Wasatch Winterfest - Utah Brewers Cooperative

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle. It pours a clear brown with a small white head. Aroma of citrus hops and grapefruit. Flavor is rather hoppy but blends nicely with sweet caramel malt. Very nice, more like an IPA than an ASA or a winter ale for that matter. Yum!
8/4/8/4/15 (3.9/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 00:16:18 | More by LilBeerDoctor

bort11

Missouri

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Courtesy of Wasatch, just like the last three reviews! Dude is beyond generous

12 oz bottle poured into a Corsendonk tulip. Thick tan head with big chunks. The lacing is unbelievable! Thick webs cling to the glass all the way through. Amazing retention. Does not stop. Color is a dark mahogany with very active carbonation streamers.

Smell has an oak and pine wood aroma. Slightly bitter but held in balance with sweet floral hops and brown sugar. Taste has a more caramel malt sweetness. Hops is there, but a bit muted.

Mouthfeel is a little thin for my taste, but it does have a velvety texture. 7% is hidden very well. It snuck up on me. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2009 04:35:38 | More by bort11

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this one from Wasatch in a recent trade. Thanks John.

Wasatch Winterfest looks great. A light brown body is topped by a tan head. The head is chunky and rocky, boasting good retention and fantastic lacing that covers the entire side of the glass.

The smell is a hoppy blast. Bitter with citrus notes. I can barely pick up a malt backbone in the nose at all. I would say this is a good thing though.

The taste disappointed me a little. It was not bad, it just lacked complexity. Up front is blast of hops that is citric and bitter. Next is just a touch of malt flavor that fades quickly into some alcohol burn.

The mouthfeel is a little bit dry in the finish and oily while the beer is in the mouth. Fairly light bodied and well carbonated for the style.

This one is pretty drinkable. Although I wasn't crazy about the flavor, I found it easy and rather enjoyable to down. Drinks pretty well at 7%ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2009 16:38:13 | More by Hojaminbag

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz from my recent trade with Wasatch... I love it when I get Utah brews from John.. I know they are gonna be fresh. Poured into my shaped SA glass.

Easy 2 finger head lasted for a looong time. Tons of crusty lace and a meringue like cap that lasted the entire glass... the brew is crystal clear deep chestnut..

I am blown away by the nose.. I was expecting toasty malts and subdued hops.. Instead.. I was greeted with a big blast of citrus hops .. some caramel malts are there.. but play waaay second or third fiddle...

The flavor is much more in line with a winter brew.. but wow.. I am still reeling from the hoppiness.. The hops are met with a great nutty and only mild chocolate malt presence.. surprising hop bitterness.. caramel essence without the sweetness is hit with a nice punch in the mouth from citric hops.. I am trying to remember a brew that the Wasatch Winterfest reminds me of.. I am coming up blank.. I can easily see how this could be a great Winter Warmer.. I prefer my hoppy brews on the dry side .. this one delivers.. it tastes very fresh.. The body is medium with a smooth creamy yet everpresent carbonation.. drinkability is fairly high just because I want another sip to describe what I am very much enjoying... the finish is long and hoppy with an underground nutty component that keeps me coming back..

Wow John.. The Utah brewers are hitting them out of the park lately.. This is a great brew that should be in anybody's fridge in a cold winters night.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2009 10:08:38 | More by JohnGalt1

jwc215

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Wasatch for including this in a trade!

Pours mahogany with a rich tan head that has good staying power. Thin lines of lacing stick.

The smell is of caramel/toffee/nuts and citrus pine. Nice hop and malt aromas blend together. Not powerful, but very nice.

The taste is of caramel/toffee/nutty with a hop balance of grapefruit and pine. Both hops and malt show nicely and blend together well. It has a bittering, dry finish.

Close enough to full-bodied to work well. Carbonation stops just short of being a bit too much for the style, resulting in the benefit of the higher of two scores I had in mind, especially as it progresses.

Alcohol is well-covered in the aroma and taste. Comes across as easier-drinking than abv would have. Nice to see a well-hopped beer that still maintains a wintery maltiness. No spices here, either - so a good brew to just enjoy the maltiness and hoppiness of it. This hit the spot for me, and I probably enjoyed more than the individual parts/scores show.

Thanks again, John!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 16:21:37 | More by jwc215

colts9016

Idaho

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A mahogany color with a nice reddish hue. There was a one finger head it was a light tan color. There was a one finger foamy head that quickly disappeared. There was some clarity in the beer, this let off a nice reddish hue.

Nose: Roasted Malt, resin, grapefruit, other citrus, and floral. There is hints of grass, green apples, and molasses.

Taste: Roasted malt, burnt sugar, grapefruit, and floral. There are notes, of grass, citrus, and green apples.

Overall: There was carbonation on the tongue. The mouth feel is astringent and powdery with a slight bitter finish that last a bit too long. There is nothing special, there is not much of a malt backbone. I didn't think that is could stand up to the slightly intense hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 06:31:51 | More by colts9016

Douglas88

Utah

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from the Utah State Store, thanks Mikey. Pours a clear amber color with a medium tan head. The aroma is very nice; just heaps of hops in here, citrus flavors explode, some light caramel and spices also. The flavor is also great; initially bitter, grapefruit and other citrus-hop flavors, some light spices and a balanced is achieved by a strong and rich caramel malt. Slightly warm, but nowhere near boozy. Just excellent. I second John, what a excellent addition, thanks Wasatch Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 17:42:44 | More by Douglas88

Wasatch

Utah

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 Edition

It's back for it's third year.

Pours a nice clean/clear dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger creamy light tan head, which leaves some nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, with a slight hop note, slightly spiced. The taste is very nice malty, and maybe more hops this year, nice sweetness and with some spice. Medium body, nice little bitterness/dryness finish. Very Drinkable, a very tasty brew, recommended.

2009 Edition

Pours a very nice dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice little creamy off-white head, with some nice sticky lacing and small islands left behind. The nose is malty, with a nice little hop note, slight spice. The taste is malty, with some hop notes, slight spice, and caramel tones. Medium body, the finish is slightly dry and bitter. Drinkable, this is a very nice brew from Utah, glad to see something like this here, recommended.

2008 Edition

A new brew for Utah, and a very nice one at that.

Pours a very nice dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice little creamy off-white head, with some nice sticky lacing and small islands left behind. The nose is malty, with a nice little hop note, slight spice. The taste is malty, with some hop notes, slight spice, and caramel tones. Medium body, the finish is slightly dry and bitter. Drinkable, this is a very nice brew from Utah, glad to see something like this here, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 21:15:13 | More by Wasatch