Alaskan Winter Ale - Alaskan Brewing Co.

jera1350

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear copper color with a short head that shrinks to a ring around the glass pretty fast. A little bit of lacing is left.

A nice malty sweetness with some candy notes and light bit of spruce.

The malts are very sweet with notes of dried fruit. Crystallized ginger and pineapple maybe? A touch of hops and spruce at the end with a hint of spice and alcohol. I really like the fruity/candy sweetness in this.

A medium feel with soft carbonation and a dry finish.

This one was a bit of an eye opener for me. I expected nothing and was pleasantly surprised with a very tasty winter beer. It's very drinkable compared to some other winter style warmers. The sweetness is very nice and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 02:06:19 | More by jera1350

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the "taproom" at SeaTac airport today.

The beer pours a copper amber color with fairly good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive, with a sweet intermix of cherry, light clove, and considerable underlying spice. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this fairly sweet beer, though the spice helps to buoy the sweetness to some extent. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a fairly long, sweet, fairly spicey finish. Drinkability isn't too bad, and I think it helps that this beer isn't overly boozy.

Shurg. While nothing extraordinary, this is still a pretty good beer. All things considered, this is an enjoyable, easy to appreciate and drink winter ale from Alaskan brewing. Definitely a nice beer to have on hand at an airport facility.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 21:23:16 | More by johnmichaelsen

Mike22

Oregon

4.93/5  rDev +33.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The color is a bright copper
Smell is caramel with hints of evergreen.
Taste is malty, medium roasted hops with a sweet caramel finish
Mouthfeel seems to be better as the beer warms up, in fact the beer does better the warmer it is, maybe due to the fact it is an English style Ale.

Overall this is one of my favorite easy to get, not over priced brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:36:25 | More by Mike22

Philousa

California

2/5  rDev -45.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a clear golden color, bubbly without much foam sticking around on top. Thick caramel syrup and amber malt aroma, a bit of some pine in there and a hint of too-sweet bread. Pale malt flavor starts things off then, out of nowhere, blueberries. The blueberry flavor is pretty prevalent and I might be mistaking it for the pine needle flavor they were trying for. I get some bitter piney flavor too. This is a thick, syrupy beer and is a bit undercarbonated.

I used to like this beer years ago when I was first getting into the craft beer scene. I remember the pine flavor being prevalent but not overpowering. But this most recent tasting was very different. The prevailing flavor was cough syrupish. I hope that this is due to a recipe change and they go back to the original, because if it's my taste buds that are to blame for this reversal in flavor then all hope is lost for this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 23:01:47 | More by Philousa

morimech

Minnesota

2.48/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Pours a clear copper color with a good one finger of head that quickly settled to a thin cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left down the glass.

Not getting much from the aroma. A little fruit and toffee.

What the hell is the flavor suppose to be? Blueberries is all I can taste. Tastes like a summer fruit flavored wheat ale. Nothing like I expected. Very sweet. Where is the spruce?

The mouthfeel is easily the best part of the beer. Not quite medium bodied and nicely carbonated. I actually enjoyed the texture.

Should be advertised and labeled as a fruit flavored beer and take spruce off the label. Then I would of never bought a six pack of this. Not enjoying the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 23:10:32 | More by morimech

tewaris

Minnesota

2.23/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

"IPA colored", clear with ok head, retention and lacing. Not much of an aroma except cheap candy like notes that the taste also suffers from. Alright carbonation. Rather WTF of a beer, IMO. Not sure what the story is behind this beer but I am not digging it one bit!
3.5, 2, 2, 3.5, 2

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 18:58:01 | More by tewaris

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had a pint at 3 Squares in Maple Grove, MN. It was a smooth, slightly sweet with fruity notes. It reminds me a bit of Summit Winter Ale from St. Paul. It's a nice beer for a cold winter day, but it's a little more simple than I'd like. Sure, it's not too sweet or heavy, but a little crisp, clean malt character or spice would go a long way.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 21:36:20 | More by tempest

Humulus85

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Darkness snifter.

Produced a dense, off-white, 2-finger head. Moderate retention and a bit of lacing. Deep copper color, very clear. A bit lighter than expected.

All malt here. Caramel and toffee, almost candy like.

Again, almost candy like. Not super complex, just caramel and some toffee. Where are the spruce tips? Tasty just not outstanding.

Mouthfeel is a little light for what I want in a Winter Warmer. Carbonation is solid and it doesn't finish too sweet.

Overall this is a decent Winter Warmer, but it could use a bit more depth in flavor and a heavier body. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 19:43:15 | More by Humulus85

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a nice copper color with a few centimeters of foam above. The aroma is malty with caramel and ripe fruit in the nose. A faint hint of spruce lingers in the background. On the palate the malt is a little husky up front. A fruitiness, almost berry like rises through the center as the spruce and malt comingle. It finishes with a light pop of spice which balances everything. An interesting twist to a winter staple.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 01:50:36 | More by BeardedBoffin

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a clear copper color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes quickly into a small cap of lacing. The aroma is of caramel, and toffee. The taste is similar to the aroma. It is pleasant, but quite simple and straight forward. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a smooth texture, and high carbonation. Overall, this is a decent beer, but i highly doubt I will drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 22:42:05 | More by KarlHungus

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This was served in a tulip glass.

Appearance- There is no head on this beer, not even some film. Just, no head. The body is a deep amber with some luminous gold highlights.

Smell- I am picking up some malt on the nose, sort of a bread malt. The hops seem earthy. The spruce is not anything like I expected, not like smelling a Christmas tree, just makes the nose kinda, musty.

Taste- The malt, which is bready and buttery, is coming through the strongest on the palate. The spruce is a little stronger here, and engages mostly in the finish. The earthy hops are also noticeable. It is slightly interesting, but not good enough.

Mouth feel- The body is the least of my worries, a decent enough medium body. It is creamy with okay carbonation.

Overall- This winter warmer is awfully bland, just loads up on the malt. It would have been nice to have really noticed spruce any where in this beer. If you're going to say it is there on the bottle, it should be IN the bottle too.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 21:02:29 | More by Pintofbrown

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Transferred over from the Alaskan session in my tasting notebook.

Appears orange-tinted amber, two fingers of frothy head that dies back in about two minutes, medium levels of lacing. Body is medium thick, lightly carbonated. Smells of some bready tones and that signature spruce tip element...very fresh and piney, yet more sweet than pine, if that makes any sense. Flavor is brassy, sweet, has some minor metallic notes :( medium breadiness and dried figs, vaguely psuedo-mulling spice comes across in a really super subtle way on the finish, really quite tasty yet a bit too far into sweetness for my comfort zone, but YMMV.

Worth looking into if you want something with a psuedo Belgian-y fruitiness and holiday spicing that stands apart from the crowd by having spruce tips in it. My main complaint is that distracting light undertone of metallic flavor...get rid of that, tweak the carbonation slightly, add a bit of earthy hop tones, and this could be something really amazing.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 00:04:58 | More by WastingFreetime

sweethome

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hazy golden color with minimal head. Chunky hop or yeast residue floaters.

Sweet nose with a grassy hint - must be the spruce. Entry is fairly thick and sweet. Honey malt flavors - sweetness lingers on. Mouthfeel stays concentrated mid mouth - doesn't flow out. Spiciness on finish from hops and spruce.

The malt charchter is not overly pleasing...spruce is light, which is good. Lack of hops to balance the sweetness. Alcohol is warming, but not to a level expected for an Alaskan winter night.

Just not too pleasing for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 06:46:04 | More by sweethome

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Clear golden amber with a thin off white head.

S - Light aroma. Some malt, fruit and spruce.

T - Sweet and malty with light spruce and pine notes. Herbal and woodsy. Strange lager type finish. I had to double check the bottle to make sure this was an ale.

M - Medium body and crisp like a lager with a good amount of carbonation. Haven't had a winter warmer before that feels lager like.

D - Light on the spruce and easily drinkable but a bit boring. Not on the "spiced" level of most winter warmers.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 23:37:48 | More by brewcrew76

TucsonTom

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

A very interesting, unique and tasty offering.

A: A light amber, with no read head. Doesn't look like much.

S: Hardly any smell to it at first, but the smell seemed to increase as it warmed up: sweet and spruce.

T: The taste is where Winter really shines. Again, the taste is more muted when cold; gets more interesting as it warms up: sweet fruit, spruce, other spices. Very unique.

M: Average, with no carbination.

I can understand why other reviews question this beer's categorization as a Winter Warmer. It isn't something that I would sip by the fire to warm me up. But it IS a great winter session beer for watching sports. It's unique and growing taste makes it an 'A' beer in my book.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 17:21:40 | More by TucsonTom

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz twist-off.

It pours a clear orangeish amber with a tightly foamed creamy looking off-white head. It sticks for a good while.

The smell is interesting. Definitely spruced up. There is also this taffy like smell.

The flavor isn't that great imo. It is just like the most basic golden ale you could imagine. Slightly buttery with a hint of spruce.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 21:10:16 | More by crossovert

Givekidsmeth

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this after checking out the BA reviews, and they're pretty spot on. My girlfriend hates beer, and this one is something she actually loved. Excellent beer for someone who says they dislike beer because of bitterness.

Appearance - Poured into a tall beer glass. Light carbonation, two finger head, color of perfect caramel. This stuff just looks delicious.

Smell - Bread, light spice, dried fruits, malts. inviting and warm, the only reason I'm knocking a half point off for is that I'm not getting the spruce tips. But that's not to say it was in the least bit disappointing.

Taste - Again, the spruce tips don't come through, but everything else just shines more than enough to carry the weight. There's bread, light spice, that sweet, dried fruit flavor is up front and center. The tastes linger in a sweet, warm way across your tongue, and it just entices you into taking another sip.

Mouthfeel - creamy and delightful. Easy to drink, the carbonation is careful and spot perfect. Not dry, a very "wet" beer.

Overall, I'm not disappointed that the spruce tips didn't come through. The malty, bready, fruity aspects of this beer make it the best winter warmer I've found at my local grocer yet. It's not complex, but that just lends to its charm. It's honest, simple, affordable, and just mixes well with winter in a way few beers can.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 20:36:57 | More by Givekidsmeth

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark golden. One finger white retains well with some lacing.
S- Malty, sugary on the nose with pine and a bit of fruityness.
T- Very sweet up front. Sugary and a bit of toffee and butterscotch. Soon enough pine flavors as well as just a light fruityness.
M- Very low carbonation. This beer sits firmly on the tongue.
O- A good winter beer that takes a different perspective than the standard spicebombs a lot of brewers make.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 01:36:05 | More by jsprain1

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

was real stoked for the spruce tip component. had a brilliant spruce tip casked ipa this summer and thought this might be similar. it wasnt at all, but not in a bad way. pours a perfectly clear maple syrup color with the slightest red hue to it. super carbonated head that fades quickly, tons of bubbles rising up from what i thought was a clean pint glass. bubbles never stopped. nose is slightly sugary, and deep. a glorious but gentle waft of pine appears in the nose too. i cant get the spruce in the taste though, possible a pine sap stickyness, but none of that christmas tree vibe. does have a residual spice element, maybe anise, and also a fruity element, maybe ground cherries or plums. mouthfeel is just way too thin for a winter warmer, but it works under another name. first alaskan won't be my last

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 04:11:27 | More by StonedTrippin

JohnnyP3

Alaska

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle dated 030512. Poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark gold, copper color with a thin white cap of foam that simmers down. Very active carbonation. Not a huge amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell consists of a fresh spruce tree (brewed with spruce tips), and a kind of grassy/hay aroma. I can also detect a trace of the malt backbone of the beer.

Taste has a nice rich malt foundation upfront that transitions to some bitterness and sweetness from the spruce/noble hop flavor at the end. A nice fresh winter snap on the finish.

Mouthfeel is clean and crisp and, as noted, has a nice wintry finish.

Overall one of your more easy drinking winter seasonals that imparts a taste of the great Alaskan outdoors during winter. Not a bad choice for holiday gatherings. The higher abv gives it some more warming power.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:11:06 | More by JohnnyP3

bsp77

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Clear burnished gold (much lighter than expected) with little head and next to no lacing.

Smell: Very fruity, with caramel and cherry. Don't detect any hops or spruce tips, for that matter.

Taste: Aahh, very sweet! Cherry, caramel and dark fruits run amok. There is some very light English-style hops and pine (or make that spruce) on the finish.

Feel: Medium bodied with a strange spritzy carbonation. No dryness on the finish whatsoever.

Overall: I really don't understand why they made this so damn sweet. Should have finished drier or added noticeable hops or maybe actually made something noteworthy with those spruce tips. I am starting to feel that the 12 ounce offerings from Alaskan are just not worth my time or money anymore.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 21:55:03 | More by bsp77

gatornation

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle BB 020512

A-pours a clear garnet color with an off-white 1 finger head that fades to a nice ring and cap

S- was malt and spice,pine

T- was sweet caramel malts fruits and spice,a wisp of spruce

M- was sweet,and crisp with a smooth butter malt feeling

T- its tasty and smooth and malty..a good WW, easy to drink i sixer for the whole season will be enough for me

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 14:13:26 | More by gatornation

pdoran10

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Alaskan Winter pours out a dark golden color into a snifter. I get one finger of white head that sticks around and leaves nice lacing.

The smell is biscuit and a faint caramel sweetness.

The flavor is pretty complex, but does not work for me. I get white bread, caramel, dark fruit, and sharp spruce all in small doses. A bit muddled and the spruce doesn't fit with the rich malt for me.

The mouthfeel is average and creamy with moderate carbonation. Very well dialed in here.

Overall a solid and very well made offering, but I'm not digging the flavor combinations here.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 04:53:34 | More by pdoran10

codfeast

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bottle to pint.

A: clear amber, thin head fades to a ring, no lacing.

S: Sweet malt, hints of spruce and cotton candy.

T: Much like the nose starts sweet, quite sweet fades to hints of hops or spruce, sweet comes back into play with a semi-bitter finish.

M: Good carbination, smooth and creamy.

O: tough to review not really a "winter warmer" Have not had it for the last two years but seem to remember a much more pronounced spruce flavor. remember a friend who could not stand the beer said it was like "gnawing on a tree branch". That was the appeal to myself guess I was in the minority. still its a very easy drinking tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 02:25:04 | More by codfeast

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a mug from a 12oz bottle.

A Pours a fairly clear amber with a nice white head that has pretty good retention.

S Some light fruitiness with what seems to be a hint of a pine/spruce like note.

T A prominent bready malt note with just a hint of a pine like bitterness. Pretty sweet.

M Smooth and fairly easy to drink.

Overall I guess this one is pretty good, just not great. This used to be one of my favorite winter seasonals, however the spruce seems less strong then it was in the past, which kills it for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 01:53:39 | More by beerandcycling88