Abominable Winter Ale - Hopworks Urban Brewery

BuckeyeOne

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. into a standard pint glass a amber, almost copper color with an off-white head that left a ton of sticky lace down the glass.

The aroma was a floral and citrus blast with a bit of biscuity malt sweetness.

The taste followed the aroma but with the biscuit and bready malt followed quickly by floral, spicy, and citrus hop bitterness. The malt is just the right amount of malt to hold up the hop bitterness. This is a good tasting brew --- just right for a PNW winter.

This is a bit oily in the mouth and quite dry on the finish. It has a medium body that seems just right for the sweet and bitter brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 04:33:10 | More by BuckeyeOne

Kakaraht

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: Pours a light amber color with a thumb of thick white head with good retention.

S: Very malty, a little bitterness from the hops, and a slight spice note.

T: Sweet caramel malt and a nice bitterness from the hops, this is more a red ale than a winter, it has no spice notes at all. The hops do give a nice range of citrus flavors.

M: Medium body low carbonation and a very sharp warm feel.

D: Good drink, will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 01:30:00 | More by Kakaraht

MadeInOregon

California

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hopworks' Abominable Winter Ale is delicious, but as is so often my experience with "winter ales" I'm really not sure what this style is supposed to taste like because the variation from brewer to brewer seems to be all over the place. That aside, this is a surprisingly great beer.

Poured out of the 22oz'er the body is a light caramely red color (like sherry) and has frothy lacing like mad. Looks nice.

Smells of hops and malt, not much else. This is a big and aromatic beer. Excellent.

The taste is excellent as well. First taste makes me think I'm drinking an imperial IPA but then the sweetness from the malt kicks in. Think of a strong, extra malty IPA and there ya go, that is the Abominable Winter Ale. The flavor goes from sweet malt --> hops. It's very big and strong in both aspects, but still well-balanced (not too dry or too sweet).

The body is pretty light, but still very creamy due to all the head that sticks around after pouring.

This is a good one, it's just missing the seemingly requisite chocolatey aspect of every winter ales, winter warmers, winter seasonals, and anniversary ales I've ever come across. As a result, I just can't give it the 5.0 for taste that I want to, even though it is truly excellent tasting.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 05:32:32 | More by MadeInOregon

sam_bliss

Washington

4.04/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

16oz tall boy can into New Belgium .47 L globe (both measures are one pint!)

A- Clear mahogany amber with some rust orange where the light shines through. Three finger creamy orange head with staying power. 4.25

S- Fresh hops and ethanol enter the nose first. Orange and grassiness make up the hop profile, which is highlighted over a toasty malt backbone. Not a super strong-smelling winter beer. 3.25

T- Delightful. Some understated spices bring the sweet toffee and strong dark malts to life while tropical fruits lighten the saccharine taste. The fresh-cut grass and grain alcohol from the aroma is almost completely covered by robust flavors. 4.5

M- Very syrupy from start to finish. Thick in the mouth with pretty light carbonation and some hop bite. A veneer is left on the inside of the mouth, especially on the roof, creating thirst for another drink or preferably an intermittent slurp of water. 3

O- Yummy winter ale. The smell is not great, but do we sit around sniffing our beers? No, we drink them (unless of course we are writing a review), and this one tastes like a campfire on a cold night. 4.25

Serving type: can

01-21-2013 06:45:15 | More by sam_bliss

coastiefish

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 poured into tulip

A- Great clear cherry ruby color. Light foamy head gathering mostly at the sides of the glass

S - sweet, fresh hops, (sweet) fruit and floral

T - Hops give off a nice floral perfume touch of spiciness too. The hop character makes this beer one of the edgier winter brews Ive ever tasted. The malt lends a little sweetness to round it out. The spice lingers a bit.

M - Very thin and clean, dries fairly quickly

D - I think the spice gives it meaning to be a winter brew, but I wish there was a bit more malt profile to give the body a touch more solidity.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 02:20:50 | More by coastiefish

EspressoGuy

British Columbia (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A; transparent, amber with orange hints
S: nice citrus rind, fresh, not over-powering; can't detect any maltiness
T: very well balanced, rich full fresh maltiness; hint of bitterness in the finish; no big flavours but a very pleasant richness. Not overly complex or developing.
M: full-bodied
O: a solid cohesive likeable flavour that makes me want another sip ... but wishes it developed into something more.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:42:21 | More by EspressoGuy

corylew

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours copper red with white foam that slowly disappears into a nice little ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell is mainly of hops. Nice piney citrus hops with a kick of roasted malt backbone.

Taste mainly is of the hop character with a small amount of malt and alcohol. This stuff packs a punch of flavor.

Mouthfeel leaves a lasting hoppy twinge. It's on the fence between a sipping and a gulping beer, which is great because sometimes it's nice to do both. Slow down, take in all the flavor, or drink a lot and not feel like there's a rock in my stomach.

Overall, I'm a big fan of this beer. I ordered it a few times, and will continue to order it. It's solid: from the big grain bill to the big hop schedule.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 21:46:43 | More by corylew

suncrust

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap poured to a pint glass.

Appearance: Cloudy, coppery hue reminiscent of a dirty penny. This color really reminded me of the amber hue from the cane handle in Jurassic Park that held the epic mosquito. You know what I mean- that dark honey, amber color. Some sticky lacing as I drank.

Aroma: Very spicy, herbal hops. Lots of pine. Almost a dank marijuana with a citrus backbone of clementines and orange rinds. Mild spicy teas and fruit blossoms. Crazy hop spice for a winter beer.

Taste: Initially hits with a clean malt flavor, dominated by an herbal tea spice and a bold hop bitterness that numbs the tongue. The herbal hops smoothly balance a light bisquit sweetness combined with a very citrusy blossom character. A bit fruit-chewy like. The fruit blossoms and herbal tea flavors really stand out though. A little alcohol lingers in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and drinkable, and nothing really overwhelms the palate. A bit different compared to a lot of winter beers. Lots of herbal and hops spice mixed with a juicy texture and a slightly dryer finish.

Overal: An earthy, slightly syrupy beer with an excellent herbal spiced hop character. Drinkable, clean, and nice. A very Pacific Northwest take on the winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 05:03:58 | More by suncrust

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

Jeriba

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked this up at a grocery store on a recent beer-tasting tour of Portland, OR (also known as Thanksgiving vacation). I bought it because it was local, I loved the artwork, and it was priced suspiciously cheap for an organic beer: something like $4.50 for a bomber.

A - Copper and red-orange in color with medium cream foam.

S - The pine needle hop aromas pretty much dominate the nose on this beer.

T - Brown sugar and spice, cloves and orange peel, some cider-like flavors, light malt flavors, and vanilla creaminess.

M - Crisp and cider-like.

D - Excellent balance of heaviness and bitter hop flavors. This was a very pleasant surprise for me. I couldn't resist picking up a second bomber before my trip was over. This is the first organic brew I have REALLY enjoyed, and if I lived in the area it would probably be my go-to beer during the winter months.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 01:00:10 | More by Jeriba

MURF0320

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at HUB brewery.
Amber colored with off-white foamy head. Nice retention and lacing. Great hoppy scent with a bit of spiciness. I wasn't expecting this winter ale to be as hoppy as it was, but that was a welcomed suprise for me. Just enough malt to smooth the edges of the bitterness and still let it dominate. Finishes dry with a nice bitterness and mild warmness. One of the best winter ales I've had the joy of.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2010 04:53:16 | More by MURF0320

vader

Idaho

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this for a cabin outing in the middle of winter, snow up to the windows called for a winter beer and HUB obliged. poured out a light amber color with a thick white head that had great retention throughout. The smell was amazing, very malty, with some pine from the hops and a little bit of spiciness lingering at the end. The first sip gave way to a malty caramel beginning that soon gave way to a bit of hop bitterness. I was expecting more spice from a winter ale but was pleasantly surprised by its citrus flavors. I was out of town when I bought this and I had to get it even though it was at Whole "pay-check" foods. But I would gladly get it again if the chance arose.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 00:12:52 | More by vader

Holy_Hop_Head

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What can I say which hasn't already been said?

Appearance is a nice clear amber with about a finger's head and low head-retention.

The nose hits you with a slight floral and heavy citrus, particularly a fresh, aromatic grapefruit.

If you swish a little around in your mouth, you become overwhelmed by the hops - clean, bright, bitter, citrus...heavy grapefruit. Then the winter spice hits you, subtly...a peppery clove is what I taste. The hops stay with you through the whole ride. Then it finishes with a caramel malt, not too sweet, and it seems to blend well with the other flavors. I agree that the yeast doesn't seem to add a lot to the flavor as far as I can tell. As the beer warms up a little, the malt comes out more which lends to slightly more balance. Very good!

Medium body. Definitely a hop-centric beer for a winter ale...so much you can feel the oily resin on your tongue. But it's nice...

I often don't like winter beers that much because they seem unbalanced - too sweet. This one is different - it's balanced to the side of hops, which is something that I can get behind. I would be curious what would happen if there was just a bit more spice to add to the complexity and bring out the "winter beer" more. Overall, very good...to be expected from such a great brewery!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 22:23:31 | More by Holy_Hop_Head

SeattleReign

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a 22oz bomber for 4.99 at the local grocery store.

Poured a rich copper-amber into a pint glass with 3/4 inch yellowish head. Slightly sweet aroma of caramel and i got a lot of floral scents... specifically, pine.

Moderate carbonation with sticky mouthfeel. Sweet carmely taste at the beginning and then finishes with a dry floral taste.

Very easy drinking beer. One of the best seasonal beers i've had in a while. I could drink 10 of these if my budget allowed.

overall- great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 05:16:37 | More by SeattleReign