Diamond Knot Ho!Ho! Winter

Brewed by Diamond Knot Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Mukilteo, Washington USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

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Draught at the brewpub. Clear dark brown. Fruity perfumy mango aroma. Very sweet wih plenty of hops. These hops, together with the syrupy sweetness makes it inky and harsh. Resiny, very bitter finish. A promising aroma, but it’s all downhill from there.

Name: Ho! Ho! Ho!
Date: December 07, 2011
Mode: Bottle
Source: Total Wine, Vegas
Appearance: hazy dark amber, creamy beige head, icy lace
Aroma: sweet earthy caramel aroma, dry spicyness
Flavor: lightly sweet caramel flavor, dry earthy spices, light bitterness
Overall: yet another spiced winter warmer
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: ** /4

Murky dark chestnut brown. Minty, orangey nose w/ light molasses. Quite sweet, minty, herbal, then suddenly does a U-turn into an intense, medicinal, quinine, bark-like bitterness. Distinctive, if nothing else.

(22oz bottle) Pours a clear amber body with a medium beige head. Aroma of mustiness, roasted malt, juniper, and spices. Flavor of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, nuts, orange, and spices.

22oz bottle, thanks CaptainCougar. Small off-white head atop lightly hazed amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, orange, some grapefruit, some bittersweet chocolate. Taste is moderately sweet, orange, some bittersweet chocolate, light pepper. Medium body, light stickiness.

Draft at Lucky Lab on Quimby. Aroma of spicey brown ale. Dark amber color with a beige head. Flavor is sweet, lightly roasted caramel malt with a hint of smoke (?) and a bit of vanilla. Finish is mellow and tasty. Low level Xmas brew in terms of spice, but very tasty.

Brown beer with a thin white head. Sweet caramel aroma, some noticible hop aroma (noble variety). Flavour is surprisingly thin with some light astringency. A bit husky tasting. Short sharp bitter finish. Some resinousness. Light bodied. Meh.

My Bottom Line:
Almond caramel and wooden hop resins merge in this pleasant Winter Warmer, as hints of orange zest and dried berries are suggested here and there.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A healthy head of foam laces all around the blood-red tinged brown.
-The comfortable effervescence makes the portly sugars feel lighter.
-If there are spices in there, they are very well integrated to the hop bill.
-The lengthy bitter aftertaste never gets bothersome.
-Alcohol is well hidden throughout.

Bottle.

Bottle shared by CaptainCougar. Pours clear tawny with an average, frothy beige head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, cookie, caramel, toasted), average hops (floral, pine), and average esters (apple/pear) with notes of alcohol, plum, dates, and honey. Flavor is heavy malt (bread, cookie, caramel, toasted), average hops (floral, pine, spicy), and average esters (apple/pear) with notes of alcohol, dates, brown sugar and nutmeg. Full body, medium warmth and carbonation, low creaminess with a dry and biting finish.

Dark brown, auburn, light creamy island of head. Nose of dark caramel & wort sugars, balanced sweet & bitter also. Some doughy fig & prune smells. Peppery spiciness is there too. Taste is balanced, creamy malts, not bad.