Blue Point Winter Ale

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

On tap at HDG. Reddish brow with a sturdy tan head. Flavor is nutty and a tad sweet on the malty side. A pretty standard version of the style but I prefer it a bit hoppier.

Aroma is barely there - had to really sniff to catch a whiff of malt. Slight metallic taste to it - overrides the malty flavor that it is trying to deliver. A little bit watery as well. Appearance is light copper colored but very thin. Should not describe itself as a Winter Ale.

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.

Bottle at Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Amber with rich white head. Soapy caramel aroma. Clean caramel flavour, notes of oranges and grass. Carmel and cedarwood in the short finish.

Tons of pleasant spicy notes (I'd swear this is a spice/herb/veggie beer) and a thick malty body. Lo-alcohol content means you may have to drink several to get the "warming" effect. APA-ish. Pretty decent.

Medium bodied with an enjoyable maltiness and some hints of spice in the background. This is pretty subtle for a winter session beer; it would be better as a spring beer. It's very much like their pale ale with the hops removed and the malts kicked way up.

(12 oz bottles: Obtained in trades with hopscotch and shadey, thanks Eric and Shane!) Purchase before Jun, 2006. The nose is hoppy, grassy, caramely and malty, but not all that sweet. Caramely maltiness is moderately sweet-tasting and lightly roasty, but hops is clearly in evidence as well, both in actual flavor and in the moderate, balancing level of bitterness. Medium-full bodied and gently carbonated, but the beer deposits a slick, oily coating in my mouth, though I don’t taste its usual cause. Medium brown color with near-perfect clarity. Two fingers of light-tan head gradually settles to a thin, but complete layer, leaving a dense foam on the glass. A nice, simple winter beer.

Pours a clear amber with a tan film for head. The aroma is surpsingly fresh, with an orangey hop zest. Nice overall hop flavors as well. The body is a drop thin, but the flavor is full, an orangey citrus, spicy peppery aspect, hint of nutmeg, nice caramel malt undertone and a solid dry finish. Not bad.