10.4% ABV

There’s a common misconception that you can’t get strong beer in Utah. In reality, you can get strong beer in Utah; you just have to jump through a hoop or two to get it. So when you finally do drive the ten miles to the state owned liquor store, at a time that it’s actually open, when you’re willing to pay the ridiculous prices for room temperature beer, you know the secret handshake you have to give the clerk, and you walk out of the place with a couple of mix and match six packs of beers like Uinta Brewing Company‘s 10.4% ABV Anniversary Barley Wine Ale, you tend to want to save a bottle or two to enjoy on a random week night. Well, my friends, tonight is one of those nights.

I went with a strong choice from my reserves tonight, as opposed to the three-two nonsense that you can pick up at the gas station, because I needed it to cut the spicy as devil pee fish fry I just cooked up—rainbow trout leftover from January ice fishing in an off brand “super-hot Cajun-style” dry batter. And for mitigating some of that spice into a tasty dinner, Anniversary is perfect.

So many barley wines I’ve had are just too much, but this one is not so. It’s almost as if those others just pride themselves on being as strong as possible, and things like taste and balance go out the window. Anniversary’s aroma might lead you to believe it’s just one of those other ales, but the first sip (and last sip) tell you otherwise. It’s smooth and caramely, and I wish I had a second in the fridge to immediately follow, which is a barley wine first for me.

Too bad I can’t head to the corner gas station to pick up another.