By Ed Westemeier
Enquirer contributor

As our weather turns colder, it seems natural to look for heartier beers. Let me suggest one of my favorites.

Theakston's Old Peculier ($9.99/6-pack) is a full-bodied beer in the "strong ale" category. While nearly 6 percent alcohol may not seem excessive, that's a mighty big beer in England, where breweries are taxed on the alcohol content of their products.

Old Peculier is a dark, fruity, highly flavorful ale brewed with a unique blend of yeast strains that have been used continuously for nearly half a century. It uses many different hops, finishing with fuggles (hops variety) for that distinctively English aroma.

I think Old Peculier is one of the most complicated beers you'll find among British imports - Its marvelous amalgamation of flavors holds your interest from first sip to last.

One of the most remarkable things about this beer is how it appeals to nearly everyone. Once at a beer tasting I was hesitant to offer this very dark, very strong, very complex ale to a very old woman who described herself as a novice beer taster. As it turned out, she declared it her favorite, much to my surprise and delight.

I was happy to learn on a visit to Yorkshire that the Theakston brewery, after a period of ownership by a big conglomerate, is being sold back to the Theakston family. That's good news for beer lovers, as it means this magnificent beer will remain true to its origins.

E-mail hopfen@malz.com.