Well it was just a matter of time. The beer world is exploding around me and I really just walked in to it. It is actually pretty cool and maybe, just maybe Ill have something you want to hear.
For those of you who don't know me-- I'm a Beer nerd; I'm in love with my wonderful girlfriend Natalie; I'm a Beer lover; I have four dogs and one of them is 1011. Yes I name my dog 1011-- so I suppose I'm a second degree nerd.
But enough about me, lets talk about Beer.
The great thing about Beer? It's all about the moment in the cosmos you capture with the perfect tasting brew. The forces of nature and the ingenuity of man intersect often, but rarely is it memorable. But then every so often it clicks.
Rahr Winter Warmer
Rahr was the first microbrewery I ever visited so its fitting that its the first beer that I share. I had this on draft at Black Star Co-op.
It pours a deep brown color with scarlet highlights. A nice caramel colored head pours but settles quickly.
At first whif there isn't much of an aroma but there are subdued cinnamon, nutmeg and fruit elements. On first sip the malt is apparent but not overwhelming, nicely balanced by the lighter spice notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and maybe some allspice. The hops are present and do a fine job of balancing without intruding. There is almost no alcohol taste at all. It does seem a bit thin but it isn't a deal breaker.
Surprise, this beer is 8.5 by volume! Would not have guessed that much, very well disguised. All in all an exceptional Winter Warmer, I can imagine this would go great with some holiday fare. There is a Bourbon aged version of this beer floating around out there-- word on the street is that Black Star will have it sometime next week.
Beer gonz by gonz
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Austin beer-blogging fray. I'll have to head over to Black Star and see if they still have that Rahr's — I haven't had that one yet.
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