John Henry West Indies Pale Ale: Review

Cold Spring Brewing Company

Cold Spring, Minnesota, USA

Coldspringbrewery.com

9.4% abv

Brewed with two and six row barley and

Aged with dark rum oak spirals

Their web site is not worthy of a visit - Uhm, that reminds me of the Detroit Lions. 

After the game review (referring to the Detroit Lions and Steelers game) 

Appearance: ruddy brown body with a thin off-white head with no lacing

Aroma: dark roasted grains; touch of milk chocolate; hint of oak; I am not picking up the rum here

Flavors: roasted barley coming through; sweet malts; hint of the rum; nice oak – a little spicy oak; brown spice like with a dash of white pepper; not making think of a West Indies Pale Ale – but, what is a West Indies Pale Ale? On this one it is not IPA like. It is more like a very good brown ale oak aged beer. 

Mouthfeel: the alcohol did not really play a role here; low carbonation; toasted flavors; a bit thin; easy to drink; thin aftertaste – light roasted barley notes and light oak linger;

To the Point: nothing special here; flavors are not all that bad but the mouthfeel comes across thin for what I was expecting and it just seems to wash away the flavors;

Grading for being an oak aged West Indies Pale Ale: D; for being an oak aged brown ale B-

I do like the flavors thinking of it as a brown ale.  I like this ale with a quality oak style cigar.  I lit up a Man O War Ruination Cigar and this is a nice pairing.  I have to say that I do feel the 9.4% abv.  Or I might have been the Detroit Lions football game against the Steeler. 

I called the game to be – Lions 17 and the Steelers 27 thinking the weather would be a big factor with all the ‘extreme’ weather talk.  But, the score ended up: Lions 27 and the Steelers 37.  Did I not say they are a true 4 and 5 team going into this game and not what their record shows a 6 and 3 team.  You can’t have the players the Lions have and lose to a struggling Steelers team.  Coaching! 

Come to think of it this Ale is just like the Detroit Lions.  I was expecting a West Indies Pale Ale and I only get a Brown Ale.  Lions finish the season 8 and 8.  And, if they do they need to fire the coach. But, not the Lions they will give him a 10 year contract.