Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome Ale

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

(Bottled) Clear, darkish amber with a small, but lasting head. Fruity, sweetish-toffee-malty aroma with slight graininess and some hops. Grainy-malty, sweetish flavor with fruity strawberry, and a warming, but not disturbing alcohol feel. Medium-bodied, soft-carbonated palate. A quite nice winter warmer with lots of fresh fruit. Nothing that special flavorwise, though.

Still, amber beer with marshmellow head. Sweet scent. The first taste is silky and alcoholic. Despite the head, the beer is pretty smooth. The sweet sugar taste carries throughout. Nice apple-tinged finish.

Bottle. Nice head with medium duration. Color is amber. Aroma and taste are caramel, malt, nuts and hops.

2003-2004 bottle... Poured a copper color with a large fluffy off-white head and no lacing. Aroma of skunk, malt, and some hops. Skunky caramel malt taste. Some bittering hops as well. Sweet caramel dominates this brew. I used to like this one alot more. When cold, the flavors seem to be all over the place in this one, as it warmed it became alot smoother and sweeter, and the bitterness died down alittle and a little wheaty flavor came out.

Bottle. Amber colour with a beige head. Aroma is fruit, malt, caramel. Flavour is fruit, malt, caramel, hop, alcohol. OK beer.

Stunning amber appearance. Light hops and malt with a little floral. Nothing too powerful, but nice balance among the tastes.

Bottle. 02-03. Fresh saaz hops aroma with some barley malt aroma as well. Small head. Wonderful reddish-brown color. Initial taste is full of saaz hops with some sharp notes followed by some even, full malt notes. Ends with a warm, pleasing round flavor almost like a light honey chocolate bar. The body carries through and there is some syrup taste that is not unpleasant in the aftertaste. True to the style, i would never guess it was 6 ABV, as its round medium-full body with earthy, hoppy and barley notes suggest little harshness. A little too carbonated, but I have come to expect this from bottled Samuel Smith products and let the beer sit longer. While writing this I have a slight honey taste in my mouth that is peculiar as an aftertaste for this style, but enjoyable nonetheless. Could be a bit more complex, but that is more just being constructive, this is certainly a well made beer.

550ml bottle (Porvoo Harvest/Dark Beer Festival 2007) ruddy oak colour, thin head. vanilla oaky aroma, nutty woody taste.very mellow but forceful oaky woody and nuttiness. excellent warming ale.