Fremont Abominable Winter Ale

Brewed by Fremont Brewing Company
Style: English Strong Ale
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Bottle of the 2012. Deep brown/black with a tan head. Aroma is bourbon, wood, chocolate. Oily mouthfeel, sweet on the palate, slightly boozy finish. Taste is chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, wood.

UPDATED: MAR 25, 2013 can rec’d in trade from. michaelinwa darrrrrk pour - like a stout. big foamy head with long lacing. great aroma - I get roasted malts and coffee beans. 4 for palate. taste is roasted malt with slight alcohol and slight fudge plus a couple other things - this is a complex beer. I like this and now want to search down the bBomb!! Also finding I like this style.

12oz can poured into glass. Dark brown color with a thin bubbly head. Nice aroma of caramel, chocolate and roasted malts. Easy to drink despite the 8%ABV, it’s masked very well.

Reviewed 2/6/13. 22 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip. A: Pours a very dark brown color that could - under poorly lighted conditions - be mistaken for a stout. The head is a two finger mocha shade with excellent texturing. I’m also impressed with the head retention; it’s still standing a finger high after a minute. S: This has a very roasty quality to it, acting as a compliment to the dark fruit esters and earthy/piny hops that also pop up on the nose. Nothing really stands out about it, but it gets the job done sufficiently. If the aesthetics screamed "stout", the aroma screams "black ale". T: ...and the flavor screams "strong ale". The profile here has a far stronger dark fruit bend to it. Flavors of plums, raisins, figs, and cherries will then give way to a midtaste of licorice (not the nasty black stuff) and coffee. If there’s one thing noticeable, it’s that the further the flavors progress on the palate, the more ’roasty’ they become. The hops - which I expected to dominate, or at least have the strongest pull in the flavor profile - remain subtle throughout; their presence offering a balancing edge of earth, black pepper, and pine to the fruity sweetness. Give it time to warm up, and it will reveal notes of vanilla, chocolate, and walnuts after repeated sipping; it’s just complex enough to keep the palate guessing. The best part about this one? The exhales - they have a wondrous dark chocolate/vanilla quality to them. M: Typically smooth, syrupy, and vaguely sweet on its finish. The hop profile and roasted barley don’t dry out the finishing texture like I expected...or even wanted. Luckily, it’s light enough so that drinking it won’t be a chore. Carbonation is middling but well focused and uniform on the palate. O: This becomes pretty sweet after a while, so it might not be a bad idea to have someone on standby to share this with. Still, if we’re talking about how this one lives up to the basic definition of the ’winter warmer’ moniker (meaning does it lift the soul and warm the orifices), I’d say it’s a success. I’d buy it again if Fremont ever decided to distribute to my state.

On tap @ Chuck’s 85th. Hard to believe I haven’t rated this yet. Pours inky brown with medium thin off white head. Aroma is sweet chocolate malt with a hint of floral hops. Taste is big rich chocolate malt balanced with spicy earthy hops. ABV is substantial, but doesn’t dominate. Much darker than most winter beers, more akin to a hoppy robust porter. Takes to barrel aging very well. Quite a bargain for the price too, as opposed to BBomb. One of my favorite winter beers, can’t get enough of this.

Draft. Taste was creamy malt, christmas cookie, charred wood and roasted coffee beans. Really enjoyed this one.

(22oz bomber) rich dark brown with dark tan bubbles. Nose of cream, gingerbread, toasty, sweet, graham cracker. Taste is toasty, sweet, gingerbread, anise, spicy, medium body and rich linger.

Can @ a recent bottle share... Poured dark reddish-brown with an off-white head. Tasted of toasted sugars, chocolate, roast, and an earthy hop spice. But not too bitter. Not overly complex, but a great drinking winter ale.

Excellent brew!! Bottle was room temp when I poured it with a thick, foamy, tan head that lasts a while and plenty of lace. Color is a clear, dark mahoganey with lots of tiny bubble trails. Aroma is malt, roast, fruit, hop. Flavor’s like nose, plus brandy and is bitter up front with slight sweetness way in back and good carbonic tang to balance. Full body with a few high points and great carbonation. Finish is a tad long and boozy. Very drinkable.

Poured from a 22 ounce bomber. Chocolate, coffee, nutty, earthy. A nice malty beer for a cold winter night.