Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Green Flash's Winter's Folly

I had never heard of Green Flash's Winter's Folly (beer on the right in the picture) until about two weeks ago.  I didn't know Green Flash offered a holiday beer.  I still don't know anything about this beer other than it's freaking excellent.  I had it at Slater's 50/50, where it was being offered for $3 a pint as part of a happy hour special.  The best way to describe this full-bodied, mahogany beer is that it's a big, hoppy red ale.  It reminded me of Stone Brewing's Arrogant Bastard.  Winter Folly is an aggressive beer, like other Green Flash beers, but it was also approachable, a difficult characteristic that Green Flash manages to capture in its big beers.  It's rich roasted malts are well balanced with a strong hop profile, which gave the beer a welcome drinkability and prevented taste bud fatigue.  This was important because at $3 a pint, a second Winter's Folly was a must. 

I'd like to know more about this beer, like whether it's going to be a regular seasonal offering, or if it was just a beautiful one-off.  If you get a chance to try this beer, take it.

A quick note on Slater's 50/50.  I had Winter's Folly on my second visit, and there was no sophomore jinx.  Concerns about tap rotation seem unfounded, as there were plenty of different beers on tap from my first visit in late November.


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