On Cask Tap at Stout NYC
Whenever I'm at a place where I'm going to get good beer regardless of what I order, there are a few things I look for (other than bourbon/whiskey barrel). One of these things is cask aged beers. These are usually always worth a try because A: you can't really cask age a beer at home or buy a cask aged beer at most liquor stores (obviously there are some exceptions to this) and B: usually they only cask age beer that will benefit strongly from the cask aging, whether it improves the flavors that are already there or balances the flavors (mainly due to the presence of live yeast that continues to mature and manipulate flavors for as long as the beer is still in the cask).
Blue Point Winter Ale may be the exception to point B.
The beer pours a dark amber with very little head, which is to be expected of a cask conditioned ale. I also have to point out here that most cask conditioned ales are served substantially warmer, temperature wise, as this was (though in my opinion, this was served way too warm), and contain less carbonation than most beer, as this did.
First thing I get off the nose is a very strong sweet/sour smell, I want to say citrus-y, but it wasn't. It's tough to put a real flavor scent to it other than just sweet/sour. Minor floral hints. Nose is both confusing (winter beers usually aren't sour) but also a little intriguing. On first sip, very strong lemon flavor, maybe with a bit of grapefruit. A bit of smoke present, a weird combination with the strong citrus flavor of the beer, but it doesn't necessarily not work (though, it doesn't necessarily work, either). The sour citrus really dominates this winter ale. Definitely not what I expected from a winter ale and even less so what I expected from a cask conditioned winter ale.
Overall this beer did not stand up to my expectations of this brewery or this brewing type.
Overall Rating: 2/5
Whenever I'm at a place where I'm going to get good beer regardless of what I order, there are a few things I look for (other than bourbon/whiskey barrel). One of these things is cask aged beers. These are usually always worth a try because A: you can't really cask age a beer at home or buy a cask aged beer at most liquor stores (obviously there are some exceptions to this) and B: usually they only cask age beer that will benefit strongly from the cask aging, whether it improves the flavors that are already there or balances the flavors (mainly due to the presence of live yeast that continues to mature and manipulate flavors for as long as the beer is still in the cask).
Blue Point Winter Ale may be the exception to point B.
The beer pours a dark amber with very little head, which is to be expected of a cask conditioned ale. I also have to point out here that most cask conditioned ales are served substantially warmer, temperature wise, as this was (though in my opinion, this was served way too warm), and contain less carbonation than most beer, as this did.
First thing I get off the nose is a very strong sweet/sour smell, I want to say citrus-y, but it wasn't. It's tough to put a real flavor scent to it other than just sweet/sour. Minor floral hints. Nose is both confusing (winter beers usually aren't sour) but also a little intriguing. On first sip, very strong lemon flavor, maybe with a bit of grapefruit. A bit of smoke present, a weird combination with the strong citrus flavor of the beer, but it doesn't necessarily not work (though, it doesn't necessarily work, either). The sour citrus really dominates this winter ale. Definitely not what I expected from a winter ale and even less so what I expected from a cask conditioned winter ale.
Overall this beer did not stand up to my expectations of this brewery or this brewing type.
Overall Rating: 2/5
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