Abominable Winter Ale - Hopworks Urban Brewery

Magpie14

Michigan

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

A: soft red with golden edges. Good sizable amount of lace and thin white concentrated sudsy head

S: huge hops: lemons, grassy, and floral. Malts subdued and yet noticeable paired with burnt sugars...it all seems to smell right

T: illustrious, bursting with hops (grapefruit, lemons, and pine). Leans toward the more tart, kind of spicy hops and yet it retains a good sweetness of caramel and light brown sugar. Pale malts are hidden but have the last bat and rounds the bases to keep things from being hop city...although it is close

M: well rounded, soft and slight dryness in the finish. Smooth and a great oily lingering finish on the tongue

D: great, just great! Solid beer and hop heads have to give this a try...ding ding ding!

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2009 04:19:53 | More by Magpie14

philbertk

Washington

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

Hopworks Urban Brewery--HUB--ABOMINABLE WiNTER ALE--ORGANiC BEER--2010. 7.30% ABV. 70 IBU's. (4.5 / 5.0) Light tan big dense tight lacy lasting head. Enticing dark amber color. Huge floral pine citrus toasted hop front. Earthy sweet dry spicy hop resin zesty malty toasted caramel fruit body. Rich balanced smooth malty hop spice NW Winter Ale end. WOW! Abominable Hops! Sampled 10/25/2010 from 22 oz. bottle purchased at The Ballard Market, Seattle for $5.39 on 10/23/2010.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 00:52:02 | More by philbertk

Wetpaperbag

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I saw this bottle and thought the logo was pretty sweet so I had to have one.

A- Darker clear amber with a thicker sticky head.

S- Smells of hop resin and a bunch of it.

T- Tastes great, let this one warm up a bit and it is almost like drinking thick sweet hop juice. The malts are good with this too, caramel, but the hops are the star, forget balance who needs it!

M- Thick with the right amount of carbination for me.

D- Very drinkable. I wish I had more in my glass.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 04:58:23 | More by Wetpaperbag

doughanson78

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Deep amber in color. Half finger off white head that immediately disappears and doesn't leave much for lacing.

S: Big citrus and floral hop mix. Lots of grapefruit, orange and tangerine. Big spiciness mixed in with the hops. Maybe the faintest touch of caramel malts. A faint dank weed aroma in the background.

T: Quick caramel sweetness upfront, immediately taken over by citrus and floral bitterness along with a big spiciness. Finishes very spicy.

M: Medium light bodied. Medium carbonation. Spicy.

O: I'd guess this is supposed to be a winter warmer also. Again not digging the style. The spiciness just isn't really for me. I can see it warming you up during a snow storm.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 02:26:36 | More by doughanson78

djbreezy

Washington

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

on-tap at the brewery

appearance - pours with a generous head, good retention, some sticky lacing on the glass, amber/red

smell - hop nose with sweet malts

taste - very hoppy up front, resinous and nw tasty, followed by a big malt body and sweetness

mouthfeel - medium/heavy bodied, well carbonated off the taplines like most hopworks beers

drinkability - a heavy beer for 7.3%...the malt backbone punches and the hops are pungent and flavorful

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2010 02:31:19 | More by djbreezy

dragonWhale

New York

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at le glorious Eastside, the A Bomb returns!
Fairly clear amber with minimal head, and some pretty staining on the glass. Smells sweet with big citrus and mango.
The hops are big in this one, leading with a bitterness that plays well with the caramel sweetness. Little bit of toastiness to accompany the orange and mango flavor. Very hoppy, quite delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2010 10:33:15 | More by dragonWhale

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz bomber poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. Liquid comes out a nice, light amber color. Looks clean with excellent clarity, you can practically read a book through this. Off white to a yellow/orange cream colored head that's about 2 and a half fingers thick after a hard pour. Decent lacing to the beer, all in all a really good looking beer, especially for the style.

Smell is good, nice and strong. Hops stand out the most to the nose. Pretty hoppy, the website indicates Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe hops, all are awesome! Nice bittersweet citrus (sort of like a grapefruit/tangerine blend). Don't be fooled though, this does not lack in the malt department as well. Plenty of toasted malts here, brown and pale, caramelized I would say. Smells really good.

Taste is equally as wonderful as the smell. Another great balanced between generous hops and generous malts. Initially starts sweet, brown sugar, plenty of sweet roasted (maybe even toasted) malts. Loving the hoppiness of this beer. Citrus and pine, strong on both.

Moutnfeel is again great. Texture is light to medium but with such huge flavor. Good carbonation level and no real bite from the alcohol. Not that 7.3% is high, but it's above average for the style. Great drinkability, any beer lover could polish off a bomber before they knew it. Well balanced full bodied, and just awesome.

HUGE props to googzoid10 for the killer extra. Thanks Greg!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:47:34 | More by AndyAvalanche

spicelab

Australia

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

Bomber purchased from Fred Meyer@Redmond, OR. Reviewed from notes.

Ruby amber with a thick-set cream head, about 1.5 fingers. Falls quietly, leaving respectable lacing and a raised ring.

Refined tea-like and piney hop aromas contrast with fruity aromas of mango tango, passionfruit, lemon and strawberry. Pleasant baked caramel and doughy malt character works in nicely with the hops.

Candied tangerine, bitter herbs, hints of dark fruit and an earthy pine bitterness. Plenty of intrigue.

Medium, sticky but lively mouthfeel thanks to zesty carbonation. Mild lingering bitterness. Pretty spot on.

Finely crafted. Draws together both subtle and blunt characteristics very adeptly.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 03:57:06 | More by spicelab

velosuds

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a clear pint glass. Brought home from the brewpub earlier this week.

A-Pours a gorgeous copper-amber with a full two finger, off-white head with long lasting retention and copious lacing. Very nice appearance.

S-Assertive blend of Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe provide a pleasant bouquet of floral, spicy and citrus hops with malty sweetness. Quite nice.

T-Hops are aggressive at 70 IBUS without being overpowering due to the nice malt backbone. Fruity, spicy accompanied by toffee like sweetness. Taste improves as it warms.

M-Very smooth and extremely well balanced.

D-Very nice for an amber ale. I think it also serves nicely as a winter seasonal. So smooth. 7.3% ABV is nicely masked.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 04:28:52 | More by velosuds

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

boralyl

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear, rich amber color which sits under an inch of soapy off-white head. The head has nice retention leaving behind plenty of lacing.

S - The aroma has a nice balance between malts and hops (with the hops edging out the malts slightly). The boutique of hop flavors match the description perfectly. There is some floral, spicy, and citrusy components. There is also a sweet caramel malt presence throughout.

M - Medium in body with moderate carbonation and a creamy feel.

T - A mix of spicy and citrus hops meet your taste buds upon the first sip. It's got a sweet malt backbone throughout with some possible chocolate malt showing up near the finish along with some flowery bitterness.

This is an excellent winter ale, that I don't know fits into any one category. Imperial red, strong ale, whatever you call it, it's delicious. I love the art work too, courtesy of Martin Ontiveros.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 23:29:52 | More by boralyl

NWer

Washington

4.73/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice semi-dark amber, one finger head, clear into a tulip glass.
Presents a nice malty aroma. Caramel notes.
Smooth taste. Yummy. Totally enjoyable. No cloy at all. Caramel follows through.
Another great offering from Hopworks Urban Brewery.
A winner.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 22:17:45 | More by NWer

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Collins Pub

A pours a copper color with a white head.

S some nice grapefruit notes.

T more bitter grapefruit and a bit of malt.

M mouthfeel was nothing special. I didn't notice anything particularly notable either way

Overall this isn't a bad beer. I think it might be mislabled was a red/amber as the bitterness and hop presence was more like an opaque. All and all I would drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 20:35:12 | More by beerandcycling88

Flightoficarus

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a transparent copper hue, with a nice 2-finger off-white head. Retention and lacing are quite good.

S - Smell is of caramel malts, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), pine, and candied citrus fruits. Some really fantastic aromas coming from this beer!

T - Taste if of candied grapefruit, backed by biscuit-y caramel malts, various spices, and finishes with moderate pine bitterness (though not quite to an IPA level).

M - Body here is medium, which was slightly lighter than expected for it's ABV and the style, but pleasant nonetheless. Carbonation is light. Slight hop oiliness is present.

O - Overall, a tasty and winter ale with a slight emphasis on hops, and yet another good offering from Hopworks. Be sure to give this one a try if you spot it.

Serving type: can

11-05-2012 07:21:17 | More by Flightoficarus

MsRif

Pennsylvania

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

Had on-tap at HUB in Portland, OR. Poured a clear amber color with a thin off-white head that left spotty lacing. Had an aroma of sweet malts, caramel and grains. Definitely reminiscent of a red ale...what threw me off was that this was supposedly a "winter ale." Nothing really "winter ale" about it IMO. Still an okay brew...I liked the sweetness of it and overall it was very sessionable.

Medium bodied with slight carbonation. Smooth. Makes more sense now that I realize this was actually a red ale and not a winter ale/winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2011 23:51:15 | More by MsRif

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A hazy rudy brown with a finger of creamy head, just a raft of mirco-bubble retention.

S: Sweet candy grapefruit and malts mingled with citrus and a pine resin. No hint of yeast or breadiness, alcohol absent. Smell reminds me of a caramelized grapefruit candied peels.

T: Up front with grapefruit and pine resins hop profile, but closely followed by well balanced sweet malts. I'm not getting the traditional spices that are present in other winter beers, however the skilled balance of malts and hops is the defining taste profile.

M: Carbonation presents some pin pricks but the creamy mouth feel is noticeable smooth and thick. I wasn't expecting this level of creaminess considering the hop notes on the scent, a nice surprise.

O: This is enjoyable and very drinkable, it could be labeled as a Imperial IPA or an ESB on account of the hops and malt mix. I don't necessarily think of a winter ale given that I'm not picking up an winter spices on the nose or palate. The skilled mix of malts and hops that produce a creamy taste and feel with tangy grapefruit and pine notes are especially enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:23:44 | More by FondueVoodoo

Elimination

Oregon

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

A copper amber red with a little bit of white head that vanishes quick

Smell is sweet hops, a tad spice and Carmel

Taste is a bit more bitter than the smell slight citrus a bit of spice to it and some fused alcohol

Mouthfeel is light and filled with a good carb drink is good but I wasn't to wowed by this.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 19:55:19 | More by Elimination

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 650ml bottle. It's still winter last time we checked, so this arrived right on time. The nose is an amazingly enticing combination of citrus and sweet malt. Great hops/malt balance. The taste definitely delivers a similar experience, but with so much more complexity. There's plenty of sweet fruit, marmalade zing, ripe melons and a nice roundness to the malt. But a since so much of the fruit blast comes as a result of the hops, there's also a good clean, drying finish that saves this from being overly sweet. Hard to categorize this beer, except to say that it's delicious and is one of the better winter brews we've tried this year.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 03:02:11 | More by CookstLiquor

Braz

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark reddish color with really bubbly white head that sustains for at least a minute or so. Smells of caramel and burnt sugar, also citrus notes and pine resin. Great balance of bitter and sweet. Good dose of hops for an amber. Definate citrus flavors going on here too. Body is very good and is lightly carbonated. I'm not sure what is wintery about this, and think it could be offered year 'round.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:08:20 | More by Braz

robbrandes

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

taster poured from a bottle @ Elegance - thanks Carl! reviewed from notes.

pours a nice light brown, impressive head. really big citrus nose on this one - gotta love those centennials!

taste follows smell with a big citrus punch, but the malt and alcohol balance is very good and make for a clean finish.

definitely enjoyed this beer. forget winter, this was just fine in the first week of june!

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 05:26:51 | More by robbrandes

Intrinsic

Quebec (Canada)

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

This beer reminds me more of an IPA considering how hopped up it is. It's about the same colour as an Imperial (dark amber), with a nice brownish head. Normal retention, slight lacing. It smells great - lots of hops, slightly piney, a little citrus. Flavour falls along the same lines. The finish is slightly oily but not bad. Overall I like this beer. Why isn't stuff like this available in Quebec?!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 02:40:28 | More by Intrinsic

burnheartsMKE

Wisconsin

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

This amber poured a great burnt orangish color. Poured into a tulip it gave me a stunted white head that became more pronounced as it warmed and as I refilled. The nose was beautiful like a hophead's foyer dish of potpourri; Centennial, Cascade & Simcoe the label read. It tasted fantastic with a burst of sun-kissed citrus fruits from an exceptional trio of hops. It was wildly vibrant but I never once found it overbearing. The 6 organic malts rounded out the body of this very well, but it finished too quick leaving me longing for a little more of a linger... I wish I had another (and I wish that we could get this here in WI)

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 06:34:54 | More by burnheartsMKE

beesy

Ohio

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

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a standard pint glass. Thanks to ArchEnemyBrew for this one!

A - pours a fairly clean, beautiful medium copper color with a one finger khaki colored head that disssipates quickly.

S - aromas of citrusy hops, some grassy notes. A slightly sweet aroma.

T - hoppy. slightly sweet and citrusy up front with a fair amount of grass. There is a a nice, slighlty coarse, firm hop bitterness that lingers slightly on my palate. There's a coarser hop bitterness that takes over mid palate that fights with the sweeter, more citrusy, cleaner hops up front, which makes this an interesting beer. Fairly crisp. A little bit of what I can only describe as an unusual yeast profile about 3/4 the way though.

M - A medium mouthfeel that is enough to stand up to the hops and abv, but doesn't become sweet.

D - fairly easy to drink, sneaks up on you!

Overall, a pretty nice beer I'm glad I was able to try. Fixing the yeast taste about 3/4 way through would go a long way in making this very good beer even better.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:17:34 | More by beesy

scootpolute

Washington

2.88/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

1 Pint, 6 FL OZ. bottle into tulip glass.
A - Deep, dark-amber-red color, very light haze with a thin bubbly lace.
S - Spicy herbal and lightly pungent hop aroma, fruity and oily.
T - Medium crispness, hoppy palate with a big handful of malt. Big punch of oily hop pungent flavor, mild fruitiness and a malt sweetness that sneaks in towards the finish.
M - A bit of warmth in the end from the alcohol.

O - An OK 'beer,' but not the 'winter-type' beer I had in mind. I was hoping for a darker 'ale' with more interesting seasonal 'spice!' BAH-HUMBUG!!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 23:38:49 | More by scootpolute

Mahlik

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Mellow Mushroom in PDX. Poured into shaker pint. Reviewed from notes.

A - Pours a reddish amber/cooper with a frothy two-finer off white head. Great retention.

S - Big piney and herbal hops hit the nose first. Perhaps some citrusy notes as well. The aroma is rounded out by some toasty caramel malts.

T - Hops pop out again but yet the sweet caramel malts really help balance it all out a bit so you aren't completely overwhelmed by the hops. But there's no mistaking who dominates here: the hops. Pine and citrus notes along with some dank hop oils finish out the taste. Slight spice notes play in as well but nothing significant.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. A spicy, bitter aftertaste lingers for a bit. Alcohol is pretty tame.
Finishes clean and slightly dry.

O - A pleasant surprise from HUB. I absolutely love the generous amounts of hops. A great winter ale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 18:48:53 | More by Mahlik