White Pony Microbirrificio December Flower Winter Season Ale 2016 Winter Warmer at 11.8% ABV | 46[?] IBU (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #24, 330 ml, bottle date 1-Jan-2016, best before 25-Jul-2020, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 23-Dec-2016)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with some particulate, one finger of loose off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, soapy moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, dried fruit, citrus zest, floral/herbal, spices. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-low carbonation, lightly spicy warming and lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
And so the Advent calendar closes with #24, another Winter Warmer-ish ale, this one based upon the Belgian Strong Pale style. I like this one quite a bit more than yesterday’s, probably due in no small part to it being nearly triple the ABV. It’s certainly a much more interesting beer, with some citrus peel and spices adding complexity to the herbal/floral hop notes, and a fairly beefy bitter that really only becomes apparent in the lingering finish. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
