Spanish Peaks Winter Cheer

Brewed by City Brewery (Melanie Brewing Co)
Style: Amber Ale
La Crosse, Wisconsin USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Bottle. Poured a clear brown color with an average frothy off-white head that was mostly lasted and had good lacing. Good toasted malty and small hop aroma. Medium body with slick smooth texture and soft carbonation. Moderate toasted balanced smooth flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration. Good complex session brew.

15-Dec-10 (12-oz bottle: Purchased 29-Apr-09 for $1.69 at Hi-Time Wine Cellar in Costa Mesa, CA) While this beer may have aged a bit too long for some people, this beer is really hitting its stride for my tastes. Savory aromas of earth, dried leaves, grilled meat, winter spices, prunes, and a touch of soy lead nicely into flavors of molasses, earthy nuts, forest floor, wood, dark toast, dark chocolate, prunes, and baking spices. Medium in weight with average carbonation and a delightfully dry mouthfeel from entry to finish. The body is clear, medium-brown in appearance and is capped by half an inch of light-tan head that settles to a wide ring and patchy film, leaving delicate doily lacing on the glass. Quite enjoyable!

It’s a deep chestnut in the glass with a thinnish but dense and creamy khaki head. Leaves sheeting lace. There’s a nutty, malty aroma intertwined with a biting herbal hop smell. The first sip delivers lots more hops than I expected. Spicy, herbal hops balanced by a nutty sweet malt. Sticky finish but a relatively light mouthfeel. Be forewarned...if you’re looking for a big, bold winter warmer, you won’t find it here. But it is well-balanced and an easy drinker. As long as you’re not expecting it to hit you over the head, it’s well worth checking out.

Bottle. Amber ale? This looks and smells like a barleywine. Ok ... Sweet, malty, pruney aroma. Grapes, peaches, cherries, apples ... it’s a produce department on the nose. Flavor bitter, grape juice and underripe apples. High in flavor and aroma but not necessarily flavors and smells I love. Bit metallic.

Very dark maroon color with a scant tan head and no significant lacing. Lots of malt flavor, but also lots of hops - unusual to find both so prominently displayed in a winter ale. Light spice, probably cinnamon. Very drinkable.

hoppy and sweet on the nose...quite pleasant. dark pour with lots of off white head.Slight hoppiness...light toasty notes. relatively flavorless. watery mouthfeel. nice on the palate. slight sweetness to the finish.

Saw this one on sale for $2.99 a six pack at Big C’s so I thought I’d pick it up. Pours black with a hint of mahogany and small white head. Aroma is of piney hops, roasted malt, and vanilla. I taste candied sugar, pine, licorice, milk chocolate, and roasted malt. Mouthfeel is pretty watery for a winter beer. Very Christmasy though. This one is OK but just seems to be lacking something. Not so complex, not that impressing. Had much much better Christmas ales.

Bottle, pours a dark brown color with ruby hues at the edges and a foamy tan head. A nice combination of roasted malt, coffee, licorice, and pipe tobacco aromas. Flavor is bitter and metallic with bits of roasted malt coming through but not enough to balance it out. Very thin and watery mouthfeel.

Bottle. Pours a brown body with a tan head. Some burnt malt, an astringent chocolate character and some pine notes. Not very good.

Dark brown with a thick white head. Roasted malt aroma with a hint of spice. flavor is dark, earthy and spicy. Malty and flavorful. Not bad.