Barley wine - winter - happy.
I like the barley wine style of ales and am excited to try out Brooklyn Brewery's offering, the Monster Ale. As the website mentions, it is 10.1% with Scottish Floor-Malted Maris Otter and English Two-Row Malts; along with Willamette, Cascade and American Fuggle hops. It is aged four months... Now for it's due respect....
It pours a hazy amber with a tight head.
The aroma is sweet and a bit oaky - with a distinct alcohol.
The taste:
Cold: It has a full body with a lot of the oak flavor in there. It is sweet at the end with a little roastiness, as well.
As it warms: Oak/alcohol become more apparent, it becomes a little more thicker and the aftertaste is more dominant.
The aftertaste is complex with sweet malt and an earthy characteristic. It has a little tang and some brown sugar tones, as well.
This is a great barely wine. It is a wonderful sipper for the colder of cold nights. It's a little tough to find, but definitely worth seeking out!
Cheers!
