Winter Ion
Element Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Element Brewing Company
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
Ranked #72
ABV:
9.1%
Score:
82
Ranked #25,061
Avg:
3.5 | pDev: 16.29%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
24
Status:
Active
Rated:
Monday at 09:57 PM
Added:
Nov 28, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
Winter Ion blends the malt and spices found in a Belgian White Beer with the rich flavor of chocolate. We think you will agree that the chocolate and spice finish make for a very balanced beer to share with friends during the cold winter months.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.44/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a lightly hazed reddish amber color with a one finger height head of off-white foam. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time and leaving a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is strong of a very toasty and yeasty bready smell mixed with some milk and dark chocolate. Along with these smells comes some harvest fruit of pear and apple, as well as notes of plum and orange. There is also some spice of nutmeg and allspice, as well as notes of clove and coriander.
Taste – The taste begins with a rather bready flavor with the bready being a mix of brown bread and a touch of grainy wheat. There is also a rather strong showing of sweet upfront, with lots of toffee and brown sugar, as well as some caramel. Fruit flavors of a light plum and raisin are there as well, along with a touch of chocolate. The chocolate gets slightly more intense, all while the bready develops even further and takes on some more toastiness and some yeastiness. Other flavors of apple, orange, and spice come onto the tongue later in the taste, and with some light booziness and a bit of mustiness, one is left with a rather sweet and malty, moderately spiced taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is thick and creamy with a higher level of carbonation. Foer the style, the feel was alright, but overall, a lighter carbonation may have been slightly more satisfying for the flavors.
Overall – An alright strong ale. Not much white chocolate flavor for a chocolate ale. Interesting one, but likely won’t go back to it again.
Monday at 09:57 PM
 
Rated: 3.46 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Dec 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.47 by Uzarnayme from Vermont

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Rideguy64 from New Hampshire

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.4 by DRobCity from Massachusetts

Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Shawnspl from Rhode Island

Oct 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by RRC03 from New Hampshire

Aug 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Janeinma from Massachusetts

May 26, 2014
Photo of HP1975
Reviewed by HP1975 from Massachusetts

4.56/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
a: Brown with hazy copper highlights when seen through light. Inch and a half tall pale head receded slowly to patchy surface foam and lacing.

s: Dark chocolate and malt, some spice and coriander

t: Spicy, malt, andchocolate notes. Rather weaker on the "White Beer" flavor than anticipated based on the name. Some bitter finish.

m: Very smooth large body

o:Chocolate and beer. Couldn't drink this all day long but it is another excelent beer from those crazy element guys

Serving type: bottle
Feb 26, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by braican from Massachusetts

Feb 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jwps214 from Massachusetts

Feb 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ELECTRONICAnonymous from Massachusetts

Dec 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Hopdaemon39 from New York

Dec 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by ComRock12 from Massachusetts

Aug 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by bespin15 from Washington

Apr 22, 2013
Photo of GPHarris
Reviewed by GPHarris from Alabama

3.14/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
2012 bottle 470/1101

a - poured a two-fingers thick bubbly, off-white head into a snifter that left thick sheeting and lacing throughout. the body was a dark copper color.
s - some cocoa, coriander, citrus with belgian yeast aromas.
t - spicy and yeasty with a hint of cocoa and orange peel.
m - very bubbly, highly carbonated.
o - interesting take on a wit. not something i would seek out as the tastes don't seem to mesh well.
Jan 29, 2013
Photo of smcnulty1981
Reviewed by smcnulty1981 from Rhode Island

3.44/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: amber orange with 4 fingers of a tight white head with a good ammount of laceing and some alcohol legs on the side of the glass

S: up front there is the smell of chocolate or in this case coca some coriander and orange also there was hint of vegetable matter and alcohol

T: right up front there is defiantly chocolate but the taste of chocolate with the standard wit spice doesn't really work well didn't get much of a malt character but there was a good ammount of alcohol

M: lots of tight bubbles of carbonation with a medium body

O: the lack of malt character and unbalanced flavor combonations are not very overwhelming the concept is a good and perhaps the beer would be better served with some collaring to tone down th alcohol a little bit however that may subdue the chocolate flavor
Jan 06, 2013
Photo of ronny
Reviewed by ronny from Alabama

3.77/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 750 ml bottle ($15.95) with simple Belgian-style paper wrap, no bottle label. Neck tag identifies this as bottle 0089 of 1101, bottled on 10/16/2012.

Opaque amber brown color, quick forming and beautiful sand colored head, clings well, collapses into a nice pillow. Smell is very subtle with yeast, fruit (pear?), and raw cocoa.

Mouthfeel is a bit on the bubbly side, about what would be expected for a Belgian white.

Taste is a bit surprising. It is based on a Belgian white and all the flavors characteristic to that style are there, but the label hints at a "subtle chocolate-and-spice finish" but also implies a "rich flavor of chocolate". I'm going with the later. It has a very rich chocolate flavor, more of a raw chocolate that goes really really nice with the style. Again there are some very subtle spice hints and some fruity notes (from the Belgian white style) and a hint of yeast.

Overall a pretty nice spice/winter beer. The chocolate is very much an in-your-face. No criticism to offer. It delivers as advertised.
Dec 01, 2012
Photo of Dope
Reviewed by Dope from Massachusetts

3.37/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Approximately one year old.

A: Pours a murky amberish brown. Almost no head despite an aggressive pour, just a quarter inch of tan foam that disappears quickly. Leaves just specks of lacing behind.

S: Smells like...apple juice? Some cinnamon in there too, almost apple ciderish. Cocoa is fairly prominent as well. Some coriander.

T: A bit fruity up front. Maybe raisin and apple with some cinnamon. Turns into lots of cocoa. Super dry and almost powdery feeling in the aftertaste, like I literally just drank cocoa powder itself. There's some spiciness lingering in the aftertaste that I can't quite place.

M: Fairly heavy, very drying as mentioned.

O: What an unusual beer. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be. It's vaguely winter warmer-ish with the spice notes and the cocoa. But what a weird execution. It's strong and with sharp flavors - no off flavors just an odd combination of them that just doesn't really work.
Jul 19, 2012
Photo of CharlieMurphy
Reviewed by CharlieMurphy from New York

2.44/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1
A: Looks like liquid apple pie. Warm brown amber that is darker at the top, lighter at the bottom. Frothy off white head lingers on.

S: Lager. WTF. Some fruit notes. Dry cinnamon, as if you took a spoonful to the dome piece. Apple spice candle.

T: Full in the mouth and slowly slipping into dry cinnamon, dry cocoa powder, dry apple cinnamon oatmeal mix.

M: Full. Low carbonation initially, then piquing a medium level jab. Drying initially post sip, but it fades slightly.

O: Element is the most overpriced brewery ever. $18-20 wasted for a beer I wouldn't pay more than $5 for a pint of once, then never have again.
Jan 24, 2012
Winter Ion from Element Brewing Company
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 24 ratings