5 Barrel Pale Ale - 90 Shilling - Brrr

Picked up a pizza for my son and I and enjoyed an Odell 5 Barrel Pale Ale with a meat pizza.  5 Barrel Pale Ale has an ABV of 5.2% and an IBU of 36.  This one pours a nice light golden brown with a nice head and good bubbles from the carbonation.  5 Barrel Ale is well balanced and went very well with the spicy pepperoni and sausage in the pizza. Odell describes 5 Barrel Pale Ale as “The distinctive hop character of our 5 Barrel Pale Ale is due to the extraction of essential oils from select hops. We treat 5 Barrel Pale Ale to an infusion of fresh whole hop flowers in the Hop Back and the Fermentor, as well as four hop additions during the kettle boil. We like how this gives the beer a fresh, lively flavor and aroma.”  This beer has won numerous awards over the years and it is a nice pale ale.

Odell’s 90 Shilling is described as Odell’s flagship ale and is a “lightened up” Scottish Ale with an ABV 0f 5.3% and an IBU of 27.  This one pours amber red with a nice head.  Odell describes 90 Shilling as “an irresistibly smooth and delicious medium-bodied amber ale. The name 90 Shilling comes from the Scottish method of taxing beer. Only the highest quality beers were taxed 90 Shillings. A shilling was a British coin used from 1549 to 1982. We think you’ll find this original ale brilliantly refreshing, and worth every shilling.”  I appreciate the historical homage in the name and this is another interesting beer from Odell.

Widmer’s Brrr is seasonal winter ale with an ABV of 7.5% and an IBU of 50 IBU.  This one pours amber red (a bit lighter than 90 Shilling) and I could taste the higher hop rate in this beer.  It is brewed with a mixture of 6 different malts (Pale, Carmel 10L & 80L, Munich 10 L, Cara Pils, Dark Chocolate), one aroma hop (Alchemy) and two bittering hops (Simcoe and Cascade).  This seasonal ale is very nice and I think it would go great with a traditional Holiday dinner of ham or turkey and all the fixings.  I will have to sample more from Widmer’s line-up.