Scratch Beer 16 - 2008 (Winter Warmer)
Tröegs Brewing Company

Scratch Beer 16 - 2008 (Winter Warmer)Scratch Beer 16 - 2008 (Winter Warmer)
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From:
Tröegs Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
6.3%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.51 | pDev: 13.68%
Reviews:
54
Ratings:
57
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 04, 2013
Added:
Dec 13, 2008
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
Scratch #16-2008 combines the bitterness of two aroma hops, the lush sweetness of honey and malt and an earthly yeast taste creating a Winter Warmer designed to ward off the coldest days. The dark, rich amber color comes from a combination of molasses and crystal malts; the Thames Valley brings a distinct earthly flavor; white the blend of hops creates fruity (Amarillo) and piney (Cluster) bitterness. The Winter Warmer ends with a slight warming sensation from the elevated alcohol content. Enjoy this one throughout the winter months.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 2.75 by t0rin0 from California

Mar 04, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by Khazadum from Illinois

Dec 15, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Gonzoillini from Illinois

Dec 15, 2011
Photo of homebrew311
Reviewed by homebrew311 from Illinois

1.9/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Thanks to the Central PA crew.

A: pours a reddish orange somewhat cloudy, no head, lifeless appearance

S: nose features sprucey and spicey notes, sweet malts and molasses come in

T: the taste is very herbal, reminds me of echinichea tea... not a good thing in beer. Not enjoyable.

MF: medium carbonation, medium body

O: this is a another disaster beer that is perhaps past its peak. At this point, there are minimal redeeming qualities of this beer.
Nov 16, 2011
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Served in a stemless globe.

Thanks to the Central PA group from the Gang Bang BIF for this bottle!

The Scratch Beer Dash continues... This leg pours a hazy russet-sienna topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises ginger, light chlorine (I swear, my mind immediately went to a freshly-cleaned pool), nutmeg, light caramel, lavender, and fake strawberry. Some weird combinations goin' on in my 'strils here... The taste holds notes of clove, ginger, brown sugar, black pepper, and a heap of wet cardboard. Wow, oxidation has marred this one big time! The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a watery feel. Overall, time has not been kind to this bottle, a clear victim of oxidation. Shame, really...
Sep 06, 2011
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a clear amber, verging on an ice tea brown color; the head is rather dark and vigorous and holds together, leaving a nice pattern of lace behind

Smell: Burnt caramel, vanilla and holiday spice cake

Taste: Although the aromatic elements appear, up front, the beer quickly shifts in a bitter, medicinal direction that dominates by mid-palate; the oxidation effect has not been kind here and the finish is watery, though the medicinal flavors linger

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Time has not been kind to this beer, but it is hard to tell exactly how good this might have been in its heyday
Jun 25, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

2.7/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Thanks again, Greg!

A: The beer pours a dark amber color with a lot of brown and it is very cloudy/opaque.

S: Smells sort of dusty. Lots of gingerbread sort aromas with a nice spiciness. Some toasted bread, brown sugar, and a bit of toffee. Mild dark fruits are in there somewhere.

T: The flavor is just off-putting. Really astringent and drying with an almost peppery flavor. Plenty of spices, cardboard, and a bit of the same dusty character that was present on the nose.

M: Medium in body with a low to medium carbonation.

O: This one has not held the test of time, unfortunately.
May 17, 2011
Photo of kkipple
Reviewed by kkipple from South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Massive Mega Scratch Beer Tasting @ the Meat Meet, 8.21.2010. Thanks Unclejedi!

Scores reflect how the beer is drinking NOW, and not when released.

Clear rust-red, head to the edges of the glass. Smells sweet malt and slightly punchy with a definite Christmas note. Fruitcake!
Flavor is metallic and tinny, with a Dubbel-ish malt profile, slight spice still, cloves? Hmm. Not bad, but surely could be better. Has age hurt this, or was it not that good to begin with? Hard to say.
Aug 22, 2010
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

3.53/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is wild I found this bottle im dad's fridge, so about year+ old, seems to have held up great!

Pours copper/chestnut with 2 fingers of rocky khaki colored head. Above average lacing & head retention

S: Brown bread & grains

T: Caramel, herbal hop bitterness & some metallic hops, plus brown sugar & grainyness up front. Toffee, dryness & grainyness are all there as this warms along with some herbal hops as this warms. Finishes with caramel sweetness, some grainyness & a touch of brown bread

MF: Failrly chewy, low but noticeable carbonation

Drinks really easy, I am shocked considering it's no so high ABV & the age on it. This little suprise will make me look for some Scratch Series while I'm here in NC,,,
Jun 22, 2010
Photo of PeprSprYoFace
Reviewed by PeprSprYoFace from California

3.46/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Alwayse willing to try a scratch beer.

Pours a cloudy brown with no head. Just a ring. No lacing.

Aroma is very caramel-ish and what smells like a little belgian-e. Smells pretty delish.

Taste is dissapointing. Very light on flavor compared to the aroma. Tastes like a brown gone bad. Some sort of spice or spices in there I can't put my finger on.

Mouthfeel is very thin. It tastes and smells like it should be much thicker. Light carb too. Needs more.

Overall I won't be wanting this one any more. Not very good. I'll probably drink a little more then dump the rest. It's not really bad, I just don't want to waste calories on a beer like this.
Apr 20, 2010
Photo of mmmbeer
Reviewed by mmmbeer from Massachusetts

3.61/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle with no freshness date; sampled 4/14/09. Brewed to 16.1 Plato with pilsner, crystal and Munich malts, molasses, Thames Valley yeast, and hopped to 85 IBUs (higher than the Scratch IPA) with warrior, cluster and amarillo. It pours a crystal-clear, deep blood-red hue, with lots of carbonation and a half-inch tan cap. Fairly nondescript aroma consists of fruity esters, light hops and a kiss of alcohol. The first sips provide nearly harsh alcohol and a firm bitterness. A blend of crystal malts contribute a pleasing sweet and caramel note, and piney/floral/citric hops emerge later atop a full, fairly dry body that leaves a long bitter finish. The beer is still quite raw, and is harsher at colder temperatures, but will probably mellow nicely with a year in the bottle.
Mar 08, 2010
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.08/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A: Pours a nice amberish brown with a nice tall creamy head. Pretty good retention with some spotty lace.

S: Malty sweet aromas with notes of spice.

T: Bready up front, biscuit like. The middle has a nice brown sugar and summer fruit sweetness. Spice takes over and the finish is fairly bitter.

M: Medium in body, pretty smooth.

D: Okay. The bitteness is not real pleasant. It is kind of a combination of hop and raw spice bitterness.
Dec 13, 2009
Photo of GbVDave
Reviewed by GbVDave from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12oz bottle into an imperial pint. Thanks to heliosphan for sending this in our recent trade!

A: Pours a dark, ruby tinted brown. Creamy, khaki colored, 1/2 finger head that sports good retention and lots of lace.

S: Caramel with toasty grain. Spicy and fruity hops. Aromas of citrus and cut grass.

T: Slightly metallic at first, then caramel, toasted malt, chocolate, and fruity/grassy hops take over.

M: Dry, toasted malt blended with sweet caramel and spicy hops. Relatively creamy.

D: Overall, this was better than I expected. Nice!
Nov 21, 2009
Photo of mikey711
Reviewed by mikey711 from New Jersey

3.41/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Deep red with an off white inch thick head.

S: Some teriyaki and a bit of caramel sweetness

T: A hint of holiday spices and then teriyaki followed by some sweetness

M: Rather full bodied but there is a bit of an astringent quality

D: This one went down quickly and it wouldnt be a problem to finish more but it is not my favorite
Oct 18, 2009
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

2.77/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
Another beer courtesy of Mauerhan. Thanks Topher!

Poured into my NB Goblet, it is a clear mahogany colour with a 1 finger head of off white foam. Good lacing ensues.

After swirling the beer, I get a good spicy nose with a lot of fresh baked cinnamon roll notes and caramel malt sweetness. These 2 are pretty strong and overwhelm anything else I could get out of the smell.

Taking a few sips and...the nice spicy smell doesn't show up much in the taste at all. Weird.
It is mostly hoppy and bitter with just a touch of the goodies from the nose about mid palate. The finish returns to the bitterness, all be it a little on the milder side than in the intial taste. And this is with some decent aging on it so the hops have had some time to calm down..

Medium light bodied with lightish carbonation, this has a good mouthfeel.

Drinkability? It's in the right range with the abv for the style and it's hidden well but the overall flavours of the beer don't work for me. I'm glad I got a chance to try it, as always, but this isn't one I'd actively seek out.
Oct 18, 2009
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

3.15/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Acquired from mikereaser courtesy of the Local BIF, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep coppery brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, spices, nuts, some fruit and a decent amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty malt character but not a lot of sweetness. There are flavors of caramel, nuts, spices and dark fruits. There's a good hops presence for the style but it doesn't seem to balance things out much. The after-taste is bitter-sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, slightly filling, decent kick, decent representation of style, there are several better winter warmers out there, while it's not terrible, I can see why this one was scratched.
Aug 18, 2009
Photo of chinabeergeek
Reviewed by chinabeergeek from Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle. tasted in late april/early may 2009.

dark, amber copper. clear. 2-finger, tan head w amber hue, fades to thin but constant, foamy and creamy layer. very good lacing.

aroma: sweet caramel maltiness with fruity (cherry?) undertones. very mild hopping, both grassy/earthy with just a touch of citrus. very faint nutmeg, anise or licorice note in the back.

taste: malty and caramelized sweetness meet lighter esters and mild to moderate bitterness from the grassy hop, with light resins and seemingly coffee-like note in the finish. some phenols and spice, almost fusel, not too distracting at first, but starts to get slightly annoying as it warms up.

light to medium body, smooth at first, with phenols and astringency cutting through in the middle. moderate carbonation is prickly upfront.
Jun 28, 2009
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

3.53/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks goes out to mikereaser for this brew.

Pours a nice clean/clear golden brown color, nice carbonation, nice little tan head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. Then nose is malty, very slight spice, and tons of caramel. The taste is malty, bitter, slightly spicy. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a different to me WW, nice but not what I was expecting.
Jun 17, 2009
Photo of Gyle41386
Reviewed by Gyle41386 from South Carolina

3.74/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Thanks, mikereaser!

The pour looks surprisingly black at first, but is more of a red when held to light. Small head dissipates quickly. Doesn't leave much lacing.

Hoppier aroma than I expected. Floral hoppy bitter scent, along with a fruity character as well. Some nice herbal spice. I'm pretty intrigued by the aroma.

The piney hops aren't nearly as flavorful as the nose led me to believe. The malts meet the hops head-on and balance them out pretty nicely. Some spice follows. Big herbal and grassy hop finish.

Body is on the lighter side of medium. Very smooth and easy drinker. There's a nice creaminess to the texture. Interesting beer, much like the 10 and 13 were. Hopefully I'll have the chance to try some more of these Scratch Beers.
Jun 15, 2009
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

3.27/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I got this beer from a BIF.

Poured into a pint glass at 47 degrees.

Appearance: A one finger light tan head that was creamy and didn't last long. A dark mahogany color with reddish hues. There are some carbonation bubbles arising to the top. The clarity of the beer is clear with a touch of opaque.

Nose: A nice maltiness, with some molasses like sweetness. There is some citrus, floral, cinnamon, and some wood that followed.

Taste: A good malt flavor with some caramel, toast, citrus, floral, cinnamon, allspice, and some wood.

Overall: The mouth feel is astringent and carbonated. The body of the beer is medium and the finish is medium. This winter warmer is lack in the flavor department. It doesn't remind me a a cold winter night by the fire on Christmas Eve. It is just an okay winter warmer.
Jun 14, 2009
Scratch Beer 16 - 2008 (Winter Warmer) from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 57 ratings