2° Below Winter Ale - New Belgium Brewing

david18

New York

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had a sixteen ounce draft of this at the Holstein's at the New Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. I have mixed feelings about this brewery, liking some of the selections and not being impressed with many others. This one falls somewhere in between.

The appearance was a dark amber with an orange hue. The beer was somewhat uncarbonated but i guess that may be on purpose to make it "British pub" style.

Aroma was a bit bready but I wanted more from it.

The flavor had a good balance of malt and bitterness but again I was a bit underwhelmed by it.

In general not a bad beer from a good brewer but not something I would seek out again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 18:09:35 | More by david18

drowninginhops

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served in New Belgium glass. From notes.
A: Average, golden with 1 3/4 white head. Good lacing

S: Hops and Malt nothing special.

T: was not expecting this. What I can only describe as a the body of good scotch. By this I mean earthy slightly peaty with a little roastinees.

M: The scotch body I mentioned earlier server this beer well. Good carbonation.

D: The aforementioned body does not serve it well here. As it sits on the stomach strange. Could only have two.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 23:27:59 | More by drowninginhops

kinupanda

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pleasing medium amber/copper color. Minimal head that forms a somewhat broken, medium surface tension layer; it dissipates rapidly, and thus there is almost nonexistent lacing. The aroma is an appealing orange infused maltiness. An initial kick high in citrus that gives way to some toasty earthiness, with some slight bitterness from the hops. Good body with pleasant mouthfeel; it seems to have something for the entire tongue, and the carbonation is ideal for that. The alcohol is present but nowhere near overwhelming. A lightly spicy bitter aftertaste.

FourthBeer potential: AVERAGE, as there are other good ESBs, but this is worthy of the New Belgium name.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2011 07:31:19 | More by kinupanda

emmasdad

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one at happy hour at a BBQ spot in the Northwest Denver recently, and thought it was pretty solid. Poured a medium amber color with a somewhat rocky white head. Aromas of citrus, floral hops and caramel. Medium bodied, somewhat hoppy, with toffee and caramel on the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 21:01:05 | More by emmasdad

bskrtz

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Could have been colder when served on tap. Poured into it's own name-sake wide, round and open glass

A) Clear and bright, copper/amber with fizzy white head. The glass is perfect and this beer looks good on display. Marketing...

S) Sweet candy sugar and spice. Doughy and sour. A winter beer with apparent alcohol on the nose.

T) Well crafted with ample mix of bitter and sweet. Caramel and hint of cinamon or clove spice.

M) Poor handling by the bar may have left this beer flatter than I would prefer. Despite it's clear appearance, I enjoyed it's thick complexity. Excellent for casual sipping while in conversation

D) A Good example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2011 21:11:29 | More by bskrtz

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Poured a nice copper with a small fizzy white head. There was some slight lacing on the glass.

S-Slightly hoppy with some caramel notes; nothing too overpowering.

T-Nearly perfect balance between hops and malt. Caramel was the flavor that stood out most to me. It has a nice hoppy finish, especially in comparison to Fat Tire which finishes biscuity. The hops were more fresh and juicy than when I had this in a bottle about a year ago, which was very nice.

M-Just about right for the style, with a nice carbonation.

D-Very drinkable beer that I enjoy much more than Fat Tire.

Overall, this was very good on tap and I would definitely drink it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2011 18:25:50 | More by thegodfather2701

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: clear copper with decent creamy head and lacing.
S: muted. Get some earthy spicy hops and toasty bread maybe.
T: wouldn't peg this as an esb. Some lightly sweet caramelly malts and a smooth spicy hop bitterness evening things out.
M: despite being well-carbonated, this has an oily slickness to it. Light to medium body.
D: overall underwhelming. The nose was very muted, the hops I didn't dig, and it had an odd mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 04:24:03 | More by MrMcGibblets

brewerburgundy

California

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a shaker pint at Farrell's in Fayetteville, AR.

The beer is a darker golden color with a small white head.

Quite sugary and hoppy, with candied fruit, apricot, peach, sugar plums, and some funky caramel.

This second beer of the night also has flavors that closely follow the aromas. The hop flavors are very fruity and juicy. A weird sour green grass flavor interjects itself, disrupting the hop yum. The malt bill is typical New Belgium with load of biscuit.

The mouthfeel is pretty typical for draught again, more active than my last beer. New Belgium didn't make this a challenging beer at all.

This isn't bad, but fulfills my expectations of New Belgium's mainstream grabs. I don't have a problem with them making accessible beer, but I know to grab something else.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2010 18:55:08 | More by brewerburgundy

jpro

South Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at Triangle Char and Bar... served in a standard pint glass...

A: Dusty orange with a small, creamy white head that leaves little lace but manages some slight retention.

S: Bready malts and fruity yeast; maybe some herbal / spicy hop notes, too.

T: Fruity yeast profile seems to dominate this beer - everything else is in the background... not too exciting.

M: Medium bodied, moderate/low carbonation, a touch syrupy.

D: Too much emphasis on the yeast for me and a touch too sweet. Probably won't be seeking this out in the future...

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2010 00:39:52 | More by jpro

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on-tap at the New Belgium location in the Denver airport. Pours a golden orange colour with small white head. Caramel and biscuit malt with some some very mild herbal hop aroma. A fairly sweet beer. Big carbonation made this a little bit harder to chug the 2nd half of the beer as I had to run to catch my flight. I didn't realize this was an ESB until going on here to post the review, but that makes sense for the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2010 18:56:02 | More by kwjd

Phelps

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

According to the brewery, this winter warmer started life as a small batch beer brewed for the Al Johnson Uphill Downhill, a ski race in Crested Butte, Colorado celebrating the exploits of Al Johnson, a letter carrier who delivered mail by ski in the late 1800s.

Poured from the tap into a standard pint glass, 2 Below is perfectly clear light copper in color. A foamy one-finger head of white recedes after a while to a thick ring.

In the nose: cantaloupe, strawberry, raisin, substantial earthy hops, some crackers and biscuits from pale and Munich malts. It's fairly sweet and fruity.

The flavor is equally fruity, starting sweet with light raspberries and biscuits before a dry finish. There's lots of vodka flavor, which is surprising considering this beer doesn't even top 7 percent alcohol.

The carbonation is high and hits the tongue hard, fizzing up beer quite a bit. Ow; this actually hurts. The body is smooth and medium-light in fullness.

I liked the single bottle I had well enough, but I don't think I'd order any more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2010 23:30:20 | More by Phelps

gatornation

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had on tap at burger jones in a 12 0z NB goblet..the pour was a clear copper color with a medium fresh head and clinging lace..the smell is malt toast caramel and hops.the taste is hops in the mouth with some citrus some nice malts with bread and toffee in the background very crisp and fresh ..this is one good winter seasonal (ESB) it is on the lighter side both in color and taste... none the less is was very good..recommended

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2010 02:48:26 | More by gatornation

theghost3

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this on draft at the Mellow Mushroom in Columbia, SC. Pours a clear amber with a 2-finger light beige head. Medium lacing. Smell is caramel malts with some grassy hints. The taste a mix of honey, caramel malts, and grassy hops. Not that bitter. Mouthfeel is crisp, medium-bodied. This is OK in the drinkability dept. Not as spicy as I would have expected.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2009 21:23:03 | More by theghost3

thektg

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer at The Griffon in Charleston, SC on tap. This was my first time tasting this beer on tap, as I've had it in bottles previously.

A - Very clear orange/amber glow with one to two fingers of off-white head.

S - Minimal hops smell. Mostly a carmel, bisquity smell.

T - Not as spiced as I would have expecected from the smell. Rich and caramelly.

M - Medium body and mouth feel. Had smacks of Fat Tire.

D - Very drinkable since it is not as heavy as other Winter Ales. I recommend it.

If I was not on a mission of trying as many bars as possible, I would have had another. But, alas...

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2009 20:51:45 | More by thektg

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear coppery amber with a fine-bubbled, slightly orangy off-white head. Aroma is malty, fruity and slightly spicy. Lively, mouth-filling flavor is spicy with woody and hoppy undertones. Texture is tingly, fizzy and sassy. Definitely worth at least a try.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2009 03:36:46 | More by Cyberkedi

bbkd3b

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at a local bar/pizza place in Columbia, MO. Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Clear, orange-yellow with an average white head that lingered for a bit.

S: Super-hoppy in smell. Pine scent will really overtake anything else. No alcohol.

T: Surprisingly balanced after the smell. There were bitter hops up front, but it was well-balanced with a caramel taste underneath the surface. Pretty damn good, really.

M: Decent carbonation, medium thickness. Body was smooth and a little bit on the thicker side of things.

D: At first, I thought this would have almost no drinkability, but as I went on, the flavor really set in and made me want another (something I followed through on).

Another strong brew from New Belgium. Good for the winter season. It warms up the gut!

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2009 05:39:02 | More by bbkd3b

Fnord

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Clear amber with a 1/2 finger head.

Smell - Hoppier than I expected. Flowers and pine predominate.

Taste - Some caramel, a quick bite of hop presence, alcohol, maple, pine.

Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation and thickness.

Notes - Much closer to an IPA than I expected. It's similar to Sierra Nevada Celebration, but doesn't seem quite as balanced to me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2009 18:03:42 | More by Fnord

ImusBeer

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a nice orange/red with a quarter inch light tan head, heavy lacing on the side of the glass as I drank.

The heavy aroma of pine hops and pine sap. The taste paralleled the scent, mostly pine hop, with a bitter aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was smooth with medium bitterness and high carbonation. The hoppyness limits this one for a session beer, one glass was just fine with me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2009 15:15:04 | More by ImusBeer

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Taco Mac Metropolis in Atlanta.

Pours a clear brownish-copper color with a half-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of lightly toasted caramel malts with good amounts of floral and mildly herbal hops.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Grainy yet somehow smooth toasted malt flavors are joined quickly by noble hops. The hop and malt flavors carry through to a mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a solid thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I was surprised by this beer even being an ESB when I ordered it and more surprised at the hop levels. A solid, if nontraditional, ESB.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2009 23:51:26 | More by glid02

dirtylou

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap, malt house

cell-phone notes

appearance: the seasonal from new belgium served in a large new belgium goblet. light amber body, full foamy beige crest

smell: nutty, fruity - apple primarily, toasted malt

taste: some similar characteristics as fat tire - heavy nutty flavor, apple sweetness. dry, toasted malts and toasted grain. not overly memorable

mouthfeel: medium body

drinkability: good

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2009 22:58:38 | More by dirtylou

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a crystal clear copper color, white head settling fairly quickly. Nose is less fruity, caramel malt, spice, nutmeg and very tasty A nice malty brew, with just enough hops to balance everything out. Mouthfeel is fairly mild, not too complex. Drinkability is high due to its taste and smoothness.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2009 00:29:02 | More by barleywinefiend

dickroop

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this at the NB Hub in Denver Int'l Airport. The ale is a clear reddish tan with generous head and lacing. Nothing extra special to look at but moderately inviting. The brew was light on aroma, just a hoppy smell one notch stronger than faint.

The taste was (to me) a bit unusual for an ESB - I call it "bitter fruity". The hops were not distinctive, but there were flavor notes of juniper berry and cherry. The malt was probably the best part and it was pretty plain

Mouthfeel had a distinctive pucker to it, medium bodied, some malt stickiness, and definite alcohol warming in the mix. It made for a drinkable beer, but a mysterious experience overall. I'd have it again, but it makes me yearn for more hops.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2009 14:31:25 | More by dickroop

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer was served a light clear copper color with a 2 finger of white rocky head - thick sticky lacing was left on the side of the glass. Nose is of yeast and breadiness with some citrusy hops. Taste starts with the hops spiciness and kick and then leads in to tastes of bread and yeast. Mouthfeel is rather light. I expected a bit heavier feel to it. It was almost watery but not quite watery. Overall a decent beer that went down smoothly, and could sit with for an evening.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2009 02:04:57 | More by Jayli

Durge

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This comes poured in a pint glass at the airport brewpub in Denver as a clear bright light amber with a fair fuzzy off-white head and very good lacing. The aroma is a pleasant toasted floral hops with some rye bread thrown in. The flavor brings out more of the hops, almost more of an orange citrus with a floral finish, sweet and nice. There is a goodly peppery accent throughout, very refreshing with a decent creamy feel that brings a subtle touch of clove nutmeg but is entirely drinkable. This could fit in with some folks idea of an IPA and I did like it. Very much recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2009 06:46:44 | More by Durge

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice orange-red color with a foamy, thick white head. Smells alright, hmm. Tastes liek a little hops then some maltiness, good and seems hoppy for an ESB which is just fine with me. Overall quite easy to drink and a nice beer to drink while shooting a game of pool which is exactly what I did.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2009 04:30:05 | More by ArrogantB