December 26th, 2015
Day 25: Telegraph Winter Ale
@TelegraphBrew @pairbeer
To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the fifth annual beer advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you.
During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer enthusiasts. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.
Blogger: Zachary Rosen
Website: http://pairbeer.wordpress.com
Social Media Handles: @PairBeer / Joohefner/ @TheBeerGuyLife
About Me: I LIKE BEER
Beer Name:
Beer: Winter Ale
Brewery: Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Website: http://www.telegraphbrewing.com/
Twitter: @TelegraphBrew
Commercial Description: Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, Telegraph Winter Ale warms even the coldest of nights with its hints of cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and sweet Ancho chilies. Using generous amounts of chocolate and caramel malts, we brew this beer in limited quantities as a special treat for our friends and families and to celebrate the holidays. Be sure to enjoy it cool, rather than cold, to fully appreciate its complexity.
Beer Details:
-Style: Winter Ale spiced with cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and sweet Ancho chilies
-ABV: 7.7%
Why I selected the Telegraph Winter Ale:
As Santa Barbara’s oldest craft brewery, Telegraph’s Winter Ale has become a tradition along the central coast. Influenced by Mexican hot chocolate, this beer features a melange of winter spices and ancho chiles. Whether having it during one of the sunny, winter days of Santa Barbara or one of its blistery nights, this beer is always a welcome accompaniment. The beer has flavors of tart plums and vanilla with the spices adding a toasty element. The ancho chiles are kept at a respectable level and do not add an overbearing heat but rather a slight singe that sharpens the other flavors.
If You’re in the Santa Barbara Area
On February 20, 2016, try a special brew from Telegraph and nine others at the 3rd Annual Santa Barbara Beer Garden. Ten beers paired with different botanical environments, music, and food. http://www.sbbg.org/classes-events/events/santa-barbara-beer-garden
What would you pair this beer with?
Telegraph’s Winter Ale has a warming quality and complex spicing that would play well with Coltrane, a warm fire, and a spiced lamb shank with glazed carrots and garlic whipped potatoes.
About Beer Pairings & Beyond
Beer Pairings & Beyond is run by Zach Rosen, a Certified Cicerone (beer Sommelier), consultant, and event designer based out of Santa Barbara, CA. Rosen uses his background in chemical engineering and the arts to seek out abstract expressions of beer; pairing it with movies, music, and many other conceptual counterparts. This blog explores his body of work and features different exotic beer pairings.
About Telegraph Brewing:
EMBRACING TRADITION WITH LOCAL FLAVOR
Early American brewers adapted traditional European brewing techniques to the unique ingredients, climates, and tastes of the New World. At Telegraph Brewing Co., our beers are handcrafted in that same manner at our brewery in Santa Barbara, California. Making use of as many locally grown ingredients as we can, Telegraph’s ales embody our philosophy that a local brewery should reflect the traditions of its region. Our goal is to produce uniquely American beer styles that are imbued with a spirit of invention and creativity, but always with a nod toward history.
Each of Telegraph’s brews is carefully crafted in small batches in our traditional copper-clad brewery. We respectfully employ brewing techniques proven over the centuries while eschewing modern shortcuts that might make our lives easier but inevitably lead to less distinctive beers. However, just like you, Telegraph Brewing Co. isn’t afraid of trying something new. That’s something you’ll discover on taking your first sip of our beer. We are proud to be a small part of California’s rich brewing heritage and we hope that with each pint you can taste the perfect blend of the past and the future.