Thumbprint Winter Warmer - New Glarus Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

LOOK: Hazed orange amber, tiny tight bubbled lacing, good stickage

SMELL: Baked pears, toasted bread, faint broth, rose water, nougat, herbal, toffee

TASTE: Toasty, smooth, creamy, very warming, shortbread, spicy alcohol, biscuity, dried grass, earthy, herbal, papaya, semi-sweet toasty toasty finish

A massive brew to say the least, not sure I get the whole "Scottish" thing to it but I'll listen to what this beer has to say. While the first couple sips might seem a bit timid that beer packs a punch and really grows on me.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:46:53 | More by Jason

TheSSG

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a big, soft, white head that collapses, leaving a wisp of lacing. A sweet, fruity aroma. A brownish orange color; sienna almost. Flavor is strong malt, booziness is upfront. A flash of sweetness moves aside as a booziness and carbonation pop through. Caramel and biscuit fills in from here. Finish has a touch of hop bitter, smooth caramel, and warming booze.

Quite lovely. Definitely a "warmer."

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 04:04:43 | More by TheSSG

czfreeman

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

New Thumbprint beer this year.First, I don't like Scotch ales..I find them overly sweet, unbalanced, not my cup of tea.Second, since moving here I am blown away by all things New Glarus, so I'll give it a shot.
pours a rich orange brown tone. Actually looks similar to a pumpkin ale..that kind of excites me.
Smells of mulling spices, cider, roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, spicy pepper, touch of alcohol heat(would guess this is around 8%). Dopplebock-like dark bread, apple,sherry starts to come out as well. Starting to smell pretty nice.
Flavor is a blend of cider, dark bread, mulling spices,squash,pepper, hot holiday wine, finishing pretty hot.
This may not be the most intense, or most exciting of the Thumbprint series,but on this 11 degree day, I believe Mr. Carey knew what he was looking to capture and he did, excellently in fact.
A blend of mulling spice, hearty bready grains finishing with a spike of almost Scotch heat..perfect.
walk in from the blistering cold and it makes sense.
well done! Warms you up for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:00:59 | More by czfreeman

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This is the first 2013 addition to New Glarus line under their Thumbprint label. When I think of a Winter Warmer style, it gets me thinking it’s going to taste like a heavier, darker Oktoberfest style of brew with lots of spices. But in this case it’s a Scotch Ale, so we shall see how it tastes.

It pours a semi-clear, medium brown color with a beige head and lingering lacing. The aroma is interesting and hard to describe as there is a complex mixture of malts and spices. It sort of reminds me off the smell of freshly baked pumpkin bread.

This taste is much simpler that I would expect from New Glarus. Initially I’m picking out quite a bit of malt and bread characteristics. Definitely lots of toasted ingredients here with hints or caramel and vanilla. While it drinks fairly light and smooth, it finishes fairly sweet and salty.

To be honest this is a good brew, but I was left wanting more from the Thumbprint Series as this beer drinks very similar to Sam Adams Scotch Ale which is a much lesser cost. It’s very drinkable and tasty; it just doesn’t have that unique “WOW” factor that most Thumbprint beers have. Give it a try yourself, but I’ll stick to Apple and Enigma while I can!

-Chris Lemke of WisconsinBrewReview.com

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 05:04:44 | More by Lemke10

ChiPool

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a snifter. Grabbed this from Woodman's/Kenosha today, and it seems to be a recent release. Pours a medium-dark orange color, with a conservative amount of cream colored head. It smells like apple juice: sweet, with a bit of booze. Down the hatch, it is definitely a malt bomb, on the sweeter side for the style. Mouthfeel is on the slighly lighter side of medium. Nice version of a style that is not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 22:43:09 | More by ChiPool

birchstick

Missouri

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brownish color with a nice head. Nose is molasses, toffee, and caramel malts. Taste follows the nose well. Lots of toffee and caramel malts with a touch of toasted cereal malts in the background. Really nice scotch ale from New Glarus, and another winner from the Thumbprint series.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:50:18 | More by birchstick

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz red foiled bottle purchased as a four pack. Just come into town this week as the newest Thumbprint release.

Pours a deep rich pumpkin color with a head that vanishes as quickly as the Bengals offense.Lethargic spatter....Dexter would be disappointed.

Smells of warm cider, mulling spices, salted nuts, and toffee. Seems to capture the essence of the holidays in a glass.

Light brown sugary notes, warmed red apple flesh, and cinnamon. Alcohol heat cuts a swatch across the middle into the finish. Oddly, it's a bit unrelenting. Not sure of the abv on this, but it's not mellow.

Medium bodied with light carbonation and just a bit too boozy.

There's some promise here, but it seems a bit raw. Alcohol is sharp, flavors are a bit muddled and incomplete, and the finish is actually quite distracting. Maybe it's a mind game, some sort of perceived brand loyalty, or nostalgia, but are the Thumbprints not as good as the Unplugged? I'm staking my claim here. They are not.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:39:53 | More by BarrytheBear