3.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
On tap at the GD brewpub in Madison, Wisconsin. Deep brown pour, very porter-like, small white head. Nose is ginger, clove, vanilla, cinnamon. Tastes of chocolate, spruce, light smoke and hops. Again, reminds me of a very off-kilter porter. Interesting, very nice.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
[Tap] Sampled back in mid-December. Pours an opaque dark red color with a small amount of tan head. Wonderful spicy aroma included nutmeg, cinnamon and dark malts. Complex taste got better when it warmed. Cherry, vanilla, clove, oak, ginger and some light spruce notes. Light alcohol warming in the finish. These flavors blended perfectly to make this beer one of the better that I’ve had in a long time.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Very dark ruby red without much of a head. Aroma was weak but what was there was heavy malts, spices, and floral hops. Roasty flavor with spices, and piney hops. Strong, smooth, and pretty good.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Nice clear garnet color with a small cream colored head. Dark malt aromas with hints of baked dark fruits. Dark chocolate with a light clove spice backdrop. A strong english ale, but lacks depth.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Growler. Dark red color with a medium head. Interesting dusty malt aroma that is also slightly sweet. Hints of cherry. The taste is completely different than what I was expecting. It definitely had a smoked malt thing going on, but not in an overwhelming way. It was like a weaker Rauch or Scotch Ale, which is what I was sure it would have been when I looked it up. Tasty!
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cherry Coke Coloring. Sandy Head. Sweet, Caramel…dusty Malt Aroma…Roasted? Flavor…Smokey. Similiar to a Rauch or Scotch Ale
3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Dark brown body, minimal white head. Chocolate malt body with cherry and spruce notes to round it out. Very nice flavor, the malts and nice and strong.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
UPDATED: DEC 31, 2005 Re-rate in Dec. 2005. Listed as Winter Warmer. Much betterthis go-round. Hot up front, nutmeg/allspice in sufficient quantities. Tasted like fruitcake. A deep mahagony winter warmer. No nose, but an attractive beer. Thin head. Little in up front taste, an attempt at California-style of hopping, but falls short. Some hoppy notes and that’s iit. Sight spice at end. Overall is very warming, and quaffable, but misses the mark for style.
2.2 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 8/20
A spiced holiday dark brown ale, seems to be modelled on something like Anchor's Christmas ale, but the nose is thin and the pine resin/anise barely discernible as the only flavor components. Really like a weak, dry porter I guess. I'll take a big pass.
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