Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

During Summer, we generally prefer foods that are light and refreshing - ones that won't weigh us down in the heat. Come winter, we opt for heavier meals that will keep us satisfied and warm us up from the inside. The same is the case for beer. Summer is the time for lighter brews like most lagers, wheat beers, saisons, and pale ales. Winter means doubles, triples, rich porters, and barleywines. Barrel-aged beers are extra-cool, but I'll leave those to the pros. One shining example of a cold weather beer is the spiced Winter Warmer. This is a more modern format - a hybrid of heavy English ales and Wassail (a festive punch of ale fortified with spirits and spices). These beers tend to be dark and malty, with a restrained hop character and smoooooth finish.

For my beer, I wanted something that felt like a dark, spiced American-style IPA. Here's how I did it:

• 1.75 lbs American two-row pale malt
• 1.00 lb British two-row pale malt
• .25 lbs American Caramel Malt (40 L)
• .25 lbs American Caramel Malt (60 L)
• .1 lbs Chocolate Malt
• 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

That number next to the caramel malt refers to the Lovibond scale, a linear measure of color. There are many different scales, but this is the one commonly used in grain descriptions. The higher the number, the darker the color. Higher numbers also indicate flavors ranging from grainy to biscuity to caramely to roasty. It is also used in measuring the final beer color. I tried to use a fancy mathy thing to show how I convert the numbers into colors, but the Blogspot HTML genie got confused by "less than" symbols. If you're that interested, you can look it up.

I used my usual process to make the beer.

BUT

During the boil, I added a mesh bag containg 2 sticks proper cinnamon, 1 dry old vanilla bean, about 1/2 dozen allspice berries, and a teaspoon of coriander seeds. After about 25 minutes, I removed it. My goal was to add hints of spice, not to punch you in the mouth with spices (as haphazardly spiced beers tend to). And here's my hopping schedule:

• 1/2 oz Chinook pellets as a First Wort Hop
• 1/3 oz Centennial leaf for 60 minutes
• 1/3 oz Centennial for 20 minutes
• 1/3 oz Centennial for 5 minutes
• 1/2 oz Centennial - cold hopped

According to my calculations:
IBU: 100+
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.012
ABV: 6.5%



Appearance: The picture doesn't do this beer justice, because it is a nearly transparent brick red color with nearly two inches of tan foam. It clings to the glass like a much heavier beer.

Smell: I will be honest here - the smell is not terribly appealing to me. The coriander aroma comes through above the other spices, but is still dominated by a sweet smell.

Taste: Don't be fooled by the smell, the residual sugar is low enough that the sweetness of this beer is not the dominant feature. The spice character is just right, with the cinnamon being most prominent. The vanilla isn't quite as strong as I'd like, but I'll tolerate. There's just enough caramel flavor to remind me that I'm drinking something meant to stick to my ribs. There are slight hints of nuttiness and chocolate from the malts and dried fruits from the yeast. I absolutely love how well the hops, sweetness, and spices balance.

Mouthfeel: It is, like many other beers I've described, silky smooth. The bubbles are exceptionally fine, moreso than average, and the beer expands to fill and coat your mouth while drinking.

Drinkability: There is no doubt that this is a winter beer. More than two would be a bit of a challenge. It seems to expand in the stomach and, along with the spicy flavors, provide a savory sense of satiety. It's a good thing that I'm drinking these at a relatively brisk pace; they should be long gone by the time spring shows his shining face. Unfortunately, this seems like a beer that would benefit from many months (or more) of aging. Maybe I'll make something age-friendly in the future.

Next: Belgian-style Rye Ale

Prost!