DRINK OF THE MONTH -January 2012- WINTER WARMERS

In an effort to get the SOTM/DOTM off and running again, we are going to broaden the criteria a bit. Instead of sticking strictly to spirits, we'd like to encourage nominations from all categories of beverage. While we're at it, I'd also like to direct you all to THIS thread where you can post your suggestions for future DOTM entries. Remember, wine, beer, spirits, and specific cocktails are all welcome.

For the remainder of this month, I'll invite you all to comment on your favorite seasonal winter beers. It's a little unconventional to go with a category rather than a specific offering, but considering the breadth of brews available and the abbreviated run of this month's thread, I thought it might be fun to comment on our favorite winter brews.


I'll start it off. I have been drinking Sam Adams Holiday Porter quite a bit this winter. This is not a knock your socks off craft brew, but it's a decent go to winter porter that's widely available. It pours a very dark brown, almost black. The flavor isn't complex, but it has a good toasty malt followed by a little bonus spike of bitter hops on the finish. Good medium body in the mouth and the carbonation is right where I like it. I've had better, however I'm never disappointed to crack one open.

Looking forward to hearing what your favorites are!!

As far as winter warmers go...I'd have to say Rahr's Bourbon Barrel Winter Warmer is my favorite. And most accessible considering I live 10min from the brewery. Sam Adams Old Fezziwig, and Full Sail's Wassail are others worth mentioning IMO. Otherwise not a huge fan of the style.

The Sam Adams winter pack is pretty good. Always worth it for the Fezziwig and Holiday Porter.

Long Trail Ale Hibernator.

I've had a Sams Porter, but not the holiday porter. I think that'll be the next winter sampler.

There are so many brews that don't make it to CT! Rahr's sounds good. Just read about it.

Long Trail Hibernator is a nice beer. Long Trail consistently puts out brews that I really like.


Had a Sam Adams Black and Brew (coffee stout) last night and a Sam Smith's Winter Welcome. I'm a fan of both.

Of the Sam Adams winter sampler: I wish they wouldn't put Boston Lager in there as it's available all year. And I'm not a big fan of the Chocolate Bock, it's just a little too chocolately for me.

Walter Sobchak said:

There are so many brews that don't make it to CT! Rahr's sounds good. Just read about it.

Long Trail Hibernator is a nice beer. Long Trail consistently puts out brews that I really like.


Had a Sam Adams Black and Brew (coffee stout) last night and a Sam Smith's Winter Welcome. I'm a fan of both.

Of the Sam Adams winter sampler: I wish they wouldn't put Boston Lager in there as it's available all year. And I'm not a big fan of the Chocolate Bock, it's just a little too chocolately for me.

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The winter Sam Adam's pack is definitely a solid pack. It is funny how they put Boston Lager in all of their specialty packs. I wish they would come out with a new brew for each category instead.

In the past couple of years, my favorite winter beer has been Mt. Carmel Winter Ale. It is a local brewery in Cincinnati. I moved to Ft Worth in 2009, but visit Cincinnati each Christmas and really look forward to this brew every year.

http://mtcarmelbrewingcompany.com/5.html

Anyone else with a favorite winter brew? I use the term "warmer" loosely here. It doesn't have to be a classic style "winter warmer".

I used to love Smuttynose's Winter but in the past several years it doesn't seem to be as good as the first year I tried it. I haven't tried it this year yet.

Anderson Valley Winter is right up there for me too.

Spiced beers are not my favorites but they have their place. I have tried most of the ones already mentioned because of my location. Perhaps one to try is Anchor's seasonal once in a lifetime offering. I much prefer doppelbocks (all those that end in ator after the original Salvator), smoked beers (Utopias, Alaskan Smoked Porter, etc..) and barleywines (Old Foghorn and Bigfoot are great).

Al raz.

My winter beers (from no particular brewery):

Russian Imperial Stout
Barleywine
Porters
IIPAs
Black Lager

As far as specifics, I love Terrapin "Wake N' Bake" Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout.

Alraz said:

Spiced beers are not my favorites but they have their place. I have tried most of the ones already mentioned because of my location. Perhaps one to try is Anchor's seasonal once in a lifetime offering. I much prefer doppelbocks (all those that end in ator after the original Salvator), smoked beers (Utopias, Alaskan Smoked Porter, etc..) and barleywines (Old Foghorn and Bigfoot are great).



Al raz.

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Edcculus said:

My winter beers (from no particular brewery):

Russian Imperial Stout
Barleywine
Porters
IIPAs
Black Lager

As far as specifics, I love Terrapin "Wake N' Bake" Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout.

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Haven't had the Terrapin, but I used to love a good wake n' bake, too.

Haha!! Yeah, wake n bake is a good way to waste the day. I'd love to try any Terrapin release really.

If its winter seasonals we're talking about, Sierra Nevada Celebration is a great fresh hop IPA. Lagunitas realeased a good one called Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale. Another fine IPA. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale which is a Belgian Dark Strong Ale...top notch as all things St. Bernardus. Deletium Noel is another BSDA that is very good.

There are tons but I had all those this year and was most pleased.

Widmer's Brrrbon is a nice one (as is Brrr itself). What I've been enjoying most this winter, though, is New Belgium's Snow Day. Far more hop presence than your average winter beer.

I'm usually not a fan of "flavored" beers but every now and then, particularly in the winter, I enjoy a chocolate beer. The two I've had that I enjoyed are both sold at a local restaurant and bar called Bailey's Chocolate Bar here in St. Louis. The first is (I think) nationally available: Young's Chocolate Stout. It's a very good stout with some good chocolate flavor that complements the beer without being overpowering. And the other is their house beer brewed by a local brewery called Bailey's Chocolate Bar Ale. It's a wheat ale that again is complemented by but not overpowered by chocolate. The wheat flavor comes through well and is complemented by the chocolate. It's almost like a beer version of toast with nutella.

My other winter favorite is Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. And this winter I was gifted some cans of Tallgrass Oasis. It's a double ESB and is a very big beer. For one it comes in a 16oz can, but more importantly it is very malty and heavily hopped. And the ABV is over 7%. As I said, everything about it is big and full. It's a great beer to sip and enjoy over the winter. I think it would be way too overpowering in the summer but for the winter it is a very nice option. Just don't plan on drinking it after a big meal.

i cast my vote for highland brewing companies cold mountain ale. special winter beer that changes every year, and pretty much the only spiced beer ive ever liked. not sure if its really available outside of nc though...

stobes21 said:

I'm usually not a fan of "flavored" beers but every now and then, particularly in the winter, I enjoy a chocolate beer. The two I've had that I enjoyed are both sold at a local restaurant and bar called Bailey's Chocolate Bar here in St. Louis. The first is (I think) nationally available: Young's Chocolate Stout. It's a very good stout with some good chocolate flavor that complements the beer without being overpowering. And the other is their house beer brewed by a local brewery called Bailey's Chocolate Bar Ale. It's a wheat ale that again is complemented by but not overpowered by chocolate. The wheat flavor comes through well and is complemented by the chocolate. It's almost like a beer version of toast with nutella.

My other winter favorite is Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. And this winter I was gifted some cans of Tallgrass Oasis. It's a double ESB and is a very big beer. For one it comes in a 16oz can, but more importantly it is very malty and heavily hopped. And the ABV is over 7%. As I said, everything about it is big and full. It's a great beer to sip and enjoy over the winter. I think it would be way too overpowering in the summer but for the winter it is a very nice option. Just don't plan on drinking it after a big meal.

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I'm a huge fan of Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale. It's one of my favorite beers of all time. Sam Smith's as a whole is just one of those "I love it and always will" beers probably because it was the benchmark 'nice' beer when I started on my beer quest in 1990 or so. The Taddy Porter, Oatmeal Stout, and Nutbrown are all exceptional IMO.

And I agree with a lot of you gents that spiced beers aren't necessarily a treat the more traditional beer enthusiast. Some go way overboard. I don't like the 'nutmeg cranberry orange' type things (I'm also not into the berry summer things). I have found in some cases, though, that a mildly spiced malt combined with a nice ABV works well for me; just enough warmth in the winter. Sam Smith's Winter Welcome is a good example of this, IMO. Although, for some reason it seems to vary year to year with depth of flavor.

Like I said before, I'm really using the Winter Warmer label loosely. For our purposes, I'm just kind of wondering what your winter beer is.

Thanks for sharing. There are a bunch listed here that I wish I could get my hands on.

It's not a beer, but if I wanna warm up, and don't need to maintain any particular level of function, I go to a drink my Uncle taught me, from his days in the RCMP up in the Northwest Territories. He calls it Wolf ****, which is hilarious. You can call it whatever you like. It's real easy to make, and VERY easy to drink. (a little too easy..)

In glass of your choice, combine 2 parts whiskey (we use Crown Royal, being Canadians) and 1 part Irish cream over ice. If you want an even smoother version, you can go half and half, but if you do, my uncle wont drink with you anymore.

I thought Canadians warmed up with Yukon Jack?

stobes21 said:

I thought Canadians warmed up with Yukon Jack?

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And have Bloody Caesars for breakfast.

Sometimes we switch it up a bit. Partially to keep yanks guessing.