21st Amendment - Allies Win the War!

Ameeeeeeeeeeerica, F*ck Yeah!!!  Sorry, that's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this beer at the store.  Little did I know that "Allies Win the War!" was named after the first successful collaborative brew for 21st Amendment with Ninkasi Brewing.  My naive self figured they named this special release in honor of Veterans Day... That will teach me to think of our service men and women first before beer! **Sarcasm switch now set to off**  In any case, these two powerhouses of the West have formed an alliance to bring us beer lovers something truly unique.

The can art as an old-time newspaper is pretty cool.

'Allies Win the War!' is an English strong ale at heart.  This 8.5% ABV base sets the stage for a boatload of Northwestern hops and California dates.    A combination that I have yet to see commercially brewed.  It will be interesting to see if the traditionally aggressive citrus and pine hop characteristics will be kept in balance to allow the subtleties of the dates and pale malts to be noticeable.  There is only one way to find out!

As soon as I cracked open the tab it smelled like hop cones exploded out of the can like those spring-loaded snakes you find in a prank can of peanuts.  The color is a clear amber brown with a surprisingly bright white and lingering foam.  Plenty of those citrusy and piney hop aromas blend together with a prominent candied sweetness.  Possibly from the dates?  The flavors are an entirely different story.  The hops are still there, sure, but not nearly as bold as the aroma would lead you to believe.  What really takes center stage are those dates.  Candied dates are balanced perfectly with a citrusy hop bitterness.  Bread and caramel sweetness make an appearance as well.  There is something just a little off with the finish.  It seems a bit tinny, but this flaw isn't enough to detract from the many great qualities of this collaborative brew.

Overall - This is a great beer.  I doubt you will find anything else like it at the beer store.  The dates add the perfect amount of flavor and sweetness to balance out those bold Northwestern hops.  The strong ale base is delicious as well.  I'm not quite sure what I don't like about the finish.  Whatever it is, I find it to be more of an annoyance than a flaw.  Not anything to keep me from drinking another can, that's for sure.  In fact, I think I'll pour myself another right now.  Cheers!