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New Glarus Brewing – 20th Anniversary Strong Ale

Brewery: New Glarus Brewing
Location New Glarus, WI
Style Belgian Dark Strong Ale
 ABV n/a
 IBUs n/a

 

Best Quote During Tasting

I love spotted cow.....They taste great on a sesame seed bun. ZING!

 

I hate you.

Justin:

Aroma - Caramel is dominant and there is some small traces of bread crust. There is some spiciness but it's mostly just malt. no hops (which is expected from a 2013 beer).
Score: 10/12
Appearance -  Light amber in color with an off-white head that lingers.
Score: 3/3
Flavor -  The caramel is again the main focus.  However, there is almost a minty or black licorice flavor to the beer. NOT PEPPERMINT, just a minty flavor (I'm the only person at the tasting that got that).  The maltiness also has dark fruits (plum and raisin).  There's some slight sweetness and booziness to it but both are not overwhelming.
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel -   Medium-Medium+ carbonation with a medium+ body.  Smooth finish.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression -  This beer was a glowing example of why you should cellar beers properly.  The carbonation was amazing and there was no perceptible oxidation to be found.  Overall, I found the beer very pleasing and a great example of the style.  While I can't say how it tasted fresh or even 1 yr old, I can tell you that at 2 years, it drank very well.
Score: 9/10

 

Blake:

Aroma -  A lightly boozy Scotch like aroma. Lots of strong caramel notes and a sweet honey/maple syrup character.
Score: 10/12
Appearance -  A nice solid amber brown with an off-white head that lingers and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - Boozier than you'd expect from a beer with a 7% ABV. Plenty of great flavors that go well with the heat of the alcohol, including caramel, toffee, dark fruits, black licorice, and peppercorn. There is a lot going on, but the flavors build off each other quite nicely. 
Score: 18/20
Mouthfeel -   Medium-full bodied, with a pleasant level of carbonation. Very creamy mouthfeel.
Score: 5/5
Overall Impression -  I'm glad I got to try this one. It was another that was thrown in on a trade, and I didn't want to pass it up. I wish I could have tasted it fresh so I'd have a better point of reference, but it's always great to open a beer that is a few years old and it still be fantastic. 
Score: 9/10

 

20th Anniversary Strong Ale Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.5
User Rating: 0.0 (8 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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