Newcastle Winter IPA - The Caledonian Brewery Company Limited

kdawg105

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +43.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is what to be expected with this kinda of ale. The smell is has very nice sweet notes with a slight bitter finish from the hops. The taste is what to be expected for this type of beer but it has a very nice balance of the malts to hops ratio. The mouthfeel is almost not there which makes a really great beer all together.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 01:01:44 | More by kdawg105

sergio1va

California

4.28/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours to a copper color with a reasonable foam tan head. As an IPA it is clearly a very drinkable IPA. Bitterness is low and complements the malt character of this beer. Surprisingly very mild to the pallate and finishes pretty smooth.
Not sure if it's a year round beer. Good overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 03:31:51 | More by sergio1va

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.23/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Newcastle Winter IPA has a fairly thick, foamy, off-white head, a clear, slightly bubbly, copper appearance and minimal lacing on the glass. The aroma is subtle, but one can pick up tea, malt, and possibly a touch of hop sting. Taste is of tea, nuts, brown bread, bread crumb, sweetness, tannin, and an underlying hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Newcastle Winter IPA finishes semi-dry, mild, and highly drinkable. Overall, this is a sublime, intricate, and delicate offering. I think this is a really nice beer!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:35:09 | More by RonaldTheriot

jadpsu

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What a pleasant surprise.
Purchased at the Corner Market in Laurel Ms.
Pours a Crystal Clear light amber with a slightly off white head that has average retention and some woody, piney hops along with grainy malts with some apple and or pear aroma.
Taste is creamy, smooth and well balanced, with a little coffee bean flavor.
Dry finish and slightly bitter finish.
Enjoyed this beer. Need to purchase some more of this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:59:29 | More by jadpsu

detchazm

Ohio

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

Beers like NEWCASTLE are have a similar taste or flavor. This the second seasonal beer I had from these folks, & I'm very impressed. The NEWCASTLE WEREWOLF was exeptional & so is this. One of the better smelling beers I have had. I would buy this again. I may put ti on tap in my Pub next winter. I'm torn between GREAT LAKES CHRISTMAS ALE, SHINER CHEER, or this.
CHEERS
CM~2013

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 01:44:29 | More by detchazm

Windigo

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

So after carrying Nut Brown Ale and the Werewolf on tap at work, this was a switch in my own home to have this in bottle. I dig it. It's a great with dinner beer. We are a Newcastle household...I miss the appearance of the beautiful brown tinted head...because that's what can distinguish "Nukes" from other brews, from across the room anyway.
It's a hair peppery, it's refreshing, not quite as sweet as the Brown. I ordered it for the bar and am pleasantly surprised how many people from both sides of the beer spectrum enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 20:16:31 | More by Windigo

Luigi

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a rich clear amber color with a two finger (Three depending how warm you or aggressive you drink it). Retention is great as it sticks around as a think blanket on top till the last sip. There is some sticky lacing left behind as well.

The aroma at first earthly and medicinal from the hops, yet balanced out with hints of caramel and toffee.

The herbal hop grassy hop hits the palate at first, with a balance of caramel malt and sour apple. Hints of pine and citrus are more noticed towards the semi dry finish. Hop bitterness does linger for a bit.

Medium to creamy bodied with a dry crisp finish. Easy to to drink and very English (which I love)

Overall this is English IPA is a rare and balanced approach to the over hoppy IPA (which I have love for) American style. Hell I would drink this ale year around.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 04:39:34 | More by Luigi

scottfrie

California

3.95/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into Portsmouth tulip.

A: Pours a clear dark golden color with three fingers of light tan head that faded into a bubbly film leaving a complex sheet of sticky lacing down the glass.
S: Light notes of citrus including lemon and orange zest with more dominant flavors of biscuity doughy malts.
T: Clean and lightly sweet flavors of pale malts, cracked grains and a touch of caramel with hoppy flavors of lemon and sweet orange coming through in the finish. A nice mild honey-like sweetness lingers as an aftertaste. Flavors are clean and crisp and go down smooth.
M: Medium-thin body, clean and crisp mouthfeel, and foamy even carbonation.
O: Not all that bad for an English IPA. Certainly something that I could drink a few bottles of.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 23:56:08 | More by scottfrie

Hendry

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Turn back the hands of time 30 years and Newcastle Brown Ale was one of the small handfull of quality imports that was available at the time. My first experience was a 16 oz draught at Lord Bumberry's in Boston back in 1984, and that was by far the best representation of Newscastle that I can remember. Since that time, the clear bottles of Brown Ale have been widely distributed and readily available.

My guess is that Newcastle, like many other popular imports, rode the wave of popularity for years and have watched their U.S. market share shrink year after year. The answer? Create an IPA in 2012 in hopes of igniting the flame and stoke up the sales. This Winter IPA falls flat of the mark, but overall is a palatable easy drinking ale, albeit a bit watery.

If nobody told you this was an IPA and poured a glass for you, chances are few if any would guess that is what was. This much more resembles a typical British ale with just a smidgen of hoppiness to it. Not much in the way of nose outside of what a garden variety Brit ale puts forth, and the flavors are a pleasant mixture of caramel and watered down hops: don't expect any bitter hoppy aftertaste because it will let you down in that regard.

The Brits should stick to what they know best: quality ales,rich porters & stouts. The only reason most of the export brands are marketing an IPA is because they lost a sizable portion of the market share ever since us Yanks became more hip to hops!

Now that Spring is around the corner, you should see some bargains on the sizable stock of unsold Newcastele Winter IPA left in the warehouses. If you are buying beer for a party and can pick it up cheap, the value is decent and the ale is reasonably palatable overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 21:28:48 | More by Hendry

beergoot

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber body; thick, creamy head. Robust malt aroma; biscuit-like with a hint of pine or spruce. Roasted malt, nut-like flavor; a slight tanginess that quickly disappears with a sweet, biscuit and honey flavor and a gentle hop bitterness undertone; graham cracker. Medium body; smooth and creamy.

A smooth, very appealing beer all around. Emphasis is on the malt notes which exude a pleasing warmth and gentle sweetness. Very good...

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 23:52:54 | More by beergoot

justinjj1280

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light copper color, decent amount of head that retained just adequately, but, in fairness, I nursed it.

Very Caramel malty flavor with a nice bit of hop bitterness, rather than the hop flavor you get from American IPA's.

I think this may be my first experience with an English IPA, and I'd love to taste more of them. I'm not a hophead, and I really like this IPA.

I've really enjoyed the recent seasonal offerings from Newcastle. Hope they keep them coming.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 02:39:30 | More by justinjj1280

PhuckinPhil

California

3.88/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured this from the 12oz bottle into a Sam adams better beer glass.

Look: A coppery brown, Light carbonation, little head retention, moderate lacing that sticks until the end.

Smell: Wood, raisins, toffe, malt, grains.

Taste: Very creamy and malty up front, with just the right amount of hops to balance. Finishes with a grain and toasted biscuit warmth.

I usually go for the very hoppy IPA's and I had a feeling newcastle would be much different, and it is! I am far from disapointed. Not much of a fan of their other brews but definetely love this one!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 03:47:35 | More by PhuckinPhil

billybob

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bright clear aged copper color not much of a head or lace aromas are light with toffee, sweet malt, and herbal notes. first thing you taste is this funky woody smoke malt then some herbal notes and pepper or some kind of peppery spice and a slight after taste that,s not unpleasant. smooth mouthfeel with a light carbonation and a light to medium body. overall not bad i would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 17:44:18 | More by billybob

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clean orange-ish color with a small white head. In the aroma, a light citrusy pine hop. In the taste, a light citrusy pine hop, with a mellow maltiness to balance it out. A small hop bite and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a lightly dry, citrusy pine hop in the aftertaste. A nice hop and malt, a little light, but quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 18:23:41 | More by OWSLEY069

Brenden

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Notes are from last week.

If you've ever seen a freshly polished antique brass bar or handrail, you know what this beer looks like. A small light tan head shows moderate retention, retaining a foam after it fades. Not much lacing is left but for a bit of spotting and a few legs creeping here and there.
A delicate balance of hops and malts come out on the nose, and the particular earthiness and almost peat-like character of the hops bitterness lets me know this is an English style. It's a little light, but by no means unnoticeable. It's also a bit grassy with a touch of fruits and the caramel of the malts gives way to a hint of toffee.
Toasty and caramel malts notes mingle with an herbal, pithy woodiness as far as bitterness goes; this is no citra hopped west coast IPA, nor should it be. Things come together well in the flavor, which is also somewhat stronger than the aroma.
The mouthfeel isn't terribly thin, though it is a little. Otherwise there's a good carbonation, it's assertively crisp, and it goes pretty smooth into the finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 13:46:52 | More by Brenden

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark amber with a nice fine-bubbled pale tan head. Aroma is hoppy, a little malty and a little spicy. Hoppy, spicy flavor makes it taste somewhat like an IPA mixed with a winter warmer - distinctive and interesting. Texture is firm-bodied, edgy and fizzy, leaving a nice, if not persistent, tingle. Look for it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2011 21:02:59 | More by Cyberkedi

secondtooth

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Newcastle's branching out has resulted in some good brews, and this one is no exception. It pours a clean amber, with a 2-finger head of off-white carbonation and only a thin wisp of lace. Fine so far.

Nose is mainly malty, believe it or not. I get caramel. But, this is, however, a classic English-style IPA, rather than an American-style hop-bomb IPA. So no points detracted.

Taste is caramel and toffee, with the hops coming it more near the middle and finish of the tasting. Solid and quite enjoyable, if not memorable.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 14:10:29 | More by secondtooth

tylerzander

Arizona

3.71/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A - pours a crystal clear deep copper color with a short lived one finger slightly off-white head that reduces to a wisp after a minute or two

S - a bit surprising for an IPA that the predominant aroma is that of malt, namely caramel-forward malt notes with some mild continental hop notes to provide some complexity but it's hard to suss out their presence

T - the taste delivers on what the aroma promises: a pleasant maltiness that offers, again, just a hint of mild floral/spicy hoppiness

M - full and rounded out mouthfeel which would be best fresh, as it is brought down a couple notches by some oxidation notes at the end

D - quite drinkable, especially for the winter when one seeks a fuller beer with a good malt backbone that provides some sustenance and a little extra flavor; altogether a good, drinkable beer that seems to age (despite the oxidation) better than its American IPA counterparts even if what's promised on the label (an intensely hopped IPA, 18th century style) doesn't exactly manifest itself in the glass

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:44:25 | More by tylerzander

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.71/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not sure on the age on this. It seems certainly towards the end of the season for this.
Surprisingly malty, toasty and caramelized aroma. Soft english hopping is definitely in the background. Pleasing enough.
Very clear brown/copper. Smaller head than expected.
Flavors are similar to aroma with greater hop presence. Still largely a malty drink with more blending of the hops throughout, but not really very bitter, more of hop flavors-and they are nice. Soft drying on the finish. Prickly spicy carbonation and hoppy start.
Really quite a light body, esp. for a 5.2% abv. Feels much smaller than that, although flavor holds a touch of alcohol qualities (or features of what I'd expect from a 5% drink).

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:15:49 | More by garymuchow

kvnstfrd

Missouri

3.69/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a 16 oz. goblet. Pours a dark amber color; looks a lot like strong tea. A two-finger off-white head with tons of sticky lacing. Smells of caramel, cherries and other ripe fruity aromas. Some nice, earthy hop aromas in there, too. Taste is malty, fruity and sweet up front with a smooth transition into a herbal, hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is a just little on the thin side, but carbonation level is low and not dry at all. Overall, probably the best English IPA I’ve ever had. This is a nicely balanced and complex beer that I hate to see called a "Limited Edition." SO much better than Newcastle’s flagship Brown Ale. Hopefully, it will at least become a yearly, seasonal brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 13:00:27 | More by kvnstfrd

Jason

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

LOOK: Shiny dark brass

SMELL: Toffee, fresh cut grass, herbal, woody hop, ripe apples, floral

TASTE: Smooth, semi-creamy, medium body, malty, light toffee, hop bitterness, thick herbal, woody, toasted grain, dried hay, yeast, ripe pears, faint esters

Very well balanced and pushing the palate a bit to make it interesting enough to want more than one bottle. Comes off to be a good beer from a less talked about style ... at least in the US. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 02:38:06 | More by Jason

phichifiji00

California

3.68/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: clear, amber in color, pours 1/2 finger of white head that fades quickly, moderate lacing.

Smell: hoppy, malty, nutty, a hint of roasted malt, spices, caramel, hint of maraschino cherry towards the end.

Taste: caramel, malty, a hint of roasted malt, a bit hoppy, sweet.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth, buttery, creamy, zesty.

Overall: A very tasty beer. Not much of an IPA, but the winter spice notes and nutty charachter come thru and work quite well.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 17:27:05 | More by phichifiji00

Offa

California

3.68/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a good, if rather subdued and simple, English IPA. Although lacking the strong, complex hoppy-yeasty character of the best English IPAs, it is a very enjoyable beer with good character and just enough hoppy and yeasty character, although it really is rather closer to an ESB due to the relatively strong malty character and sweetness.

Copper, it has a medium big off-white head steadily srhinking to a nice foamy top, leaving a hint of lace.

Aroma is strong dry bread, a lot of juicy yeastiness, a little pine sap, hint of metal (specifically, coins), fermented dough.

Taste is juicy pine yeasty and hoppy character, but gentle, with jammy and fruit-candy fruitiness, zestiness. It has definite yeasty and hoppy elements, but tends to be a little more on the malty and fruity sweet side, so that it is really arguably more like an ESB (keeping in mind that real English IPS - not the "IPAs" that are actually bitters - have lower, more balanced bitterness than most American-style IPAS but predominantly hoppy and yeasty character). However, it is an enjoyable, solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 18:25:37 | More by Offa

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 11/16/2012 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark amber color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, honey, some hops and some citrus.

T: The taste starts out bready with mild flavors of nuts and a hearty malt character. Then some mild sweetness comes in from flavors of caramel and a little citrus. The hops presence is mild for the style but brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly bready.

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

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, decent representation of style, this is a solid beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 23:57:24 | More by TheManiacalOne

drperm

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Disclaimer: I dig English beer, and have a certain and definite bias in their direction.

Ap: Darker than I expected. It is lovely, though, with the requisite thin foam lacing at the top. Not too much -- takes away from the beer below.

Sm: toasty, dark florals, and a bit of soy sauce.

T: A firm nutty bite with mellow but distinctive English hops, treacle, raisins, and plum pudding. As others have said, not quite as sweet as Nukey Brown, which is a good thing.

M: Nice, but nothing distinctive.

O: speaking of the aforementioned plum pudding, I bet it would be a perfect match with that. As a gift, I certainly wasn't going to turn these freebies down, and they're pretty tasty to boot.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:14:18 | More by drperm