Alaskan Winter Ale

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Old Ale
Juneau, Alaska USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter

One of my favorites from Alaskan Brewing and it’s easy to plunk down the money for a 6-12 pack because I know that I’m getting something really nice, for a good price. The beer pours out a beautiful golden orange body, almost bronze like, with a average looking frothy white top. Aroma is spruce tips, warm caramel chews, and honey. Some times the aroma reminds me of a early spring bloom...floral, kinda musty..sweet...like smelling a flower. Flavor has some clear cut sweetness to it, mostly like a sweet cereal or honey flavor. There’s the obvous spice/pepper notes that really mesh well with the malts. Maybe I’m getting pepper from the spruce tips, but it finishes with a peppery note. Not the greatest from AB, but really really nice.

22oz bottle. Pours a crystal clear, copper colored body with a finger-width, creamy, off-white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is rich caramels, fruit, toasted cereal grains, spruce, brighter earth, and a touch of florals. Flavor is more the same. Medium sweet caramels and toasted cereal grains with a good amount of fruity spruce. Some spicy and floral hops, honey-butter, and earthy pepper. Finishes smooth, sweet, and crisp with a nice bitterness that leaves a lengthy aftertaste. Medium body, silky smooth, and a good amount of carbonation. Overall, a nice winter beer. Semi-sweet and lightly toasted, easy malts with a nice mixture of spices, fruits, and hops. I liked this one.

UPDATED: OCT 13, 2010 Alaskan Brewing Company--Winter Ale 2000 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Clear bright rich copper amber color. Sweet mild spicy front. Toasted mild cinnamon spice rich malt body. Spruce hints liven flavor. Cloying texture. Ends with mild spice spruce flavor and lingering malt. Sampled 10/14/2000. 2001 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Clear thin amber red color. Pretty.Spicy aroma. Mild spicy nutmeg spruce hint front. Smooth sweet crisp roasted cherry body with spruce. Lingering fruit spice end. Richer flavor than I remember. Sampled 11/1/2001 & 11/4.2001. 4.25 / 5.0 2nd tasting. 2002 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV 27 IBU’s.. (4.0 / 5.0) Clear thin amber red color. Light laceless head. Mild floral spruce hop front. Sweet caramel butterscotch body is IPA like. Spruce subs for hops in mild spice end. Light nutmeg malt spice notes. Sampled 12/14/2002. 2003 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Lacy creamy Head. Clear bright thin light red amber color. Mild spruce tangy hop malt front. Creamy smooth sweet light toasted caramel cherry doughy spruce hint body. Mild sweet citrus hop malt end. Sampled 1/5/2004. Version Size Sampled ABV IBU’s Rating S 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (3.5 / 5.0) Rich lacy head. Clear thin red bright amber color. Mild floral spruce hop front. Crisp sweet odd spruce caramel cherry biscuit fruity body. Cloying sweet mild hop end. Smooth rich too sweet odd brew. Sampled 12/5/2004. "Alaskan Winter Ale--""Seasonal Ale Brewed with Spruce Tips""" 2005 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Mild lacy head. Clear bright amber color. Mild spruce hop front. Slightly sweet smooth rich malty caramel toasted mild creamy cherry spruce fruit body. Sweet mild hop end. Clean rich well made sweet brew. Sampled 11/14/2005. 2006 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Mild lacy head. Clear thin bright amber red color. Mild spruce hop front. Thick sweet creamy smooth mild spruce pine caramel fruit body. Lingering sweet mild Winter malt spice hop end. Sweet spiced Amber. Sampled 10/6/2006. 2006 22 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Mild lace head. Clear thin bright light amber color. Mild spruce hop pine malty front. Clean mild sweet sultry light caramel fruit body. Mellow creamy mild hop spice end. Nice & Rich. Sampled 1/19/2007. 2007 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Thick pour. Lacy off white head. Clear thin bright reddish rich amber color. Mild spruce hop malt fruit front. Creamy sweet mild fruit spicy caramel body. Mild tangy Winter spice hop end. Smooth & Tasty. Sampled 9/18/2007. 2008 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (3.5 / 5.0) Light lacy off white head. Clear thin bright light amber color. Mild spruce hop front. Sweet dry thin caramel fruit pine tangy crisp vanilla hint body. Mild hop Winter spice hint clean dry spruce hint mild citrus end. Dull Winter Ale. Sampled 10/9/2008. 6-Pack--$7.49. ALASKAN Winter--Ale Brewed With Spruce Tips--New Graphics--2009 12 oz. Bottle Release. 6.40% ABV--27 IBU’s. (4.10 / 5.0) Winter Ale--Dark--Spruce. Lacy mild white head. Clear thin bright amber color. Mild floral spruce hop front. Clean smooth mild sweet delicate caramel light winter spice spruce hint tasty malty body. Smooth rich nourishing mild hop spice lingering malt end. Subtle well made Winter brew. Sampled 11/13/2009. 6-Pack--$6.99. ALASKAN Winter--Ale Brewed With Spruce Tips--2010 12 oz. Bottle. 6.40% ABV. 27 IBU’s (4.0 / 5.0) Foamy lacy thin white head. Clear bright thin light-amber gold color. Delicate spruce hop fruit hint front. Satisfying sweet mild Winter spice spruce sweetbread mild caramel cherry doughy hint body. Clean refreshing mild hop lingering spice spruce end. Tasty. Sampled 10/13/2010 from 6-Pack purchased for $7.79 @ Fred Meyer--Ballard on 10/13/2010.

12 ounce bottle courtesy of Sparky27. Thanks! Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a thin head. Decent head retention and lacing. Aroma of pine and caramel with a buttery note. Taste is toasted malts, spruce, candied citrus, butter and caramel. Medium bodied.

Pours moderately amber with a average white head. Fruity malt aroma with maple, vanilla and a hint of spice. Flavor is very sweet, toasty, fruity malts with pepper and spice. Another wonderful Alaskan brew.

Bottle at Hamilton Creek Brewery tasting. Pours amber with a white head. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Toffee and honey like malt backbone complimented by spruce and berry. Sweet but just short of over doing it. Not bad

The pour is a clear, pale gold color with a white, creamy, frothy, average head which does leave a nice frothy layer throughout and some matching lace. The nose is fairly simple with some toasted cereal, spruce, and sweet biscuits. The flavor is similar with cereal, sweet biscuits, light caramel, spicy hops and the spruce. The palate is fair with a medium body, watery but refreshing mouthfeel, and lively carbonation. The finish is mildly bitter from the Saaz hops (spicy/floral), sprucey, and light honey. Pretty simple beer, especially for a winter beer. It is refreshing and drinkable but nothing in this does much for me. This brewery does some excellent small batch beers but very mediocre year round stuff.

Bottle. Pours an orange body with an off white head. Fresh hop tones, pine, and spruce, and plenty of caramel for a backbone. Light fruit tones with some pine and hop resins to finish. Good.