North By Northwest Holiday Ale

Brewed by North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery
Style: English Strong Ale
Austin, Texas USA

2007 draft at NXNW. Copper in color with 1/4" of white head. Sweet and malty in taste with notes of fruit. Extremely drinkable, went great with dinner (pork tenderloin). This is among the best beers I’ve had.

I agree with andrew on this one, definitely a far cry from the other beers at this place, and a little weak on the barleywine scale. Fortunately it is very drinkable.

Unlike any other beer you can get at this place. At nearly 10% abv, this beer is a departure from the hoppy, lighter beers you typically find here. Smelled rather fruity, grapes, yeast. Tasted like a weak barleywine with a pleasant bready malt finish. Not bad!

Bottle from lb4lb (thanks, man!) - hazy copper beer - aroma of apple, cherry, caramel, dough, light tartness - light herbal bitterness, with some vanilla, cherry, and overripe apples - finishes with some orange rind and doughy character - reminds me a bit of certain Fuller’s vintage ales.

Bottle. Doesn’t keep a head and the aroma is pretty sweet with some spicy cinnamon and apple. Flavor has some honey but its mostly baked apple. Dry, long finish.

Thanks to fly for this, and I agree that with a little more polish and technical merit, this one would be rated extremely highly. As it stands, it’s still a very nice holiday beer, with a hazy dull orangy/deep coppery color and aroma of caramel malt, honey, figgy fruit, nutmeg, plum, and cherry, with those aromas intermingling to give a complex flavor, with the malt, x-mas spices, fruit, cabernet, and honey notes coming through at various times. I had to decant this one carefully toward the end, and it seemed to get better as it warmed. This is a very nice and unique beer.

2007 bottle, 9% abv. The menu at the brewpub calls this a barleywine, but ESA fits. Pours burnt orange to toffee brown color with a medium sized soapy head. Aroma is very fitting for a Christmas beer. Brown sugar, creme brulee, cinnemon sticks, bread crust, almonds, and maybe a slight bit of citrus zest. Sweet cinnemon and toffee flavor, some gingerbread, brown sugar, donut glaze....in all honesty the malt flavors of this remind me of what a more malty 90 Minute IPA would be like. Similar quality. Some bitter lemon zest and coffee roast appear in the finish with a toasted nut aftertaste that’s only mildly bitter. Medium bodied, warming aftertaste, but not hot. Medium carbonation, very drinkable. In fact, it’s a little TOO drinkable. For a 9% beer, I would like some more slow-sippin’ chewiness. Still, this has a pretty nice flavor.

Had on tap at the brewpub in Austin. My choice of the sampler to have a full pint of. Pours a light amber color with a light tight, but persisitent white head. Aroma has some nice sugary sweet bubble gum accents with some fruity notes. Flavor has some notes reminiscent of a Belgian with that delectable cotton candy sugarness. Some yeasty notes as well. Overall, a decent after dinner treat and a good departure for a brewpub.