May 30, 2014

Heritage Brewing The Battle of White Marsh

I believe, with a few experimental batches aside, I’ve gotten through all of Heritage Brewing’s year-round and current seasonal offerings that are still available. I love the roast of their stout and the easy drinking nature of The Teddy and Revolution, but it’s their Winter seasonal, The Battle of White Marsh, that I particularly enjoy the most — especially when served on cask/firkin.

Don’t let the listed 9.5% ABV fool you, this spiced Belgian-style drinks much lighter than it’s potency suggests. It’s a beer that would be enjoyable regardless of weather — served cold on a warm weekend afternoon or perhaps even mulled on a cold December evening. It’s murky appearance may frighten some folks (or at least draw some bewildered interest as the tweet below did), but it’s cloudiness is benign, only adding to the overall character with a little visual stimulation. Spiced, yeasty, fruity and thoroughly smooth drinking, The Battle of White Marsh is a beer that I will look forward to in Winters to come.

Appearance

As you can see in the above photo, when the light hits this beer just right, it’s got a look completely unlike what most of beer drinking nation is used to seeing in their glass. On draft or from the firkin, the beer pours with smallish off-white cap of foam.

Heritage Brewing The Battle of White Marsh photo

Aroma

When cold, the beer has a subtle aroma, but as it opens up, hints of yeast, clove, nutmeg and distant fruits fill the nose invitingly.

Taste

The Battle of White Marsh has good flavor and overall smooth character. Yeast, caramel, spices, a light grassy hop presence and low level of bitterness all mingle together nicely. Hints of lemon, honey and soft sweetness develop as it warms. For such a high listed alcohol content, this beer shows very little sign of its potency, drinking surprisingly easily.

Overall

This is a solid brew. It may be labeled as a Winter seasonal, but it’s approachable nature makes it a treat no matter the temperature outside. I wish I had taken notes on the beer when it was available on firkin. It was almost a completely different beer as more delicate fruit flavors presented themselves. Regardless, The Battle of White Marsh is one of those beers that brings a great flavor and deceptive drinkability to the table.

Rating: 3.75/5

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