Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome Ale

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

Appearance is copper in color with an average sized white head. Aroma is of caramel and nuts. Flavor is of toffee caramel, and a slight alcohol warmth.

12 oz bottle. Clear copper with a thin white head. Nose is faint caramel and clove but not much there. Almost medium with a tingle. Taste is raisin, caramel, pine and orange but a bit watery. Dry finish with a touch of cough syrup.

660 ml bottle. Orangish yellow and clear. Tanish head. Looking like mai-bock. Malty aroma. Big malty flavor, thick and sweet. Where’s Christmas? Tastes a little like a mai-bock. there is a touch of bitterness there somewhere.

Nice clearish amber brown syrup color with a inch tall ivory head of thick fluffed cotton, settles slowly to a thick skim on top that never leaves, lace is thick in most places with a favorable thickness nearer the edge of the glass leading up to moth holed sheets and some strings. Smell comes across kinda grassy and dry, toasty and sweet, a nice little mix. Taste is simple yet with some favorable little flavors coming through. Some mild toasted malt grains, dryish hops, grassy hay-like notes, all just kinda there, not in strength but in a presense thats quite easy and milding. Nice lightly drying finish with a mix of dry hops and toasty breadish malts that has just a twinge of very slight bitterness that grabs in the back of the throat. Feel is a solid medium body, packed nicely with mellowness and easy carbonation. An exceptional drinker, oh so good. Not heavily flavored, but whats there makes for some fine easy drinking, nothing harsh; very calm, easy, and relaxing. What a fantastic English Old Ale in the way of drinking it down. A pure session beer; if ever need be, I could drink alot of these.

’06-’07 Bottle. Does have an herbal character to it. Not bad but I’m really not impressed.

least favourite of the bunch amber colour, some malt some hops not that interesting is all i can say

55cl bottle. Fiery orange-amber color with a thick head. Caramel, dusty yeast, and some berry-syrup in the aroma. Malty flavor with plenty of caramel, and nutty, crackery flavors. Good, earthy balancing bitterness to counter the sweet malt. Medium bodied with prickly, medium carbonation. I*m glad this doesn*t have any spices added, I*m getting quite sick of that right now. This still seems to be lacking something; maybe the body is a bit too slick and clean. Just doesn*t have the great feel of something like Fullers 1845.

Comes in a dark brown bottle this year. Pours a beautuful fired up orangish copper w/ medium semi creamy effers. Aroma is malty w/ slight soured hay. Medium nectar w/ ample residual effers. Flavors are bright and malty upfront w/ wet hay, caramel, that old rustic flavor. Nice bittering on the finish. Flavor really hangs in there on the finish.