From Hood River, OR comes Double Mountain Fa La La La La Winter Ale (7.5% alc, from a 500 mL bottle and poured at home).
Aroma & Appearance – aroma of sweet malt, huge floral and citrus hops, pours a amber colour with a think head of foam that leaves a nice lacing as it disappears.
Flavour – Starts with a really nice malt forward and bready sweetness followed by some some citrusy grapefruit, and ends with a sharp bitter aftertaste that hangs on for a while.
Overall Impression: This is pretty good stuff and exactly what I expect from a Winter Ale in that it warms you up nicely and would be perfect to sip while watching the snow fall or by a warm winter fire. Just the right amount of booze, rather bitter, but a wonderful aroma.
Rating: I would rate about 8/10 for a craft beer as in excellent. I get a little tired of the Winter Ales all tasting like gingerbread, so this is a nice change and a real pleasure to drink. It is more of an experience beer, with a bit of complexity but not so much that you have to pay too much attention to enjoy it. I also like that the bottle is a 500 mL bottle, it’s nice not to have to put back a 22oz beer to enjoy something new. I’ll gladly try other offerings from this place and grab a few of these next year.
Food Pairing: Pair with sharp aged cheddar.
West Coast Beer Geek 