Winter Beeracle - Dead Frog Brewing

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle. New name, new recipe, and new ABV. Seems new enough to me.

This beer pours a clear, dark bronzed amber hue, with two fingers of loosely foamy, somewhat creamy dirty white head, which leaves a few up-swells of ocean spray lace around the glass as it quickly settles.

It smells of sweet caramel malt, sugary vanilla, orange creamsicle, citrus vodka, and leafy, floral hops. The taste is more big caramel/toffee malt, a kind of muddled orange juice, vanilla cream, and alcohol smoothie essence, a bit of an indistinct tangy sourness, and some leafy, bitter hops.

The bubbles are fairly laid-back, but supportive enough, the body an adequate medium weight, with a very slight, ethereal astringency, but is otherwise smooth. It finishes off-dry, the vanilla, orange, and alcohol taking a step or three down in sweetness, the malt going sort of bready, and the hops still a bit tweaked in their saucy bitterness.

A tasty enough affair, the 'winter' influences here limited to the boozy vanilla citrus notes, which are usually more universal, but I suppose can be applied to the current season's context well enough. Worthy of a go, as its warming aspects cannot be denied.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 06:14:26 | More by biboergosum

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - clear cedar brown, one thumb of tan head settled at a consistent thin cover, minimal lacing
S - deep nutty and sugary aromas, a bloodlike aspect, strong vanilla finish
T - big vanilla up front with chocolate malt assistance, some nutty and burnt sugar aspects, molasses, and hints of spice
M - medium to lightish body, smooth through the middle, with a late but pleasant warming quality
O - More impressed by this offering than I have been by anything from Dead Frog in quite some time, way better than their xmas beeracle, well worth picking one up to try

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:32:35 | More by joemcgrath27

bumchilly25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%

01-27-2013 01:16:23 | More by bumchilly25

goalie35

Alberta (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -19.1%

12-31-2012 00:00:09 | More by goalie35

maclean25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Dead Frog's Christmas Beeracle ruined last Christmas. I wasn't going to buy this one, but there it was under the tree. So I'm drinking the bottle on Boxing Day...for science.

It pours with moderate-to-small white-beige head and a deep dark red-brick red, but clear, body. A liquorice aroma immediately hits me. After a minute I get a refreshing evergreen (pine?) aroma, walnut, and a small (dull) amount of vanilla. The taste is unexpectedly stronger than the aroma suggests. Most evident is the dark ripe fruit (fruit cake) of most winter ales. The liquorice continues into the taste, as well as a stronger vanilla.

Overall, it is much deeper and darker than their Christmas Beeracle. It's a definite improvement but there is still more to adjust. I had to drink it slowly to appreciate it. It is a decent winter ale.

Edit the day after: I should have mentioned how strong this beer is: 750 mL at 7.5%. After drinking the bottle I enjoyed a walk, with my dog, in -34 Celsius weather.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 02:46:18 | More by maclean25