The plan was to have a bunch of folks over for a tasting tonight but that ended up falling through. All’s well though. More Fred for me.
Appearance: Deep orange. Brilliant clarity. Poured with a huge pillowy white head. Gorgeous lacing. Incredible retention for a 10% beer.
Aroma: Very prominent malt sweetness, like honeycomb. Hints of citrus. And then there’s the wood: leather, smoke, earth. Huge wood combined with high abv make this smell almost like a bourbon.
Flavor: Very sweet; not grainy though, honey again. Citrus contribution from the hops is very interesting, tough to pin down. Vinous alcohol. Wood is less prominent than in the nose but still present. Finish is well balanced though bitterness eventually wins. Leaves me with a pleasing dryness and the sense I’ve been chewing on a stick.
Mouthfeel: Heavy mouthfeel from the ton of residual sugar. Carbonation was initially very high so I let this sit for a few minutes before enjoying. Alcohol is warming but not at all hot. Hop bitterness is pleasantly tingly.
Overall impression: I love the heck out of unoaked Fred so this was a sure slam dunk. Bought a six pack of these in 2008 from the always awesome liquidsolutions.biz. I will certainly do the same if I see it listed again.
