New Glarus Brewing just recently celebrated their 20th year in business and are in the midst of an expansion that will bring their capacity up to around 250,000 barrels, moving them up the ladder as one of the largest craft brewers in America. They're already 17th largest in the nation, so naturally the only direction to go is up.
In celebration of their 20th year in business, they have released their Anniversary Strong Ale, which has been classified as either a Belgian Dark Strong Ale or an Abbey Dubbel depending on who you ask. It's ABV is also unknown, so you have you have to give them points for being mysterious. While we're on the topic, while seeking this out I was under the impression that this would be a similar size to that of New Glarus' Serendipity. Nope this comes in a 16 oz. bottle, I'll admit you really don't see those too much anymore. It's also a limited release beer, so I'm really glad that I'm getting the opportunity to try this out; The joys of being close to Wisconsin!
It pours a dark red color with an off-white foamy head, abundant lacing and a mild amount of carbonation along the sides of the glass.
The aroma has some definitive Abbey qualities to it, consisting mainly of dark fruity notes, caramel, spices, figs, licorice, cloves and malts. The flavor is also pretty heavily Abbey influenced with caramel and plums upfront, followed by cloves, licorice, spices, figs, cloves and malts. The body is moderate in terms of weight and it's pretty light in carbonation.
I would classify this as a Abbey Dubbel just based on the flavor alone, but whatever it New Glarus calls it, one thing is certain: This is a great beer! It's got a smooth yet robust flavor, it smells wonderful and it's something you can sit down and cherish. If you so happen to stumble across this, you might want to grab it for yourself before someone else does.
New Glarus Anniversary Strong Ale - 9.5/10
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