JosephsBrau Winterfest

This beer is actually from JosephsBrau But I figured it was easier this way. Pours a dark brown colour with a small vanilla head. Light and slightly hopped, a noticeable almond flavor with slight chocolate and a very full mouthfeel. well carbonated, little toffee. Nice winter warmer.

Pours a ruby brown color with a small light tan head. Nose is taint, medicinal, earthy and caramel, the mix just doesn’t formulate right. Initial taste of raisins, medicinal cough syrup, toffee and some roasted malt. Finish is short and dry. Light body. Average head retention. Understandable for the price.

(bottle) medium brown with generous light tan head. Aroma of warm roast malt and hints of chocolate. Flavor is warm sweet malt. Would be a great winter beer (I had it on a chilly spring day - close enough. Got a bottle on clearance at Trader Joe’s for 67 cents - a steal!)

Medium head (doesn’t last very long though), pours deep mahogany. Striking bouquet, intense malt and a pleasant fruitiness, prunes and raisins. Flavor matches the nose quite closely but doesn’t quite meet the intensity -- malty, fruity, sweet but not too sweet. (A friend of mine shared a six-pack with me, and noticing the purple label, observed, "It even TASTES purple!") It has a character that reminds me or a nice port wine -- with the same thickness on the palate as well. Definitely a holiday beer! I like it -- it’s nice to see Gordon Biersch make an attempt at this style, though it falls well short of classics like Weltenberger Asam. But it’s a damn decent beer, and as T.J.’s is trying to get rid of it at $2.99 a six-pack ... get it while it lasts.

I might just be praising trader joes too much in this review but, really, 2.99 for a six pack? Insane. Especially considering that this is one of the better beers joe’s holds. Buy it. In bulk.