Winter Stock Review

While saving my bottles from a sagging and creaking booze lair shelf, I found myself taking a bit of an inventory. I'm completely denying the winter weather until December, but that doesn't mean that I can't take stock of my winter selection.

Along with the brandies, ports, and herbal liqueur, I have a decent selection of winter brews. Many winter ales tend to age very well in the right conditions. They gain a complexity in flavor as the booziness mellows out. This year I have some wonderful stouts, barleywines, porters, and winter ales to revisit.

Gigantic Anchor Magnum
Next to Tiny XS RIS

A short list of what sticks in my mind:

• Old Viscosity (Fort Collins Brewing Co.)
• Behemoth (Three Floyds)
• Amon Amarth - Ragnarok (Three Floyds)
• Old Engine Oil (Harviestoun Brewery)
• The Creeper (Three Floyds)
• XS Russian Imperial Stout (Rogue)
• Porter (Firestone Walker Reserve)
• Winter Ale (St Peter's)
• Lump of Coal (Ridgeway)
• 2010 Monster Ale  (Brooklyn)
• Dark Lord 2010 and 2011 (Three Floyds)

If you're stocking up on good winter brews, check out my notes from last year.