Schlafly Winter ESB - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

winomark

Missouri

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Medium copper with a soft, light tan head. Good hop aromas with some mild malts sneaking in. Good and bitter palate, with malt and hops offering great balance. Rich mouthfeel. On of my favorite Schlafly offerings; even better on tap than in bottles. A great berr, IMO. Try this one without hesitation.

Serving type: growler

10-31-2004 13:32:59 | More by winomark

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a Dogfish Head IPA glass

A - Pours a hazy amber, with 1 finger of yellow tinted meringue head. Very nice retention with below average lacing.

S - Bready, pureed peaches, caramel, honey sweet malt, hints of light lemon citrus.

T - Bready malts, light caramel, the peach fruit carries over from the aroma and melds very well with the soft bready malts. There's notions of crisp lemon in there lightly cutting through the bready malt. Hops provide a tannin-like bitterness. Finishes bright and semi-dry.

M - Nice doughy texture, heavy side of medium, super soft carbonation, very nice texture.

This is an all around well crafted beer. It has a rich doughy character with a bright fruity side as well. I would enjoy this anytime of the year.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:36:01 | More by StaveHooks

BryanCarey

Texas

3.74/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pouring to an orange/tan color, this brightly colored winter ESB features a nose of hops, caramel malts, and light fruit. There is a moderate amount of foam that tends to clump a little. The body of the beer is cloudy and the foam is slight, leaving little or no lacing as you drink.

This ESB offers the flavors of caramel malt, biscuits, bread, light grapefruit, and lemon. Hops add a good degree of balance to this beer and it remains sweet more than anything. The body is medium to light and the beer is easy- drinking.

This beer is labeled at an extra special bitter, but it is actually quite well balanced for the style. It also is not what I would expect in any beer that claims to be a winter seasonal. The taste is not spicy like other winter brews and it is actually more indicative of an everyday session type of beer. So, this is one of those beers that demands you leave your preconceived notions behind. It isn’t what you think it will be, but the results are still satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:40:18 | More by BryanCarey

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Poured 12 oz bottle into pint glass. Cloudy copper color with a 1 finger head that dissipates relatively quickly. Not a real thick head. Moderate lacing. Bottled on 1-30-13

S- A fruity aromatic splash hits me first. Maybe pineapple or peaches. Smells like i just opened one of those cans of mixed fruit that you take to lunch when you are in grade school. The malty base also comes through. Slightly toasty notes, but not as much as was billed on the label.

T- Once again, fruit flavor up front. Pineapple, tangerine, lemon. Still not detecting a ton of toasty bread flavors, but it does have a decent malt backbone. Some spice flavors let you know that it is a rye malt Moderate bitterness that lingers in the finish. Earthy hop flavors. Not overly dry. Balanced it is, complex it is not

M- Good drink ability. Average carbonation. Mid bodied. Smooth.

O- A nice brew. The aroma was probably the highlight for me. It was a smooth beer that was easy to drink. Would be nice to put a few glasses of these back while hanging with good company at a pub. It gets the job done for sure. Nothing i would insist other must try, but i wouldn't mind drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:52:40 | More by Bosoxfan20

scratch69

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Cloudy, golden-orange color with a half a fingers worth of head. Light amount of runny lacing.

Smell- Caramel malt and some floral hops.

Taste- Lightly sweet, malt flavor with some earthy hop bitterness and a hint of citrus.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation. Smooth and crisp with a slightly dry finish.

Overall- This is a tasty beer. It's not not what I expected from this style, but it is still a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 22:34:56 | More by scratch69

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.79/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This ESB poures from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poures a hazy golden color, produced a average white head, decent retention and it left behind a very nice amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma of the ale contains malted grain and caramel. Medium bodied, foundation of malted grain, sweet caramel and citrus/herbal bitterness. Well balanced in my opinion, a nice session beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 21:01:47 | More by GossageBrewery

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a stiff creamy head that stayed for some time there was limited lacing and an amber hue.

The scent was a little too subtle. I might have detected cinnamon, nutmeg and malt but it was a struggle to find these notes.

The taste was a perfect winter variety. Cinnamon and nutmeg with a sweet malt backdrop the taste was well placed and well balanced. Very nice subtle tones this drank easy with little heaviness in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:23:56 | More by KYGunner

Profchaos20

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a nonic pint glass. Bottled 11/5/12, reviewed 12/23/12

A - Pours a cloudy amber with a one finger head that dissipates quickly. Minimal lacing.

S - Sweet caramel and toasty malts upfront. Light floral hoppiness, hints of fruit, molasses, bread, and yeast.

T - Sweet and malty upfront, hint of hoppiness in the middle, finishes slightly bitter. Balanced, some fruity esters not as much going on in the flavor as the aroma.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Smooth and drinkable, almost has a refreshing quality. Would probably be great on tap or hand pump.

O - A tasty brew but the flavor didn't quite match up to the aroma. Would definitely get again.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 03:20:54 | More by Profchaos20

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewpub in St Louis, reviews from notes.

A: single finger head with nice lacing on a slightly hazy copper body.

S: caramel malts, hint of brown sugar 

T: malty for what I have experienced for the style with caramel, light earthy hops, hint of citrus sweetness.

M: medium body and light to moderate carbonation. Semi dry finish.

Overall: malt forward for the style by my tastes and definitely full flavored whereas many of these are watery.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 21:04:53 | More by kylehay2004

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from cask into nonic pint at the taproom in stl. Pours a murky burnt orange with thick white foamy head. Really sweet malt and lots of hop aroma. Taste is citrusy hop with sweet malts. Bready and mild. Smooth as silk. Really great brew and im sure cask makes this a bit smoother than bottle.

Serving type: cask

11-13-2012 23:28:46 | More by DrinkSlurm

tito42

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to an imperial pint. Bottled on 11/08/2011.

A: Hazy, light chestnut with some lemon yellow hues and quite a bit of particulate. Nice foamy, lemon-tinted head.

S: Biscuity malts, rye, lemon peel, and hops.

T: Well balanced between toasty and nutty malts up front, squeezed lemon, spice, and a touch of diacetyl in the middle, and a nice hoppy finish with a nutty aftertaste.

M: Very smooth and medium-bodied, with a bit of sharpness to the hops finish that doesn't linger too long.

O: A very enjoyable beer, and a nice representative of the ESB style. I'll be picking this up again next winter as it is readily available locally.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 03:11:08 | More by tito42

abrand

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at local bar.. Poured into pint glass.

This pours a hazy golden color with not much head. Some lacing is on the glass. Some visibility through the pour. Smells of lemons, soap, some hops as well as floral notes. Not overpowering but enjoyable. Taste is pretty smooth. Nice hop presence with lemons and doughs up front. Mouthfeel is fairly thin with mediocre carbonation from the tap. Overall this is a decent brew. Definitely sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 15:56:02 | More by abrand

daledeee

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I wanted to try this before winter ended and it was gone. So far I have had good luck with the Schlafly brews.

It poured a dark clear gold with nice white head and great lacing.

Nose is not real strong but has hints of malt.

Taste is nice and malty with some sweetness. Also some kind of a blend between orange and dark fruit for lack of better words. Very crisp and refreshing. A nice beer and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 22:57:03 | More by daledeee

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, bright orange with a creamy 2-finger head that reduces quickly but leaves some wet, soapy lace even at the end of the brew.

The nose is malty, fruity and juicy all around, with fresh bread, orange and syrupy apricot aromas joined by touches of peach and hints of red berries.

Palate is medium bodied with bready malt and an instant hit of mandarin orange juiciness. A bit of estery white raisin is joined by the moderate hoppy bitterness, which is both earthy and spicy, while a little flourish of alcohol kicks off the finish- mildly bitter and juicy with vaguely tart flavors of unripe tree fruits and citrus rind.

Very delicious overall. The breadiness, fruitiness, earthy hoppiness and touch of booze near the end make this seem, to me, pretty damn spot-on for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 23:56:26 | More by TheWhiskerReview

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Pi in DC. Served in a nonic pint glass.

Pours a moderate caramel-copper color with a good white head and some nice lacing on the way down. The nose carries a nice bit of floral and earthy hops with some light breadiness behind that. Flavor was nice and hoppy and had a good backbone, though the latter wasn't too heavy. Light-medium body with a semi-dry finish. Quite good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 13:50:39 | More by Thorpe429

TheCondor

Missouri

3.35/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I grabbed this as part of a create-a-case at teh store the other day. I like winter seasonal beers, I like bitter beer, so what's not to like about this?

Appearance - Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Poured almost an orange color, quite hazy and difficult to see through. We're off to a good start here. One can easily see the particles floating around in the beer. Decent head, little lacing.

Smell - Nothing special here. Gives an aroma of fruity and floral. The face that it pours orange and smells floral is not lost on me.

Taste - The smell and appearance of the beer match the taste and the style. Strong grapefruit flavors throughout, only a hint of bitter at the very end. This brew is exceptionally fruity on the palate.

Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation, which is what it's supposed to have. I really didn't like the sickly sweet aftertaste though. It didn't make me want to drink the rest of the beer. It was like drinking Mountain Dew when your mouth is really dry, with that stickiness.

Overall - This beer does match it's style well. The only problem is that I am not a big fan of the style, at least in the ESB's I have drank so far. I thought the fruit flavor was a little overpowering, although I am sure some find this to be a redeeming quality. Enjoy it for what it's worth, it's not bad.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 16:05:21 | More by TheCondor

Beasticles

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at a local bar. Business trips are weak, while microbrews win big.

A- hazy as a mo facka. Head breaks into curd-like clumps with heavy cream texture.

S- lemons, pine and yeasty sourdough.

T- see smell. Lemon/light citrus sits on top throughout. Yeast has a big spicy pepper presence.

M- smooth and easy with a faint afterglow

All in all, solid microbrew. Think I'll have another.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 00:55:41 | More by Beasticles

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This ESB was served in a shaker pint.

Appearance- The body is a golden-copper with almost no foam to talk about. The carbonation is also really sporadic and fast to rise. This is pretty meh.

Smell- I can certainly detect a more floral and slightly fruity charcter, but it is too soft. There is no reason it cannot be stronger.

Taste- Whoa, there is so much more grapefruit right away. The biscuit malt and slightly floral character comes out after that. It finishes with more passion fruit and more sweet malt.

Mouth feel- This has a light to medium body and is a little too fizzy. I have had other ESB's that were a lot creamier and more enjoyable in this respect.

Overall- With this beer, it is good that the flavors are the most impressive part. It makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 15:54:04 | More by Pintofbrown

rundocrun

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12-oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A - has a finger of white foam with tight bubbles. Good retention and lots of lacing. Body is tawny amber with lots of bubbles drifting up and an interesting suspension of tiny white flecks. Not sure if this is yeast, hop particles or minerals they added to the water during the brewing process.

S - smells of caramely malt, mildly piney hops, and crisp esters.

T - flavors of light sweet malt and a distinct slightly sour bite are first noticeable. Citrusy and resinous hop flavor accompanied by mild bitterness. Finishes sweet with a bit of mineral tanginess.

M - thin to medium body with good drinkability. They hit the right level of carbonation for this brew too.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 04:37:40 | More by rundocrun

TippySelenoid

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

It's a copper color with a white head. Better than average head retention, decent lacing.

It smells like bittering hops and malts.

It's got a big hop bite that is mildly grassy/herbal. That settles down into a nice malty smoothness. This beer has a nice sweetness that isn't cloying.

It's got a crisper carbonation than I expected, it's medium-to-light bodied.

Overall, this is a pretty good brew, one of many from this fine brewer.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 22:08:06 | More by TippySelenoid

smakawhat

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A wonderfully forming off white head three fingers and very clumpy. Solid almost sytrofoam cap, sitting on a slightly hazy body of a real nice copper orange amber.

Nose is a great aromatic of hop, fruity marmalade and a nice solid malt backbone. This smells delicious!

What a creamy mouthfeel and texture. Palate is all over the map in many places though. Malty backbone, finishing with a little bit of banana. Mid palate hits with a fruity marmalade quality with a hint of stinging carbonation. Pretty balanced in tastes, but also... being all over sort of not melding that great together.

Overall I actually really like this, but it's sort of not what I expect in this style. It's an excellent beer no question and I'll have it again someday.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 18:39:58 | More by smakawhat

Illtryit

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled with love 11/23/2011

A 1inch head caps this perfectly copper colored and hazy brew. Very appealing to the eye. Sweet lacing left behind.

You can smell the hops, but its a pretty faint floral aroma.

Very drinkable. Flavor is slighty bittered by the hops. Follows the nose.

THe overall feel is where this beer loses me. Just not enough body. Thin and watery ending after a promising start.

Again, this is a very drinkable brew. Just not quite hearty enough for me. More like a summer drink as i could see myself drinking four or five of these pretty easily. 6.2% abv is a bit deceptive. I'd have guessed 5% or less.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 02:39:56 | More by Illtryit

Steedee

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Funny.... this beer is nothing special, yet so good...
It might not be fair, but one of my beer judging rules is if the beer tastes good after finishing one, and starting another, and another, and another, and... you get the point....
This is a beer I can crack open several in a row without worrying about after taste burn out, or feeling full.
Color is light amber, head is almost non existent, but there are bubbles and carbonation is medium to high.
At first taste it seems highly hopped and bitter, but as the taste lingers in my mouth I can really pick up on the toasted malt flavors... sweetness... very well balanced...with the bitterness lingering in the background.... then all of the flavors slightly fade away into a great tasting beer with almost no after taste.
My only knock would be a mild sour flavor, but nothing that would make me complain.
Good beer!
And by the way, its great with food too.
I will get definitely get pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 00:03:20 | More by Steedee

drabmuh

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at a local beer bar, served in a tiny snifter. Beer is amber, clear with a big off white head of small and medium bubbles, decent retention, some lacing moderate carbonation, looks good.

Aroma is sweet, mildly hoppy, mostly malt.

Beer is light to medium in body, mildly sweet, a little spice perhaps, mild hops, not bitter at all, an interesting little beer, I may have it again but I won't go far for it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 02:15:46 | More by drabmuh

mikeborglum

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

color is hazy, orange to amber, minimal head, white foam; very light mild aroma bread, citrus, dough; complex taste light sweetness, medium bitterness, lightly sour; light to medium body, thin feel, creamy, soft carbonation, bitter, long finish, excellent on the palate with lots of flavor in the finish. This beer gets better with warmth.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 01:37:38 | More by mikeborglum