Winter Ale - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

dheacck11

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pour is a pale mahogany, very cola like. Thin tan 1/4 finger of head that vanishes instantly.

nose is raisiny sweet. Not really in a good way.

Taste is again just too sugary sweet. Some notes of raisin, bread, malt, but overwhelmingly like brown sugar. Almost tastes like coke with booze.

Feel is medium thick. Has a little chew to it.

Meh. A beer to drink in a pinch. Not really worth a re-visit in the future either. Just very average and too much sweetness for a winter ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:23:12 | More by dheacck11

linnymtu

Michigan

3.05/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A very unoffensive beer. The best attribute is its color, a nice rich brown. However, the taste is very average, no discernable flavors jump out. I would almost call it an Amber beer. The smell is non-existant. A easy drinking beer, but not for a beer enthusiast.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 03:09:24 | More by linnymtu

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.31/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

A: Dark, mahogany colored beer. An aggressive pour gives about 1 finger's width of tan head. Short retention, very little lacing.

S: Molasses and nuts are the primary smells in the aroma, and there isn't much else going on. Smells deep and sweet, but not particularly strong or interesting.

T: Taste of brown sugar, roasty malts, there's a bit of a cherry taste. in the background. Some slight hoppiness at the end, but the overall effect is that the beer is unfinished. Makes me want to keep drinking so I don't lose the initial burst of flavor into nothingness.

M: Moderate in both body and carbonation.

O: Meh. Pretty unremarkable in every way. It's not bad, it's easy to drink, but it comes off as out of balance. It's not a bad beer, but it's not really worth drinking. A big letdown from Weyerbacher, who's beers are generally stellar.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 22:34:13 | More by DaveBlack

dirtylou

Washington

2.29/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25

12oz single, new holland 2009 pint

A winter ale, an english brown, a beer. A rather lifeless, mostly clear cola-brown body - odorless, mostly flavorless. Some chocolate malt, a bitter dryness in the finish, really just nothing to say about this one. Weyerbacher tends to be all over the map - this is a low point.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:15:26 | More by dirtylou

riversider76

New York

3.44/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours a redish brown with a thin tan head. Abit of retention, and a nice lace. Aroma is of toasty, grainy caramel malts, and brown sugar. Body is light with some carbonation. Taste ia toasty with hints of fruity sugars, and bready malts. smooth finish. Not bad,but far from outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 20:32:35 | More by riversider76

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark cherry-colored ale with a sudsy, beige head about one finger thick. Aromas of brown sugar, tart fruit and bread. Mild fruit and caramel flavor. The taste is somewhat bland and disappointing, given the decent aroma it has. Weyerbacher is one of my favorite brewers and offers some exceptional styles of beer...unfortunately, this isn't one of them.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 16:43:05 | More by keeganfrank

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz.

Pours a deep brown with a tan film for a head.

Brown sugar, buttered toast, and hazelnut in the nose.

Flavor is a light mix of caramel, toffee, buttered toast and honey.

Medium body with stinging carbonation on the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

A fairly decent ale, a bit bland in the flavor but otherwise nothing to complain about. Easily drinkable but potentially unmemorable. Would have it again in the future depending on the alternatives.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 23:29:37 | More by Cylinsier

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

2.45/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Some of Weyerbacher beers are fantastic, So, I always get axcited when I get a chance to try something new from them.

Weyerbacher Winter Ale is dull , boring and lacks flavor.

I always like the art work on Weyerbacher labels. To me, the bottles, labels, and names of the beers are part of the fun of drinking craft beer, so this winter ale will get a half point from me just for the packaging.

The beer irself is a bit of a disapointment. I can hardly pick up any aroma. It has a bready malty flavor, and some spiciness from the hops but it is just not that good.
The mouthfeel is a little thin and watery that leaves behind a chalky after taste.

To my surprise, the beer actually improved as it warmed up, but not enough to chang my rating.

It is not terrible, just a disapointing effort from Weyerbacher.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 04:11:36 | More by JohnFatAss

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

my god what a great beer if you love english brown ale with some chcolate in it this beer for you smooth tasty wow the taste jumps out in the beer and its so good looks great in glass and love it what can i say its english a brown ale and has chcolate dont walk to the store run to it great beer

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 01:30:37 | More by wac9

Silverchels

Florida

4/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice winter brown ale, with a chocolatey taste. I poured it into a frosted mug, and saw it was a rich dark coppery color though it quickly disappeared. Smooth finish left me wanting more. Lower abv allows that, unlike its cousin the Merry Monk by Weyerbacher.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:00:11 | More by Silverchels

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ouncer into a pint glass.

Pours dark brown, some reddish tones, white ring of foam. More on edges than in middle. Light smell. Faint cherry tones. Taste is a lighter watery than malt, raspberry fruit beneath. Smooth and subtle. Clean finish. Different and interesting.

Read now that this is an English Brown, which explains a lot.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 12:12:06 | More by KTCamm

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Appears near black in my signature DFH glass, I can see the deep amber color at the bottom of the glass when I hold it tot he light, but quite dark in this girthier glass for sure. Nice finger of perfectly dense tan head, dissipates after 15 minutes leaving a thin (but not too thin) layer across the surface. Decent lacing hangs off around about half of the glass.

S - A decent amount of toasty/grainy caramel malts, brown sugar and some sweet chocolate. Maybe a little apple. Pleasant but faint.

T - Wow! Delicious smooth coffee/roasted caramel flavor. Some grainy bitterness up front transcends to coffee/sweet flavors and finishes with a mild dark fruit flavor.

M - Minimal carbonation, which is perfect for this brew. Very very smooth, medium bodied+, not chewy thick but its definitely got some body to it.

O - Not a flavor explosion but very surprising/nice flavor mixed with a wonderful mouthfeel. Really nice to drink, really smooth. Gone in 5 minutes (after letting it sit for 15-20). Definitely getting more of this, much better than I remember in years past. (New label = new deliciousness??)

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:15:19 | More by MacQ32

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark copper color with lots of sticky bubbles. The head is a static formation of tight carbonation that looks nitrogenated. Slowly decompressing head.

Smells like toasted grains with a hint of brown sugar. That is all, folks.

Rigid flavors that are pretty simple and pretty straightforward. Lightly roasted grain, raisin, earthy hops, and some dry caramelly malt. A little mealy. A little spicy, especially in the finish. Some metallic notes. Quite dumbed-down.

Drinks easy except for a carbonation level that is a little choking. No impediments in the body, but then again, nothing to write home about.

Very average, which is not characteristic of this brewery. Avoidable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 13:49:37 | More by thecheapies

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle poured into a curved pint glass

A- a nice deep, translucent brown with ruby highlights. One finger of light mocha head, nice lacing.

S- Pretty generic, but pleasant. Brown ale malts, a little caramel, and some english/earthy hops are in the background.

T- Some grany malts, a little caramel and brown sugar sweetness, and a pinch of bitterness. Ends with Weyerbacher's typical metallic/sour twang.

M- light to medium carbonation, lighter bodied than you would think by the look.

O- Another underwhelming offering from Weyerbacher. Nothing specifically bad (other than their typical yeast profile which I don't really care for), but I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 18:34:44 | More by JWU

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at T J Smiths on tap the other night and was a perfect choice for my steakhouse burger.
The beer was deep brown in color with an average size head and carbs unk.
Aroma was of toffee and malts hints of dought bread.
Taste is a fairly rich malts toffee and hints of chocolates
Feels almost full bodied on the palette and is quite drinkable. Drinks like it should have a higher ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 14:41:03 | More by micromaniac129

tdm168

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - very dark brown with a thin, off white head

S - grainy, sweet, faint caramel

T - caramel, apples, bitter, nutty, faint plush fruit

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a pretty simple, typical English Brown Ale. The nose wasn't impressing but the flavor hits most of the right notes. Anyone who likes an English Brown Ale will probably enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 21:42:07 | More by tdm168

thlayli87

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a rich dark brown with ruby highlights. One finger of cream colored head that dissipated quickly. Very little, lacing.

S - Sweet and toasty malts with notes of chocolate and caramel. This smells absolutely delicious.

T - The taste doesn't disappoint at all. Toasted caramel and chocolate malt flavors mingle with brown sugar sweetness. Very mild hop presence toward the end that is almost obscured by the malt flavors. Some hints of spice as well, notably nutmeg.

M - Medium bodied with lively carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden.

O - This is the best winter/Christmas brew I've had so far this year. Very tasty and highly drinkable. I only got one bottle but now I'm wishing I'd gotten more.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 21:21:47 | More by thlayli87

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a nonic.
5.6% ABV,

A - Dark chestnut brown colored and clear, this beer pours with a short-lived light khaki head that drops to a thin skim and ring of foam with minimal lacing on the pint.

S - Weyerbacher Winter Ale has a very gentle malt aroma that encourages exploration of it's toffee and caramel nuances. Soft wheat bread and undertones of earthy hops come from a swirl but remain somewhat partitioned. It's not your typical winter beer smell but it's got a nice brown ale nose.

T - Roasted malt introduces bittersweet chocolate notes and burnt toast with a pinch of caramel sweetness and dry, earthy finish of dust and cocoa. The flavor strays considerably from the aroma but it's not bad until the finish is capped off with a metallic tin foil taste.

M - This winter ale is medium light bodied and incredibly dry from roasted malt and earthy English hops. The metallic taste carries over into the feel with a bite to the finish but it's not quite as insulting in the beer's feel.

O - Weyerbacher's Winter Ale doesn't do much to suggest winter to me, or even offer a nudge towards the season with spice or alcohol warmth for that matter. It's certainly not an awful beer but the roasted malt flavor which comes out of nowhere adds a poor metallic flavor to it that strikes me particularly hard. An average brown ale, I could take it or leave it.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:53:32 | More by BeerFMAndy

farrago

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Close to no head, just a think layer of light brownish tan across the surface, swiftly gone, virtually zero lacing as well. The liquid is murky enough to achieve opacity, otherwise some brightness to the reddish brown color, some lighter orange tones further out, only the merest trace of bubbles. The nose emphasizes soft sweetness in the form of caramel, molasses, brown sugar, roasted nuts and soda bread, some carob and cinnamon like spices too, no real fruit or citrus presence, you get more oats and general grains as it warms. In the mouth it’s full-bodied, somewhat bottom heavy, paucity of carbonation does not help this situation, just sort of lays there until it suddenly loses weight through the finish, ends short. More bitter dark chocolate and cocoa here, hints at a sort of burnt quality. There are softening vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, toffee, nutmeg, creamed coffee and some cola bean notes as well as that soft baked dessert goods quality. Given the general sweetness of the flavors curious how texturally dry it is. Nothing which meaningfully bespeaks the presence of hops. Flavorful, can’t say there’s anything wrong with it per se but you forget you’re even holding a half full glass, not a good sign.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:57:24 | More by farrago

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased a 6pk at Wegmans in Warrington, PA

Poured and sampled from a DFH Pint glass

A - Pours a very dark, mostly opaque, dark drown color. A one finger head on the initial pour. It fades to a light skim. A small amount of lacing left.

S - A underwhelming aroma of some sweet malts and spices.

T - The taste is a mix of sweet malts along with cinnamon and nutmeg. A slight toffee-like taste as well. Slightly bitter. Very middle of the road with nothing that says "Wow". It's very easy to drink and you could easily down several of these in a sitting. The ABV isn't noticeable.

M - Moderate carbonation. Thinnish consistency.

O - A good tasting beer but again, nothing that is mind-blowing. It reminded me of a Samual Adams-type winter lager. That's not a bad thing since both are tasty but just middle of the road for me. A nice segway beer to give to your friends that are not normally craft beer drinkers since it's rather tame.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 15:05:51 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

brewdude1982

North Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This wasa 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a very dark brown with a small head with very tiny bubbles. Has very little smell mostly a little sweet with some spice. What spice? I have no idea. Taste is fairly bland. Medium body and decent to low carbonation. There are better Xmas ales out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 22:31:23 | More by brewdude1982

facundoCNB

New Jersey

2.73/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a very deep amber/ruby in color with a finger of off-white head.
a slight smell of the malt bill used for this one.. not really much there, very faint in smell at all. this is shocking for a weyerbacher beer.

the taste is almost of an esb... slightly bitter up front but balanced out by the sweet malt. subtle chocolate flavor and a hint of coffee.. again, very weak in flavor.. if it takes a lot of effort to figure out what i'm drinking, then maybe it isn't worth it. not bad once it starts warming up, but it was really hard to decipher any smell/flavor at first.

medium body, moderate carbonation. not something i'd pick up again.. it wasn't bad, but it was very mild / bland. not something i expected from weyerbacher honestly, but i guess they can't all be perfect. again, it's not terrible, and i guess it was worth the experience of tasting it to learn it wasn't great.. if that makes sense. i guess i was expecting a winter warmer and all i got was a watered down bland brown ale with a slight bitterness to it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:43:52 | More by facundoCNB

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Another tone77 bottle and another opportunity for me to celebrate Christmas in July 2012!

My pour was initially creating so much head that there was a cascading action at the junction between where the head ended and the beer began that I backed off. It eventually settled into a little over a finger of light-tan head with decent retention. Color was a deep garnet-brown with NE-quality clarity. Nose was spicy, like cinnamon and/or cloves had been used, along with a lightly malty sweetness. Mouthfeel was somewhat thin and the taste was like spiced cocoa, chocolate with cinnamon. Interesting. Finish was semi-dry and nicely refreshing. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 20:12:01 | More by woodychandler

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.08/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Very dark brown with a light sand colored single finger froth head, medium retention and lacing. Smells lightly of blended spices (cinnamon and nutmeg mostly) and a roasted malt. The flavor is just about exactly as predicted from the nose but also has an aspirin-like bitterness on the finish... Lighter side of medium body and carbonation levels. Overall, it could have used some amplification and slightly more sweetness for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 17:04:59 | More by WastingFreetime

Bung

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. Very dark brown pour, nearly no light gets through. Thin layer of off white.

Aroma, malty toffee, some dark fruit. Nutmeg, cinnamon.

Taste, caramel, cocoa. Earthy spice. A peaty, woody finish. Reminded me a bit of one of the lighter Haandbrygeriet Christmas brews.

Just lighter than mid bodied. A nice fine carbonation. Easy drinking, nice manageable abv. Maybe a tad watery.
Very like able overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 02:23:37 | More by Bung