Middle Ages Wizards Winter Ale

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: English Strong Ale
Syracuse, New York USA

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry & tupalev -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a clear dark amber with a small white head. Aroma and flavour are very sweet, almost too much so. Sweet malt, sugar and stale hops. It goes down easy enough but it’s just O.K. at best. The weakest Middle Ages beer I’ve had.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with blankboy and tupalev, my bottle. Poured clear amber with a small off-white head. Aroma of dry, almost scorched wheaty grain, light malt, some stale hops, a bit vegetal. Taste is harsh and bitter, an unpleasant hint of candy - the grainy finish is pretty long and harsh, a hint of apple as it warms. Mouthfeel is weak, stale and astringent - ehhh.

Bottle, shared with blankboy and hogtown harry, courtesy of harry. Brown pour, small white head. Dry, sweet cherry and wheat aroma. Stale malt and stale hop taste. Some alcohol as well, but staleness overrides. Bottle wasn’t that old, but this could have been off. Regardless, it seemed unbalanced and is certainly my least favorite of the middle ages line up, images of Gandalf notwithstanding.

2005 bottle consumed on 12-9-05.
Very big pssst upon opening. Clear, rust-copper-auburn colored body with a beige head, force carbonated, filtered, you know the drill (mostly diminishing to cover and then ring, little to no lacing, vigorous bubbles).
I hate to put myself out here like this, but it kind of smells like most other mid-gravity beers from Middle Ages. . .Nutty, buttercream, light fruits (apples, pears, cherries) and a dollop of vanilla cream.
Flavor is fruity, creamy and full of sweet malts. Light floral and sweaty/dusty hops in the background complement the sweetness initially, but soon give way to a fluffy, sweet toffee and maple-butter maltiness. Body is medium-full and very comforting. For once, though the bubbles are fierce, the carbonation does not seem to hinder or significantly loosen the mouthfeel. The more I swirl the glass, the more crisp, floral hops I detect. Hint of dryness/acidity on the end of the flavor, actually adds to the complexity and balance. Cherries come alive on the end and combine with the hops. Mouthfeel is very lightly creamy, rather aerated. No alcohol apparency and the yeast really fits in well to-style and grows on the palate (mine, anyways).

Dark orange, small head. Earth, caramel and nut comes through in aroma as well as flavor. Acturally - it’s like butterscotch icecream. Same with flavor. Dunno if that works..

12oz. bottle. Pours a clear brown/copper body with a large, frothy off white head that lasted a while. Nice lacing. Buttery, slightly fruity aroma with a small scent of hops. Sweet. Not strong like ESAs I’ve had before. Medium, creamy mouthfeel. Good winter beer.

Red copper ale with a light white head. Strong diacetyl notes in aroma, Good sweet malt with oily butterscotch in mouth. Medium bodied. Tap. CNY Brewfest Feb. 5 2005.

while not the best example of a British Strong Ale I have to say not a bad beer.