Thornbridge Alliance Strong Ale Reserve 2007: Open It!

Open It! is all about a reason to open those bottles that you never know quite what to do with, you've earmarked them as for a special occasion, but how many special occasions are there? My saved bottles are usually pretty strong so the times I want to open them are also limited. Open It is the perfect excuse to dig into the back of the beer fridge.

My first 'Open It' bottle, is a Thornbridge Alliance, Strong Ale Reserve 2007 11% ABV. I bought this bottle about a year ago from The Groves excellent bottle list.

Here's what the label says:

The Alliance Strong Ale Collection, During 2007, an alliance based on friendship and love of great beer between Thornbridge's Head Brewer Stefano Cossi and Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver led to the brewing of this refined Strong Ale which has been matured for over 18 months before being bottled. The Collection includes the unoaked Alliance Strong Ale and two finished exclusively in fortified wine casks. Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez Sherry (PX) and American oak Madeira.

My bottle is #258 Unoaked Strong Ale.

Here are my tasting notes:

Pour: Burnished golden/amber colour, good carbonation, off white head
Aroma: Fruity, syrupy, figs, raisins, alcohol
Flavour: Raisins, figs, sherry, maple syrup, fruity hops, some bitterness, smooth, well hidden alcohol, very well rounded.
Aftertaste: Lingering fruity hop flavours, alcohol, cleaning carbonation, some residual bitterness.

I'm not a fan of these type of 'strong/old ale' style beers usually, I just don't go for those complex malty, dried fruit falvours but I enjoyed this, It was very refined and easy drinking despite its high alcohol content, in fact it drank like a 6 or 7% beer rather than the hefty 11% it is.

Thanks to Mark and Andy for coming up with the great idea of Open It, now what to have next?

Cheers!