Southern Tier, Old Man (Winter Ale)


I wanted to try something different, Winter Ales are usually nice, especially this time of year...why not?
Why not indeed! I was VERY pleasantly surprised by this little "find". 7% alcohol is low for an Old Ale but still packs a bit of a whallop but it was hardly noticed, it just served as a warming agent and didn't interfere with the flavor, and that flavor ...awesome!
Mellow malts, topped with a nice hoppy finish (Southern Tier hops-up everything they do), bready and maybe a very very slight fruity (maybe raisin?) flavor. It had an absolutely beautiful amber color, Mmmmm-Mmmmm, I really liked this one! Being Thursday night and having to work the next day, I had but one. I can't wait to have a few more tonight and if it holds up well as a session beer, I'm out for more!
12/22 update, I had several more on Friday and this is pretty good stuff! While at the Cheesecake factory I had a Sam Adams Winter lager (also very, very good by the way) but it wasn't anywhere NEAR as good as this Southern Tier, Old man! I had checked the reviews on Beer Advocate and they score it as "very good" but damn, it's one of those times I have to disagree, I am really liking this brew!

I want this shirt:

http://www.snorgtees.com/t-shirts/peter-cotton-ale

Merry Christmas Gents!

Cheers all. In the pub for traditional Xmas drinks - Dark Star Hophead and Dark Star Revelation. Got some Oakham Inferno to go back to with dinner and then it's on to the whisky

I bought the Sam Adam's Winter Variety Pack for a family get together last night. It had the standards, Winter Lager and Traditional Sam Adam's. It also has;

White Christmas
Old Fezziwigs Ale
Juniper IPA
Cherry Chocolate Bock.

I had one of each. White Christmas and Old Fezziwigs are both old favorites. I like them both.

The Cherry Chocolate Bock was like drinking a Cherry Cordial (those chocolates with cherry in the middle). I don't think I could drink any more of it.

I am on the fence about the Juniper IPA. It was a really good hops flavor but the Juniper gives it a kind of floral flavor that I am not sure I liked.

Speaking of Old Fezziwigs, I watched A Christmas Carol last night and it mentioned gin punch. I can't imagine wanting punch to taste of juniper, but I can't say I know much about what gin tasted like in 1835. I like a shot of ouzo with my winter ale, it fits with my German heritage.

Old Fezziwigs is a fine brew.

I upped my beer snobbery - I received the following today:

A book called Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink and a set of beer glasses. The kit included a glass for lagers, the most standard looking of the bunch, a tall one for wheat beers, an IPA glass, and a tulip. I'm drinking a Victory Dirtwolf double IPA out of the new glass and I have to admit, the hop aromas jump up your nose.

Merry Christmas, beer lovers!

My wife got me a set of "Craft Beer" glasses. I had no heart to tell her that while these glasses were very nice, they were 4 of the same variety and different beers go in different style glassware. This is simply a basic pub glass and while better than my everyday tumblers and a very nice "generic" glass to have, I kinda wanted the assortment set. But I will be using my new glassware no later than Friday (in the dishwasher now). I'm thinking of heading to "Beers of the World" for a bunch of one-offs to experiment with. A few favorites I have not had in a while, a few I have heard of and wanted to try, a few complete unknowns!

Never understood the 'different glasses different beer' thing.

"When Prohibition ended, beer started its slow climb out of the hole. Dark Munich-style lager was pretty well finished by then, replaced by crisp, bottled Pilsners thinned down with additions of rice or corn. Consumption shifted away from saloons to the home. Before Prohibition, 75 percent of beer had been draft and the remainder bottled. By 1945, this had reversed, and three-quarters of all beer was packaged, not draft, and increasingly sold to take home, which meant that beer was more available to women, and more importantly, they became involved in its purchase." Tasting Beer

It's an easy read history so far, quite enjoyable, and the Kindle version is cheaper than a pint of ale.

Is that an answer to my post?

Because I don't see women insisting on 'the right glass' for their poncey Belgian bottled - it's pernickety men.

No, I'm just enjoying the book read that was mentioned, quite good really.

I've got no skin in the glassware topic. We have nothing other than water glasses at my house.

I'm sure nicer glassware can't help but add to the experience, but I don't think any Redscaper would make an issue of it.

I think the type of glassware used is the pinnacle of beer snobbery. But still, it would be "fun" to have. I do understand some of the nuances involved but these are minor at best.
So while I think it's somewhat dumb, I wouldn't mind having it for "show". While (If I had the right glassware) I would serve guests their beer in the proper glassware, when it was just me... I would use whatever glass I happened to grab first.

That said, a few things I need to clarify
Beer should ALWAYS be drank from a glass, NEVER from the bottle! (if drinking generic swill at a picnic or some such place, out of the bottle is fine but any "decent" beer, ALWAYS in a CLEAR glass, it makes a BIG difference!). The glass should be the right size, not too small to not get the full pour, not so small to not allow the beers head to rise IN the glass, not so large as to be lost in the glass. Never a plastic cup either! And the glass should be clean and dry (unless wet from a previous same brew)

If anyone here drinks straight from the bottle ...STOP THAT!
The proper pour, tilted for half the pour then straight on for the last half allows the correct head to develop. This releases the aromas that are part of the tasting experience. Seeing the clarity and color of a beer is important, seeing how well the beer laces as it is consumed...all part of the experience and a glass allows the right "swig", drinking from a narrow bottle doesn't get the right amount of air and it doesn't "flow" into your mouth. The difference really is noticeable and drinking from the bottle....just don't do it!

What is your view on sippy cups?

are they glass?
...I even have GLASS cups for beer tasting events!
perfect 3 to 4 ounce pours!