Equinox Midwinter Warmer

Brewed by Equinox Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

On tap at the brewery. Poured a muddled reddish-amber color with a moderate off-white head that faded to a layer. Aroma of sweet caramel, brown sugar, candied fruit, fig, plum, bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Smooth, sweet entry with hints of caramel and brown sugar paired with a sweet fruitiness including plum, red apple, and red grape that are paired with a bourbon spiciness that lingers into the finish where it is paired with a softer vanilla flavor that dries the palate slightly. Low carbonation and slick, smooth mouth feel. Overall, it was lacking some refinement, but the intensity of the flavors present was pretty impressive. Some working at melding the flavors more seamlessly would really push this beer up the ladder.

Thanks to Jeff for sending a 500ml bottle of this my way! Strange to see how few ratings there are, as everything about this beer - from the slightly dissolute label to the seriously mellowed aroma and flavors - screamed aging to me. Regardless, these were the qualities that stood out. It was a translucent caramel brown color, understated carbonation, and a serious MALT BOMB that went down pretty nicely on one of the colder evenings this past winter. A bit too syrupy and boozy in places, but I know some dig it like that.

Pour on tap at the brewery, hazy red with white head, aroma brought notes of caramel, toasted and roasted malts, touch of dark fruit, deep fruity notes, hints of a slight oaky note. Taste is a mix of slight oak, right into sweet dark fruits, caramel and toffee notes, touch of biscuit and grass, finishing fairly sweet.

On tap at Hops and pie poured a hazy brown with a small lingering tan head. Aromas of carmel, toffee, tobacco and light woodiness. Palkate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of toffee, carmel, tobacco and a hint of woodiness with a smooth dry lingering malty finish.

Tap @ Equinox taproom. A stop on grand tour of Fort Collins breweries and bars with Tim, Aaron and Armin, Thanks !! Pours deep amber with a small offwhite hehead. Aroma of sweet malt, toast, toasted caramel, dried fruit, alcohol, oak. Taste is sweet with malt, caramel, toast, dried fruit,oak, light spicy, boozy. Medium to full body, soft carbonation, alcoholic finish. 250212

The pour is a translucent, garnet color with an average, off-white, pillowy head which is somewhat lasting and leaves some frothy lace. The nose is fairly simple and bland for a big winter beer; plenty of alcohol, raisin bread notes, light dried apricots, and some toasty caramel. The flavor is mildly better with a slight roast addition, still died fruit of apricots and raisins, some toasty caramel, a faint vanilla note, and some earthy resinous bitterness. The palate is syrupy, less than lively, medium to full, and warming. The finish is still warm with some bready notes, raisin still, resinous notes bring some bitterness, and toasty caramel lingering. A fairly pedestrian BW with the flabby, syrupy palate. The warming has not yet become complementary to the beer, and it may not. The simplicity is notable for a 10% winter BW. By no means an undrinkable beer but really not enjoyable. My first from this brewer and I am not overly impressed.

UPDATED: FEB 27, 2011 Tap at Equnox - hazy amber - the cab and bourbon barrels dominate this one - a lot of spicy oak, vanilla, mild vinous qualities - but instead of adding nuance, they make things messy - yeast profile is doughy - a lot of sharp esters - seriously strong, astringent alcohol - inelegant and hard to drink.

16.9oz bottle. Pours a murky light brown with a small frothy white head that quickly goes to a thin film.

The aroma is sweet caramel malts and molasses with some dark fruit and some vanilla and alcohol.

The flavor is sweet caramel and molasses and dark fruit with a lot of bitter charred alcohol in the finish. There’s a lot of warming alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with almost no carbonation - a little watery.

Overall, a nice big barley wine. It was better on tap than in the bottle. I remember it having more carbonation and less of a charred bitterness. A bit too much noticeable alcohol for me too.

UPDATED: FEB 27, 2011 Tap at the brewery. Hazy dark red orange appearance with a light off white head. Sweet syrupy amber malty nose. Mouthfeel is sweet and syrupy. Light Barley Wine flavor that’s fairly mild but still has a sweet thick flavor. Fairly strong alcohol on the finish. Above average.