Winter Warmer (formerly Ringneck) - The Brew Kettle Taproom & Smokehouse / Production Works

McNealc31

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Color is on the darker side of amber. Aroma is more citrus and less spice than I anticipated. The taste leans on the citrus side, too. Lots of orange and even some lemon peel. Spices are noticeable in the background with cinnamon and fresh ginger. In this, the warmth comes not from the spices, but from the 8% ABV. The booze in this one will sneak up on you!

Haven't had a Winter Warmer quite like this. Definitely citrus dominant rather than spice dominant, but it's rather tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:11:49 | More by McNealc31

Brownsfan13

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +22.3%

04-15-2013 23:47:47 | More by Brownsfan13

sixerofelixir

Ohio

4.31/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. No freshness info from TBK, which is sad, but if you follow them on facebook, you will get solid updates on when things get released, which is awesome. Poured into snifter - the result looks just like the label photo.

Pours very clear, with no head. This is OK though, and as I'm not going to break down the spice regimen, I can say overall there is a highly suggested "Dr. Pepper" taste. As that particular beverage makes no state of their 23 ingredients, I feel I must treat this brew the same. Very refreshing, thick, wintry mouthfeel, and easy to drink.

I conclude with this: There is another, better-known, more-abundant, more-hyped Christmas beer that comes out in the greater Cleveland area each year. I do not get that beer anymore, but I will *always* purchase TBK Winter Warmer and spread the gospel to those who wish to taste for themselves. This is my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 19:35:42 | More by sixerofelixir

Brenden

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

This beer is a solid, deep and clear red-orange. It's not dark enough to be brown, but it is close to it. The tan head grows to a finger in height, sticks around for a minute and fades down to foam. Moderate spotty lacing remains on the glass.
The aroma is a mix of dark fruits and spicing with a slight tinge of booziness. There's a good amount of sweetness detectable in it with citrus notes. Caramel mingles with spicing both sweet and otherwise. It's a pretty good rendition of a good spiced holiday loaf/cake.
The taste follows suit, caramel and toffee sweetness along with breads from a nice malt backbone along with cinnamon and ginger, maybe some allspice as well. Lots of dark fruits pull the tongue in a few different but similar directions with some nuttiness underlying.
The body is medium and has a light bit of crispness but could use just a little more to keep it lively. Likewise the smoothness, as there's just enough to keep it rolling but not quite as much as it should. Alcohol thins it out just a touch of the end. On the plus side, it keeps from cloying or astringency.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:50:46 | More by Brenden

Stinger80OH

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

02-19-2013 23:45:39 | More by Stinger80OH

nmann08

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -25.3%

02-08-2013 02:02:09 | More by nmann08

stuttle13

2.75/5  rDev -25.3%

02-02-2013 22:34:49 | More by stuttle13

440kk

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

01-23-2013 03:37:15 | More by 440kk

tastymug

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -32.1%

01-14-2013 01:09:26 | More by tastymug

buschbeer

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

01-05-2013 06:41:17 | More by buschbeer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clean orange-ish to brown color with a light tan head. In the aroma, spices, but bigger notes of ginger. In the taste, spicy, mainly all spice and ginger. A spice like bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry spice and ginger in the aftertaste. Big spices, especially ginger, good, but just about average.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 18:01:27 | More by OWSLEY069

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The Brew Kettle : Winter Warmer

LOOK: Clear amber colored brew that pours with a short livid head.

SMELL: Spicecake aroma of sweet malt, spicy cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Cinnamon roll like smell.

TASTE: Mellow fruit notes, cinnamon spice, pepper and brown sugar. Hint of dark fruits and dusty cocoa. Soft bitterness to cover the sweet caramel like maltyness. A bit of ginger and juicy citrus. Cinnamon, sugar and toasted malt are the big notes, and everything works well together. For its boasting strength (8% abv) the alcohol is well disguised in the taste.

FEEL: Full bodied, smooth and medium level of carbonation. Clean finish with a touch of cinnamon and cocoa riding out the flavors.

OVERALL: A rather impressive winter offering from the Brew Kettle. Mellow, yet complex and all the flavors are well integrated. Easy drinking, and a perfect way to stay warm during the cold winter months.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 20:39:25 | More by Stinkypuss

451beer

Ohio

3/5  rDev -18.5%

12-21-2012 18:37:56 | More by 451beer

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a thin head, less than half a finger. A foamy ring sits on top of a deep rosy copper body. No lacing.

Cinnamon and ginger with malt are the backbone of the nose. There are also hints of dark fruit and citrus.

Cinnamon, ginger and malt start up the taste much like the nose. Hints of dark fruit and citrus follow, although these are infused with honey. Slight spiced ending is a little bitter.

Mouthfeel is straight medium bodied. Carbonation at a good level. Slight coating of the tongue noticed.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:44:54 | More by CFHMagnet

rundrink

Ohio

3/5  rDev -18.5%

12-17-2012 23:45:10 | More by rundrink

Ohiovania

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -11.7%

12-15-2012 03:12:00 | More by Ohiovania

Bills453

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - dark copper/red color. No head at all.

Smell - malty spices smells quite delicious.

Taste - a nice refreshing taste. Spices aren't as strong as in the smell.

Mouthfeel - good

Overall - a nice refreshing winter warmer. This wasn't too strong alcohol wise either so I feel I can drink a lot of them!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 23:23:43 | More by Bills453

leinie13

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

12-12-2012 00:30:01 | More by leinie13

AC-Mivsek

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%

12-10-2012 23:13:40 | More by AC-Mivsek

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A ton of ale-ish flavor gives a decidedly sweet, fruity, and spicy tone to the Brew Kettle's Winter Warmer. Its results are both sipping because of its strength of taste and flavor but is also drinkable because of its dry toasty character and supple zesty refreshment.

Bronze in color, the beer also shares hues of garnet, ruby, and brown depending on the depth of the beer. But an initial creamy and unstable head falls fairly quickly and forbades much in the way of lacing. It's a fine looking beer that prefers comparisons to cognac or port over that of ale.

Fruit and spice mingle in the nose with a back-and-forth exchange of ginger-cherry, cinnamon-pear, and citrus-allspice. A sweeter backdrop of caramel, toffee, and honey all keep the beer working within the framework of ale taste but gives savory character to all that fruit and spice.

Flavors fare similarly except is driven by malty sweetness: Caramel, toffee, and molasses lead the way but allow for the decoration of ginger and cinnamon that leaps above the malty base underneath. But a counterpart of fruity cherries, raisins, dates, nuts, figs, and grapes begin to give the beer a taste of holiday fruitcake, except in its most pleasant light.

Medium balanced, but seemingly strong because of its lingering sweetness, the beer actually achieves much of its balance from the peppery warmth of alcohol and fleeting toasty malts.

The Brew Kettle's Winter Warmer is a highly gratifying beer that is both savory to taste and rich for the stomach. There's something about the spices, malts and supple earth character that causes me to yearn for blue cheeses and sharp cheddars.

I applaude all of the aromas and flavors that come singing from the bottle. But I need a more rounded malty combo of cream and dryness that retains it's tooth deeper into the session. As is, the beer simply sugar coats the mouth and distracts from the better ale-like characteristics that go overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 07:49:46 | More by BEERchitect

Bonis

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber in color with a thin layer of foam that nearly fades completely. Aroma is honey, cinnamon, and alcohol soaked oranges. Fruity (mostly citrus), which is definitely different than other winter warmers. Taste has less citrus and more spice. Cinnamon and ginger come through big in the flavor. Malty with a boozy finish. I would say the "boatload of honey" may be responsible for that. It has a moderate body, which makes it a fairly easy drink. Not my favorite winter warmer, but definitely worth trying if you're into spiced beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 05:14:06 | More by Bonis

JimmyFlatRock

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

12-04-2012 19:27:31 | More by JimmyFlatRock

kbrown

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -25.3%

12-02-2012 00:54:55 | More by kbrown

brealbg

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%

11-30-2012 14:33:00 | More by brealbg

csustar001

Ohio

4/5  rDev +8.7%

11-28-2012 18:13:39 | More by csustar001