Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome Ale

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: English Strong Ale
Tadcaster, England

Appearance: lean copper, not very full. Head: thick, off white. Aroma: Spice, sour. Flavor: some spice, a sour cornish taste, some floral hop, slightly lacking in this area. Overall not bad, solid session brew I suppose.

Appearance was average rocky off white head, some lace. Dark amber body. Nose of perfume and pine. Cask wood. Taste of molassess, raisins, light honey, alcohol, and bourbon. Bittersweet. Very heavy alcoholic feel. Like sipping Jack Daniels. Overall a decent winter warmer.

Pours an amber/copper with a thick white head. Aroma is a light floral with honey, lemon, and hops. The flavor is right on with the aroma only with some malts and a touch of honeydew. All in all a bit better than I expected. Not quite strong enough (or heavy enough) for a winter welcome, should be a spring welcome. Still a good beer.

I am not going to go through each categaory as I usually do in my ratings. This is just simply one of my favorite brews year after year. Its tasty and always makes me look forward to next year. Its somwhat corny but I love how they change the scene in the background of the label each year too. Its amber in color with a decent off white head and good balance of hops, malts, and a somewhat bitter bite. Make sure this is in your rotation year after year.

500ml bottle - Pours light amber with a big, fluffy head. The aroma is lightly malty. the flavor has caramel malt, a little spice, and an adequate hops balance. It finishes with some light hops. This is a fairly typical British ale and is well made, but nothing special.

i really enjoyed this one, good heavy palate, perfectly sweetened to my tatse, good on the down slope really nice after touch, highly recommend

The second Denver blizzard hit today, and will continue its barrage through the night, entombing Denver in a pure white prison, and insuring a fair bout of cabin fever and neighborly intimacy. Continuing in the line of ironically titled seasonal beers I popped open a bottle of the Sam Smith Winter Welcome, giving a great youkoso and bienvenue to a guest I thought we just kicked out the door. So much for etiquette; it really is true that nature does what it pleases. Forcible as she may be, she still hits like a bullet train, so why not make platonic friends rather than bitter (and uneven) enemies? So here’s to you and your…second blessing. Winter Welcome pours a floral color of red, pink and orange that reminds me of the transformative roses my mother keeps in her front garden. The head is a thick cedar color, supported by the beer’s many spiraling pillars of bubbles – an architectural masterpiece Brunelleschi himself could be proud of. The aroma contrasts markedly, effacing the proud display with a bland mix of hops and a cheap, pale lager-esque smell in a none too appetizing preview. Luckily the taste comes back with a mellow sweetness on a heavy palate that’s not too heavy for the sugar. The flavors are hard to describe, but it’s likely a mix of chestnut, yam, cinnamon, marshmallow, brown sugar, nutmeg, all spice and a bit of oak all watered down to keep the beer from becoming too intense with such a barrage of passionate flavors. I for one lament this decision, adventitious or not, because it really bars the beer from becoming something special. Let it be had, then, on this stormy eve to keep our hearts warm and our persistent guest at bay. Even with a limp and tepid flavor this Winter Welcome is enough to do both.

Color was amber with a small white head. Aroma was malt and toffee. Easy drinking, but not much flavor. Tasted of sweet malts and a light hop presence. Pretty good.