15 April 2010

Sierra Nevada Fritz & Ken's 30th Anniversary Ale

Sierra Nevada has certainly been raising their game recently – the Harvest Series is both one of the best ideas and most well-executed set of beers I've had in a while, with the Southern Hemisphere just a fantastic beer. So it's not any surprise that they're really blowing the doors off for their 30th anniversary, releasing a series of four beers emphasizing big tastes and age.

First up is the Fritz & Ken's Ale, and it is a big (9.3%ABV) and distinctive beer. The first taste is a smoky, roasty malt flavor – probably the best use of smokiness I've ever tasted in a beer. The palette fills out with chocolatey tones and only a bit of sweetness, finishing dry and with smoke still all around in an incredibly pleasant way. Probably the closest a beer can come to the experience of a cigar. Certainly not a summer afternoon beer, but a worthwhile quaff nonetheless.

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