Abominable Winter Ale - Hopworks Urban Brewery

demuzik

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An enjoyable winter ale on the hoppy, fruity side - just what you need if you've OD'd on too many spiced/flavored warmers.

The mouthfeel is almost surprisingly thick for an under 8% beer... but the flavor is very well done. Balance of a hoppy fruit basket with plenty of malt undertones; totally piny yet fruity, spicy, and bready.

The color is brown and clarity is a little below average.

Worth at least a try during the colder months.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:40:45 | More by demuzik

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -9%

05-13-2013 22:18:22 | More by HarmonMW

SMITHAND

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

04-28-2013 01:23:09 | More by SMITHAND

zduerr

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.9%

04-21-2013 19:27:12 | More by zduerr

Poserdisposer

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

04-13-2013 06:39:50 | More by Poserdisposer

bluckbeyes

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2.9%

03-30-2013 00:21:46 | More by bluckbeyes

leedorham

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

03-25-2013 14:52:04 | More by leedorham

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz can, has a confusing date on the bottom along with "Happy 2013!" which is nice, so presumably this was canned sometime in 2013. Poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours a hazy amber copper color, topped with an inch of creamy off-white head, leaves nice lacing.

S- Lots of citrusy, piney, floral hops, some fruit, caramel malt.

T- Nice amount of citrus, mostly orange but also some grapefruit, some pine. Towards the finish a lot of caramel and bready malt takes over, with a mildly bitter, grassy finish.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth feel, good carbonation.

O- A solid hoppy red ale, worth checking out.

Serving type: can

03-24-2013 21:39:08 | More by WillCarrera

maximum12

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bfg75 for this bottle as an extra, which has since been resting in the fridge to slow it down. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife while watching my first Twins spring training game of the year. Yippee!

Pour is clear copperish red, & clean & clear as a whistle. Nose is nice floral, grapefruit, dash of sweetness, but one has to get out the shovel to dig much up.

Abominable Winter Ale could be renamed Abominable Biscuit Beer. Huge malty biscuitness jumps out of the woods & ambushes the palate; there's certainly plenty of hops, but the breadiness is ascendant. Hops kick in underneath the falling biscuit as bitter, mild grapefruit, but much more in the mouthfeel, which is very slick & neat. High point of the beer, though it's certainly easy to drink.

Eh. Just to the right of the middle of the road, this is a nice, inoffensive beer that's easy on the palate but without much in the way of character. Pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 01:54:18 | More by maximum12

loren01

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -9%

03-09-2013 17:26:02 | More by loren01

SuperCutePanda

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

03-05-2013 02:10:50 | More by SuperCutePanda

anteater

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2.9%

02-28-2013 21:21:09 | More by anteater

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.9%

02-26-2013 21:40:25 | More by IanSpindler

drewone

California

4/5  rDev -2.9%

02-26-2013 05:47:04 | More by drewone

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to VoodooImpStout for sharing this one at jmgrub's birthday tasting.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with a herbal hop flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:06:24 | More by UCLABrewN84

GilGarp

Colorado

4.39/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tall boy can served cold into an imperial pint glass. 70 IBU, 17 Plato.

Abominable Winter Ale is a slightly hazy amber red color with thick off-white head. It has good retention and leaves some nice lacing behind.

Aroma is nice and hoppy with a sweet fruity character. Fresh citrus and candied ginger come through.

Flavor is plenty hoppy but, at the same time, more malty than expected. It has a fair dose of bitterness from the hops but the big malt bill goes a long way towards balancing it. Bready with a hint of rye malt and a big citrusy, resiney hop profile.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated.

Overall a very good hoppy amber rye winter (and whatever else you want it to be) ale.

Serving type: can

02-24-2013 00:45:58 | More by GilGarp

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours crystal clear reddish copper color with a nice 1-2 finger dense cream colored head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange rind, orange zest, pineapple, pine, caramel, floral, grass, bread, honey, and hop earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of hop notes; with a great hop/malt balance. Taste of big grapefruit, orange zest, pineapple, pine, orange rind, caramel, floral, grass, honey, bread, and light earthy pine spiciness. Fair amount of pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pineapple, pine, caramel, honey, bread, floral, grass, and light earthy pine spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of hop flavor; with a great hop/malt balance; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice red ale. Very nice balance and complexity of hop flavor with great malt balance; and dangerously easy to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:48:19 | More by superspak

danwho

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

02-16-2013 17:42:05 | More by danwho

510a

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -9%

02-02-2013 22:14:31 | More by 510a

brinkdeer

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

02-02-2013 03:39:21 | More by brinkdeer

Prost76

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

02-01-2013 21:41:14 | More by Prost76

foureyedgeek

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

01-26-2013 20:03:22 | More by foureyedgeek

hreb

Washington

3.89/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served cold in pint glass. Beer pours a deep orange amber with nearly no head. Bonus points for the painted label on the bottle with Mr. Yeti. Slight citrus hop aroma.

Flavor is big on C-hops. This is the amber of IPAs. A little darker and there would be nothing between this and a CDA. At 7.3% it rationalizes the "winter ale" monicker, but the folks at Hopworks seem to be saying "It's Winter, you should be drinking hoppy beer. Just like every other time of the year."

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 01:56:31 | More by hreb

mdaschaf

Washington

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear copper/brown color with a small tan head, about one finger in height. Not much retention that reduces to a very thin cap on top. Streaky lacing down the glass.

S: Nice aroma, a combination of light grapefruit and orange with some floral notes. Lots of sweet caramel and bready malt on the backend.

T: Nice amber ale, with a nice combination of light tropical fruits, grass, and floral hops. More caramel and light toffee.

M: Medium to full bodied for an amber/red. Moderate carbonation.

O: A solid beer, like that it comes out in the winter, sorta like Celebration, but just a shade below.

Serving type: can

01-25-2013 04:22:05 | More by mdaschaf

djmichaelk

Florida

2.5/5  rDev -39.3%

01-23-2013 18:30:29 | More by djmichaelk