Two days before Thanksgiving I went to the beer store in search of something to enjoy whilst on parole from work. You would think that alcohol sales were getting ready to be outlawed and people were buying up the last barrels; the place was a zoo. Anyway, I happened to notice that Brooklyn Brewery has a holiday gift pack. Since their winter ale only available in said gift pack, and I happen to like Brooklyn beers, I bought one.
The winter warmer style is actually pretty broad; the BJCP allows for a broad range of interpretations but they are generally darker and thicker than usual. That is, whatever "usual" might mean, especially if you're as much as a beer geek as I am. I also decided to drink this instead of coffee on Thanksgiving morning, just after breakfast. Hey at 10am in Georgia, it really was 5pm in England.
This winter ale pours an opaque brown with a one-finger, off-white head. By mid-glass, the head was gone but did leave a decent lacing and "ring" on the beer's surface.
Nose is mildly malty with a very subtle spice background. Nothing terribly pronounced, but nothing overwhelming either. The spice aroma grows as the beer warms.
A medium mouthfeel with relatively low carbonation. It is not thick, but definitely a bit chewier, consistent with the winter warmer style.
Taste is very complex - toasty malt, accented by anise and ginger. There is definitely some hop in the aftertaste, making this somewhat unusual since by style, the spices come through much clearer than hops. As it warms up the flavors are much more pronounced and complex, the hops and spices clearer mid-mouth through swallow. Finishes with an interesting mix of full and dry, the malt and hops pretty well balanced. The 6.9% ABV is pretty well hidden, but comes through with a warmer beer.
Overall, a sturdy beer, but not the best holiday brew I've had. It's a good compliment to the Brooklyn gift pack, since it's a seasonal, but nothing I'd miss during the year. But don't let that deter the reader since you probably need to expand your palate, and the gift pack also includes the Black Chocolate Stout. It'll be a win-win situation.
Enjoy!!
Labels: beer reviews