Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - Cigar City Brewing

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 750mL bottle to Portsmouth glass on 3/10/12
*From notes

Vintage 2010

A: A dumbass pour yields a four+ finger head that takes forever to fade. As it settles, it's a dark, unfiltered cider color.

S: Sweet cornbread and a bit of toasted malt.

T: Much better then I could have hoped for. It's sweet and malty. Really delicious, all things considered. As it warms, the flavors meld beautifully, as the malts and a touch of raisin come to the surface. Still a bit hot to boot.

M: Perfect for cold(er) weather. Thick and creamy - this would certainly keep me warm on a cold winter's night.

O: What a great little beer. CCB's Warmer Winter was the surprise hit of the night. One I look forward to returning to in the future, and if this ever hits a bourbon barrel, the line forms behind me.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 22:36:19 | More by Rhettroactive

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to cbutova for sharing this one, this was the most recent vintage and listed as 11%.

Pours a hazy dark red, big ol beige head sticks around quite well and leaves some lacing.

Straight up dark fruits in the scent, big red grape and raisins specifically. Good strength but a little average.

Taste is an improvement, more complexity. Lots of dark fruit, caramel and toffee. Pretty decent hop power; resin, citrus and some grapefruit noticeable, a little heavy-handed with the sweet malts though.

Good mouthfeel, very sweet but 11% is well-hidden, drinks smooth.

Not bad but a little forgettable... sweetness drags it down a bit which I've noticed often with Cigar City.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 13:15:48 | More by Chico1985

wspscott

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle in Duvel tulip
2011/2012 edition

A: A very dark caramel almost brown color. A huge head driven by the somewhat excessive carbonation. The initial gentle pour led to a 5-6 finger head that took forever to drop, when it did it left a large amount of lace behind.

S: A hoppy sharpness along with a huge amount of brown sugar sweetness.

T: Loads of caramel malts and brown sugar backed up with a lot of citrus-y american hops. As it warms, there is a fruitiness that I can't determine, is it yeast driven or malt driven, I suspect that it is a combination of the two. Lots of dark fruits coated in sugar along with candied orange and grapefruit. Surprisingly, there is no sign of the 11% alcohol, no heat at all.

M: Rich, creamy mouthfeel somewhat balanced by a ton of (too much?) carbonation. Very tongue coating from the combination of oily hops and a lot of low attenuation of malts.

O: I thought I was going to nurse on the whole bottle in one sitting, basically take a couple of hours and enjoy the bottle, but it is way too heavy and cloying. Half the bottle is plenty. A very good beer, I am glad I tried it, but I am not sure I would buy the next iteration. I would like a little more attenuation and a little less carbonation. It is just a little too rich/sweet, but it is a great sipping/desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 01:49:05 | More by wspscott

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I split this three ways with my brother and JC -enjoyed from a mug chilled and allowed to gradually warm.

The color is very murky orange-ish brown with a thick cream cap that holds and lasts, not very attractive although it fits the style. The smell is fragrant with floral and citrus and some mild toffee notes with leather and slight woody herbal notes from the hops with nice sweet malt and light fruit from the yeast, hardly any alcohol. The feel is thick, viscous and sweet unrelenting really with a mild bitterness and mellow spice with slight hint of alcohol near cellar temp.

The flavor is nice with some citrus from the hops and slight caramel body with a gentle creamines from the yeast with hint of spice and toffee as mentioned in the descriptors from the label. The flavor gets a little more earthy and woody as it goes on and the alcohol comes forward, rich and almost meaty with a hint of raisin. The drinkability is good for an 11% beer, not sure I would rush to get this again, but if available I wouldn't hesitate. I think it is a solid brew and like that it doesn't show its strength all that much.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 19:46:39 | More by Slatetank

merc7186

New York

3.7/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Had the 2011-2012 winter vintage.

A: Deep Brown/Mildly Reddish Hue, Passes Almost No Light, Off White Head, Outstanding Lacing

S: Raisins, Sweet Malts, Plums

T: Raisins, Brown Sugar, Cherries, Plums

M: Powerful Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Malty, Sweet

Overall, a very sweet winter warmer, nice but overly carbonated and maybe a little too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 03:45:47 | More by merc7186

GameFreac

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2011 (11%) dated December 2011 shared with my roommate.

Appearance: Most insane head I've ever seen…almost the whole glass and it overflowed. Foam started pouring out of the bottle when I put it down. Thought it was infected, but if you read the other reviews on here, you'll see the same thing happened to a lot of others.

Smell: Smells of malts, alcohol, plums and figs.

Taste - Tastes the same but with less alcohol burn. Just a nice warm feeling and very sweet. Some hops but not really…almost too sweet (don't think I could drink more than a pint of this) but very good.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy.

Overall: I was worried when I saw the reviews for this and paid $11 for the bottle but it was a good beer. My first "Old Ale" and it didn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 05:59:27 | More by GameFreac

GoldenChild

Michigan

1/5  rDev -74.1%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Let me start by saying that any beer that i drain pour gets the lowest score possible.

Received as a extra in a trade.

I love Old Ales/Barley wines so i was excited to try this one.

Pour was fine nice amber look nice two finger off white head.

Smell like syrup super sweet no hops of any kind detected.

Taste like took a big mouth full of malt extract. If you took a barley wine poured it in a glass and mixed in 4 table spoons of sugar you would end up with this beer.

I drank one glass and had to drain pour the rest.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 21:43:55 | More by GoldenChild

Durge

Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A thick, cloudy dark mahogany brew with a goodly, stubborn oatmeal colored head and solid lacing. The aroma says brown bread and sweet pine hop and medicinal malt. Oatmeal chocolate nuances, thick and chewy and real high on the olfactory scale. Wow. Immediately followed by another, wow! The flavor just overwhelms the mouth with thick herbal hops and deep dark cereal grain, almost a barleywine deal. Just a lush mix of heavy malt and evergreen with a delicious tart hop bite. The body is full but not gagging, and tiny carbonation makes for a silky feel that caps off a near perfect winter brew. Cigar City maintains its incredible record of awesome brewing!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 03:36:09 | More by Durge

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cigar City Warmer Winter, bottle bought at New Beer in NYC for $11.75 plus tax. "Brewed for the 2011-2012 Florida Winter".

Appearance: I cracked open the bottle and it literally exploded on me. Loads and loads of foam coming out, unstoppable. I lost a good half beer there! Just for that, rating goes down...

But once it settles down it looks fine, like a Belgian dark ale with a huge fist of a head, outrageous carbonation and the darkest color this side of Africa. Beautiful, thick lacing as well and great retention. That head lasts forever!

Smell: Lotsa sweetness, brown sugar, honeycomb and the customary dark fruit (raisin, prune juice).

Taste: Sweetness and more sweetness! Geez... if you don't like sweet beers, forget about this. It is like a barleywine dipped in simple syrup, then rolled on brown sugar and finished with honey. Those "citrusy hops" they mention in the label, including Simcoe, Centennial and Columbus? They're barely there, overwhelmed by the sweetness. Only at the very end do they come through, as a stingy clover-like feel.

Mouthfeel: Full body and medium flavor. Huge carbonation of course, a bit too much indeed. Otherwise well balanced and quite pleasurable to drink. Not dry at all, which I appreciate.

Overall: The carbonation issue is annoying, and the extreme sweetness in the taste is slightly off-putting. Not a bad beer at all, though- it drinks remarkably well for being 11%.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 22:42:04 | More by DoubleSimcoe

nmbr0ne

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into snifter. Bottled in 2010.

Appearance: It has a dark, reddish brown color with tremendous off-white head.

Smell: Kind of a funky smell. Sweet at the same time. Fruity. Too funky though.

Taste: Awful sweet taste that overwhelms my palette. Caramel apples, caramel plums, toffee. Too sweet.

Mouthfeel: Very thick. Lightly carbonated.

Overall: Definitely not my favorite old ale. Much better ones out there. This way too sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 01:17:52 | More by nmbr0ne

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Special K for bringing this up from Tampa!

A: Deep dark copper color, intense off tan dense head that kept it through the entire glass, incredible
S: medium nose, roasted malt, caramel
T: deep dark roasted malt, sweeter but not cloying, slightly bitter finish - didn't taste pine/citrus as described
M: very thick in mouthfeel, not well-attenuated, definitely on the sweeter side
O: average, too sweet, almost like chocolate pudding in taste, needs considerable more bittering hops

This won't age well.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 23:16:23 | More by wisrarebeer

EkimGram

New York

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: 25.4oz bottle poured into a snifter. Colour is a dark, opaque brown. Enormous head fades with a little bit of retention.

Smell: Aromas are very sweet. I get some plums and raisins as well as dark sugars; brown sugar and perhaps molasses. A nice amount of balanced malt finishes up the smell.

Taste: Wow, so many layers and flavours here. It's almost too much. Starts out cloyingly sweet with the dark sugars and fruits. A sweet bitterness works its way through everything and finally that dark sweetness returns.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with a nice hint of carbonation. Very silky, sticky, and chewy.

Overall: What a complex beer. So many layers, so many flavours, it's quite an impressive brew. The only thing I don't really enjoy is the immense amount of sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 08:53:08 | More by EkimGram

Agold

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This has a bit over a year on it. This beer pours with a big billowing head that recedes to about a cm, leaving some nice lacing. The liquid is a very dark molasses color and is pretty opaque. Aroma is big toffee and caramel with a bit of residual tropical fruityness, and dark fruit. The flavor is similar, but is verging on being too sweet. Caramel candy overtakes some of the toffee flavors. The tropical fruit comes through more clearly in the flavor along with the prune, dark fruit notes. As it warms, it takes on a bit of a Robitussin type taste, but not really in a bad way. Interesting. Mouthfeel is nice and full with pleasant carbonation. Not too hot, very nice and warming and very smooth as well. Very enjoyable beer and if some of the sweetness could be a bit less, and the toffee, a bit more, this would have been more enjoyable for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:37:37 | More by Agold

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Beautiful looking mildly aggressive pour leads to a nice hazy and murky mahogany color with a nice copper hue on the edges. The head is huge with 2 inches of billowing dense cream colored foam. Brew looks delicious.

Already from the pour I could pick up on some of the resinous and slightly citrus hops. Upon close inspection there is some nice caramel malt sweetness up front with some nice toffee. There is some fruity sweetness in there as well with some nice pear and apple. There is some tropical fruit notes in there as well with some papaya and some mango mixed in with some nice toffee and butterscotch.

Flavor is very interesting and complex. Starts off with some fruity sweetness that is very nice and not too overwhelming. There are some apple and pear notes as well as some mango. Then there is some nice caramel and toffee notes in there. Underlying this sweetness is an interesting and delicious citrus background that give s the beer an interesting dimension. There is also some nice slight boozy heat but nothing too intense. The blend between the sweetness and malt notes and the slight underlying hops is very interesting and complex. Very well crafted and creative take on the Old Ale style. Very nice smooth fell with some slight oily notes but also a nice hop dryness on the back end. Nice and medium-full bodied.

This brew is delicious. Very nice balance of malt sweetness with the hop notes. This beer is creative and well crafted. Nice touch on a classic style.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 22:57:40 | More by JoEBoBpr

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cold winter day deserves a Winter warmer!

Very carbonated, almost too much. Muddy, murky brown, like a barleywine (basically like the label says). Very thick and frothy head. Off-white.

Very sweet smelling, plums, dried fruits, and brown sugar. Hints of dried grains, and hop bitterness.

Very complex, sweet and dry at the same time. Its almost bordering on too sweet, like a Dubbel. Sweetened dark cherries, hints of oranges. For its stature, it sits light, and feels like cherry syrup. a dry woody oak is felt upon exhale. I can see why this isnt a winter warmer anymore. i might categorize it more as a barleywine, but were just speaking semantics now.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 17:10:33 | More by VncentLIFE

billab914

Virginia

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

750ml bottle poured into my Dogfish snifter. It poured a murky, dark caramel color with a frothy tan head covering the top of the beer and sticking to the edges of the glass.

The aroma has a big malty presence to it with caramel, toffee and some sweeter dark fruits leading the way. A good amount of hoppiness is noticeable in it as well with some resiny, citrus rind like qualities. Pretty appealing aroma overall.

The taste also shows a very nice balance of malty and hoppy. I get more of the caramel, toffee and dark fruit sweetness to it at first while the bitter, citrus rind like hoppiness lingers more into the finish.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being moderate. Overall it was a very good beer all around. They really brought all the flavors together very well in it. Very flavorful and enjoyable to sip on this afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 21:33:38 | More by billab914

bum732

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

S: Fresh green hops, some citrus, some rich toffee notes.

L: Dark brown, light tan carbonated head with good retention and lacing.

T: Mixture of citrus fruit with fruitcake like maltiness and breadiness. Lots of dried fruit with glazed apricots and rum raisin. Mostly fruit forward. Sticky toffee finish, quite sweet.

M: Medium high carbonation, medium full body.

Pretty good, fairly rich. Would've been easier to finish with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 23:09:16 | More by bum732

mntlover

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep ruby brown with a big frothy tan head that falls all so slowly and laces very well.

Aroma is big on toffee malts lots of free floating brown sugars and good supply of dark fruits.

Taste is wow lots of sugary malts with big toffee notes. Dark fruit notes lots of figs upfront. Lots of caramel and toffee notes almost to the point of cloying but not quite.

Mouthfeel is big nice body smooth and creamy with level carbonation.

Overall very nice big sugary malty brew with lots of dark fruit notes. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 18:36:24 | More by mntlover

tdm168

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to jtd1969 for bringing this back from Florida.

When I cracked the top on this foam came billowing out of the top of the bottle. It poured a dark brown with a quarter inch of loose, foamy brown head that had decent retention. The nose heavy dark fruit with some notes of barley and candy. The flavor is bready, heavy barley malt up front followed by caramel and dark fruit and finishes with an overwhelming candy sugar sweetness. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and a little syrupy but smooth and lightly carbonated.

I really wanted to like this beer. It seemed like all the right elements were there but they didn't all mesh. This one loses a lot of points because of how sweet it was. I had a hard time finishing a glass of it let alone the entire bottle. I'm glad I shared it. This is just way too sweet and candy-like for me to want again.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 16:17:37 | More by tdm168

shand

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint. 2011 vintage.

This brew pours a muddy red-brown with a huge head that retains very well. The aroma is an interesting mix of toffeed caramel malts and fruits holding hands with a fairly strong hoppy aroma. The taste is syrupy sweet at first, with a really strong fruit offering. It doesn't stay like that for too long though, with a fairly strong hoppiness on the backend to help balance out the sweetness. It's still just a bit too sweet for me though. The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and quite coating, it sticks around for a while. The drinkability is about average for such a big beer. Overall, this isn't really my favourite CCB beer, which is saying a lot for their quality, at this is still quite a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:20:40 | More by shand

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottle poured into my CBS snifter. Split four ways.

Appearance - Deep mahogany body with a gigantic head. My quarter of the bottle overflowed my glass, if that gives you an idea. My first worry was infection, but that fear was quickly allayed.

Smell - Metallic. A bit oxidized, perhaps? Toffee and a hint of hops. It's tough to pull other flavors through the tin foil aroma, though.

Taste - No metal in the taste, thankfully. Extremely sweet. Syrupy sweet. Caramel and toffee flavors first, followed by some earthy hops, but faint. A hint of some lighter fruit flavors, but also faint.

Mouthfeel - Thick and heavy. Too sweet. I could never drink a whole bottle. Decent carbonation, which serves to lighten it, but still a diabetes bomb.

Overall - Too sweet to be all that good. The flavors are there, but some more fermentation would do this some good. A drier, earthier, less-sweet version of this could be quite good.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 19:58:53 | More by Alieniloquium

scottfrie

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into NB snifter. Reviewed from notes. 2010 bottle I think.

A: Pours near black with just a stupid amount of billowing foamy tan head that took forever to fade into a very dense film. This is one over carbonated beast. Great head retention and lace though.
S: Sweet notes of candied fruits, raisins, caramel, booze, and more fruit – tropical fruit even. Very fruit forward.
T: Again, very sweet, but with tons of leather and tobacco that I wasn’t expecting. The fruit notes from the nose are right there followed by brown sugar, light milk chocolate, vinous flavors, some spices and some wood. The sweetness is almost cloying, and the aftertaste coats my mouth with tobacco flavors that lasts forever.
M: Very very carbonated but it’s soft at least. The mouthfeel is boozy but smooth and slick, and the body is thick and full.
O: Much sweeter than expected and very full and boozy. A great drink though, glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:31:32 | More by scottfrie

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 mL botltle into an oversized wine glass. Shared this 2010 bottle with my pops on Christmas. Thanks to hoppy99 for sending me this bottle oh so long ago.

Appearance: There is an enthusiastic 'pop' as I open the bottle, and a lot of dark tan foam flows out of the bottle even with a gentle pour, rising and nearly overflowing the glass. When it settles down, the head is fairly frothy and leaves thick lace down the glass. The beer itself is a dark chocolate brown with a slightly lighter edge.

Smell: Caramel and toffee control the mostly sweet aroma. Toasted bread, raisins, plums, figs, and a general spiciness provide support.

Taste: The flavor is cloyingly sweet throughout the entire sip. The label says "caramelized toffee," and that seems to be an accurate description of the first flavor across my lips. A bit of milk chocolate adds to a chewy bread malt. Rum raisin, sugary plums, sweet figs and dates all add to a very sweet flavor. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and a bit of all spice are somewhat ensconced behind the thick, chewy, sweetness. The finish has a bit of brown sugar.

Mouthfeel: Chewy and syrupy sweet throughout the glass. At first, the carbonation bubbles and fizzes unpleasantly, but this subsides as I let it warm. A bit of spice creates a tingle on the tongue. The alcohol, although not noticeable in the flavor, accentuates this effect and creates a light bourbon-like burn in the back of my throat. Full bodied and full carbonation.

Overall: This beer fresh is supposed to have some spicy pine and citrus hops, which might give it a little zip and cut through the sweetness. With a year on it, though, it is a bit too sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 00:42:33 | More by KickInTheChalice

stxSS07

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a tulip. No vintage date, but has 10%ABV listed.

A- Huge explosion off the cap...surprised it stayed on this long. Pours a deep brown opaque color. Huge amount of head on the (gentile) pour. Has a khaki colored, tight bubbled head. Leaves some nice lacing though. Looks really nice, but I'm worried about the huge head.

S- Holy hell this is one sweet beer. Smells like double-sugar coated and candied fruits. Maybe something like a peach and apple mixture? Almost like fresh apple juice mixed with fresh brewed tea. I get a bit of grassy hops in there as well. Strange smell, but slightly enticing.

T- Wow this is insanely sweet. Again, up front this tastes like fresh brewed tea with a ton of honey and sugar dumped in. Towards the finish there is still a ton of (literal) sugary sweetness mixed in with some apple, plum, and raisin. Finishes with a bit of a chocolate roasted malt character. Borderline cloyingly sweet (and I love Dark Lord), but really different. I think I dig it.

M- Really high carbonation with a medium body that leaves a sticky film on everything it touches. Bit of warming alcohol as well.

O- Easily the one of the strangest beers I've had on my short BA adventure. After about 15 minutes of sipping, I think I found the flavor profile. Tastes like a Ricola natural cough drop...good thing I like those.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 07:49:10 | More by stxSS07

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes from stout tasting.

A- cloudy amber, bright dark yellow head

S- very sweet, apricots, guava, citrus, brown sugar.

T- crazy sweet! Citrus (apricots, guava) candy sugar.

M- full body, creamy and syrupy.

O- cloyingly sweet, too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 04:59:56 | More by kawilliams81