3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
12oz bottle as part of a random mixed sixer my sister gave me as a gift. Well, it’s a tick. I’d expect a good winter ale from Alaska given that they have one hell of a winter up there. NIce appearance, surprisingly light and clear medium amber color with a small off-white head and good lacing. The aroma is very fruity, sort of what I’d imagine Arctic cloudberries to smell like if that makes sense. Some caramel and spruce as well with considerable hop bitterness. The flavor has caramel malt, fruit/berry notes, earthy hops, and spruce. Decently tasty. Medium-bodied and fairly crisp with average carbonation level. A good winter beer, but nothing I’d ever go crazy over.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Colored like liquid gold with a few drops of blood to give it a very pleasant hue. Head runs away like it stole from me. Nose is spice and rubber with some fruit hints, very nice. Medium mouth leads into olde tyme Christmas candy and spiciness. Bitter just toward the end, but nothing that will thrill the IPA crowd. Not bad. Don’t know where it gets it’s ever-so-slight brett characteristic, but that’s a bonus. Not gonna ’wow’ anyone, but the first beer, for me anyway, that I really like from this brewer.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
Adding spruce tips in the mix gives this beer an incredible citrus taste. This beer is why I travel to Alaska. In my opinion, the Winter Ale should be Alaska’s state beer.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
21st April 2009
Clear amber beer. Silky dry palate. Dry malt balanced with what tastes like sweet white wine! But I guess this is the spruce tips! Moves to a sweet hop and vanilla taste toward the finish, teh dry malt stil riding alongside. Unusual and tasty beer!
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
12oz bottle. Color is somewhat light and gold with no head. Aroma of sweet malts and berries. The flavor also has the malty, berry flavor. Easy to drink and great to share with friends.
3.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Bottle from Healthy Spirits, San Francisco. Clear bronze pour with a fair sized yet fading tan head. Super sweet aroma with some nice spruce notes alongside the malts, and a hint of spice. Rather thin and watery palate, some slight earthy hop, but doesn’t quite get out of 2nd gear. Some lingering sweetness in the finish. Clean and drinkable enough, but this, my first Alaskan beer, wasn’t a particularly outstanding one.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Pours a crystal clear amber color with very little head and moderate lace. Extremely subtle on the nose with hints of caramel and forest. Nearly 0 hop aroma. Taste is quite sweet, almost too sweet with lots of spruce, malt profile and some caramel and spices coming through. The hops are there, but definitely overpowered by the spruce tips. Slight hints of wintergreen as well Finishes sticky, with almost 0 linger.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Poured into a pint glass. Dark amber/gold color with off white head that fades quickly. Aroma is sweet and malty with a hint of bread and citrus notes. Couldn’t detect the spruce tips at all. Flavor seems to be all malt. No real hop character to speak of. Very thin palate, drinks more like a wheat beer. Not bad but I would have liked a little more hops to balance. I expected a little more complexity from this beer.
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