Okay, here is what i went with for my 5 gallon batch:
OG: 1.093
FG: 1.023
ABV: 9.5%
MashWeyermann Munich 1 - 3 lbs
Crisp Crystal 55-70L - 1 lb
Belgian Castle Special B - .25 lb
British Crisp Roast Barley - .25 lb
Light LME - 8 lbs
Light DME - 1 lb (for the starter)
Yeast: WLP - 005 British Ale
Hops:UK Golding - 1 oz - 30 min from end
Other stuff:6 Granny Smith apples, sliced up and carmalized over medium high heat.
1 thing of nutmeg (is it a seed?) which was about 1/4 oz crushed.
1 Cinnamon stick, about 1/8 oz, crushed
3 seeds of Allspice, crushed
Mashed in the general neighborhood of 150. Fermented about 70 degrees.
Tasting Notes at bottlingThe cinnamon is the first thing you taste followed by a hint of nutmeg then an aftertaste of sour apple. The dark color (33 SRM) is enough to balance out the spices with maltiness. I get no hops from this, which is good since it is not what i was going for. In the aroma the cinnamon comes out first as well, with a hit of apple in the background. At first i didn't like this beer but now it is growing on me. What's interesting is that i had a Sam Adams' Winter Lager (while watching Harry Potter) and i could detect the spices in there as well, albeit less so. Wæs Hæil! is a Xmas ale so the spice and apple make sense.
I am curious how this will age. I intend to leave most of the bottles until Xmas. Luckily i had about 64 oz from the secondary left over, so i poured it in a mug and am drinking it now
