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Micro Cosmos: Skookum Creek Strong Ale

When the guys over at Cascade Lakes Brewing dropped Mirco Cosmos a line about their new winter ale with an offer to send by a

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When the guys over at Cascade Lakes Brewing dropped Mirco Cosmos a line about their new winter ale with an offer to send by a sample we didn't hesitate to take them up for, ah, research purposes. And we're glad we did. The beer arrived as promised in a 64 oz. Cascade Lakes Growler with a pair of shiny new pint glasses. We didn't get a chance to crack the seal for a full 24 hours, but the beer didn't seem to lose any steam.

The new offering, which is dubbed Skookum Creek Strong Ale, is a big, but smooth drinking ale that, according to the guys at CLB, utilizes seven different kinds of specialty malts in the brewing process. The carmely flavor of the malt is balanced nicely with the addition of a generous amount of hops that, while substantial don't overwhelm or imbalance the brew. After the huge early winter beers like Jubelale and Pyramid's Snow Cap, the Skookum Creek transitions nicely into a laid back post-holiday beer - perfect for sipping after a day on the mountain or while laying powder plans during a February dump.