Blue Point Winter Ale

Brewed by Blue Point Brewing
Style: Amber Ale
Patchogue, New York USA

In the bottle at Clint’s basement bar warming party. Pours a dark brownish amber with a medium off white head. Pronounced chocolate malted milk aroma. Flavor is filled with chocolate malt taste and is fairly sweet, but lacks any significant roastedness. I was surprised in that I could not detect any spices at all, so I guess that not all winter beers have to be spiced. I’m not sure what makes it a winter beer though.

Tap @ House of Brews, NYC. I gave this beer a second chance because the first time I had it right after Delirium Noel. That clearly biased my taste buds. Anyway, pours a deep reddish-brown with a fluffy white to tan head. Aroma was somewhat malty with a slight roasted characteristic. Taste was the same with only the most vague hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Not bad, but not a keeper either.

12 oz bottle. Not much going on here. Poured a good looking deep dark chestnut brown with red highlights around the edges and a good size frothy head. Aroma started off a little weak but improved some upon warming, or is the hottning since I was drinking this outside on a 90 degree day. Aroma was malt dominant with a slight bit of sweetness that had almost completely disappeared. Creamy mouthfeel and the flavor had a hint of spices that may have faded from the bottle just like my faded dreams of the girl in the red dress. Why am I drinking a Winter Ale in the middel of July anyway??

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a spectacularly vibrant ruby-copper color with only a hint of a tang head. The aroma was sour, tart and tangy with a hint of vinegar. The flavor was sour, tangy, nutty and dry with a hint of vinegar and a long dry finish. Eh.

Nice deep copper color, nice white head, horrible stale, cardboard aroma. Very thin mouth feel with a slight spice flavor to it and not much more.

For a winter laeger I would have preferred more spices to it...seemed a bit weak on that end but overall flavors were nice!

Blue point winter ale. Isn’t it something, when you buy some of these beers, you have no idea of exactly what you’re getting? Winter ale? Could be anything. Looking at RB site, this is amber ale. 12 oz brown bottle. Beery aroma when you pop the cap. Does have some hop smell in there. The pour is darker than your typical pale yellow beer, it is brownish but not dark. There is a froth on top that is white to alabaster in color. Now I think it smells something like a strong ale. I see I have not rated many amber ales. The first flavor hint is that of a medium bitter malty hop. After each sip there is a rise of bubbles. Medium bitterness bite continues but does not build. The flavor of this is on par with Erie Brewing Mad Anthonys Ale and Mendocino Red Tail Ale. However, it does not have the palate of Great Divide Ridgeline Amber Ale (Arapahoe Amber). As I recall, the ridgeline is more enjoyable without the bitterness and lack of carbonation. The finish is medium bitterness and it does linger for awhile but it is not as oppressive as your typical pale ale medicine quality. However, it does let you know that you drank a hoppy malty beer, very little if any roasty qualities.

Nothing to write home about...........malt flavor with barely any hops. Does not really do the trick for a winter ale.