Scratch Beer 16 - 2008
Acquired from mikereaser courtesy of the Local BIF, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass. A: The beer is a deep coppery brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass. S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, spices, nuts, some fruit and a decent amount of hops. T: The taste starts out with a hearty malt character but not a lot of sweetness. There are flavors of caramel, nuts, spices and dark fruits. There's a good hops presence for the style but it doesn't seem to balance things out much. The after-taste is bitter-sweet. M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky. D: A little tasty, goes down ok, slightly filling, decent kick, decent representation of style, there are several better winter warmers out there, while it's not terrible, I can see why this one was scratched.