What’s the temperature where you’re drinking? Where I’m drinking, it’s ten below. That’s because I’m drinking a bottle of Scuttlebutt 10 Degrees Below Ale, a winter seasonal beer from Everett, Washington’s Scuttlebutt brewery. Scuttlebutt isn’t the only brewer to market a beer by the thermometer, by the way;  Colorado’s New Belgium offers up a Two Degrees Below Ale on occasion, too.

10 Degrees Below Ale has a hefty alcohol content of 7.4%, well suited to warming one after a cold winter day. The strength of the beer also helps make this one that will age gracefully. A bottle I enjoyed was tasty fresh in the winter, another seemed just as good with about nine months of age.

Let’s see what it’s like before we go any further, shall we?

Scuttlebutt 10 Degrees Below pours to a dark mahogany color with a light creamy head formation and sweet dark malty nose. It’s very nutty, quite chocolaty, dark malty with more overtones of chocolate and dark fruit, raisins I think, and spice cake as the beer progresses. There is yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. A hint of phenols are here, but no clove or banana. Light grassy hops show up in the finish, as well as a gentle alcohol warmth. Not really in style, I think, but enjoyable all the same.

This one is called an “imperial dunkelweiss (weizenbock?)” by Scuttlebutt but seemed more of an old ale to me. The interesting thing was that it lacked the clove and banana either a dunkelweiss or a weizenbock normally possess. If I had to style it myself I would go with weizenbock.

I would certainly drink this again as I definitely enjoyed it. As will all the Scuttlebutt beers that I have tried, it’s a bargain at $4.99 for a 22 ounce bottle.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 

 



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