#45a. English Strong Ale: Bigger than a Pale Ale yet smaller than a Barleywine the English Strong Ale is a rich and complex beer. Many are unfiltered and bottle conditioned. The color tends to land somewhere between amber and reddish copper. They usually have a bold fruity, estery and malty mix. Hops can vary from mild bitterness to a full blown hop character with a bold hop flavor and aroma. The alcohol can be quite noticeable, a hint of solvent is possible.

Entry: Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo (8%ABV, England)
I tend to try and get the highest-rated beers I can find of each style for this project. But that seems to always been Samuel Smith and Fuller’s. I’m kind of sick of it. BUT! This may be one of the last times I go through that hyper-prevalent UK tag-team. But anyway. This beer. This thing is aged in oak barrels for a year, so you’re going to get a woody flavor. On top of that, this is another malty UK beer with flavors of toffee, dark fruit, etc. There are a lot of flavors in this beer. However, I feel like the whole thing is kind of thin and watery, and isn’t nearly as rich as I’d like this to be. There IS, however, a high alcohol content and I’m gonna nap hella hard after I finish these. I’m gonna nap the shit out of my bed (which is super comfy with nice sheets).