The Swill: Old Stock Ale
The Still: North Coast Brewing Company
Fort Bragg, California
http://www.northcoastbrewing.com
The Drill: Old Ale, 12oz bottle, 12.5% ABV
The Spill: Sit down before drinking. Rich leather colors the brew, which smells of oak and alcohol. The flavor invites you in for a taste of fruit, rum, and brown sugar, but the overtones in the aroma still hold court in the taste, along with a significant amount of bitterness and what, for lack of a more specific term, I can only describe as oomph. The alcohol, as high as some wines, is a definite flavor characteristic, though it's said that aging the bottle will allow it to mellow. When drunk fresh like I had it, this is a beer that should come with its own seat belt.
Says Bill: I like a bold, adventurous beer, probably more so than the next guy. However, even my tastes are limited. Bigger isn't always better if you haven't acquired the appreciation for what you're drinking. A couple online reviews compare this beer to the barleywine style, of which I am not a fan. The brewers also recommend that you try this concoction at room temperature, which would wake it up even more, and surely throw me for an even bigger loop. In any case, it's a humongous beer, but I don't think I could take more than a few brave sips. At least, not without a little more practice.
Refill?: Well, yeah. Otherwise, I'll get teased for having met my match: 2.5 taps out of 5.