BiFrost - Elysian Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from a private Vancouver store. Winter warmer in the summer to change things up from what is normally available. Pours light yellow with an orange tinge and a foamy white head that retains one quarter of an inch, lace shows through as I drink it. Malty and spicey aroma.Expecting lots of taste notes, I am getting mostly malt and then barley, hops, spice including ginger and cardommon, funegeek and cinammon. Average mouthfeel with drying finish. Decent drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 19:27:16 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Candlelit jack o' lantern orange with polished brass trim. The three finger cap is as thick and creamy as a tangerine milkshake and is already laying down lace along the top edge of the glass. As the cap melting gets underway, a more full lace display is seen... like frost on a windowpane. This beer looks as much like an IPA as it does a winter warmer. Oh yeah, it looks great.

The aroma isn't so impressive; in large part because it isn't all that aromatic. Roughly equally divided between malty and hoppy, it doesn't make a serious bid to be either one. A toasted maltiness lives alongside a fruity hoppiness, but I have to admit that I don't really appreciate any of the hops listed in the hop bill (Centennial, Amarillo and Styrian Goldings). That line-up should be killer, but isn't. Not in the nose anyway.

BiFrost Winter Ale is better on the palate. There's an acceptable amount of heavily toasted, bready malt, along with a spiciness that can't be coming from those three varieties of hops. Wait a second. This is a winter warmer... that must be cinnamon that I'm tasting. Some other spice is in there too. Gound ginger perhaps? Whatever has been plucked off the brewery's spice rack, I approve; both in terms of amount and in terms of specific flavors.

This wouldn't be an Elysian Brewing Company beer if it didn't contain a boxcar full of hops. With so much else going on flavorwise, I wouldn't have come close to accurately identifying the specific varieties. The white grapefruitiness of the Centennial comes through loud and clear, but the Amarillo and Styrian Goldings don't. That's okay, this isn't an IPA and there's more than enough bitterness to go around.

Bifrost is one aggressively flavored winter warmer (a good thing) whose aggressiveness is mirrored by a slightly too prominent alcohol presence (not such a good thing). If I had another bomber, I'd let the second one sleep for another six months or so. I find myself not minding so much as I enter the bottom half of the bottle, but then that always happens when the tongue numbing and brain fogging begin to take over.

The mouthfeel could be a mite more full and a mite less carbonated. It isn't bad and most will find it acceptable, but I have a very specific profile in mind for winter warmers. I've been hoping that it would firm up and becomes less sharply bubbly over time. I'm still waiting.

I love Elysian beer, so I fully expected to love Bifrost as much I love The Immortal IPA, The Wise ESB, Night Owl Pumpkin and all the rest. Although it doesn't quite rise to those heights, it's still a worthwhile seasonal from a brewery that deserves much more attention than it gets.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2006 23:55:58 | More by BuckeyeNation

brentk56

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy light amber color with a sturdy, but rocky head that sticks with it and leaves a variety of lacing patterns behind

Smell: While the bittering hops are detectable (slightly piney and grapefruity), this is a sweet aroma that is cakey and a hint figgy

Taste: Opens with a sweet cakey flavor, with figs and apples in the mix; by mid-palate, the expected NW bitterness appears, with plenty of grapefruit, but there is a sugary tone to it all; after the swallow, the flavors shake out a bit, and there is an almond, marzipan-like flavor on the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation and a hint of winter warmth

Drinkability: Elysian likes to make things a bit different, sometimes (think Jasmine IPA), and this falls into that category; I don't love it but I sure do like it quite a bit

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 18:40:11 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear, golden honeyed body with a small, white head.

Smell: Aroma of pale malts, honey candy, flowers, and herb chiffonade.

Taste: Toffee flavored maltiness with a brief candied sweetness. Full floral hoppiness with a nice bitter hit. Crisp fried herbs and light spice in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A solid beer. Something a little different for a winter seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 20:12:28 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a imperial nonic a dull burnt orange color with a large well formed sticky egg shell colored head that took its time settling into creamy froth.Aromas are on the lighter side mainly earthy hops along with some overripe citrus,the palate is quite dry with earthy hop being the main component,faint citrus fruit and a crisp malt base are the other maint points.A decent brew but it might be a little to dry and earthy for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 00:41:31 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The first real snowfall of 2009 in my neck of the woods leaves me holed-up with nowhere to go and not much to do except to open a beer and relax beneath a warm blanket with a good book. Of course a good book also requires a good beer, and I've selected Elysian's BiFrost for that.

It pours a hazy orange amber body beneath a massive head of frothy off-white foam that holds quite well and leaves remarkable walls of sticky lace about the glass. I'm not sure if it's bottle conditioned, although the mouthfeel seems to indicate that, but it's definitely either un-filtered or very-lightly filtered.

The nose is surprisingly hoppy for a winter beer with notes of spice and subtle pine, as well as citrus (orange), citrus rind (more kind-of-grapefruit) and apricot (and berries) - although I'm not sure if the apricot is from the yeast or the hops, or perhaps a combination of the two. The malt base is soft, with grainy, slightly toasty notes, and a thin coating of lightly sweet golden caramel; and the combination of the malt and hop works really well, almost becoming one.

That harmony flows over into the flavor, and although the specific notes do stand out on their own, the flavor combination is quite solid in and of itself. It's as if the malt is a piece of thick twine-like rope wrapped around a central strand of taught bitterness and alcohol, and the fruity and hoppy flavors are the fibers that are breaking free of that thick malt rope, giving it a little abrasion. Nice! It's balanced, but complex, and just slightly aggressive.

It finishes dry with some lingering grainy malt, a swatch of fruit, a smear of leafy and spicy hops, and some citrus-rind chalky dryness, no doubt enhanced by a quick splash of alcohol!

I should note as well, that this is contract brewed by new Belgium, and has a laser-printed date of 10 APR 09 on the label - I'm guessing a "best by" date. As this is 2 March 09, it's in-code but pretty close, however, I don't find a single note of oxidation. What I'm picking up is clearly Munich malts and soft caramel, and the hop flavors are right on. SO, in addition to kudos for Elysian, I have to also give kudos to New Belgium. A charming and enticing beer to be sure!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 17:41:10 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy, bright, bold orange/peach color, modest snow white head, succombs,eventually, to a ring around the edges...
Fruity nose, sweet, yet citric, and a touch musty and sour, ...lightly spicy, yeasty and lively,..I like it...
Juicy fruit, palpable and pithy on the tongue, lemony, with yeast aloft in the flavor, cookie-ish, warm, fresh mouthfeel. Medium body, with a soft, yet tangy finish. Falls back, and fades a bit in the end, becomes thin, thinner than I like.
Malt is foremost here, and hops are mild, where they are present.
Not what I'd expect in a winter warmer, with qualities I associate more with certain Belgian ales...however, it falls short of being more than merely good.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2004 10:49:11 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a hazy orange color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a grainy, pale and crystal malt scent with some bisquit characteristics. There is an excellent hop aroma as well. The taste is good. It has a very smooth, malty flavor that really showcases the pale and Munich malts. It goes down easy with a stiff hop bitterness and grainy finish. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a great winter warmer. It's not all spiced up. It's just a solid beer with added alcohol and hops.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 02:08:36 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to 5000 for sending me this bottle.

The beer pours a hazy orange color with a cream-colored head. The aroma is biscuit malt, dark fruit and some graham cracker malt. The flavor is a lot heavier on the hops than I expected. I get a lot of grass and orange hop notes with some biscuit and toffee malt mixed in. I also get a little bit of spiciness, possibly cinnamon and anise, but it is very faint and may be from the malt, not the actual spices. I also get some herbal notes from the hops. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Not sure if this should be classified as a winter warmer since it really has nothing in common with the style. American Strong Ale seems like a better fit.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 01:51:27 | More by Mora2000

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Been dying to try this brewery's offerings:

Pours an effervescent bronze/amber with 1+ finger of sand colored head, plus slight hazing. Good lacing & very good head retention

S: Breadyness, honey & citric, plus herbal hops

T: Huge cakeyness, lemony & herbal hops, vanilla, & honey up front. Grapefruit, piney & lemon hops continue as this warms, along with honey, & toffee. finishes dry, with leafy, herbal & grapefruitty hops, caramel, a bit of brown sugar, & warming booze; great taste!

MF: Chewy with minimal carbonation, some serious hoppyness that works, superior balance

Drinks a bit slow, due to complexity, but this is one damn fine winter warmer or DIPA! I'll certainly check out other brews from Elysian!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2008 06:29:17 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange-copper color, it is topped by a frothy light tan head. The aroma smells initially of hops, with notes of citrus, and pine. As I dig deeper, the hops are all that I really can smell, notes of orange, wildflowers, and spicy herbs. The beer is actually quite tasty, with a somewhat light palate, but it is quite mouth coating. It is a nicely hoppy beer, with notes of citrus and pine, plus a sharply bitter finish that has a certain hoppy astringency to it. This is quite a nice hoppy pale ale/ IPA, hops for the holiday. I certainly like this beer, though it is certainly nothing like I was expecting it to be. It is quite simplistic in it's hoppiness (no real maltiness to back it up), but sometimes that hits the spot.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2005 13:05:05 | More by Gueuzedude

Gavage

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a hazy orange color with a two finger head that lasts quite a while and sports some large bubbles.

Smell: caramel, fruit sweetness, and some lemon zest are easy to detect. Some floral bitterness comes through too

Taste: bready malt profile here. Caramel, plums, brown sugar, lemon zest, and grapefruit slices are most notable. Bitterness is bold enough to balance out the malt sweetness. Alcohol is well hidden.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp from start to finish. Aftertaste is short as the breadiness and citrus linger. Medium-heavy bodied beer.

Drinkability: this is a hearty ale that is great on a cold evening. The bomber bottle is a nice size for this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2009 11:53:53 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours golden amber with a thin, creamy white head that vanishes, leaving some lacing.

The smell is grainy and bready with booze. Some spicing (cinnamon and mint).

The taste is sweet/grainy and bready with mild winter spicing. Some booze comes through. It has a sharp, bitter, slightly metallic, finish.
Not crazy about the aftertaste - a bit like copper.

Medium-bodied - fullness seems more from alcohol bite than from body - a bit strange.

Warming. There is a bitter hop balance to the sweetness and spicing. Not bad, just not a big fan of it. I like hoppy winter beers - but, this just didn't go in the right direction for me to think anything great of it. A bit too bready to boot.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 04:09:38 | More by jwc215

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

A: Pours a hazy orange-copper color, it is topped by a frothy light tan head.

S: Initial hops, with notes of citrus, and pine.

T: Notes of citrus and pine, plus a nice, lightly bitter finish that has a certain hoppy astringency to it.

M: Medium body, crisp

O: Good for the style

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 02:59:39 | More by barleywinefiend

Wasatch

Utah

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

Pours a nice hazy orange color, nice carbonation, nice small fizzy off-white head, minimal sticky lacing on this one. The nose is malty/hoppy, nice tones of citrus/pines, with some caramel. The taste is slightly sweet, nice blend of malts/hops, the citrus/pines are a nice touch, with some caramel. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a pretty tasty brew, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2008 20:45:21 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

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

From 10/04/11 notes. Had on tap at Churchkey in DC. Served in a snifter. Was listed as a strong ale by CK, though now I see it's a winter warmer.

a - Pours a murky amber color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident. Looks a little lighter in color than I would expect.

s - Smells of fruity malts, light citrus and pine hops.

t - Tastes of fruity malts, citrus hops, oranges, pine hops, and floral notes.

m - Moderate carbonation and medium body. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a decent beer, but not a winter warmer and certainly not a strong ale. Reminded me of a malty IPA, as it had some hops and nose real spices. Not bad, just not what I was expecting.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2011 15:54:33 | More by mdfb79

Billolick

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber bottle, pours lighter amber, with an orange glow, off white tiny bubble head, long lasting, frothy and then leaving real nice fine lace and plenty of fine sheeting. Muted bready nose. This one looks and drinks more like an American Pale then a WW. Creamy and pleasing on the tongue. Hops come through loud and clear. Grainy and citric and then smooth and mellow in the finish. Real nice moderately hoppy sessioner. A pleasant seasonal new comer to the Elysian line. Well worth a try

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 22:22:12 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle obtained via trade with CRJMellor. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" off-white head above the light amber brew. Head is doughy and hangs around, with sticky lacing. Aroma is pleasantly of piney hops, a nice change for me from some of the over-spiced brews that end up in this style. Taste is light yet ample maltiness up front, quickly overtaken by the aforementioned piney hops character, which segues ever so gently into the slightest spicing at the close. Alcohol warming sneaks up on you. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both excellent. A great NW interpretation of a style that isn't always my favorite, I must admit. Find this one, it's worth the effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2005 00:20:02 | More by ppoitras

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First had: on tap at Brigid's, Philly, PA

Poured a light copper with a nice white head and some carbonation visible. Sweet malts, and a bit of spice in the nose. Malty to the tongue, spice is very subdued, and not too distinctive for a winter warmer. A little citrus bitterness in there, maybe just a tad of pine or juniper. Light-medium body, a little harsh and not overly drinkable, for a style that usually promises sweetness and spice.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 16:39:56 | More by Rifugium

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to elrogish for providing the bottle. Cool caramel winter warmer color. Yummy notes of caramel, alcohol, and lots of hops suprisingly.

Taste, damn, more hops, far more than like Sammy Smith's winter welcome, which was kind of the standard for a hoppy winter for me back in the 90s. Earthy type yakima hops, nothing crazy like simcoe, amarillo or summit here.

Mouthfeel more traditional, some nutmeg to it, possibly cinnammon or a tree. Sweetness in check. Smoothness apparent. Dry mouthfeel relatively speaking for a warmer.

I like Elysian, their stuff is available, good priced and good tasting. Streak of zero not recommendeds for them still intact.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 22:22:24 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DoubleJ

California

2.93/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A big ol' bomber with the contents brewed by New Belgium Brewing. Isn't that crazy? On to the beer:

A somewhat murky looking beer. Pale coughdrop orange in color with small carbonation bubbles running through it. The head provides some creamy lace which sticks to the glass. Nose is fine; tree bark, light tinges of lime, gentle snaps of malt.

Bifrost is much more tame than what I was expecting. Very dry overall; some notes of tree bark, light snaps of hops, only a little mlat sweetness is present. The body is medium-full with a syrupy texture to it; a decent texture, but too dry and "cotton mouth" in the aftermath.

A decent ale that is victimized by its mouthfeel; I didn't ask for any cotton in my beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 05:20:15 | More by DoubleJ

Gusler

Arizona

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

The beer as it disembogues from the bottle a deep translucent copper color with a prodigious sized, frothy and a off white head, as it dissipates the lace forms a thick and concealing sheet to obscure the glass. The nose has a nice hop floral crispness at the front, the middle sweet malt, finish is crisp and clean, and start is sweet and has a nice malt profile with the top light to moderate in feel. Finish is benignly carbonated, the hop spiciness quite pronounced, aftertaste is desert dry and long lasting with a bit of a “Tummy warming from the 7.5 percent ABV, if there’s a problem with this beer it seems a bit thin body wise, but nonetheless a fine drinking beer and a great brewery that produces a fine line of beers overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2004 20:21:03 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured a hazy, tangerine color with a near 2 finger, frothy, eggshell white head that was well lasting. A vibrant medium-strong carbonation was present while the head slowly collapsed after a good 5 minutes or so clinging for dear life to the sides of the glass wall. A thick lustrious sheet lacing remained behind.

S: fresh orange peels, with a nice spicy hopping, with lemon pledge scents. Fresh pine needles and spruce notes also were evident giving this a true, wintery Christmas feel.

T: The flavor starts off with a medium sourness of tangerines with a spicy hopping. A sour bitter hop fade, that was dry with some lemon grinds soon follows. The flavor is fairly bitter and herbal with some grapefruit and pine needles along while finishing with a sour lemon twang. Fairly unique for a winter beer with an extra helping of hop bitterness and some sourness.

M: nice, nearly full in body with some astingent hopping. Pretty smooth texture wise with a noticeably strong carbonation factor. A strong herbal, green needle hopping with some lemon quenches the tongue upon the swallow.

D: The flavor was fairly unique and quite different per style, though not one I would drink in multiples or find particularly warming like most winter brews. More funky and sour then anything with a good helping of bitter hoppiness and sour tangerine character makes this an intriquing try thought with limited repeatability.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2009 00:04:26 | More by beerthulhu

plaid75

New York

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a bright light copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured a light cereal sweetness and a touch of citrus.

The taste consisted of an initial white pepper, followed by sweet malts and finished with a solid grapefruit hop.

The mouthfeel clean and round.

Overall a tasty hop driven ale.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2009 21:31:12 | More by plaid75

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

BB 01May11

An eclectic brew I'm not sure what to make of.

A: Bronze with a white head, great retention & lace.

S: Marmalade, sponge toffee, cotton candy, hints of earthy minerals.

T: Earthy orange rind and fruity esters are very British (candied pineapple, peaches & pear, with hints of bubblegum), but then there's a bit of piny american hops. Biscuity malt with some toffee sweetness, though it's overcome by a big hit of bitterness. A little ginger & cinnamon, alcohol is very subtle. Very well-crafted, but tough to review to 'style'.

M: Moderate body is very smooth, proteinaceous body rivals some German Helles.

D: A decent drinker.

Surprisingly light in colour, sort of an English strong ale with some additional American hops.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 01:21:22 | More by Derek