Slick Nick Winter Ale - Sebago Brewing Company

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber from Lou's. Red-amber translucent body with over an inch of off-white head that dissipates slowly leaving a fair bit of lacing. Roasty caramel malt and raisin characterize the aroma. Tastes fruity with lots of caramel malt. A little lighter flavored than expected, but not overly so, and the flavors are balanced and compliment eachother perfectly... Medium creamy mouthfeel. A nearly perfect winter warmer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2007 00:00:09 | More by MrHurmateeowish

Yeastcakes

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving notes: Hefe glass, frigde temps (40F)
Aroma: cinnamon & other spices, alchohol warmth.
Appearance: Nice half-inch head upon pour, nice thin foam lingers. Some lacing. Dark, clear brownish-red.
Mouthfeel: Full body, light carbonation.
Taste: Complex fruit, alcohol and malty sweetness and beautifully balanced. Light sweetness lingers on the edges of the tongue along with light bitterness in the middle.
Drinkability: This is a great beer for winter evenings and, while perhaps not a session beer, can easily be good for a pint or two.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2009 00:06:55 | More by Yeastcakes

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

Part of the sebago collection I recieved from my good friend Matt up north. Decided to do the vertical/horizontal/ whatever it is of all of them. Poured into a pint glass,lol.

Nice color, rich dark brown, near black with a light head of tan that comes up and caps the top of the glass nicely. Aroma is dominated by aromas of oak and vanilla, which meld seemlessly into the chocolate notes that become ever more present as time goes on. First sip is wonderful, more carbonated then I typically see with barrel aged beers, with a nicely lively presence and rich, velvet like carbonation. First sip is loaded down with oak notes, hints of bourbon and vanilla start to come out as I dive further into it. Suble at first but then it starts to build. Nice backbone of chocolate coming through as well as a light touch of smoke

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 17:29:29 | More by mikesgroove

msolar

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep bronze color with a decent head and a fair amount of lacing. The smell of hops overpowers the smell of spices, but nutmeg is a slightly noticeable. It didn't taste as much as a "holiday" beer as I would have expected, but more like a lightly spiced IPA. (I suspect my IPA-biased beer-buddy petes99 would like this one a lot.) It had a bit more hops than I would have liked, but it's certainly a really good beer. I have a log of it on tap and have no concerns that it won't be finished quickly (read: high drinkability).

I like this beer a lot, but if you're looking for a spiced seasonal, I'd tried something different (ideas are escaping me at the moment).

Cheers

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-18-2008 01:11:34 | More by msolar

sprucetip

Alaska

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Active, clear, reddish amber, with thin white head that dissipates quickly and leaves no significant amount of lacing.

Smell is faint overall. But there is some caramel maltyness and a sort of lemony fruity zesty esters, and a bit of booze.

Tastes caramel malty, a little but not very sweet, lightly fruity, a wee bit spicy, and mildly bitter with a very clean finish.

Strong carbonation, medium body, light-medium viscosity and finishes clean.

Better than expected. I like the bolder and more adventurous Maine breweries like Marshall Wharf and Allagash best, and the up and coming little guys like Rising Tide and Maine Beer Co, better than the oldsters. But Sebago makes some pretty good brews, I must admit.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

02-06-2011 01:52:16 | More by sprucetip

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 1/2/2011 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains fruit, spices, caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with a burst of fruit and then some sweet flavors of caramel and spices. The malt character is hearty and there's a decent hops presence creating a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, decent representation of style, this is a solid beer with flavor and substance making it worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

01-04-2011 16:01:29 | More by TheManiacalOne

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

At Sebago (downtown Portland location):

A: brown body with some red hues along the edges, small off white head that leaves some nice lacing

S: some dark fruits and a malt aroma

T: some caramel, slightly bready with some winter spices and nuttiness

M: medium, sessionable, slick sweet aftertaste, sticky finish

O: a pretty good easy drinking beer, good for the style and good for me

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-03-2011 03:18:21 | More by kangarooAdam59

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is a bright, slightly hazy, amber-brown coloring with a sparse white surface coating. Aromas of roasted toffee, gingerbread, and some old world fruit sweetness. Flavors are initially light, with fig and date sweetness blending with a light roasting and some warming spices. Smooth and mid-bodied, this leads to a sweet and roasty aftertaste. The finish is almost cloying, but remains light enough to avoid overpowering. Tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

11-11-2012 23:39:15 | More by GarthDanielson

berley31

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured with a small, off-white head that diminished to 1/4-finger or so. Body is a dark amber color, and hazy.

S: The aroma is kind of... plain? Comes across as mainly sweet malt, not strong, but it is there.

T: Nice flavor that may not blow you away, but still pleasant enough and quite easy to drink. Mostly caramel sweetness, but not sickening.

M: Light-bodied, with a thin-oily texture, and average to lively carbonation.

D: A very drinkable beer, easy to put away a couple of pints. However, it seemed very similar to their Runabout Red to me, but I didn't exactly have them side-by-side.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

02-24-2010 21:30:56 | More by berley31

suspect

New York

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass. Thanks to mrmarmot for the hookup. This came in his beer-of-the-month club.

A: Pours a mostly clear reddish color. Relatively aggressive pour leads to a 1 finger off-white head that disappears relatively quickly. Lacing is thick and plentiful.

S: Spices, malts and faint hop aroma lead a really nice smelling beer.

T: Follows the nose almost exactly. Strong spices including cinnamon, coriander and a really wonderful malt profile.

M: Nice creamy feel...aftertaste doesn't stick for very long but leaves me wanting more.

O: A solid beer. Not really a "strong ale" so to speak, more of a winter warmer but a very good one, none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

02-02-2012 01:51:01 | More by suspect

albern

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this in the same sitting as their Boathouse Brown, and this one is quite a bit better. The beer pours a rather muted orangey amber color, with a decent off white creamy head, some retention, some lacing. There is a modest amount of carbonation for the style. The nose on the beer is sweet malts, sweet caramels, some holiday spices, such as allspice or nutmeg, there is a touch of butterscotch like diacetyl, maybe some yeastiness. The nose is not the best indicator of what is to come.

The taste is very nice. The beer is quite sweet, quite smooth, more light than medium bodied, more crisp than creamy. The sweet malts, caramels, butterscotch flavors, some slight roasted notes, and the holiday spices define this beer. There is a hop presence in the finish but the malts prevail in this beer. There is a slightly sweet candied malt flavors just bordering on orange. There is some barrel like oaken woodiness to the beer as well, but this is hidden deep underneath. The mouthfeel is quite mild, the ABV well hidden, and the aftertaste has some lingering spiciness. Worth seeking out. L'Chaim.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

01-24-2009 19:15:28 | More by albern

ElijahCSkuggs

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark amber color, barely any head, and patchy retention and lacing.

Definitely smell the sweet floral notes as well as some malty roastiness. Has a dry, dark fruit note as well. Very pleasant and not overly pungent.

Smooth and creamy yet carbonated with a small bite. A welcome and low-impacting bitterness is combined with similar small dry fruits, and has good floral taste as well.

I bought this for my friend, Nick, for Christmas...but I haven't seen him. So, I think I've waited enough, and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. The retard probably wouldn't have appreciated it anyways. I know I did! This is a friendly American Strong Ale that will have you thinking winter. That's good thing.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

03-18-2011 00:31:25 | More by ElijahCSkuggs

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Very dark red with a frothy white head that has fairly decent retention. Nice coat of random lace webbing around the glass.

S- Big caramel up front with a nice dose of dark fruit and lots of bread. Some kind of winter spice I can't name. Somewhat buttery in the back.

T- This certainly has an interesting flavor. Caramel is big and so is the dark fruit which weirdly enough ends up giving off a red-Kool Aid sort of hint. Seasonal spice is here along with some nutty hints. Pretty sweet overall. Pine from hops.

MF- Creamy moderate body with a medium level of carbonation. Some bitterness in the finish.

DB- An interesting Winter Ale. Has fruit, hop, yeast and malt flavors that aren't masterfully blended but definitely get the job done.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

01-20-2011 03:07:15 | More by cbutova

mdaschaf

Washington

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review from notes 12/30/10.

A: Pours brown with some red hues with a small off white head that has decent retention and leaves some nice lacing.

S: Dark fruits, some raisins and plum and a thick caramel malt aroma.

T: The dark fruit and caramel are here in a big way. There is a slightly bready malt flavor as well as some winter spices and a nuttiness.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation. The finish is a little sticky.

O: Pretty good beer. Always thought it was a winter warmer, and seeing that it was retired as a warmer and is now in the strong ale category makes me wonder if there was a recipe change. Though, I haven't had this beer for 5 years or so, so there is no way I can remember. Either way, easy drinking and a nice beer to the winter time.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

03-30-2011 15:32:22 | More by mdaschaf

dciBA

Maine

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a medium to dark amber into my glass with no head at all. No lacing as I drink it down. Smell is mostly caramel with some toasted malt, and the slightest hint of chocolate. This is a real nice smelling malt forward beer. Taste follows smell. Lots of caramel, with some nutmeg as well. A nice roasted nut flavor in the finish which lingers for a while. Finishes nicely, not too sweet, not too dry. Mouthfeel is a little thin but not enough to detract from the score. This a real easy drinking winter warmer from Sebago.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

01-11-2011 23:26:00 | More by dciBA

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a four finger, cream head that fades to a thin layer leaving traces of lace. Clear amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Sweet spicey nose. Starts sweet with a nice balance of hops, slight lingering soapy aftertaste. $1.45 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

05-03-2006 22:25:16 | More by jdhilt

obywan59

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer of the month.

The beer is coppery or orange-amber in color, depending on the light. A light tan 3-finger head dissipated quickly leaving a bit of lacing. No carbonation buttles are apparent.

The smell is of toasted malts with lemony spice and other fruity aromas. The citrus is just on the overripe side.

Caramelly toasted malts make their presence known upfront, but are largely wiped out by a fast rising and long lasting bitterness accented by some light spiciness. The second glass exhibits some metallic flavor after a hard pour, but soon settles down.

The medium-bodied mouthfeel borders on medium-full. There's a bit of bite on the tongue, though I never saw a single carbonation bubble. Occasionally, there's also some warmth in the throat.

This is a decent beer. Not spectacular, but not disappointing either. I would have no complaints if I happened to encounter it again.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

02-15-2012 04:37:01 | More by obywan59

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, cloudy, orange brown in color, moderate carbonation

Smell: bread, caramel, and dark fruit

Taste: bread, caramel, dark fruit, and a slightly hoppy ending

Mouthfeel: sweet start slightly bitter finish, light bodied, moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A decent above average winter warmer that is in the better half of those I have tasted this winter. I like the bready taste. I could have two or three.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

01-23-2010 17:28:31 | More by tigg924

Durge

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this seasonal brew at the Scarborough location last week. It's a deep, slightly hazed golden brown color with a fair off-white head and good lacing. The aroma is a bit weak and hard to capture. Perhaps grassy maple syrup, really vague. The flavor comes on with a much better statement with sweet toffee vanilla and some grass hops. I get some fruit nougat, cotton candy sweetness maybe. Medium to medium light body with lively carbonation. Pretty drinkable and an OK winter brew.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-31-2009 00:49:26 | More by Durge

sirminkdeadly

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard pint glass straight from a 12 ounce bottle.

A-- Beer pours a full inch of head on an aggressive pour that wanes after a short time. Lacing is decent. Color is a nice, solid amber.

S-- I smell a nice, deep malt here. A cinnamon note shines through with a little bit of fruit from the hops. I get the impression from the smell that the hops won't play much.

T-- A nice, medium malt flavor with some spice notes in the background. There is a little bitterness on the back end, and the hops comes through after a longer exposure.

M-- This beer is decent on the texture, but there is a little less carbonation than I'd like. It just feels a bit flat; maybe that's my pour talking. Overall, just not enough pop from the bubbles, and that might be good or bad...not quite sure.

O-- A solid beer, but really could use some more depth in the malt and better texture. However, I like it, and I would drink it again!

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-20-2011 01:52:33 | More by sirminkdeadly

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012

A: Pours an amber color with a fingers worth of off-white head

S: Caramel and malts stick out the most, with a touch of fruitiness and brown bread

T: Follows the nose, sweet caramel and brown bread along with a hint of dark fruit from the hops. Fairly simple

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Exceptionally smooth

O: A nice little winter warmer with no spices. Nice and easy to drink as well. Good price point, solid beer

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-02-2012 08:35:46 | More by BEERMILER12

Genuine

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into my duvel tulip.

Poured a nice dark amber in color, with a darker cream head that seemed to dissolve quite quickly.

Smell - Some fruity, roasted notes come out, not much, some spices.

Taste - This is where this beer falls apart...I was exited to hear that sebago came out with a winter ale, as they are one of my favorite "style" of beers. But this wasn't strong enough, I thought, for a strong ale. I was hoping for a higher ABV, and for the beer to not only be dark in color, but have delicious roasted malt character with some hops to balance it out. It's ok, but it's not great.

Mouthfeel - a bit thin for the style, I thought.

Overall - a good beer from sabago, but not great.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

11-21-2011 14:41:56 | More by Genuine

barleywinebrewer

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another trip to sebago today. decided to go with the pastrami sandwich for lunch. today's beer was the seasonal winter ale served first with the last half being enjoyed with lunch.

A - Nice light brown with a touch of amber at the edges.

S - malt and a hint of spices. definitely a winter ale. nice aroma.

T -light malt witha nice blend of hops and spice. Very refreshing on a cool breezy day in downtown portland.

M - light bodied.

D - very clean tasting. worked well with my sandwich.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

05-01-2006 17:35:06 | More by barleywinebrewer

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a fairly agreeable beer that I enjoy every winter. Can't believe I've never reviewed it.
In a pint glass the beer is rust colored with an off-white head.
Caramel aroma, some spice.
More spice in the taste, cinnamon. Some caramel, and even a tiny hint of vanilla.
I think the beer is just a little too much on the sharp side; nevertheless, I do enjoy drinking it.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

11-21-2010 19:11:56 | More by lordofthewiens

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep copper color with a huge beige head that persists forever leaving moderate lacing on the glass. Hints of caramel and bready malt mix with earthy spicy hops make up the aroma. A slight mineral edge rounds out the nose. The flavor is toffee and caramel with bread mineral water and earthy spicy hops providing some bit of balance. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet slick mouthfeel. Not a bad beer, I could see myself drinking these.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-08-2012 02:19:58 | More by johnnnniee