Today, Peaks & Pints centers on strong ales for our daily beer flight — including Belgian and American strong ales — in a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Strong Ales. Belgian strong ales malty character can be rich and sweet, with complexity in flavors that include roastedness and mild hoppy bitterness. They are commonly brewed with candi sugar, which can add to the style’s alcoholic strength, which ranges from 7 percent to 11 percent ABV. We also include several American strong ales in today’s flight, which are sometimes referred to as old ales, stock ales or winter warmers. These beers are higher alcohol versions of pale ales, though not as robust or alcoholic as barleywines.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Strong Ales
Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)
9% ABV
The Chimay Blue was originally released as a Christmas beer. Ho ho yo this Belgian strong dark ale the darkest of the three Chimays — a deep auburn, with a nice head floating on top. We can see some visible suspended particles floating among the plentiful bubbles, enticing us with promises of big flavor. The Blue’s bouquet is very sweet with hints of caramel and a brandy aroma, which alludes to the high ABV. The flavor is rich and complex — malty, yeasty, sweet and alcoholic.
The Bruery 4 Calling Birds
11.1% ABV
If you’re counting, the lucky recipient ends up with 23 birds by the end of the popular holiday tune “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. And maybe more: some believe the “5 golden rings” is a reference to the rings of ring-necked pheasants. The original song had “colly birds” appearing on day 4 and subsequent variants said the birds were “canary”, “collie”, “colley”, “colour’d”, “curley”, “coloured”, “corley”, and finally “calling” when English composer Frederic Austin re-wrote in 1905. The Bruery thought, “if the birds were calling their favorite treat, we think it’d be gingerbread — which is why this gingerbread-inspired ale is the perfect addition to our 12 Days of Christmas lineup”. Using a festive blend of orange peel, allspice, nutmeg, and star anise, this Belgian-style dark strong ale makes for a perfect dessert (or lunch — it’s the holidays, we don’t judge.)
Huyghe Delirium Armagnac Barrel Aged Black
11.5% ABV
Huyghe Brewery’s Delirium Black Belgian strong dark ale is a blend of Delirium Nocturnum and Delirium Christmas, which are aged for 9 months in Armagnac barrels. The result is aroma and flavor of vanilla, dark fruits, caramel malt, Belgian candi sugar, booze, a hint of nutty sherry, and oak.
Firestone Walker Anniversary XXVIII
12.78% ABV
Firestone Walker Brewing’s Anniversary XXVIII is another super-blend showcase of their barrel aging expertise and collaboration with their winemaker friends. This year, the winemakers created a barrel-aged blend of 37% Stickee Monkee, 28% Bravo, 11% PaRyebola, 9% DDBA, 7% WeldWerks Blend, 4% Helldorado, and 4% Velvet Merkin for caramel and bourbon aromas, followed by caramel cookie flavors, enhanced by vanilla and oaky spice from rye barrels.
Fremont 2023 B-Bomb
14.7% ABV
Formerly known as Bourbon Abominable Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Winter Ale, this Fremont Brewing winter ale is aged in 8- to 12-year-old American oak bourbon barrels then blended with 9-, 12-, and 24-month-old barrel-aged Winter Ale for distinct bourbon, oak, cacao, leather, toffee, and dark coffee notes.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
