December 16 - Starr Hill Snow Blind Doppelbock

Welcome to installment 3 of Winter Warmer Wednesday!  Only more more of these until Christmas!!

I was planning on saving this until we got some snow, regardless of whether or not it was a Wednesday.  I enjoy keeping a theme if I'm able, however Mother Nature isn't really cooperating here in central PA.   More rain in the forecast tomorrow.

So, to keep with at least one theme, for WWW, we have Snow Blind Doppelbock from Starr Hill Brewery in Virginia.  Yet another winter beer clocking in at 7.7%.  There has to be an unwritten rule about the winter warmer being a specific ABV because, lately, these have all been the same 7.7%.  

Description from the site...

Pouring into my tulip glass a reddish-copper color there was a fine beige head on the top of this brew.

The aroma here had quite a few levels for me.  It started out with a pronounced roasted caramel along with some a slightly warm and boozy note.  Shortly after pouring, I came back to this and got a few additional notes here too.  The hop presence became more noticeable with a very distinct spruce bouquet.  I also got some raisin and toffee here to round things out.  My wife thought it smelled like pizza...her palate needs training.

Not quite...

This beer disappointed me at first because my mind immediately went to Sam Adams Boston Lager since it reminded me of a Vienna Lager-style beer.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a Boston Lager from time to time, but I didn't expect it here with a doppelbock.  As time went on, however, it distinguished itself from that style and beer.  Most prominent for me was the warming caramel flavor that coated the throat and allowed this beer to sit on the palate for quite a while.  There was also a spruce hop bite to wrap things up.  

Not too shabby for a WWW from Starr Hill.  For me, some of their beers have been a miss, but this one is one for the win column.  This is nothing that blows me away, but it's worth a pick-up the next time you're mixing up a 6-pack from your local bottle shop.  

No snow, but 3.5 out of 5 snowflakes here for this beer!

...and a "b" stocking for beer! :)

December 9 - Blue Point Brewing Co. Winter Ale

Welcome back to the 2nd installment of Winter Warmer Wednesday.  Last week's choice was a complete flop and I've done all I can to forget about it.  So...moving onto today's choice, we have Blue Point Brewing Company's Winter Ale.  There's no fancy description on the website about this beer and the bottle is also nondescript.  I do know that it's a winter beer and that it's 7.7% ABV, which seems to be the same number for a lot of Winter brews.

If you've not seen The Incredibles...shame on you.  This is funny because Dash's teacher says, "coincidence?  I think not!"  See, that's funny because the ABV is the same for lots of winter beers.  

...forget it...

I don't find a ton of stuff from this brewery, even being located in the same region where I live.  Hoptical Illusion IPA and Toasted Lager are the only two beers that I've ever sampled.  Nothing was anything to write home about, but they were both drinkable beers for sure, just nothing I'd seek out specifically, unfortunately.

This beer poured a very crystal clear mahogany color with a very fine bead of head surrounding the glass.  The head quickly disappeared from my glass not to be seen again.

The aroma was candy-like with some caramel notes and possibly a slight boozy malt as well.  The taste of this beer was initially a spicy one (cinnamon, nutmeg) along with a sweet brown sugar and caramel flavor.  The beer from start to finish had a strong malty backbone which almost reminded me of an Oktoberfest style.  The one thing that the Blue Point site did mention is the use of Vienna malt.  I guess that all makes sense then.  

The malty backbone finishes this beer along with a lingering of those spices again.  The cinnamon was most pronounced for me.  There is definitely a warming characteristic with this beer also, even though it's just a small one.  

Par for the course here for Blue Point. This beer didn't disappoint, but at the same time didn't knock my socks off.  If you find it and want to try something different, this is a safe choice in my book.  Still nothing to write home about, but it's a drinkable and enjoyable winter beer that packs a hidden punch at 7.7%.

3.25 out of 5 tonight

  

December 2 - Fish Brewing Co. - Ice Breaker...I think?

Welcome back for day #2!  If you're unaccustomed to how things run around here, it's time for Winter Warmer Wednesday!  Each Wednesday, I'll make it a point to review a winter warmer style beer.  Not always a hit with me, but i'll take one for the team.

This is what I want to do to this bottle right now...

Can I be honest for a second? How about for a minute?

I haven't had ANYTHING from this brewery that is something to rave over. I'm pulling for these guys and I don't want to see any craft brewer fail. Some people like these beers, but not me.  I've given them a few tries, different styles even. Nothing so far has piqued my interest enough to purchase another single bottle, let alone a 6 pack or case.  To be brutally honest, I'm soon done buying their stuff.  I have one more later on this month and that's it.  

I'm just getting this beer out of the way. I believe in second chances.  I saw it at Weis and decided, "what the heck.  I'll give these guys another shot since it's something I haven't tried."

Problem #1 - When I searched for this beer on my trusty Untappd app, I either find it under the name Icebreaker or the proper name with a different label.  What exactly am I drinking here?  Not a big deal, but if it's Icebreaker then it's a Double IPA and if it's Winterfish it's a Winter Warmer.  It's a 7.5% beer, in which case it could technically be either style.

My label is like the one in the upper right corner.  Their website shows the bottom right label as "official."  The one on the left...well, see below...

Problem #2 - I did a google search for the brewery to see what they had to say.  Icebreaker isn't even on their site.  It's like it doesn't exist.  

Problem #3 - This beer is just awful.  I'm sorry Fish Tale, but it's awful.  I'll give you the Cliff Notes version since it's just not worth the time.  I'll review this from a DIPA standpoint since there's NOTHING winter warmer about it.  

The beer poured a hazy, golden amber with a decent beige head on top.  The aroma was very earthy hop-like...like dirty hop-like.  

I love hops...even earthy ones...

The taste was exactly the same with an obnoxiously bitter and astringent finish.  It almost reminded me of soap.  Unfortunately, the bitterness hangs on for a long time, as well as the soapy flavor.  

I apologize for the abundance of pictures this evening, but I had to make myself laugh and it needed to be spiced up a tad to be a bearable post.  I need you to want to continue reading the rest of the month, right?  I will forgo another fancy photo collage of my pretty rating and just tell you I gave it a 1 out of 5 on Untappd.  It irritated me from the beginning and since it screwed up my Winter Warmer Wednesday segment, it got demoted.  

Tomorrow will be better...I promise.  You know, since I get to choose what I drink.  Excuse me while I go pour another beer to get this awful taste out of my mouth...

December 24 - Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Great Lakes Brewing Company - Christmas Ale

Merry Christmas Eve to you and yours!  I'm getting this one done early today so that I have the rest of the day to spend with friends and family.  I'm sure you're doing the same as well, so let's keep this short!

For the final installment of 2014 Winter Warmer Wednesday, we have Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale.  This beer is spiced with some cinnamon, ginger and is also brewed with some honey.  At 7.5% ABV, this is sure to get your party started the right way!

This beer is yet another choice this season that is suggested serving temperature is 55 degrees.  It's going to take a while to let that warm up to the proper temperature, so I'll do my best to give you notes in difference between "straight outta the fridge" and proper serving temperature.

As for the pour, that won't change with temperature.  The copper color is complimented with a thin bead of beige head. 

The aroma is very indistinct at first, but if you use your imagination, there is surely a sweet, malty nose to this beer.  The honey is also a distinct ingredient here in the aroma.

The taste, at cold temperature, lends itself a punch in the mouth of ginger at first that mellows and allows the other spices to dance on the palate.  I detect a slight tinge of clove here too, but not too overpowering.  There are cinnamon notes along with a honey sweetness that lingers for a while on the tongue. 

"You're welcome!"

As the beer warms, it allowed the other flavors to take the spotlight more so than the ginger did earlier.  The honey became more prominent for me as the beer warmed up as well.  The overall balance was much better between the flavors as well.

All in all, not a bad beer, but out of all of the other Winter Warmer Wednesday beers this year, this is my least favorite.  Nothing really jumps out at me and makes me want more of this. 

3.5 Dressed up Christmas presents out of 5

Enjoy your holiday festivities and, if you do, drink responsibly!

December 17 - Southern Tier -2Xmas

Southern Tier - 2Xmas

Well, I guess it's time for another installment of Winter Warmer Wednesday.  It's a shame too, because I have about 10 other different beers I'd actually like to try tonight.  I guess a theme is a theme and I have to stick to it at this point.  Oh man...I just realized that I'll have to do my last WWW post again on Christmas Eve.  You may get a 2 for 1 deal that night...time permitting of course.

From the fridge this evening, one of the winter warmers left is again from Southern Tier again. Last week's choice, Old Man, was a quality one so the bar has been set high already. This year the winter warmer beers I've tried have hit the mark.  They haven't been too spicy and have been very well balanced.  Let's hope for the same thing tonight!

...well let's hope so anyway...

The beer pours an amber brown color with a thin beige head at the top.  The head didn't stick around too long though.  However, don't worry, it didn't effect the beer that much for me.

The aroma was a very pronounced citrus, mostly orange, with a slight hint of cinnamon spices.

The taste, even though the bottle said so, surprised me for a winter warmer.  According to the label, the beer is brewed with figs, orange peel and spices.  The flavor was very unique in that it went from a fig flavor, to a distinct malt, to oranges, and wrapped up with some pine hop notes.  As for the finish, I would almost describe it as a dry, bitter orange rind.  However, that's not as bad as it may sound.  The balance between sweet oranges, malts and other spices is balanced very well with the 2 hop varieties used.

Had I not known it ahead of time, I wouldn't have pegged this as a winter warmer, style-wise.  Even the alcohol content didn't show through.  This beer is rather heavy at 8% ABV, but you wouldn't know it.  With the balance of malts, hops, and spices, the alcohol is well hidden.  You can start to sense that it is on the stronger side as the last of your beer starts to warm, but by then you're already invested...just finish it and get another!

3.5 out of 5 Christmas Wreaths!  Look, they're made of oranges too!

December 12 - Avery Brewing - Old Jubilation

Avery Brewing Company - Old Jubilation Ale

Happy Friday everyone!  Up for tasting tonight is another winter warmer.  I have to get them in a few times since there are so many currently in my refrigerator.  This one comes from Avery Brewing Company out of Boulder, Colorado.  I've had a few of their beers so far (IPA, DIPA, Wit) and was ready to try this one today on a cold day, to warm things up a bit. 

This was a pick-up by my wife a few days ago in a random errand run.  Thankfully, my wife ends up helping me out by saving time on my errand runs.  Thanks sweetheart! :)

Anyway, this beer, like lots of other winter warmers, clocks in at 8.3% ABV. 

When pouring this beer there was a deep brown (mahogany according to the bottle notes) color with an off-white head at the top.  The aroma at first gave me a roasted as well as sweet caramel tone.  Also according to the bottle, there are supposed to be some hazelnut undertones that go with this particular beer.  I think the hops that were used ended up contributing to that aroma.

The bottle also says that there are no spices used, however, I beg to differ.  I have no idea what the combination actually was, but there was definitely some spice added to this brew to off-set the malty profile.  The spices weren't overpowering at all, but something was in there for sure.  The hop profile gave me a spruce/pine flavor that, again, contributed to the hazelnut notes that I picked up.  The sweet, and malty backbone of this beer made it very smooth tasting which finished with hints of toffee.

...but that was when it was cold.  As this beer warmed, things turned south for my palate.  Maybe it was the double coffee stout that I had before it.  Maybe it was the few samples of other new brews that I had earlier today also.  As it warmed up, there was an aroma that, for me, was super-boozy.  This beer left me with a bad taste in my mouth as I got towards the bottom of the glass (literally, of course). 

Something must be done right, because according to RateBeer this particular winter warmer (classified on there as an English Strong Ale) had nearly 1200 ratings from people like me, along with scoring a 99 on style and fell in the 96th percentile. 

For me though, I wouldn't recommend this beer to someone looking for a winter warmer.  As a matter of fact, my brother in law asked me for my humble recommendations on winter warmers before I had this one this evening and I made it a point to steer him clear of it for sure.

Unfortunately, Frosty tells the tale here

Frosty tells the tale... 2.5 / 5 snowmen
They want to know what happened here?!?!?

December 11 - Susquehanna Brewing - Toboggan

Susquehanna Brewing Company - Toboggan

Do you want to try a new style?
Come on, it's time to have a beer!
The snow is falling from the sky,
It's piling high,
It's a doppelbock premiere!

...now sing it

After a morning phone call telling me that school was cancelled for the day along with some time outside with the kids that involved sledding and wet, soggy clothes, it was beer:30 before I knew it.  In the fridge tonight there were still plenty of options that I was able to select, but after snow and sledding today, one beer stuck out tonight.  Susquehanna Brewing Company, in Pittston, brews only about 10 styles of beer at this time, including a pretty good IPA (Hop Five), a summertime shandy (Shady Spot)  and a Pumpkin Ale for fall.  Each of their beers was up to par for this guy.  

Last week, my wife brought home a mixed 6 pack and she went with a winter theme when selecting these brews.  In that pack was SBC's Toboggan Chocolate Doppelbock (a winter seasonal).  The doppelbock is not a style that I seek out and for that reason it's not a style that I have a ton of experience with.  I'm sure I've had them before, but I can't be 100% certain.  I had to cheat by figuring out exactly what I was supposed to get from a style like this.

You can click here to see the cliff notes version as well.

Time to step outside my comfort zone this evening...

From a Weis grand opening event a few months back, my wife got some complimentary SBC glassware that I really didn't think too much of at the time.  I poured this beer in the custom glass because it just made sense.  To my surprise, there was constant carbonation bubbling from the bottom.  Upon further inspection it was released because of the etching in the bottom of this glassware.  Well done SBC!

The aroma was powerful roasted malt along with some hints of sweetness from the cocoa that the beer is brewed with.  I also got some nutty notes from what I assume are the hops that were used in brewing.  This is something that I don't get too often from a beer.  There was also something in the aroma that I just couldn't put my finger on.  If you can, let me know and I'll revise the blog accordingly!

The taste had a very strong malty backbone.  There were hints of the sweet cocoa like in the aroma along with some nutty as well as fruity notes from the hops.  The strongest fruit taste to me resembled that of raisins or plums.  The beer was most definitely balanced because, for me, I virtually got no hop bite in the taste or in the finish.  At 8.7% there was definitely a warming feeling from this brew to finish.

All things considered, doppelbock not being high (yet) on my list of favorite brews, I would definitely enjoy this beer again.  Purchasing a whole case for wintertime though?  Not so much.  A solid 3 out of 5 for my first doppelbock experience!

I decided to use the fluffy stuff outside to get something other than my stock photo...

December 3 - Lancaster Brewing Company - Winter Warmer Ale

Lancaster Brewing Company - Winter Warmer Ale

Welcome to my first installment of Winter Warmer Wednesday!  To give you some background on winter warmers check out this link, if you need it.  It's pretty thorough, so make sure you focus well for a few minutes of that read before you come back here and I dumb things down again.  Don't worry, I'll wait...

(The above is supposed to be the Jeopardy theme, in video form...on a smartphone, it's not so smart...)

Now that you're educated, let's talk about how I don't like cloves, allspice, nutmeg. Oh, you already knew? Well, good. Thank you for paying attention to my blog yesterday.  According to what you just read, the style is open to interpretation, however, most winter warmers that I've had before tend to use the clove, allspice, and/or nutmeg spices predominantly.  Sometimes they're balanced, while other times the spices are too overwhelming in either aroma, taste, or both.  Unfortunately for me, it's usually both.

This beer comes from Lancaster Brewing Company and weighs in at a hefty 8.9% ABV.  A little above the norm for this style, but who's counting?  With this beer, LBC is donating money back to the Wolf Sanctuary of PA for every bottle, case, and shirt sold.  I always find it cool when brewers and brewing companies give back to local communities and support those that need it.  Kudos to you LBC!

Hooray!  No cloves, nutmeg, or allspice!  Well, I don't get them anyways...call it a win!

This beer pours a deep red-brown color with a creamy, off-white head.  A thin bead of head remained throughout the glass the entire time.  The aroma is a very fruity one filled with raisin, slight caramel, and distinct Belgian hints.  Not sure if Belgian Candi Sugar was used, but I could be convinced (hey, I brew my own, I know a Belgian when I smell one)

The taste of this beer is no surprise after noting the aroma.  The taste is exactly as I thought it would be, with raisin, caramel, and Belgian notes.  The hop presence is very minimal, but the beer isn't too sweet for the ingredients that are used.  There is a very big and bold malt presence that hits you right way and makes you want to take another sip.  Be careful and remember, 8.9%.  A well-balanced brew that is malty and sweet at the same time!

The finishing notes give me a virtually non-existent hop bite along with some slight licorice (star anise?) taste.  The best part though, by far, is the boozy, warming that coats the throat the entire way down.  Definitely a winter warmer for sure!

A solid 3.5 paws out of 5 tonight for this winter warmer!

December 23

December 23 - Manyunk's Festivus Ale

 

In honor of the fictitious holiday made famous by the sitcom Seinfeld, tonight we are enjoying a Festivus Ale (7% ABV) from Manyunk Brewing Company out of Philadelphia.  I'm going to quote the can here because it is just pretty cool:

 

"Every year we brew a single batch of this holiday warmer using an original recipe thus making each year unique.  The rich plum and raisin flavor in this batch is certainly a feat of strength while the complex spice profile shouldn't be included in anyone's airing of grievances."

 

What is Festivus, you ask?  Let's allow Mr. Constanza to tell you...

 

 

Paying some homage to the show there, along with what to expect from this beer.  Plums?  Really?  That's a new one for me.  The raisin flavor I've had before with Dogfish Head's Raison D'Etre, so I had an idea what to expect with that...but plums?  Strange...but interesting!

 

Like many of the other Christmas Ales and Winter Warmers that I've had this past month, the spice aroma was also present with this brew.  Cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon are noted as this beer pours a reddish copper with a very (and I mean very) thin bead of head at the top.  Once or twice I also got a roasty aroma with this beer. 

 

As for the taste, I definitely was able to identify the plums right off the bat.  However, they really mellowed out throughout the rest of the experience.  I didn't really taste them too much after the initial sip.  From there, I got a malty sweet taste with definite raisin flavor.  I'm assuming the majority of the sweetness was the plum flavor I tasted initially.  As I continued with the rest of the glass, the raisin flavor became more prominent.  After the malts coated my tongue, it was difficult to detect the plum.  This beer finishes with just a hint of bitterness, which balances well with the rest of the beer.

 

I'll give this beer a solid 3.5 out of 5!

 

I'll look for this beer again next year, but I guess, according to what I read on the can, it will be different next year.  This at least makes me want to try something else from this brewery. 

 

So, from Mr. Constanza himself, we wish you a Happy Festivus!

 



 

My wife tried to help me make our own Festivus pole in the background...we cheaped out and used an empty wrapping paper roll because that's what was leftover at the end of the day...

December 16

December 16 - Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

 

Seeing that I didn't have a theme for today's choice, I just picked the prettiest bottle in the fridge and popped it open tonight.  The winner was Frosted Frog Christmas Ale from Hoppin' Frog Brewing Company (from Ohio).  This brewery is relatively new to me.  The only things that I've seen from them are bombers at my local bottle shop.  I've had their Gangster Frog IPA and Double Pumpkin before which I was pleased with so I figured I needed to give them another go 'round with a different type of brew.

 

Another winter warmer here, but I think lately I'm picking brews without those god-forsaken cloves (I guess I'm getting lucky because I'm sure not reading the bottles that closely when I purchase them).  According to the bottle, this has cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg (SWEET! NO CLOVE!).  There is a definite nutmeg and cinnamon aroma with this brew.  The ale pours a translucent caramel color with very little head. 

 

For me, this is a very smooth drinking winter warmer (and we all know how I LOVE winter warmers...maybe they're growing on me...?).  The mixture of spices is far from overwhelming.  Honestly, I notice the cinnamon the most out of all of the spices used.  There is some lingering nutmeg on the palate with a brown sugar and molasses taste as well.

 

Yet again, the alcohol is well hidden.  There is a slight warming sensation with this beer, but at 8.6% ABV, it makes sense that something should be there. 

 

So, my gift to you, this beer's rating checks in at a 4 out of 5.

 

Yay! Presents!