Diamond Knot Ho!Ho! Winter

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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Sparkling amber, lasting beige head. Wonderfully roasty malt nose.Complex malt taste with late arriving spices I liked this one very much

On tap at Naked City. Dark brown with a rich, creamy head. Malty aroma with a great taste of oatmeal cookies, sweet with a touch of bitterness, both of which lasted into a long finish. Mouthfeel seemed a little thin for the rich, malty taste, though. A nice beer- more interesting than I was expecting.

On Tap at Diamond Knot. The aroma has a slight butterscotch note. On the palate it is incredibly smooth, with a mild, short finish. Roasty malt takes the fore-front, wtih mild citrus hops. Overall incredible. Have had bottled as well, on tap just takes it up to a new level. Very similar to Diamond Knot’s industrial IPA with the hops lowered and the malt brought to the forefront. True Christmas Joy in a pint glass.

UPDATED: DEC 19, 2010 Diamond Knot Brewing Company-HO!HO! Winter Ale --2009 Release--22 oz. Bottle--8.50% ABV--60 IBU’s. (3.75 / 5.0) Winter Ale--Roasted--7.7% on Web. Thin lace off white head.Clear dark ruby brown color. Toasted toffee mild earthy hop floral dark fruit front.No sediment. Thick cloying sweet toffee fig malty mildly crusty roasted body. Roasted hop spice malt spice black fruit end.Smooth toasty. Sampled 1/10/2010. $5.25 Each. Diamond Knot Brewing Company--HO!HO! Winter Ale--2010 22 oz. Bottle. 8.50% ABV. 60 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Thin lace thin off white head. No sediment. Hazy dark bronze brown color. Roasted dark fruit floral hop Winter spice hint toasty front. Smooth sweet rich toasted brown sugar caramel fruit hop hint malty zesty body. Dry clean slightly bitter EtOH toasted hop end. Roasted hoppy malty Winter Ale. Very rich! 12/18/2010. Purchased for $5.25 at PCC--Fremont, Seattle on 12/18/2010.

On tap. Had the 2006 and 2007 versions. The 2006 had mellowed over time. The 2007 had more aroma and bitterness of hops. Both were excellent. A robust winter warmer ale. Buby brown in color with a slightly sweet, fruity nose. Very hoppy yet balanced with residual maltiness.

Tap at the High Life

I was pleased to find that this was the winter seasonal at the High Life in Ballard (my best local source for rotating Diamond Knot beers). Pours a deep elegant brown, very rich, modest head, big lacing. The lovely aroma brings in plenty of roasty nuts, some figs and raisins, and showcases a very brewery-distinctive hop profile that reminds me of their unusual but very nice brown ale. The flavor maybe doesn’t quite match the aroma, though it’s very nice: again roasty, more nut and fruit than chocolate and espresso, albeit with a bit of coffee slipping in late before the c-hops (not overly aggressive, but nicely assertive with grapefruit notes) close out the flavor profile. The mouthfeel is exquisite. It doesn’t hurt that the serving temperature and carbonation are perfect, but more than that this beer is so creamy and smooth and exquisitely drinkable, full but not sticky, not the least bit hot.

Overall I’m very impressed and eager to have another crack at this one. Most PacNW winter warmers turn me off with too much coffee and too strong of hops; this one is different, dark, and utterly delicious.

On tap at Bailey’s Tap Room in Portland, Oregon--Poured a deep brown-amber body (almost black). Thin body with a fluffy creamy head. Malty, nutty and distinctly British yeastiness. Big grapefruity hops presence. Roast and bready. Certainly complex and richly multifaceted brew, Unique and super tasty.

2006 and 2007 - On tap at Winter Beer Festival. This was one of my favorites of the winter beers on display. The 2006 version was more mellowed and was actually my personal favorite. I wish Diamond Knot would bottle their beers because this winter seasonal release would be a treat to age. Pours a ruby brown color with a small light tan head on top. Aroma is robust and slightly sweet with caramel, raisins, plums and nuts. Flavor is pretty hoppy even though the aroma masks it. Caramel, fruit, and spices take command in the flavor of the beer. I would have loved to try the bourbon barrel cask version. Very tasty!

Draft at the Diamond Knot brewhouse. Evidently my second especially fresh keg of the night, and perhaps as a result, my second rave. Crystal clear but supremely dark mahogany with rubied highlights. Thin grayish sheet of head and lace. Malty, nutty, brown bready nose of no particular distinction (for a beer this big). Rich and almost creamy body. Roast and brown bread and nuts announce themselves right from the jump, and carry well through the mid-palate. Nice, tidy, bitingly resinous finish with a bit of linger to it.

had a scooner glass of this stuff and man was it sweet and fruity and kinda has a hint of nutmeg but i was pretty lit when i had it so try it yourself.