Tuesday Tasting: The Bruery 4 Calling Birds

A classic of the season is the Twelve Days of Christmas and while it’s likely very few people can actually remember what their true love gave to them on every day, The Bruery is doing its best to make sure everyone gets it right.  Every year the Orange County, CA brewery belts out a new beer to pay homage to each gift from each verse of the song.  This year a spiced Belgian Strong Dark Ale represents 4 calling birds.

Appearance
Pours a dark mahogany with a slight red tinge.  Two fingers of tan pillowy head head contains a dense mass of small bubbles.  Head retention is nice and leaves attractive lacing.

Aroma
Classic smells of the holidays form the backbone of this beer.  Ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and clove bring gingerbread to mind.  Aromas of sweet malt are present in the form of caramel and chocolate.  A bit of Belgian esters reminds the drinker of the style with pear and green apple.

Taste
Malt hits the tongue first with molasses like character but is immediately followed by the christmas spices.  Again one cannot help but think of gingerbread with the distinct flavors or cinnamon, ginger, and clove.  A nice spiciness lingers in the finish.

Mouthfeel
Full bodied beer is slightly syrupy in the mouth.  Carbonation is medium.  Alcohol is slightly warming but less present than might be expected from a beer boasting 11% ABV.

Drinkability
What a nice treat to kick off the countdown to Christmas.  This beer screams holidays with a delightful balance of malt, belgian notes, and spices.  Surely the beer of choice of the Gingerbread Man.  While singing the Twelve Days of Christmas might warm the heart, this brew is sure to warm the belly.  Overall grade for The Bruery 4 Calling Birds: B+