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My beer stock has been getting a bit low, and I really only had a couple beers worth drinking. I also have a number of lesser "beers" that certainly would not fit the bill after a long week of studying. An assortment of domestic macro brews, and some wheat based beers which I never like for some reason- why do I have all these in my refrigerator? I don't know. After some looking around and hemming and hawing I decided to go with my last Old Stock Ale. This is a heavier beer, and it is not hoppy like I usually like. Combine with the fact that it is a bit pricey made me somewhat reluctant to drink the last of these that I had. But, the options were few, so Old Stock it is, here are the stats:
Old Stock Ale
Brewer: North Coast Brewing Co. (north coast of CA apparently)
Beer type: Old Ale
Alchohol: 12.5% (This is what it says on the label, I don't know why Ba says 13.25%)
Serving type: 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass
The picture was taken about a minute to a minute and a half after pouring, and as you can see, no head. This may be related to the issue that Aaron mentioned after my last post about how I am washing my glasses, however, I don't think there is really suppose to be alot of head on this beer anyway.
The smell of this beer is very nice. It is full, with a hint of alcohol, but mostly it has a warm aroma that I find hard to describe. But it is a very enticing small. The first sip of this beer was smooth with a strong taste and a nice distinct finish. There was a notable alcohol taste, except it was so smooth, and covered by a bolder rich coffee like taste that it just seemed to blend in. The primary overtone that came through was a taste that made me think of what rich coffee smells like.
I bought this beer last June and I drank one in September over labor day. I remember it being pretty good, but I was also overly tired, and had drank a number of other beers that weekend. I don't think I really took the opportunity to fully experience this one, although I remember it being pretty good. Another fact I just found out today (after drinking this actually), is that this beer is actually designed to be shelved for a while and mellow out. It certainly was good after a 6 month aging.
Unlike the Dogfish head 60 minute IPA I drink last time, this beer was extremely consistent from start to finish. Given my reluctance to drink the beer at all I was surprised to find just how fantastic this beer was. After finishing the Ale I wanted to give up IPAs, go buy another 4 pack, and drink it exclusively! This was just an absolutely stellar beer drinking experience (and a great basketball game as well!)
