Beer Primer Strong Ale

Trying to find one beer that represents all ales is a bit like trying to find one type of sandwich that describes all combinations of meat between bread slices. It's probably best to focus a little more narrowly. We talked about pale ales and India pale ales a while back, and this week we hit the other end of the ale spectrum: strong ales. These beers tend to be dark and sport a high alcohol content. Roasted malts give them their color, but like last week’s deceptive black lager, strong ales often don’t have the rich, creamy-feeling body of a stout.

How handy that one of the winter seasonal beers on tap right now also happens to be a strong ale. One word describes Left Hand Brewing Company’s Snowbound winter ale: cardamom, which is a bold, earthy, and warm spice used often in winter-season baked goods. The strong ale is infused with a lot of other spices as well—cinnamon, ginger and allspice—lending it a pungent nose and a taste that masks the malt flavors you’d expect. That can be a little overwhelming if you don’t brace for the strength of the spices. Here’s a beer that doesn’t just wave the spices over the brewing vat as with some other fall and winter beers. Attentive sipping reveals hints of orange zest, cloves, and the slightest tinge of banana. The spicy, bitter flavors linger on the aftertaste, which can be good or bad, depending on how much you’re digging the spices. The Snowbound’s 8-plus-percent alcohol content and dark body may not leave room for another, so consider this when the night calls for just one beer and you want to make it count.

Where to find it: The Long Room
Try it with: A slice of pumpkin pie for the full-on spice experience (you’d have to bring it yourself, since the Long Room doesn’t serve food).