Elysian Bifröst Winter Ale

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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pours a very cloudy dark orange with a medium size off-white head that goes away quite quickly leaving a very nice lacing. smell is of peach, apricot, touch of caramel, and some spice. taste is a bit watery, light grapefruit, hops, apricot, some pine, spice, a touch of white pepper, and some malt is hiding in the back, ends slightly on the dry side.

Surprising. Cantaloupe and flowers in the nose; very light for a winter ale; lingering bitter aftertaste.

22oz bottle. Pours a deep golden amber color with a frothy white head. Has a mild hop aroma with a slightly sweet cereal note as well. Taste is hoppy up front, sweet maltiness through the middle and slightly dry finish. Mouthfeel is rich and creamy.

Not too bad, but a bit raspy. Winter Ale's are usually a bit higher in alcohol which may account for the harshness. Although it is only 7.6% ABV ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

From tap at the Pike brewpub. Pours hazy yellow with a small white head. Aroma is light spiced yeasty. Bitter, roasted and crisp bitter into the finish. Ends dry and bitter. Dry and slight herbal finish.

Shared with Strykzone via Facebook Chat. This pours a yellow amber, with a big off white head and lots of lacing. Nose of malts and floral hops. Medium body and smooth in the mouth. Flavor show a good balance between malts and hops with a lot of both. Very flavorful and enjoyable.

Bomber from Hayduke. We are sharing one via facebook chat. This pours a tea brown and has loads of bubbles floating up. It is hazy from the sediment that was at the bottom of the bottle until rolled. The nose is so nice. Flowers and honey. Those are also tasted but lots of complex malt, too. This was well brewed. Hops are big here and are citrus and European. The malt and hops are very distinct here but still work well together. At the finish some alcohol is tasted but it is not overpowering. This beer has some big flavors but also has subtleties that are a delight to taste. This is both tasty and fun.

THOUGHTS: Nice and hoppy. Similar to an IPA, but differently malty than an IPA would be. Not extremely wintry. Didn’t do a great job of hiding the alcohol. Decent balance. Sweet malts and citrus hops. Nice beer, but below par winter ale. It became a little cloying toward the end, but the bitterness came back to save the day in the end. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Fairly sure my bottle said 7.6% ABV. Poured a somewhat flat, clear, light to medium yellow with a small, slightly off-white head, that mostly diminished and left good lacing. After the second pour, there were also small, medium and large particles in the body of a thick density. The aroma had light to moderate caramel and pale malt; moderate grapefruit and orange hops; slightly lighter pine and resin hops; and honey. The initial flavor was moderately sweet and moderate to heavily bitter; while the finish was moderate to heavily sweet and heavily bitter with a long duration. There was pale malts, caramel, honey, orange and grapefruit hops, also a little pine and resin hops and sugar water. The medium body was a little syrupy and oily and then dry with fizzy carbonation and a lightly alcoholic finish.

Bomber. Very sweet with a bitter finish. Decent brew but a bit off balance.

On tap at the brewpub. Fruity sweet aroma. Light orang and clear bubbly appearance. Spicey sweet clove and faint cinnamon flavors. Finish is grapefruit bitter. Nice IPA sort of drink with a little bit of spice.

650ml bomber pours amber color with a healthy white head which settles leaving some nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is light toasted caramel with some aromatic hops. Taste is a light caramel malty sweetness with a more robust earthy hop bitterness. Decently balanced flavors with a medium body and nice carbonation. Nice mouthfeel. Not your typical winter ale, but still very enjoyable.