Cigar City Warmer Winter Winter Warmer

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Tampa, Florida USA

Serve in Snifter

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Deep mahogany brow with a thick tan head. Aroma is of toffee, malt, prune, booze. Taste is of caramel, tons of sugar, malt, alcohol, fig, very very sweet.

The look is muddy, brown color, pretty decent beige colored head. Not that pretty. The smell is sugary, hops, citrus, malty, pie like, and desert. The taste is is very sweet, fruits, citrus, hops, caramel, and syrup. Did not attenuate well. Syrup thick feel. Will be hard to finish.

From notes. Pours a rich murky reddish brown, with a tiny white head that diminished quickly. Sweet nose, caramel, caramelized sugar. I also get a little sweet fruit. Lots of sweet flavors. Where to start... Brown sugar. Caramel, plum, a slight burnt malty roastyness, there is defiantly a bit of an alcohol burn. There is a lot going on. Mouthfeel is real silky and sticky. Pretty big body, medium carbonation. Nice warming finish.

From notes. First reviewed 12/26/2011. Poured from a 750 mL botltle into an oversized wine glass. Shared this 2010 bottle with my pops on Christmas. Thanks to hoppy99 for sending me this bottle oh so long ago. There is an enthusiastic ’pop’ as I open the bottle, and a lot of dark tan foam flows out of the bottle even with a gentle pour, rising and nearly overflowing the glass. When it settles down, the head is fairly frothy and leaves thick lace down the glass. The beer itself is a dark chocolate brown with a slightly lighter edge. Caramel and toffee control the mostly sweet aroma. Toasted bread, raisins, plums, figs, and a general spiciness provide support. The flavor is cloyingly sweet throughout the entire sip. The label says "caramelized toffee," and that seems to be an accurate description of the first flavor across my lips. A bit of milk chocolate adds to a chewy bread malt. Rum raisin, sugary plums, sweet figs and dates all add to a very sweet flavor. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and a bit of all spice are somewhat ensconced behind the thick, chewy, sweetness. The finish has a bit of brown sugar. Chewy and syrupy sweet throughout the glass. At first, the carbonation bubbles and fizzes unpleasantly, but this subsides as I let it warm. A bit of spice creates a tingle on the tongue. The alcohol, although not noticeable in the flavor, accentuates this effect and creates a light bourbon-like burn in the back of my throat. Full bodied and full carbonation. This beer fresh is supposed to have some spicy pine and citrus hops, which might give it a little zip and cut through the sweetness. With a year on it, though, it is a bit too sweet for me.

Caramel malts with hints of smoke on the nose. Pours a dark amber with reddish hues. Rich and malty with heavy caramel flavors and hints of milk chocolate, traces of anise in the background. Heavy thick mouthfeel. Very nice.

750 ml bottle pours a dark amber color with a medium white head. Aromas of burnt sugar, toffee, and light chocolate. Full bodied, sticky with a sweet, complex finish.

Pours a hazy mahogany color with a reddish brown creamy head. Smells like brown sugar and wood. Tastes like molasses, brown sugar, a bit of maple syrup and some delicious wood. Some hops too.

smells like malt balls, like Whoppers with some alcohol heat. very sweet with more alcohol. it’s tasty with fruit and toffee but with a harsh bitter finish. needs some more age maybe. thick, but high carbonation.

Bottle from a trade a long time ago I for some reason never drank. From 2010 I believe. Initial pour leaves more foam than beer, mahogany in color, the head being a light tan. Huge nutty, toffee aroma wafts up. Boozy, sweet, lots of caramel, cherries, spices, and an almost bourbon barrell-like note. Immensely sweet taste. Nutty, caramel, fruits, and toffee. Cloying burnt sugar taste. Sweetness does degrade a bit, leaving behind a wonderful English barley wine. While it could still use a little something to balance the sweetness, this one is still pretty tasty. Some good beers don’t feel like they’re 10% abv. This is not one of them, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Pours deep reddish brown with ample head. Aroma is of maple syrup and tart cherries. Taste is extremely sweet. Ends with a bitter cherry flavor.