A Not So Old Ale
Having a beer cellar is hard. There’s the problem of space, and temperature, and light, and what to save and what to drink, and when. Once you drink a beer in your collection, it’s gone. But the fridge was looking bare and Tanner ‘16 was sounding pretty tasty.
Last fall, Upright Brewing released an exclusive beer for Tanner Goods, local producers of fine leather goods. Tanner was opening a new store on Albina, complete with a bar and needed a good beer to celebrate the occasion. (Why is it fancy lifestyle brands assume people want to drink in their showrooms?) I picked up a spare bottle down at the 23rd Avenue Bottleshop, and I figured I’d open it some rainy day. It hasn’t rained in 53 days, and I was sick of waiting.
Tanner ‘16 is an old ale matured in port finish whiskey casks, making ‘16 the third beverage on the same wood. This is a very dark, very still beer. It takes very aggressive swirling to get a head going. The scent wafts out of the bottle, all leather armchairs and stale tobacco. I was immediately reminded of Hair of the Dog’s Adam, the ur-example of old ale in my book. But unlike Adam, Tanner 16 has a wild influence. Brettanomyces, and probably some other hangers on, add a raspberry tartness to the roasted flavor of the beer. The barrels lend a sweet whiskey tang and a belly warming heat. But the body is smooth, not cloying or thick. The finish is dry enough, but the beer sticks with you between sips, continuing to unfold on the back of the tongue.
Would the beer get better if I left it in the closet? Maybe. Is it great now? Absolutely.