Beer Release: WA: Coming Soon … Left Hand Widdershins Oak-aged Barleywine-style Ale
Walk into any bar throughout the Evergreen State and it's apparent that there is more than just local beers being served. Do not misinterpret this writer's statement to include the likes of Budweiser, Miller, Coors, or Heineken. On the contrary - I am talking about out-of-state breweries like Avery, Lost Abbey, Midnight Sun, or Maui Brewing. Does this mean that Washington beer is doomed? The answer defiantly is no.
But like the Holidays that are upon us, it's important to be an appreciative guest. Which is why I choose to remind people that there are alternative famed beers available - even if the zip code isn't from Washington state.
Take for example Colorado's Left Hand Brewing, brewed in Longmont and available in Washington state. With beers like Sawtooth, Milk Stout, or Fade to Black; the brewery fills that void when one isn't craving a reliable, local, Porter, Stout, or ESB.
Plus this December the brewery is re-releasing a beer in Washington State. Introducing (or re-Introducing for those already familiar) Widdershins Oak-aged Barleywine-style Ale.
This English-style barleywine pours burnished copper with a bone colored head. The aromas will wind you up with upfront scents of oak, earthy hops, and caramel with an afterthought of peat. Brewed since 2002, Widdershins’ Germanic name means to move counter clockwise – or better yet, left-wise. Floral and fruity notes of orange and apricot rest upon a foundation of oak, garlanded with earthy hop aromas and the sinister presence of peated malt. This backwards beer will pull you in with its saccharinity, and finish with a hop boom and deceptively high alcohol.
Widdershins is our answer to waning daylight and frigid temperatures - we hope this beer brings you back for more. This beer can be enjoyed immediately or saved in your cellar for a snowy day. Widdershins will be distributed November – December and be available in all 26 states where Left Hand is sold.
More on Widdershins Oak Aged Barleywine Ale
- Style: English-Style Barleywine
- ABV: 10.7%
- IBU: 65
- Color: Burnished Copper
- Malt: 2-Row, Golden Promise, Crystal, Munich, Peated and wheat
- Hops: CTZ, Mt Hood, Golding, and Willamette
- Yeast: House Ale
- Other: Turbinado Sugar
- Food Pairings: Blue cheese, pate, steak, lamb roast and pork tenderloin with grilled peaches.
Look for bottles and draft of Widdershins, wherever you find Milk Stout or Sawtooth. As always if you can't find it near you, ask your server or grocer to get some!
Cheers
About Left Hand Brewing Company
Celebrating twenty years of brewing a well-balanced portfolio of craft beers, Left Hand Brewing Company is located at 1265 Boston Avenue in Longmont, Colorado. The brewery has received 21 medals at the Great American Beer Festival and 8 medals at the World Beer Cup, and its beers are now available in 26 states. “Sometimes you’re not in the mood for what everyone else is having.”