Seasonal Confusion
‘Tis the season… or not even slightly. The ale has a nice, sweet aroma with a bit of dark fruit. The initial flavor is similar, but that fades into a bunch of spices. Without referencing back to the recipe, I get cinnamon and nutmeg principally. The lighter carb is likely due to sitting in a growler too long but it suits the style well. There isn’t a notable heaviness or booziness – I don’t know that this would be warming on a winter night. I think the spice additions could be dialed back a bit. I’d prefer a bit more maltiness – especially caramel or molasses richness – but the spices push everything else well into the background.
A strong beer starts with a big pile of Maris Otter: fifteen and three quarter pounds of it. Ten ounces of caramel 80 for character and three ounces of black malt for color finish the grain bill. This combination yielded a solid 1.088 original gravity. Both an ounce of Horizon and a half ounce of Tettnang went in at 60 minutes to offset all that sweetness. The spice blend in the last minute was a half teaspoon cinnamon, a quarter teaspoon ginger, and an eight teaspoon each of nutmeg and allspice. Fermentation with WLP013 Londo Ale yeast finished at 1.023 for a surprisingly subtle 8.8% ABV.