Beer of the Weekend #641: Nutcracker Ale
The beer tonight is Nutcracker Ale, brewed by the Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BEST BY” date printed on the shoulder is “2/15/15.”
Appearance: Pours a reddish amber into a pint glass. Two fingers of buttery, light tan froth dissipates slowly.
Smell: The first whiff brings to mind springtime pale ales — definitely nothing associated with the winter holiday season. Pleasant scents of grapefruit and pineapple are most noticeable at first, though caramel, toffee, and sweet malt emerge slowly and provide balance.
Taste: Spicy and complex. The spice — the beer’s website says it is Chinook hops — is most noticeable and prominent in the beginning. The grapefruit and pineapple from the aroma are present as well. As the beer warms, flavors of caramel and toffee become more noticeable. There is a hint of alcohol, but otherwise it is very well masked.
Drinkability: Spicy and very tasty, this is a good winter warmer.
Fun facts about Nutcracker Ale:
-Style: Winter warmer.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. One thing that I have learned on this beer-per-day adventure is that buying single bottles is not cost-efficient.
-Alcohol content: 7.8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Listed on the beer’s webpage are aged cheddar cheese, caramel desserts, dark chocolate, heavy meat dishes, smoked Gouda cheese, and wild game.
-IBU: 38.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B/B+.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BEST BY” date printed on the shoulder is “2/15/15.”
Appearance: Pours a reddish amber into a pint glass. Two fingers of buttery, light tan froth dissipates slowly.
Smell: The first whiff brings to mind springtime pale ales — definitely nothing associated with the winter holiday season. Pleasant scents of grapefruit and pineapple are most noticeable at first, though caramel, toffee, and sweet malt emerge slowly and provide balance.
Taste: Spicy and complex. The spice — the beer’s website says it is Chinook hops — is most noticeable and prominent in the beginning. The grapefruit and pineapple from the aroma are present as well. As the beer warms, flavors of caramel and toffee become more noticeable. There is a hint of alcohol, but otherwise it is very well masked.
Drinkability: Spicy and very tasty, this is a good winter warmer.
Fun facts about Nutcracker Ale:
-Style: Winter warmer.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. One thing that I have learned on this beer-per-day adventure is that buying single bottles is not cost-efficient.
-Alcohol content: 7.8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Listed on the beer’s webpage are aged cheddar cheese, caramel desserts, dark chocolate, heavy meat dishes, smoked Gouda cheese, and wild game.
-IBU: 38.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B/B+.
