Samuel Smith 'Winter Welcome' Ale 2017-2018. 6% abv. Dark honey color with a finger of foamy, ivory head. Outstanding retention and superb lace. Head gradually falls to a thick sustaining collar and scattered surface, with lacing that clings throughout without fade. Nose of caramel, bright spice, sweet bread, with notes of allspice emerging as the temp rises to room.

First taste is malt, herbal hops, treacle, white bread, floral back end. Aftertaste is slight pepper, bitter herbal hops, molasses, botanical semi-sweet finish. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, round, silky, carby.

This is an excellent winter brew, a modern classic from the old world. It's rich and malty, but balanced well with bouquets of spice and hops. The ratio of bitter to sweet is a perfect note, with the sweet malt refraining from being dominant, making way for the bitter herbal hops to poke through on the back of each sip. 

It's been four years since I last reviewed this annual beer, and it's just as expertly crafted now as it was then, and no doubt like all their beers have been crafted since 1758. One of the original winter beers, a benchmark in its category, this is a wonderful beer that I look forward to each holiday season. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"This seasonal beer is a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in stone Yorkshire squares and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities that should be contemplated before an open fire."
[source: bottle]

"Throughout history, beer of somewhat higher alcohol and richness has been enjoyed for the winter holidays, when old friends get together to enjoy the season. Wassail, a festival to celebrate winter and the beer that goes with it, predates the Christian era. Winter Welcome is vintage-dated with a special label each year, and was first shipped to the US in 1990 - it was the first imported winter seasonal beer. Serve in a traditional Sam Smith tulip or nonik glass for the holidays... Honey-amber colored, creamy head of small bubbles, floral aroma and delicious caramel malt flavor with great finesse. Fine hop aroma finish and a fruity note from fermentation in open-topped stone "Yorkshire Squares."
[source: merchantduvin.com]

21st Amendment Brewery 'Fireside Chat' Winter Spiced Ale. 7.9% abv. 45 IBU. Dark red color with thin ivory head that falls to a sustaining collar. Fair retention, moderate lace. Nose of caramel, cloves. Front taste of amber malt, caramel, bright tangy fruit, mild herbal hops. Aftertaste is bitter botanical, cloves, juniper, astringent sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, sticky.

This is a fine winter brew, my first of 2016. Fall and winter beers are usually a treat, and this beer surely comes across as such. It's caramel flavor is supplanted with bright bitter spice notes, all in a body that's sticky, clingy, and a touch boozy. This is not the best nor last winter beer I've had, but it is memorable and worthy of having again. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"Like FDR’s Depression-era radio addresses, which were like a kick in the butt and a hug at the same time, our Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. We begin with a rich, dark, English-style ale and then we improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation. Fireside Chat is our early winter seasonal brew available from October through December in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like a classic, warming Strong Ale but with a subtle blend of hand-selected spices for just the right festive flair."

[source: 21st-amendment.com]

Rogue Ales 'Santa's Private Reserve' Red Ale. 5% abv. 65 IBU. Orange-red color. Thin ivory head. Moderate retention, good lacing. Nose of caramel, fruity, malty, sweet citrus, earthy spice. Front taste of toffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, light brown sugar, orange peel. Aftertaste is fruity bitter hops, roasty malt, earthy spice, with a sweet finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, sticky, juicy.

This is a wonderful beer. Despite being a seasonal winter/xmas beer, the flavor profile reminds me of the year-round BrewDog 'Dogma' Scotch Ale. Malty with a balanced sweet citrus and plenty of fruit and spice notes. Despite the moderately high IBU count, the hops profile here is set to the backseat by the tall malt and and spice. Hopheads will still enjoy this beer, so long as they know not to expect a hop bomb.

Though this beer is similar in taste and body to a good Scotch ale like Dogma, it's not quite as rich and nutty, which is likely what landed this unique brew as a red. However, it's surely a dessert beer best enjoyed after dinner, ideally relaxing in front of a fire, presumably during the holidays. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"A double hopped Red Ale, reddish in color with a roasty, malty flavor and a well balanced spruce finish."

[source: rogue.com]

Warsteiner 'Winter Special Edition' Ale. 5.6% abv. Copper color. Thin ivory head that quickly recedes to a bubbly collar. Moderate retention and little lace. Nose of herbal dank spice, nutmeg, cloves. Aroma improves with light caramel as the temp rises. Front taste of light malt, brown sugar, treacle, woodsy back end. Aftertaste of light maple, earthy hops, coriander. Light body. Mouthfeel is cool, thin, slightly sticky.

I tasted this beer on two different days, and arrived at two very different conclusions. At the end of the first tasting, I noted that its aroma was unpleasant at first, becoming slightly better with the change in temp. However, upon a second tasting on a different day, the aroma was more enjoyable. Perhaps I had a bad bottle that first time.

The flavor profile includes dull spice notes that are surely present but never quite impress. Fortunately, the understated spice is elevated by the malty caramel taste. 

From my first tasting, which may have been from a compromised bottle, I thought that this beer was merely adequate compared to other winter/Xmas ales, and I suggested a "pass" on this beer. However, from my second tasting, more of the sweet malt backbone is present, along with an more enjoyable spice profile. It's still not a great beer, but my second (and third) tasting was a marked improvement. Mildly recommended.

NOTE: Photos are from both tastings.

From the brewery: 

"Rich with a warm finish. A seasonal, full-bodied winter beer with a warm and rich copper-red amber color. A satisfying malty taste sensation masterfully balanced with subtle hoppy bitterness. A perfect fit for celebrating the Winter season."

[source: warsteiner.us]

Anderson Valley Brewing 'Winter Solstice' Seasonal Ale. 6.9% abv. 6 IBU. Ruby-amber color, hazy. Finger of creamy tan head. Good retention and moderate lacing. Head falls to a reliable collar. Nose of tall malt. Rich caramel emerges as the temp rises. Front taste of sweet malt, caramel, back end of bright spice, nutmeg, mild cloves. Aftertaste of brown sugar, slightly roasty malt, bittersweet herbal, spice on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, sticky, sweet finish.

This is an outstanding winter beer, one that's heavy on malt yet moderate on the usual winter spices. It comes across like a dessert beer with its stick mouthfeel and warm brown sugar ribbons throughout, its base flavor spawning a summer spinoff, the excellent Summer Solstice. Both beers are unique in their respective categories, defying and complying with expectations.

I first had Winter Solstice back in 2004, around the time it first hit store shelves. It made a splash as one of the first winter warmers of the new craft beer movement. It was my first and certainly not last beer from Anderson Valley. Strongly recommended, particularly if you enjoy heavy malt taste with a pinch of spice.

From the brewery:

"Winter Solstice is our take on the classic style of 'winter warmer.' Boasting a deep amber hue and rich mouthfeel, its creamy finish will lift your spirits. Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tease the senses making this the perfect ale to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter."

[source: avbc.com]

Heater Allen 'Winter Bock' Handcrafted Lager. 6.3% abv. 31 IBU. Dark ruby, nearly black. Thin collar of tan head. Moderate retention, no lace. Nose is hard to discern cold. As the temp rises to room, aromas of red berries and port emerge. Front taste of sweet malt, dark berry, earthy hop background, mild roasty cocoa back end. Aftertaste of milder dark fruit, mellow bittersweet malt, bright red grapes. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, somewhat thick, tangy on the end.

This is a great winter brew, one that flies below the normal flavor profile of bright spices and thick malt. It tastes subdued by design, its flavors reigned in yet still complex and varied. Delicate.

If you like big bold spice in your winter/xmas beers like ample spoonfuls of nutmeg or cloves, you may find this beer too mild. However, if you normally dislike fall/winter spice blends and but still wish to try seasonal offerings, you may be delighted. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"In past years we called our Bock Hugo after Jan's (Rick's wife) grandfather, Hugo Effenberger. This year we decided to change the name and label due to consumer confusion over the old label, which had a picture of Hugo on it. Our Bock is big and malty with just a slight hop presence. Rich caramel notes are balanced with nice roasted flavors on the back palate. We plan on releasing the Winter Bock in January of each year."

[source: heaterallen.com]

This collar of head was all we got, but it stuck around just long enough.

Our beer being served to us by the friendly barkeep. Note the nearly absent head.

My friend Steve and I split this beer at the wonderful bottle shop Beer To The People.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager. 5.6% abv. 22 IBU. Dark copper-red color with thick white head. Good retention and lacing. Aromas of sweet malt, cinnamon, cloves. Front taste of caramel, cloves, citrus peel. Aftertaste of cloves, ginger, citrus-orange peel. The wheat is more present in the aftertaste. Medium body. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, foamy on the tongue.

This is a great winter beer that uses malt and spice to great effect without being over the top. Nice balance overall. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"German brewers may have been onto something centuries ago when they created bold, rich bock beers for the winter. For our brew, we created a dark wheat bock subtly spiced with fresh ground cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel for a deep smooth flavor that’s perfect on a cold winter’s night. Cheers."

Full Sail 'Wassail' Winter Ale. 7.2% abv. 56 IBU. Dark brown in color, nearly black. A finger of thick head slowly falls to half. Good retention, outstanding lacing. Nose is malty, sweet, spicy, alcohol. Front taste is roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, dark fruit. Aftertaste has a nice long sustain with strong alcohol, ample piercing hops, caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate. Dry finish, a contrast to its sticky mouthfeel. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, creamy, warm-hot. This is an excellent winter warmer. Fans of winter/xmas beers should seek out this limited edition brew. Highly recommend.

From the brewery:

"This holiday treat is deep mahogany in color, has a full malty body and a pleasantly hoppy finish. LIMITED EDITION ALE - AVAILABLE FOR 90 DAYS ONLY. OCTOBER-DECEMBER. A few unmistakable signs tell us when winter has arrived here in Hood River. The waterfalls in the Gorge start kicking out the jams. The snow report for the backcountry regains its hold over us. And the Wassail starts flowing once again. We’ve brewed Wassail every holiday season since 1988, and it’s now as much a part of the festivities as sharing a roaring fire with our closest family and friends. It's no wonder this multi-medal winning Winter Warmer is one of our favorite beers to brew. Choosing our ingredients for Wassail is like taking time to choose the perfect gift. Each year we carefully select the best hops and malts to brew this special beer. This year’s Wassail is brewed with a range of caramel malts and dark chocolate malts giving it a deep mahogany color and a full malty body. We used a blend of Pacific Northwest hops for a pleasant hoppy aroma and finish creating a deliciously balanced beer that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle."

Head retention was good, but the lacing was magnificent, all the way down.

Samuel Smith 'Winter Welcome' Ale 2013-2014. 6% abv. 32 IBU. Amber-golden color. Thick creamy head with excellent retention and lacing throughout. Aromas of rich malt and some bright spice. Front taste is somewhat malty with a mild bitter hop bite that falls going into the aftertaste, which is faintly malty sweet. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is thin, clean, some carb.

Samuel Smith is one of those dependable old breweries that makes a lot of home runs. Though most other Christmas/Winter brews are bigger and bolder than this one, it's still a classic and an old favorite. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"This seasonal beer is a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities that should be contemplated before an open fire."

[source: www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk]