Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome Ale

2008-2009 vintage poured from a 550ml bottle into dimpled mug Aroma - Caramel, toffee, with a slightly grassy aroma Appearance - Clear copper with 2 finger white head. Flavor - Malty with notes of toffee,notes of winter fruit with a bit of grassy hops toward the end. Palate - Light to medium. Easy on the carbonation. Slow on the finish. Overall - Too bad this ESB is a seasonal. Like all the other Samuel Smith’s products, this is an excellent example of the style that it’s patterned after. Very tasty, very drinkable.

(Bottle, Rake, Southwark, London, 21 Nov 2008) Amber colour with frothy, white head. Malty, toasty nose with notes of dark fruit, prunes and earthy hops. Malty, fruity taste with dried fruit, prunes and raisins with bittersweet citrus and earthy hops in the finish. Slightly above medium body, fairly sweet. Nice winter beer with lots of taste.

Clear bright copper color pour with a thick foamy head that lasts and leaves streaks of lace. Sweet malt and toasty grain in the aroma. Flavor is malty with some ripe fruit. A good, but mild hoppiness on the finish. Well carbonated. An all around decent brew.

2006-2007 Vintage - Amber pour into a thin foamy head with lingering lacings. Malty caramel and slight hoppy aroma. Taste of warm cider & roasted chestnuts.

07’/08’ bottle. Pours orange/copper, Aroma / taste are hoppy, sweet with possible candi sugar / honey. Good carbonation, mildly sweet and fruity / yeasty with some good but subtle addition of winter spices.

I liked this one. So far I think this is the best I’ve had from Samuel Smiths. But then again, I’ve only had like 4 beers from them. Has a nice brown/golden color to it. Taste has a little bit of a sweet flavor to it. But it’s not an overpowering sweetness. It’s very nicely balanced. Has a nice smooth aftertaste. Good job Samuel Smith!

I had some ot this at a tasting the other night. The beer guy was touting it as one of his favorite Samuel Smith beers. Hmmmmmm. It isn’t bad. It has a pretty light drinkable almost lager like taste. Decent carbonation and fair amount of hops They had singles available and I was going to grab a couple until I saw they had Third Coast Old Ale in. At $14.00 a sixer I had to make a choice---there ws no choice. Might try it again later but probably not. CD

Pours a copper color with a thick, ivory head. Smells of fruity caramel. Makes me think of eating fruit with a caramel dip. Quite pleasant. There is the slightest of a bite upfront, but immediately vanishes and is replaced by the same caramel/fruity flavor. The finish is quite pleasant, not very bitter or spicy at all...very sweet. Carbonation is strong but it does not take away from the overall mouthfeel. Not too thin, not too thick. This is a highly drinkable brew. I could easily sip this one down and move on to the next...if they came in six packs and were a bit easier on the wallet. Overall a great brew. It wouldn’t hurt if it was a tad bit stronger as in other winter warmers, but it gets the job done. Will definitely have this again. Reviewed on: 02-20-2007