jasonp (1504), Sterling/Dulles, Virginia, USA Dec 17, 2004 Beautiful clear mahogany with a beige head. Aroma of toasty malt, lightly floral hops and a hint of alcohol. Taste has notes of roasty malt, chocolate, wood, caramel, dark fruit and a solid dose of hops. Perfect amount of sweetness and bitterness. Very full, round and creamy on the palate. Good head retention. Very satisfying brew. tsarman (794), Northern, New Jersey, USA Dec 15, 2004 Updated: Dec 19, 2004A decent brew. Similar to the Weyerbacher Winter. A decent ale. Tastes even better as it warms. Megan (101), Durham, North Carolina, USA Dec 12, 2004 Deep rich color, average beer aroma. (creative, aren’t I?). I expected it to taste similar to other winter brews (because I have so many to compare to), but it doesn’t. I can see the "winteriness" of it though. Not really spicy or anything, but it is full tasting, and what I would classify as "my type of beer". A bit on the metallicky side, though. Drew (2406), Kent, Ohio, USA Dec 8, 2004 Pours a dark burgundy, mostly clear bodied, short tan head, clear lacing - it’s very nice to look at. Medium bodied, but full flavored and very smooth. This brew seems to be all about balance - everytime I think I’ve picked out a malt flavor, here comes a nice piney oaky hop to balance it out. This is one to curl up in front of the fire with. wnhay (722), Princeton, New Jersey, USA Dec 7, 2004 Not bad. The taste reminded me of hard liquor. As it went down that was easier to handle. It took some getting used to. I might have this again. It certainly did not do much for me. The Rogue Santa is better for my taste. tupalev (2605), Toronto, Ontario, Canada Dec 1, 2004 Updated: Jun 26, 2006Re-rate, bottle from Harry. Deep dark brown, big solid orange’ish rusty head, lots of streaming bubbles - I’m upping my original 4 to a 5. Aroma of strong caramel malts, some earthy hops, and bread - very good, but I’m taking it from a 9 to an 8. Taste is wonderful - lots of bread, caramel malts, and a good dose of hops. But the body is much more watery than I remember and too thin, as the alcohol does creep in and start to burn. I will leave my flavour rating of 8, but I’m taking the palate rating to a 3 from a 5. And overall, I’m taking it from an 18 to a 16. This is a wonderful beer that could become a classic with a little more body. And it was one I love now but was enthralled with when I first starting rating.
Bottle. Great label. Dark brown pour, small tan head. Subtle hop aroma, more sweetness than anything. Mouthfeel is that of a solid beer - not thick, not thin, just a perfect feel. Taste is a mix of lots of hops (Fuggles?) mixed with a grainy dark caramel taste - great balance. More caramel and hops in finish. This was a joy to sample, thanks for sharing Radek. Radek Kliber (3912), Toronto (Can) Krotoszyn (Pol), Ontario, Canada Nov 29, 2004 Woody , rich aroma , alcoholic , brandy like . Light brown amber . Fun bodied , reach , pleasant to sip . Superb texture , good malts , hops to complete . Very good . pobenohne (504), Northern Liberties, Pennsylvania, USA Nov 22, 2004 Draft at the Abbaye. Reddish ale, no head, undercarbonated. To taste a bit sweet and thin. Will pass next time.
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