Highland Brewing Company Cold Mountain Winter Ale

I picked up a bottle of Highland Brewing Company Cold Mountain Winter Ale while at Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville for my bachelor party. The beer pours a brown color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, grassy hops, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The taste is dry with grassy hops up front all built upon a caramel base. Cinnamon, raspberry, hazelnut, vanilla, and cranberry all provide accenting flavors, and dry out again on the finish. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. This beer was a great winter warmer, especially as it warmed and released more of the complementing flavors like hazelnut and vanilla. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend trying it if you have the chance.

Telegraph Winter Ale

As part of Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Telegraph Winter Ale. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy beige colored head the leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, allspice, and caramel. The taste is dry at first with plenty of spices including cinnamon, allspice, and gingerbread. The flavor then pops out some raisin and caramel with a dark chocolate flavor before nutmeg hits a really dries out the mouth. The finish has the faintest of hints of chilies, giving the beer a nice spicy kick. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This was quite a tasty winter ale with plenty of spices to dry out the mouth, but just enough caramel and raisin to sweeten the beer and get the tongue through the spices.

Blue Point Winter Ale

I picked up a case of Blue Point Winter Ale from Westy's. The beer has an amber color with a white frothy head. There is a light hop and malty aroma but it is not very prevalent. The taste is malty and sweet at first and has an allspice accent on the end. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought that the Winter Ale was a decent beer, but not an over the top excellent beer. The flavors and spices were nicely balanced, but not overly impressive. I thought that the beer seemed to be a spiced up version of the Toasted Lager (which I really like), but it did not make this an excellent beer.

Stoudt's Winter Ale 2009

While out in Philadelphia, I ordered a draft of Stoudt's Winter Ale. I had last year's version and thoroughly enjoyed it. The beer pours a dark amber color with no head. The smell is lightly floral and hoppy. The taste is malty with caramel hints and the hops taste like pine, lightly adding spice accents to the beer. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. I thought that the beer was very enjoyable and as good as last year. I also liked that the beer finished with a minor citrus after taste, adding another dimension to the beer.

Weyerbacher Winter Ale

McGrath's in Harrisburg recently tapped a keg of Weyerbacher Winter Ale. The beer is a dark amber color with no head. The beer smells malty and spicy, hints of toasted malts also linger. The taste is comprised mostly of toasted malts with slight spice accent. There is a slight hop bite and the beer finishes slightly dry. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. I thought that the Winter Ale was very tasty, and I like the toasted malt flavor with the slight hop bite.