Winter Shredder - Cisco Brewers Inc.

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle. No freshness date.
It pours a ruby-hued dark amber color with a fast-fading off-white, with bits of patchy lacing.
A raw malty smell jumps out at first pour. A whiff of mashed berries and nutmeg follow close behind. Citrusy and sprucy hops peak through and last throughout. A mild perfume alcohol is present.
Tastes of sweet malt, citrus zest and pine, berries and spices mix and mingle. The alcohol is noticeable throughout, but nicely in the background.
This could very well be the East Coast's answer to Anchor's Christmas Ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 23:18:49 | More by BeerResearcher

ygtbsm94

Virginia

2.25/5  rDev -29.5%

06-07-2013 01:23:14 | More by ygtbsm94

CreightonSM

New Jersey

2.25/5  rDev -29.5%

05-22-2013 02:44:01 | More by CreightonSM

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.46/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I miss the Ninja Turtles... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear copper-garnet topped by over a finger of wan khaki foam. The nose comprises light cardboard, musty pine needle, stale orange peel, and a vague mixture of spices. The taste goes headlong for the orange the spices (which are still to blandly mixed together to pick apart), moves into wetter cardboard and stale biscuit, and finishes in an odd and off-putting bitterness that borders on mintiness. This is just plain bad, folks. The body is a light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a slick feel. Overall, I think they tried a little too hard with this spiced ale and ended up falling rather short of anything worth drinking. Pure dreck.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 19:56:59 | More by TMoney2591

eawolff99

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-10-2013 16:22:51 | More by eawolff99

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-03-2013 02:59:52 | More by DrunkinYogi

JoeyD

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The frugal man's Dead Guy Ale. Good taste at a good price.

Recently this popped up on an impulse display at $5 for a 6-pack. It had a decent rating, and with a 6% ABV I figured it would be worth a try. I was pleasantly surprised at the full flavor because I wasn't expecting much for that price.

It has all of the flavor of a good spicy beer, but it finishes a bit thin. That might not be a bad thing though as it's pretty drinkable. IMHO it deserves to be upwards of 80 points here. It's better than some higher rated beers I've tried. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 00:38:22 | More by JoeyD

olbubba

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -13.8%

04-09-2013 00:42:21 | More by olbubba

carnoustie7

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -29.5%

04-07-2013 23:19:18 | More by carnoustie7

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -21.6%

04-06-2013 22:12:03 | More by ejimhof

TripelMark

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +9.7%

04-04-2013 18:07:49 | More by TripelMark

brez8791

Pennsylvania

1/5  rDev -68.7%

02-28-2013 00:02:50 | More by brez8791

reitzbrewing

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +9.7%

02-17-2013 21:55:44 | More by reitzbrewing

SadMachine

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +9.7%

02-17-2013 19:13:56 | More by SadMachine

JessicaLeigh

3.25/5  rDev +1.9%

02-08-2013 23:24:29 | More by JessicaLeigh

nickfl

Florida

3.38/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of light tan foam on top of a clear, amber-brown body. The head settles at a moderate pace and leaves decent lace.

S - Dark bread, toasted malt with some clove and cinnamon.

T - Toasted grain and dark sugar up front. Black bread and notes of molasses in the middle with a finish of clove, allspice, and light hop bitterness.

M - Medium-thick body, average carbonation, and a fairly dry finish.

D - Not great, the malt is dark but overly dry with a harshly toasty finish. Not much else going on.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:25:15 | More by nickfl

jadpsu

Georgia

4.11/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at Neiko's after they had a Cisco beer tasting event.
Pours a great clear amber with a great tight tan head with some superior side glass lacing.
Aroma is spicy hops led by orange peel hops with some lesser bready malts.
Taste folows the nose with orange peel hops and bready, toffee like malts.
Extra dry throughout. a good Winter Warmer.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:52:24 | More by jadpsu

jhb138

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -13.8%

02-03-2013 15:53:27 | More by jhb138

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a four-finger khaki head that fades quickly leaving some lace. Crystal clear, deep amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Piney, citrusy nose and flavor is spicy citrus, dry light bitter finish. Unusual winter brew. $2.35 for a 12oz bottle from Bert's Better Beers Hooksett, NH

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:32:55 | More by jdhilt

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Quite an attractive winter warmer, ruby brown in color with some good carbonation resulting in a 1/2 inch of opaque colored head. Seems to stick around for quite a bit and and lacing looks great.

S - A very mild one really maybe sweet malts? Toffee? A touch of cherry? It's hard to tell.

T - Oaky and a tad bitter possibly too much since it gives me a medical herb flavor. Very little actual sweet malts which is OK I guess. God I wish it wasn't so bitter winter warmers are suppose to be malt forward...

M - Medium and bitter yet seems to be good enough.

Overall I think I give up on Cisco Brewery so far the only beer that "wow'd" me was their Summer of Lager, so I will pick it up again in... summer. Gowd I can't wait for summer winter sucks!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:04:54 | More by DrDemento456

C-Dog

4/5  rDev +25.4%

01-25-2013 22:11:34 | More by C-Dog

elec

Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev -13.8%

01-22-2013 04:31:15 | More by elec

MrCee

4.2/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Cola like in color. Spicy in taste especially in the aftertaste. It has a mild hoppy feel to it. The Head is nice and dark. An interesting characteristic is its gassiness which make it easy to fall into a fit of the hiccups. Light on the aroma. As winter beers go, this one has a lightness that make those not into syrupy winter winter beers appreciative. This is something we can enjoy when it gets cold.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 16:11:18 | More by MrCee

dacrza1

New Jersey

2.15/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 2

Situation: Shark Tank Friday--the best hour of TV deserves a beer rating!
Glassware: Kisatsky's Tavern pint...
Appearance: nice nut brown body; thick, creamy head reminiscent of a snow drift (three-finger crater-filled mound!)...
Aroma: vanilla, berry (?!), syrupy and sugary--a complex hodgepodge that cannot be verified as the beer glass drains...
Palate: warming--no abv on the label?! A turn-off--and then the beer finishes in a flourish of cough syrup...oh no...
Taste: oddly thick vanilla and syrup/nut taste--a bit too medicinal to be considered an attractive holiday option....
Overall: "Gnar-Gnar Lumpkin" sounds fun when you say it to your spouse aloud, but he sticks in your throat and nostrils like a liquid sasquatch; divulge the alcohol content, Cisco, and we may have reason to see past the muddle that is this beer's body and flavor...not sure "cold, fresh, and wicked cool" isn't longhand for Coors Heavy...

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 05:24:31 | More by dacrza1

metter98

New York

3.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear amber to brown in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense beige colored head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin head covering the surface and lacy dots, rings and zig zags of bubbles on the edges of the glass, which reminded me of patterns of frost on a window.
S: Light aromas of spices are present in the nose - ginger and nutmeg seem to stand out in particular.
T: The taste is dominated by spicy flavors, but these aren't overpowering. Flavors of ginger linger through the finish. A very slight amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little dry (from the spices) on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a winter warmer that is not too difficult to drink, possibly since it uses ginger in lieu of other stronger spices.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:31:55 | More by metter98