear, gorgeous rusty bronze color with vibrant highlights. A two-finger tan head rises up and lowers slowly with nice lace left behind. S - The aroma is fairly mild overall but there's a lot of caramel malt sweetness going on in there. Some candied fig and a touch of bread are very low. It's good, but there's not a lot there. T - The nice malty sweetness of caramel and candied fig in the nose almost falls away completely, leaving a bland amber body with lots of rustic, earthy hops behind. Slight floral notes peek through on the finish though. M - Smooth and medium-bodied, K-9 finishes with a harsh, hard hop bitterness certainly not expected after the nose. Higher carbonation level in this one. D - Not awful, it's just much more of a pedestrian winter warmer that's high in ABV but not offering anything pronounced. I wish the aroma's caramel malt sweetness would have carried into the flavor for better taste and balance.