The
original Five Seasons Brewing Company is just a stone's throw from
where I live in Atlanta. Their new location is about 15 miles up 400
from I-285, and well worth the drive for any beer enthusiast living in
or visiting the ATL. For my part, I was very excited indeed about Five
Seasons North when it first opened. Dennis Lange, the driving force
behind the original location, is a true beer lover and a lively spirit
who truly loves what he does. But when I heard that he hired Crawford
Moran, former owner of the now-defunct Dogwood Brewing Company, well,
I knew this place would be something special.
Dogwood, of course, was a bottling microbrewery, not a brewpub. They
made some of the best beer I've ever tasted, and I was extremely
impressed with them when I first moved to Georgia. Sadly, they went
out of business not long ago, not able to compete in the local craft
beer market with the much larger Sweetwater brewery, whose beers are
far more mainstream than Dogwood's were. Ironic, that, since their
motto is "Don't float the mainstream".
At any rate, big, beautiful beers like 10W-55 Imperial Oatmeal Stout are just what I'm talking about when I refer to Crawford's brewing skills.
About 5 Seasons Brewing Company
5 Seasons Brewing Company was founded in 2003 by Atlanta beer maverick Dennis Bruce. They quickly became known for world class beers paired with exciting seasonal and staple cuisine.
Tasting Notes
Jet-black in color with a light, wispy tan head and a huge roasty espresso nose, this is a beer that begs to be enjoyed with dessert, or as the perfect punctuation to a great meal. A sip reveals some silky-smooth, oily notes in the body imparted by the oats, very intense flavors of licorice, a hint of fruit (Crawford suggests cherries) dark bittersweet chocolate, and roasty espresso. The finish rounds the beer out with a coffeeish roasty bitterness and grassy hop aroma and bitterness too.
Value & Verdict
It's pricey at $6.55 for a 12-ounce glass, but that's my only complaint here.
Perfect on a cold winter night (I enjoyed a glass in February) by the fire inside the restaurant.
