BREWS: Long Trail Double Bag

Long Trail Double Bag

Long Trail Double Bag

When I picked up a Long Trail Double Bag, I knew absolutely nothing about it. The only reason I bought one bottle from the local convenience store was because my buddy Josh mentioned in a tweet that he was enjoying one himself, and he made it sound good. Really good. I was in the mood for a good, strong beer.

I ran up the street and did a little jig to celebrate the fact that they carried LT Double Bag, ignoring the strange looks from the good folks behind the counter. Running back home (ok, let’s face it, I didn’t want to agitate the fine brew. I slowly lumbered home), I quickly made my way to the kitchen to pour myself a glass.

What I noticed first as I poured the beer into my pint glass was the rich amber color, which gave way to a thick off-brown, foamy head. The beer is toasty and malty on the nose, with some floral notes and a bunch of fruit dancing around in there. I definitely got hints of cherry, maybe a little tiny bit of clove. I found later that Double Bag is a Strong Ale, so I could then understand its bold tones with subtle flavors. It’s got a nice, smooth mouthfeel that rolls around nicely. It had a good rounded taste that actually got better and more pronounced as the beer warmed up a bit. Double Bag has a pretty high ABV, but at 7.2% you hardly notice it over the malt. It actually feels pretty mellow, a nice warm feeling beer with almost no hop taste at all. It finishes pretty dry thanks to the high alcohol content. It’s very drinkable, though not the best strong ale I’ve ever had. It’s definitely worth stocking a 6 pack in the fridge for cold nights by the fire.

Chris Cavallari

About Chris Cavallari

Chris is a longtime digital content producer based in Maine. Since 1999, he has been an early adopter and active participant in blogging, podcasting, and social media, and has been guiding small and mid-sized businesses in leveraging video, social media, and digital publishing to the fullest. With an avid love of travel and the outdoors, Chris started PartTimeVagabond.com in 2009 to give him a platform to showcase his outdoors and travel adventures, and to help educate others in doing the same.