Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome Ale

Not really impressed. Sweet malt, some citrus. Drinkable, but not impressive.

not particular impressed with this. seemed kinda thin, bit of sweet malt taste.

Clear amber, off white medium head that settles rather quickly. Light malty aroma with a hint of orange. Medium body, and light carbonation. Toffee flavor nicely balnced by some light peppery spice and citrus. Nothing overwhelms in this nicely balnced ale. Finishes with a pleasant tangy bitterness. I was unimpressed after my first few mouthfulls, but as it warmed and I began to really taste it, my impression improved considerably. A very understated, but expertly crafted ale.

Bottle. Amber pour, large head. Little aroma. Well-balanced, slightly nutty flavor. Very smooth mouthfeel. Overall, an excellent winter ale.

2005 bottle. What this beer lacked in appearance, it made up for in everything else. Quite possibly one of my favorite winter brews (second to Sam Adams’ Fezziwig), this excellent beer takes all the spices of the season and dumps them into a lovely ale. It doesn’t waver into the overpowering nature of many winter brews, but is quite quaffable, despite the 6% ABV. Great stuff.

2005-06 bottle. Pours an orange amber with a small off white head that went away rather quickly. Aroma is very malty, caramel/toffee, sweet, some light citrus. Flavors of the same...the sweet malt, caramel, but some cocoa and light roastiness and nuts coming through more in the flavor. Not picking up too much of the christmas/winter spices others mentioned.

550 ml bottle. Pours a medium amber with off white head that rapidly fades. Active carbonation. Smells very fruity, with a floral scent hiding in there. The taste is very bold and complex, waxing and waning between smooth and hoppy throughout the taste. Bubbly palate.

2005-2006 batch.A big improvement over prior years.Samuel Smith is a solid brewer.Please dump your clear bottles. Ask your vendor if he has one in the original box,otherwise pass.