Winterbraun - Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe

One2Remeber

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Light hazelnut body, adequate thin white head does not linger while sipping.

S: Chewy caramel, slight alcohol undertone, light toffee.

T/M: Mild carbonation singe with a faint alcohol burn but does not linger. Hint of rich chocolate on the back end. Medium body.

O: Extremely easy to drink with pronounced straight forward flavors. Perfect beer to help warm up for the colder season. Highly recommended for someone in need of a change of pace from heavy imperial stouts.

Serving type: growler

12-30-2012 23:53:07 | More by One2Remeber

SaCkErZ9

Florida

2.19/5  rDev -41.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.75

I don't know if the recipe has changed, but my bottle indicates an abv of only 6.8%. Pours a murky, typical brown ale color of purple and brown mixed together in a rusty sort of way. Topped with a very nice sized, brown eggshell colored head. The head isnt very dense or foamy, but there is enough substance to get it to two fingers and keep it there for a while. Some sporadic lacing.

Aroma is a bit lacking. Nothing really pops out at me. I guess caramel, grainy bread, and sweet figs present themselves: otherwise, rather lackluster.

Not a fan of the flavor. Dammit! I bought a six pack of this stuff on sale hoping for a flyer. Drats! Bitter yet sweet, alcoholic, salty, astringent, sour. It is as if someone put fresh lime rind in my mouth before I took a sip. Very astringent and sour. Is something wrong with this?

This one went down the tubes really fast. Thin and watery, sour, astringent (like sucking on Aspirin), not refreshing at all. This will be a chore to finish the whole sixer. Maybe the recipe DOES need to change. Avoid this one...

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 20:43:37 | More by SaCkErZ9

Axnjxn

North Carolina

3.76/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown color with a medium head. Smell is not strong at all, very mild. Not much to go by from it. Taste is mild as well, though enjoyable. Slight chocolate flavor with a tad of bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth and easy to drink. Medium bodied, medium carbonation and the 8.0 is undetectable.

overall i could session this beer all day, which at 8%ABV is impressive. Very enjoyable though nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:56:23 | More by Axnjxn

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served in a snifter at Ale Arsenal.

A: Good lacing clings after a golden-ruby hued amberish ale.

S: Very malty. Sweet molasses and a hint of spice.

T/M: Tasty. Almost like an imperial amber. It's sweetish, but with a lot of hops and caramel malt. Interesting and smack worthy.

O: I like it. Would have again. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2013 01:46:38 | More by AgentMunky

pkalix

California

4.24/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

nice dark brown color, very little head but nice lacing down the side. unless that is left over from the corsendonk....
smell is nutty, sweet, but thin.
taste is nutty and sweet with a tang of bitter in the middle. just realized it's 8% abv. the higher the abv, the more the tendency to stress the flavor a bit.... considring that, i think they did a great job on this brew. the alcohol is noticeable but easily overlooked. there is a certain 'earthiness' to the nutty flavor and this is a beer i could easily drink in succession.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:16:31 | More by pkalix

beer_plus_plus

3.44/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

This is one of those beers that doesn't taste particularly great but is deceptively drinkable. The creaminess and body of the beer make up for its unsatisfying and perhaps uninspired flavor. I purchased because it was greatly discounted but if you can find it on sale, it's a great value.

Appearance: Creamy hazelnut body, sufficient thin head

Smell: Strong alcohol smell dominates tones of caramel, chocolate, and some fruity elements

Taste: More fruity than expected. Strong alcohol taste. Syrupy to a surprising extent, but leaves unpleasant aftertaste. More or less an unsatisfying experience.

Mouthfeel: The beer is creamier than it looks and a pleasure to drink. Very drinkable in spite of its alcoholic tastes. I found myself unhappy with its taste but coming back for more because of its drinkability.

Overall: If you can find it on sale, its well worth a look. Otherwise, there are plenty of better brown ales out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 05:31:17 | More by beer_plus_plus

chinchill

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle, dated 09?/27/12 pours with a generous and creamy looking tan head that soon settles to a admirable top coat. leaving fine lacing on the way down. The ale itself is brown-amber and clear. The aroma is disappointing, being malty but mild, too earthy and slightly metallic.
The flavor is much better, particularly in the lingering, roasted malt and Czech hops aftertaste. Medium+ body with excellent carbonation and a creamy smooth feel.
8% ABV is very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 00:13:21 | More by chinchill

Silverchels

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This brew pours with solid carbonation into my frosted mug. The rich mahogany color contrasts against the white lingering head. The smell does is not strong, but the taste is rich of coffee and warms the throat on the way down. It has a strong malty taste on the roof of your mouth. It lingers with a crisp finish, but does not have much of an aftertaste.
Overall, 8/10.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:35:20 | More by Silverchels

shand

Florida

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It's officially winter, time to stop procrastinating on the massive amount of winter beers I've stocked up on. Winterbraun pours out a great clear brown with a very nice looking large head. The aroma is full of roasted malts, chocolate, and some dark fruits. The taste offers more of the roast, chocolate, and fruits from the nose, along with a solid boozy kick and some earthy malts on the finish. The mouthfeel seems a bit too light for the booze factor that the flavor offers, and the drinkability is good. Overall, Winterbraun is a solid winter seasonal that offers something that's a bit different from the pack of overspiced ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:10:19 | More by shand

DannyHartman

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As I pour a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, a 1-2" tan head appears atop a mahogany reddish/brown brew.... The head dissolves quickly with decent retention, leaving good lacing up top and little throughout the rest.

I take a whiff and mostly roasted malts and chocolate hit me upfront.... There's also some dark fruit like that of raisin and fig with some sweet caramel or molasses, and the slightest bit of coffee and spice.

The taste is similar with lots of roasted malts, cocoa, and sweetness of caramel and brown sugar.... There's also a hoppy taste with the slightest spice and dark fruit.

I'd say this is a medium-bodied brew that is well carbonated.... It has a slick, yet syrupy feel that has a sweet chocolate aftertaste.

Overall, I really enjoyed this brew.... I like almost everything the Lost Coast Brewery puts out.... A masterful winter brew from Humboldt County.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 18:54:43 | More by DannyHartman

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a deep mahogany, almost brown color…not overly transparent…some light khaki colored head did form and a thin layer lasted…(3.75/5)

Smell: Cocao nibs right off the bat…pale malts, caramel, cream, fig, some earthiness…some alcohol heat…very nice, but there could be more I’m thinking…as it warms, the chocolate really does flourish…I had to rescore it because it really does come to life after about 15 minutes out of the fridge…(4/5)

Taste: Yum! Creamy chocolate opening…pale malts, brown sugar, caramel, dark fruit sweetness, toffee, some earthy hops…there is a little alcohol heat, but it blends well with all the other flavors…Yum! (4.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body…great carbonation making an awesome chocolate fluff on my palette…fairly smooth, does leave chocolate maltiness on my tongue…flavor lasts long after swallowing…no real bitterness to be found…(4.5/5)

Overall: This is a very drinkable beer…the chocolate malts work wonders on my tongue and all I want to do is drink more and more…easy, smooth and flavorful, one of these isn’t enough and six would send me caroling through the streets…let this one sit at room temp (out of the fridge) for 10 minutes or so before opening to find tons more flavor and aroma…the only thing that holds this back from being exceptional is the lack of head retention…I like beers that do leave a little fluff on the mustache (I don’t really have one, but you get the idea)…highly recommended for a sit-around with friends while opening those festive gifts or just chatting it up…Yum! (4.5/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:36:13 | More by SerialHiker

BenjaminBlondbeard

New York

2.9/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a rich mahogany that doesn't let a lot of light pass through. There is a half inch of off white foam that shrinks quickly, but leaves a little lacing behind.

The smell i strong, and gives off roasted malts, some chocolate, molasses, some dark fruits, and a little coffee.

There is not too much flavors up front despite the full bodied brown brew. There is active carbonation that helps some piney hop flavors and roasted malts hit the taste buds, but the subdued flavors don't totally mask the boozy nature of this 8% ale. There is a little tinge of alcohol at the end of each sip. The light syrup after feel makes this thick brew leave a lasting presence. I personally don't like that, but it that helps the minimal flavors stick around to balance the booze flavor that otherwise prevails.

All in all it is a decent winter warmer like brown ale for the price. It is a relatively inexpensive, and drinkable, strong brown beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 02:49:33 | More by BenjaminBlondbeard

TheSixthRing

California

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours reddish brown with a light tan, 2 finger head. Decent retention. Fine lacing with nice stick.

Smell - Sweet, fruity character, a bit of fig, and with underlying notes of earth and a faint touch of nuttiness.

Taste - Starts sweet, brown sugar and dark caramel with a hint of chocolate, nutty, then hits on moderate notes of fig and dark fruit mid-taste. Finishes fairly quick, leaving behind a bit of earthiness slight metallic twang.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with fair carbonation. A touch creamy. Goes down smooth and easy.

Overall - Good brew, and it's a kick in the pants vs. your more traditional english brown. Does well to hide the 8%. Good balance. Yes, I believe this one will have to be had again, but there's so many beers, and so little time and money.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 05:25:28 | More by TheSixthRing

tychoseven

California

3.18/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep, red-brown w/ a slightly off-white lacing.
S: Chocolate malts, crispy clean sugars
M: Full, rich and syrupy. Feels heavier and thicker than it is.
T: Prominent chocolate malts, caramel/toffee sugars, and a slight hops bitterness. Lingering caramel finish. The alcohol is well hidden until the beer warms, adding a bit more character and a hint of almond. Overall, inoffensive and limited palate-wise; a good but not exceptional beer. I'd drink one again if somebody else were buying.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 02:29:33 | More by tychoseven

EricDodge

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this is a pretty decent brown ale. full bodied, and you can really taste that in the mouthfeel. Nice chocolaty/malty taste and enough body to make this good for the winter. Not hoppy, so don't look for that as you would some other winter beers, but it's got enough to make it crisp and not TOO malty. All in all, a good beer. I'd drink another!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 21:33:12 | More by EricDodge

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A pretty big head rest above a a clear dark burnt red colored brown ale.

The head takes its time to recede into a pretty frothy lacing.

Light chocolate and roasted caramel malt aroma.

Roasted or maybe toasted dark chocolate malt taste pretty much drowns out anything else.

A rich full body that keeps giving throughout a mocha like dry aftertaste.

A pretty decent dessert beer, gonna have to try it with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:14:32 | More by LXIXME

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Deep mahogany brown, seems clear in color with a ton of carbonation, and a 1/2 inch of mocha colored head.

S - Mostly saaz hops with mild caramel and chocolate malts. Touch of spicy nodes and hard water as well.

T - Thankfully the hard water isn't in the taste, with no metallic flavors but it's mostly slight bittering hops and some chocolate malt. No more.

M - Light to medium but not that great

Overall not a great winter warmer since not only is the body thin but it has bittering hops and just mild flavors of any roast or chocolate flavors. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 03:21:08 | More by DrDemento456

Murrhey

Montana

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap in a 11oz tumbler at the Playground in Santa Ana, CA. Reviewed from notes.

A- Finger and a half mocha head. Dark brown color. Decent retention and great lacing.

S- Roast malts and chocolate smells. Nice little wintery spicy smell.

T- Roast malts and some warm, heavier hops. Pretty good.

M- Thick bodied and syrupy finish. Average.

O- Good brew. Lost Coast does well.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2012 04:57:29 | More by Murrhey

BucannonXC5

California

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12-oz. bottle into a pint glass. About a finger of head. Color was mahogany black. Minimal lacing on the top that dissipated quickly. No film on the sides.

Smelled chocolate malts up front. Also some toffee and caramel notes in there. Got some spices in there as well although I couldn’t distinguish the main one, Maybe even some light citrus hops?

Good initial taste right out of the gate. Got that same chocolate taste as the nose. Not as malty as I would have thought. Definitely some caramel. No citrus hops like the nose. Simple, yet good taste.

Medium body. Creamy, but watery texture. Average-to-above average carbonation. Smooth abrupt finish.

Not a bad beer overall. Nice chocolate taste, smooth and consistent. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 05:28:18 | More by BucannonXC5

cjgator3

Florida

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

12oz bottle

A- Poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark brown color with  a tan colored head.

S- The aroma is sweet malt, chocolate and caramel. 

T- The taste is nice and malty. The taste starts out sweet and malty with some caramel and chocolate. There is a mild amount of bitterness from the hops in the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is smooth, medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, this is a solid brown. I enjoyed it! 

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 04:03:58 | More by cjgator3

kylehay2004

Florida

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger off white head with excellent lacing on a dark brown with amber hues body.

S: aroma is mild overall with light roasted malt, coffee, even lighter hops

T: fairly hoppy with a smokey porter like note mixed with the roasted malt and coffee flavor of a stout.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: A little different than others in the genre. Fairly full feel with a fairly complex flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 03:39:55 | More by kylehay2004

PintOHops

California

3.08/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Glass - Nonic

A - A dark mahogany colored brew with little visibility. It didn't produce much of a head, maybe about a finger that dissipated quickly. It left a spot or two on my glass.

S - I get lots of brown sugar, toffee, and peanut brittle upfront. There's a bit of a underlying spicy character to it, like cinnamon. Hop aroma is faint and gives off soft herbal notes.

T - Brown sugar, toffee, almond flavors everywhere. There's a soft cinnamon note mingling around mid to finish. Hops lend a touch of herbal flavors, and the bitterness is mild but noticeable. As it started to warm I picked up some chocolate and a slight bit of alcohol.

M - A bit on the crisp side with a smooth and almost chewy feel to it. Medium-full bodied.

O - To me this beer tastes like a brown ale with a touch of cinnamon thrown in. The flavors were good but for the most part it did come off like it was almost a porter to me. I'd probably only have about one of these in one sitting. Overall I thought it was a okay brew, but I don't see myself buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 02:18:12 | More by PintOHops

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clean deep amber to brown-ish color with a light tan head. In the aroma, a light caramel and a roasted malt. In the taste, a mix of caramel and roasted malt, with a nice ending with a hop presence. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry small hop and caramel like sweetness in the aftertaste. A bit sweet, but nice hop presence in the beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 15:21:12 | More by OWSLEY069

BlackBearForge

Florida

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

Winterbraun is a lovely dark brown-maroon beer with a cream colored head that falls quickly leaving a touch of oily lacing in it's wake.

Chocolate and a certain earthy spiciness comes through in the aroma, quite nice actually.

The flavor picks up immediately with the chocolate malt up front backed up by quite a lot of spicy hop flavor. The roasted malts bring flavors of roasted coffee and a touch of nuttiness. Not a lot of complexity but I expect that will change somewhat with warming. Very tasty and drinkable however.

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium, very smooth though a touch chalky while the lightly creamy carbonation compliments the spicy hops well.

A surprisingly tasty brown ale from a brewery I've never tried before. I look forward to trying their other beers now.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 23:40:10 | More by BlackBearForge

BB1313

Ohio

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

Bottled on date on neck. 12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a deep brown, with ruby highlights.. nice head, lacing, retention. Lots of coffee in the nose. I'm also picking up alot of chocolate as well. The flavors are enjoyable, although the coffee is dialed down a notch. Breadiness noticeable. More chocolate malts, caramel, vanilla, spices, and a touch of cinnamon. Mouthfeel is right on, smooth and well carbonated. Nice..

This was a pleasant surprise.. very enjoyable brown ale. Great brown ale to enjoy during the winter.. I wouldn't even mind this year-round.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 20:59:22 | More by BB1313