My favorite style of beer is a big huge American style ale with lots of bitter hops balanced with lots of sweet malt to keep things balanced. When done right it's a complex revelation of goodness. Old Woody by Fish Brewing is technically modeled after the English Strong Old ale style, but it has the feel of an American Strong Ale with all those hops. It was my favorite overall beer when I began down the path of beer nerdery 7 or so years ago, but it abruptly disappeared from store shelves, leaving my heart just a little emptier these last few years. You can therefore imagine my elation when a recent Belmont Station newsletter heralded the arrival of the 2008 vintage of Old Woody. I had my secretary clear my calendar and arranged for a face to face post haste.
I apologize for the simple unedited ramblings that follow below, it's all I could muster onto the page on that delicious evening with my 10%abv beauty.
The Nose:
sour framboise, oak, and brown sugar (in that order)The Taste:
hops are like fresh kumquatsrich molasses malty sweetness
woody like smoked almonds and scotch
Somehow all 3 elements of flavor present themselves with solo performances and then come together to become more than the sum of their parts, like a great Jazz jam.
Drink this!!!
(A quick note of warning, Old Woody now comes to you in 22oz bottles, meaning it should be shared. I however had nobody to share with and managed to finish the entire 10% abv bottle. Although this is roughly the equivalent of 4 lesser brews, it contains a lot of potent sugars that together can create the perfect storm of hangover pain...I felt like crap, but oh what a night!)
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