Crazy Mountain Brewing Company 2017 Bridge Street Holiday Ale Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 6.5% ABV | 22 IBU (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #15, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 16-Dec-2017)
Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and clingy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: “winter” spices, caramel, maple syrup, slight metallic. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry spicy and very mildly astringent finish. (2/5)
It’s a really pretty beer, but unfortunately that’s by far its strongest characteristic. The aroma is utterly dominated by “winter spices” (ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, maybe? or allspice?) but there’s a metallic edge that’s a little off-putting. The body is a little too thin for the spice load, and that metallic note translates through on the tongue, resulting in a slightly astringent finish. On the up side, there’s a decent maple syrup note, but it’s pretty well attenuated and doesn’t come across as sweet or cloying. Fairly meh-tastic, overall. (12/20)
6/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
