4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
UPDATED: OCT 21, 2009 500 ml, "God Jul" version. ("Winter Ale" version for 2009 update). Huge head fizzes out of the bottle on this opaque black beer; settles down and lasts well with some nice frosty lace. (Winter Ale version head was much more tame - even better!) Chocolate, evergreen, juniper, vanilla, orange-caramel and slight hickory on the nose. Front taste is spicy orange, cocoa, dark-roasted nuts and coffee balanced well by some earthy-spiced whiskey and toffee. Charred mesquite and bitter-grass herbs catch up and finish strong, leaving a cured tobacco, charred oak, whiskey and peanut aftertaste. Medium-heavy body is roasty dryish, and drinkably smooth with some light tingle. Super complex brew. God Jul indeed!
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle. Pours dark brown with a thick light tan head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, slight roasted malt, and chocolate. Flavor of roasted malts, some vegetal notes. Kinda bland actually. Just not a very enjoyable beer. These winter ales just do not seem to be put together very well.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
1pt .9oz bottle.
The beer gushed upon removing the cap, I tried to pour as fast as possible.
It pours a dark dark brown with no light permeating the brew. The head is a deep tan and leaves nice lacing.
It smells amazing and decadent. Huge malt whiffs produce tons of carmally chocolate scent. There is also raw cocoa, coffee, and alcohol in the scent. The big surprise here is a nice bit of hops that can be found in the background.
It is sweet but not overpowering, with dark chocolate covered caramels being the main focus. Tastes like candy literally. The mouthfeel is nice, though perhaps a bit over carbonated. The alcohol seems to be less noticeable in the taste than in the scent.
This is one heck of a warming brew, by far the best English porter I have had, though it is close to Russian imperial stout/Baltic Porter territory.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 12-19-2009 05:25:25
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 15/20
Dark brown with lots of carbonation. Fruit nose. Slightly sweet smoky and spicy body with a slightly rough finish.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
16.9 oz bottle purchased at Oak Tree. Pours a nice deep dark black with a super huge light brown foamy head. Aroma starts off very nice with notes of chocolate liquorice, mollasses, raisin, dark fruit, alcohol, roasted malts and grain. Medium to full bodied with good carbonation and some noticable alcohol warming. Flavor of chocolate, mollasses, grain, slight citrus. Really nice beer that leaves great lace and really "warms" you up.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Dark brown with frothy tan head. Aroma of caramel, brown sugar, toasted malts, spice and smoke. Taste of smoked malts, chocolate and caramel. Rich taste with the alcohol slightly noticeable. Pretty solid brew.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Dark brown, murky and light blocking. Huge persistent, three-dimensional head of light tan.
Rich caramel aroma, light date-nut bread.
Sweet and full bodied. A big, all malt show here.show here.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle consumed on Sunday Ocotber 21st, the day the Red Sox beat the Indians 11-2 to win the American League and advance to the world series. Nose is chocolate, vanilla, a little smoke. Flavor is strong with more vanilla, molasses, and some dark fruits with a warm finish. Unique winter ale.
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