Cottonwood High Gravity Frostbite

Brewed by Carolina Beer Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Mooresville, North Carolina USA

Name: High Gravity Frostbite
Date: 04/14/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

clear dark brown with ruby hues, chocolate and caramel aroma with earthy hops, rich chocolate flavor balanced with lots of American hops, nice spicy quality from the hops,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4
-------- /> Name: Frostbite HG
Date: 02/01/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Woods on South

Appearance: hazy dark amber, dense creamy cream head, solid lace,
Aroma: sweet dark caramel candy malt aroma with lots of citrus hops,
Flavor: rich dark caramel flavor, tons of citrus and earthy hops, caramel sweetness is well balanced with lasting bitterness arising from the earthy character,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Pours a transparent dark copper orange with a nicely-lacing froth of off-white head. Aroma of toasty caramel malt and green earthy hops. Body starts slightly sweet and caramely malty with a decent fresh grapefruity hoppy balance. Finishes bittersweet and crisp, hiding its alcohol fairly well. A decent American strong ale.

Dark umber color with a tall lasting dark beige head. Hearty hops in the aromas with mild grapefruit and woody pine. Some earthy brown sugar, and stewed fruit (bananas, pears and prunes) and hints of bubblegum as the hops wear off. Turns out rather balanced in pleasant. Fairly full on the palate, but lightly silky. Quite biting and strong presently, perhaps a bit young yet. Mild caramel and nougat in the beginning, but quite quickly replaced with a dry licorice bitterness. Dry and somewhat woody in the finish. Perhaps the hops will mellow as it ages, but the bitterness seems to completely outbalance the sweetness and as it ages typically it would dry out. I think the balance is a little off to begin with, and age will likely not help in that area. Thanks Jonathan.

Found this at Lowe’s foods in Cary. The pour was brown, and the aroma provided caramel nutty malts with some brown sugar and fig hints. The taste was malty, nutty, and spicy, with some backdoor hopcitric notes. Well hidden alcohol.

Poured a clear dark amber with a small off-white head. Citrusy and piney hop forward that almost covers the malty base. Decent strength to the citrus and piney hop flavor. Light to medium bodied. Moderate to strong hop bitter finish. Some warmth.

Thanks to Ryan for sharing this at HWOH. Pours moslty cloudy and hazy deep amber and a nice off white head. Aroma is at first hoppy and citrusy but then gives way to some nutty and toasted malts and hints of chocolate. Very hoppy flavor profile , moslty dominating the malts and leaves a nice bitter finish. Pretty good overall. Bottle says 8.5%, not 6% as the website says.

Bought a bottle of this last week and didn’t realize it was separated from the pre-6% stuff, I just wanted to try the new beer. At any rate.... Bottle. Pours a deep copper with a tall foamy tan head. Nose is spicy hops, creamy malts and caramel. Light tangerine and a bit of alcohol as well. Taste is a hop bomb but is so much better than I remember the old version being. This is more balanced. Chewy malts, nice caramel notes, spicy hops, light pine, and tangerine. Bit of grapefruit as well. Very nice! Body is medium-full with some carbonation fullness. Finishes much the same way it began - big, spicy hoppiness, caramel, citrus fruit, bit of pecan pie and malt. Nice upgrade from the previous version!

On Tap - Carolina Beer Co. Brewpub - Charlotte Airport. Dark orange pour, light khaki head - medium thickness with a bit of lacing. Strong spruce in the aroma Good strong grapefruity goodness, hints of mint and pepper, with some back end maple syrup maltiness. Sticky mouthfeel - nice and thick.