Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale

Brewed by Highland Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Asheville, North Carolina USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

UPDATED: DEC 28, 2006 Choco-cherry vanilla maltiness in the aroma and flavor -- like a dessert brown ale. Graham crackers. The flavor came off rather artificial and the vanilla notes held on longer than necessary. I didn’t get a whole lot of the spice. Medium-heavy body. Red-brown, clear with a clingy seafoam head. Tannic. I was a little disappointed with this one, will give it another try while I’m up here on vacation.

Vintage ’06. Poured a reddish amber. The head was thin and off white. The aroma was sweet and spicy. The flavor was layerd. Started with spice and little noticeable hop and finished with a very distinct sweet spice. Nutmeg? I was actually very impressed with this beer. It was the best spice beer I’ve had. It didn’t do too many spices or not enough, very well balanced.

UPDATED: NOV 15, 2009 fruity aroma of plums, and ginger bread. clear burgundy with a small tan head. spicy flavor of ginger bread, raisin bread and cinnamon. light-medium bodied. flavors and aroma are a little bit subtle...but nice.----re-rate 2009---flavor has more vanilla than anything this year.

expecting some sort of barley wine. Had this on tap at Willards Tap House in largo fla. Fairly clear, Nice clean attractive aroma. Initial flavor are spicey or sumthin and comes across rather creamy on the co2. Bitter alky builds thru the session. Medicinal finish.

PP Strong Ale Fest 07, bottle brought by kp, thanks dude. Pour red with thin tan head. Nose is sweet. Taste is sweet, with a sugary cereal taste. Weird but interesting.

I knew that this wasn’t supposed to be the ideal aging beer (too low of abv, in theory), but I had a bottle that I bought in Atlanta in January 2006, and I kept it mostly in the refrigerator until August 2007--so over 18 months. And I thought it was swell! There was a little oxidation, but it was all positive, giving the nuttiness a nice vanilla edge and a sense of woody maturation. There’s a fruity side, too, that hasn’t been lost, and it is nicely carbonated to be slightly frothy and not too aggressive. No hops to worry about in the finish (I like my beers all-malts, no-hops, basically). Overall, I conclude, it’s a good beer that doesn’t hurt it to give it some careful aging.

UPDATED: DEC 18, 2008 2008 vintage. A dark, clear, garnet colored body is crowned by a small, frothy, well retained layer of tan colored foam. Sticky bands and arches of lacing cling to the glass. The aroma shows notes of dark caramel, light brown sugar, plums, and a hint of candied pecans. Nutmeg and clove come through a bit as well. Flavors show nice balance, hints of lactic creaminess bringing together the contrasting elements of caramelized fruits and earthy spices. Sugar glazed walnuts and pecans again shine through. Medium bodied, with a smooth and creamy consistency, this drinks incredibly easy. A lightly floral hop finish tops things off. This is just a tasty, sessionable winter ale. Very nice.

Sampled on draft at city beverage in winston-salemn. Nice translucent auburn pour with good tan head. Lightly malty aroma with a little hop spiciness. Surprisingly hoppy but well balanced by the malty tones and hints of anise. Medium chewy body with moderate carbonation and some carbonic bite. Decent winter brew.

Thanks to tannertavernboys for sharing. Pours a dark garnet with a minor amount of head. The aroma is spicy with cinnamon and maybe something else. There is also a rich carny sugar aspect that is present, but not overbearing. The beer is medium bodied with light carbonation - could be due to a bit of aging. Interesting taste to the beer, very unique. There are elements of cherry pie filling, but quite dry - bits of caramel - spiciness (cinnamon, ginger, others?). The finish has some hops to it, they have an dusty / earthy taste to them. An interesting beer I’d like to try again.

Pronounced caramel and tea aroma. Hops smell a bit stale which is understandable given the bottles age. Hazy dark copper, thin head. Caramel flavor, strong, with lighter berry undertones. Milk chocolate also present. Medium bodied. Strong french vanilla finish. Not spicy, but malty and delicious.