Name:
Alaskan Winter
Style: Winter Warmer
Brewery: Alaskan Brewing Co. website
Country: USA
Region: Juneau, Alaska
ABV: 6.40 %
How served: 12 oz capped bottle poured into an Augustijn Grand Cru Tulip.
My Overall Opinion: Good
I paired this beer with: Nothing.
Tasted on: Thursday December 17, 2009.
Note: This was an interesting beer. I think this was the 1st beer I have had which was made with spruce tips. In the aftertaste there was a mild hint of blueberries to me. It was a clean refreshing beer and could easily be a session brew.
From their website: “The tender new growth of spruce trees has been used for brewing in Alaska since the late 1700’s when seafaring explorers sailed the coast of Alaska looking for the Northwest Passage. Alaskan Brewing revives this tradition, adding spruce tips to its seasonal Alaskan Winter Ale.”
Style: English Olde Ale. Traditionally malty and smooth, Olde Ales are brewed in the fall as winter warmers.
Flavor Profile: Brewed in the style of an English Olde Ale, this ale balances the sweet heady aroma of spruce tips with the clean crisp finish of noble hops. Its malty richness is complemented by the warming sensation of a big winter beer.
History:
From the seafaring adventurers of the 1700s to the homebrewers of today, adding spruce tips to beer has a rich history in Southeast Alaska. The tender new growth of Sitka spruce tips lends a delicious, yet subtly sweet floral aroma to tea, jelly and now Alaskan Winter Ale.
Ingredients: Alaskan Winter is made from glacier-fed water, Sitka spruce tips and a generous blend of the finest quality European and Pacific Northwest hop varieties and specialty malts. Our water originates in the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field and from the more than 90 inches of rainfall we receive each year.
Recommendations: Perfect winter warmer by the fireside or an accompaniment to holiday fare. Serve with roast goose, turkey, ham or lamb. A nice complement to holiday breads, pound cake, or apple pie.
Specifications: Original Gravity: 1.066, ABV 6.4%, Bitterness: 27 IBU, Color: 17 SRM
This is the 22th of my daily Christmas beer, on my quest for a Christmas beer a day from Thanksgiving to Christmas. There are now only 7 more beers until Christmas!
