Beer of the Weekend #352: Curmudgeon Old Ale
Last Friday, when I was picking up a sixer of Cain’s Dark Mild, Joe Hotek worked his salesman magic and convinced me to buy a bottle of Curmudgeon Old Ale, brewed by the Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The selling point was when he pointed to two cases of the beer and told me, “That is our supply for the whole year.” I had to snatch it up while I could.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BOTTLED” date on the shoulder is “04/19/12.”
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is very hazy copper/ruby/amber. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated fairly quickly to leave trails along the glass and a bubbly ring around the edge.
Smell: Lots of molasses, toasted caramel, and dark fruit (plum, apple, and hints of raisin). There are also fleeting scents of port wine and booziness. It also reminds me a little of toasted rye bread with raspberry spread. Overall, though, the nose is pretty muted.
Taste: The first sip offers sharp booziness and the flavors emerge from the background. Burnt caramel and a little molasses are most prominent. The dark fruit from the smell is not as noticeable, but the oak aging does impart a little woodiness. Each sip leaves the mouth coated with a nice tingle of bitterness and booze.
Drinkability: To me this seems more like a Christmas/holiday release. The booze and the burnt/woodiness make me think of blazing fireplaces, Christmas trees, and snow. It is an odd little thing but is pretty tasty.
Fun facts about COA:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Old Ale.”
-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9.8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends buttery cheeses and “General (Digestive).”
-IBU: 50.
-Here is some nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Three cheers for any brewery that uses the Oxford comma (the comma between “pubs” and “and” in the above graph is an Oxford comma).
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
The selling point was when he pointed to two cases of the beer and told me, “That is our supply for the whole year.” I had to snatch it up while I could.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BOTTLED” date on the shoulder is “04/19/12.”
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is very hazy copper/ruby/amber. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated fairly quickly to leave trails along the glass and a bubbly ring around the edge.
Smell: Lots of molasses, toasted caramel, and dark fruit (plum, apple, and hints of raisin). There are also fleeting scents of port wine and booziness. It also reminds me a little of toasted rye bread with raspberry spread. Overall, though, the nose is pretty muted.
Taste: The first sip offers sharp booziness and the flavors emerge from the background. Burnt caramel and a little molasses are most prominent. The dark fruit from the smell is not as noticeable, but the oak aging does impart a little woodiness. Each sip leaves the mouth coated with a nice tingle of bitterness and booze.
Drinkability: To me this seems more like a Christmas/holiday release. The booze and the burnt/woodiness make me think of blazing fireplaces, Christmas trees, and snow. It is an odd little thing but is pretty tasty.
Fun facts about COA:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Old Ale.”
-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9.8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends buttery cheeses and “General (Digestive).”
-IBU: 50.
-Here is some nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Think classic seafaring ports, local pubs, and weathered old fishermen. This old ale is brewed with molasses and an insane focus on the malt bill, then oak-aged. The result is a strong, rich, malty delight that's deceptively smooth and drinkable.
Three cheers for any brewery that uses the Oxford comma (the comma between “pubs” and “and” in the above graph is an Oxford comma).
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
