Elk Rapids, MI
12.5% ABV
Holy shit, 12.5% ABV? That's what BA listed, and since Short's website doesn't have any of the technical specs on their beers, I guess that's what I'm going for. I opened a bottle of this about ten minutes after finishing an eight-hour-plus day at work, and these were my immediate reactions:
A: Dark, mostly black but with a slight brownish tinge on the bottom. No significant head. 4.0
S: Lots of roasted oats, very bready. Slight alcohol astringency, strangely since it's not a very high ABV beer. 4.0
T: Malty, very astringent for the ABV of the beer. Some caramel on the aftertaste. It's way too heavy on the alcohol flavor for the style of beer. 3.0
M: Moderate thickness, very creamy, probably bottled with lactose. Very nice. 4.0
D: I'd have this again, but it seems just too hot for the style. This might age well, but it's a bit undercooked at present. 3.5
Which, you know, is actually incredibly unfair of me. BA was down yesterday evening when I wrote that, and I had no idea of the ABV of this sucker. I mean, look at the way I'm phrasing things there: I could taste the extremely high alcohol, but couldn't really allow myself to understand what I was tasting. I expected a nice mild Oatmeal Stout before dinner, and ended up with a major booze-bomb. It's still no excuse for not having my head on straight enough to realize just how strong the beer was. I blame the tiredness that comes from working retail during this season.
So anyway, it's a bit unfair to post a review of the beer based on that tasting. I'll buy another bottle and give it a second try a little later in the week. I still think the brew's a bit "hot" for regular consumption, but it might age absolutely beautifully.
(Maybe I should just buy a sixer and call it a day....)
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