North Coast Old Stock Ale - Its great to be old

Old Stock Ale is produced by North Coast Brewing Company (http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/). The website offers some information about how this beer is made. Let me first state that if I were judging this beer by label alone, I wouldn't give it high marks. My first impression from the label is that this is a boring beer. It just doesn't stand out. I was very surprised by this beer. Old Stock Ale is a big beer, the ABV is 12.5%. The color of this beverage is dark brown. The head is tan, but does not last long. What odors are detected from this beer? Toffee, chocolate, dark fruit and a roasted coffee aroma. When I first tasted this ale, the first thing that came to mind was WOW. The taste is very complex. The oak is evident, along with dark fruits, carmel, and a somewhat roasted flavor. I seriously could not get enough of this brew when I first tasted it. The alcohol does create some fire in the taste, but it goes very well with this ale. Out of the beers that I purchased that day, this was the one I picked to be least of my favorites. Was I wrong. Labels can lead you in the wrong direction easily. Picking a beer by its label is just as good as choosing blindly. Great beers have bad labels, and bad beers can have good labels. (I will be writing about this topic in the future). Go and try North Coast Old Stock Ale. You will not be disappointed. I grade this beer an A.