'Tis the Season

The holiday season is upon us and it is that time of year when most breweries release their obligatory Winter/Seasonal Ale. While Winter Ale is not a recognized style, a few styles of beer and ingredients lend themselves to producing beers hardy enough for winter. I generally think of barley wines, malty beers, spiced ales, and old ales with high alcohol content. Recently I’ve run across a couple of winter ales that don’t really fit into the winter ale category. They weren’t necessarily bad but definitely not what I expected or didn’t satisfy my winter cravings. Below is a sampling of those beers.

Smuttynose Winter Ale, Portsmouth, NH

Amber/brown colored with a medium tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, caramel, and chocolate. Light body with some caramel notes but lacking on malt characteristics. I was a little disappointed.

Verdict: Not Naughty nor Nice

Big Sky Powder Hound, Missoula, MT

Copper colored with large white head. Aroma of floral/earthy hops and malt. Medium body with floral/earthy hop bitterness upfront and a nice malt backbone. Seems like an IPA guised as a Winter Ale.

Verdict: Not bad for an IPA but deserves a visit from Krampus

  

                
Harpoon Winter Warmer, Boston, MA

Amber/brown colored with small tan head. Aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg with some malt sweetness. Light body with overpowering cinnamon upfront which overpowers anything else. The aroma was the best thing about this.

Verdict: Like a Christmas Wreath, best thing about it is its aroma

Goose Island Sixth Day, Chicago, IL

Brown colored with small tan head. Light aroma of hops and roasted malt. Medium body with earthy hop bitterness upfront, some caramel and chocolate notes, and a warm alcohol finish.

Verdict: On Santa’s Nice List

Victory Winter Cheer, Downington, PA

Golden colored with large white head and nice lacing. Aroma of wheat, banana, and citrus. Light body with citrus hops upfront, fruit notes, and some wheat body. Another summer beer masquerading as a Winter Ale.

Verdict: Shouldn’t be surprised with coal in the stocking

Sam Adams Winter Lager, Boston, MA

Dark amber colored with small tan head. Aroma of caramel and citrus. Light body with malt sweetness upfront and notes of cinnamon and caramel.

Verdict: On Santa’s Nice List

Great Divide Hibernation Ale, Denver, CO

Brown colored with small tan head. Aroma of roasted malts and coffee. Medium body with malt body and coffee notes upfront some hop bitterness and a dry finish.

Verdict: A gift from St. Nick himself

I am not one to say beers should follow the exact guidelines of a style or that brewers shouldn’t experiment with new ingredients and techniques but when I get a Winter Ale I have some expectations. I expect not to get an IPA guised or repackaged as a Winter Ale and I expect to get something that’s warming (high in alcohol) or at least malty. Just simply slapping a winter label on a beer does not make it a Winter Ale. Have a happy holidays and prost!