Alaskan Winter Ale - Alaskan Brewing Co.

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tried this when the Four Firkins was pouring it, and decided it was worth having a bottle. Says best before 14 April 2012. Sweet.

Pours a very clear, medium golden orange. Bright colors, and thin streams of bubbles rising through the glass give it some life. One finger of yellowish head, faded pretty fast, left okay lacing.

Smell is hard to pin down, but interesting. Light sweet caramel malts, overlain by something that feels familiar but I can't quite pin a name on. A faint resiny aroma like pine sap (from the spruce, I assume), but that doesn't fully describe it. It's bright and green, if a smell can be green.

Taste is good, and unique in the same way the smell is, but a little less so. A little sweetness from the malts, and a gin-like spicy evergreen flavor. Where the smell was green, the flavor is most definitely blue. Cool, and very different.

Medium-light body, with carbonation that dances on the tongue, and comes back again and again, bringing new waves of "what-is-this?"

This beer is enigmatic. A light-bodied, sprucy old ale? The elements combine well, forming something that I enjoy, but have a hard time describing. It's malty, kinda, and spicy, kinda, and good all around.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 04:21:36 | More by zeledonia

aty11b

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +15.2%

05-14-2013 01:24:38 | More by aty11b

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

4/5  rDev +8.4%

05-10-2013 14:03:45 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

05-09-2013 02:41:06 | More by SmellsofMahagony

DyingBreed

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

05-03-2013 17:12:11 | More by DyingBreed

mfl620ks

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +22%

04-24-2013 16:32:52 | More by mfl620ks

RaijinQ

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +15.2%

04-23-2013 23:47:43 | More by RaijinQ

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%

04-23-2013 08:33:01 | More by Mebuzzard

Moose90

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

04-22-2013 03:35:12 | More by Moose90

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +15.2%

04-21-2013 20:36:20 | More by KiMiRaiK

PStriedl

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%

04-19-2013 23:35:11 | More by PStriedl

dmorgan310

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

04-12-2013 01:49:09 | More by dmorgan310

Nightwish1094

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +28.7%

04-11-2013 05:37:11 | More by Nightwish1094

Localdrinklax

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -18.7%

03-20-2013 02:38:40 | More by Localdrinklax

Klimm

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +15.2%

03-18-2013 02:36:33 | More by Klimm

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

03-13-2013 06:13:38 | More by Zachtheporter

Mortarforker

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

03-12-2013 18:04:41 | More by Mortarforker

mttdls

New York

2.75/5  rDev -25.5%

03-08-2013 21:31:43 | More by mttdls

wonothesane42

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +22%

02-26-2013 13:45:56 | More by wonothesane42

Michaeldmanley

Texas

4/5  rDev +8.4%

02-17-2013 05:15:25 | More by Michaeldmanley

adkieffer

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

02-16-2013 15:53:55 | More by adkieffer

jkn09

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

02-08-2013 19:32:13 | More by jkn09

rawfish

California

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dullish amber, very small head from a normal pour. Slick lacing and nearly no retention.

Bready, with cinnamon, honey and brown sugar spices, a bit of pine, syrup and noble hops. Sweet and dry.

Bready and grain husks, rather clean with some nuances of simple syrup, cola and maple. Hops keep things clean and dry with a bit of pine and grassy bitterness. Sticky malt but dries rather well. Medium body, average carbonation and well hidden alcohol.

Simple old ale, plenty of spice notes and a grainy malt backbone. Much better than Alaskan's amber as a winter session beer. Not a bad beer, rather middle of the road, interesting to try.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:31:03 | More by rawfish

Lynzy

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +8.4%

02-06-2013 14:50:02 | More by Lynzy

JarMills

British Columbia (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

02-05-2013 06:43:05 | More by JarMills