Hopworks Urban Brewery Abominable Winter Ale American Strong Ale at 7.3% ABV (C$4.79 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 20-Feb-2016)
Appearance: clear medium amber, one finger of creamy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel/toffee malt, resiny pine, citrus, melon, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)
A decent American Strong. Similar to Arrogant Bastard, which is pretty much my gold standard metric for the style, but not quite as emphatic and interesting. Not quite the same profile as a malt-forward DIPA, but really not all that different. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
