Bobcat Cafe Mt. Abe Old Ale

Enjoyed a pint of this one on draught at the brewpub in Bristol, VT. This beer is an English old ale by style, and it is just a perfect beer to enjoy this time of year at the Bobcat Cafe. Pours to a beautiful, bright, deep amber color, with a thick, creamy, white head, and a moderate carbonation. The nose on this beer is excellent, with lots of good biscuity and nutty malt aromas, paired with some hints of treacle, and touches of peppery alcohol. The palate is slightly slick and oily on the tongue, with lots of good flavors of fresh bread, toffee, nuts, shortbread, and hints of light estery fruit. This beer finishes with more really great malty and light fruit flavors up front, then ends with a nice, warming, soothing, light burn that lingers. A fantastic winter warmer, and a great pint to enjoy at the cozy little bar at Bobcat. It should be noted that Bobcat is such a small brewpub, it does not do growlers. If you want to try Bobcat beers, you will have to make a journey to Bristol, VT. I can tell you from now visiting Bobcat, it is well, well, worth the trip.

The Lure:
A flaming ochre projects subtle maple syrup/caramel sweetness within an intriguing fruitiness of spicy sweet apples. A great meld of flavors is announced, as in all of their beers that evening.

The Festivities:
A soft, round mouthfeel introduces a pillowy hop bitterness and fruity, malty caramel. Subdued earthiness tickles a brown-rum like sweetness and woody hops elevate them all to near sagacity. Like McNeill’s Old Ringworm (on tap), this kind of old ale is more in the line of full mild ales or ESBs than the roasty, chocolatey, fruity Old Peculiers or the vinous, roasty, alcoholic and tart Prize Old Ales.

Transcendence:
Pondering in silent severity over the sovereignty of thought.

Draft, at the brewpub, July 03. Well shoot this is one of those cases where you're so surprised, so knocked out by the unexpected (in a good way) that you forget some of your critical faculties. This is a tiny little "fine dining" restaurant in a tiny little town masquerading as a top-notch brewery -- or is it the other way around? Burgers? Fish and chips? No, strip steak with gorgonzola; wild mushroom pasta; salads with julienned fried sweet potatos; and FUCKING AMAZING BEER. This Old Ale had an amazingly rich, sweet-apple-date-leather aroma and a wonderful blue cheese/port wine/maple flavor profile to boot. Don't forget the hops either, they're coming! Incredible. Probably the best "new brewery" surprise I've ever had. Check out the dry stout also; only disappointment was that those were the only 2 house beers they were serving, but I'm going back soon.