Blue Point Winter Ale - Blue Point Brewing Company

KickbacksSteve

Florida

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Off-white head, moderate retention on a amber/copper body. Lacing is sticky and soapy. Aroma includes caramel malts, some spicing (maybe white pepperish), light hop bitterness. Taste is more sweet than bitter, slightly brown sugarish, certainly caramel, faint bitterness. I suppose this can be described as a wintery amber. Easy to drink and pretty tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2012 06:29:31 | More by KickbacksSteve

cosmicevan

New York

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

swung by the brewery after work to try the french oak cask of this so got a regular for comparison. nice amber color with thin head that fizzled away leaving an oil slick of head. smells like an amber should, malty and barley like, veey earthy. taste is the same but even more earthy. the malt bomb is nice and the brown sugar is there, but in an amount that is bearable (not my fav style). mouth was stamdard with good carb. overall a good amber and worth a try as the weather grows colder, however if you are local run to try the cask french oak as it is amazing how different it is.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 23:03:48 | More by cosmicevan

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Blue Point Winter Ale was served, on tap, in a shaker pint. The beer had a deep mahogany color with just a wisp of foam. Caramel is strong in the nose. Similar on the palate, but after the caramel fades little remains. A dash of spice at the end brightens up the taste buds following a distinct hollowness in the center. Overall, fine and drinkable, but I would prefer more complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2011 23:56:57 | More by BeardedBoffin

BeerManDanNYC

New York

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The best winter beer I've been able to find consistently the last couple of years. A full, rich flavor with just a hint of spice and a surprisingly easy finish for a winter ale. The kind of beer you want after a long day on the slopes. Once again, Blue Point delivers on the seasonal brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2011 20:16:38 | More by BeerManDanNYC

clickpush

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured tap to pint glass. Nice ruby/copper color with persistent, sticky tan head. Body is clear with some lazy bubble trails. Aroma is extremely malty, biscuits and caramel. Nice and bright. Flavor is full malt body with finish of light, citrusy hops. Mouthfeel is active and completely helps the flavors develop. Head remains a nice cap the whole time, sticking to the glass, revealing every sip.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2011 21:11:35 | More by clickpush

atsprings

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Flying Saucer and reviewed from notes. Served in a standard pint glass a crisp amber with a thin diminishing head. Aroma was slight malt, but not much there. The taste was sweet malts with slight caramel and decent hops with slight spice. The beer was light and smooth with slight carbonation. This one was decent, but not likely one I'd have again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2010 21:11:09 | More by atsprings

kenito799

New York

4.05/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

20 oz pour at Press 195, Bayside, Queens, NY

The dark amber ale looks nice enough, small head, pretty lacing.

Nice aroma of malt with warm nutmeg and cinnamon spice. On teh palate a pleasant balance of malt, not too sweet, with definite undertones of cinnamon. Christmas-y. Wintry and warm, yet light on the palate, low ABV, great session beer for winter. Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2010 03:11:16 | More by kenito799

TLove

District of Columbia

2.15/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

On tap in Windsor, CT.

Really light and weak for a winter. Surprising lack of spice and, despite its nice amber-brown color and 1/2 finger head, the beer is more dry and hoppy than I expected. Grainy and parsing.

Its something different, but I won't go for this one again. The taste is unbalanced and the body too thin. Lacks the wintry flavors and substantive malts and complexity of a winter brew.

Aptly categorized as an amber/red ale. It claims, however, to be a winter ale and I have rated it accordingly.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2009 03:51:40 | More by TLove

david18

New York

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

There's not much I can say about this beer. I don't like Winter Beers but it was the only new beer at my local beer bar so I tried it. It was on the good side of what I like, meaning it was more like a red ale than a winter ale. Not too much spice, good dark color and decent malt color and flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2009 21:30:53 | More by david18

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden in Enola, PA.

A: The ale is a dark nutty brown color, highlighted with orange and red tones. No head unfortunately.

S: The nose is malty, loaded with nutty notes and caramel sweetness.

T: The ale doesn't deviate from the amber formula at all. Caramel and nutty malts suppprt a light hop profile. As many others have noted, there is nothing special about the ale; the name alone made me expect more.

M: The mouthfeel is ho-hum, a decent amber ale with the necessary caramel and hop flavors.

D: The ale would work in a pinch but to make it a full-time option, I'd want to see a spicy profile.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2009 18:43:23 | More by akorsak

erosier

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: Pours a nice dark amber-brown color with a short white colored head that laces the glass a bit on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet roasted malts, some vanilla, spices - nutmeg and cinnamon, and a faint hops characteristic at the end.
T: A nice roasted malty base then some layers of cinnamon and vanilla, I really didn't taste the nutmeg I smelled, but then it ended with a slight hop finish that didn't make it too hoppy.
M: Very smooth, fresh, refreshing, and a bit warming.
D: Very drinkable beer. I don't believe it should be categorized as an American Amber/Red, I would call it more of a winter warmer from how it tasted and smelled. Regardless, it was still good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2008 11:38:58 | More by erosier

buzzworthy

New York

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Beff's in Delmar. My first Blue Point brew, the Winter Ale turns out to be a pleasantly quaffable red ale. It's an attractive reddish-amber with decent sized tan head as poured from the tap. There isn't much aroma. There is a nice balance of bitter hops and sweet malts that ordinarily would have me raving. The problem is that the taste and body are too thin. It's just not robust or flavorful enough to stand out as anything other than an occasional beer. One could drink a lot of these, but I just wouldn't want to - there so many better choices.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2007 20:44:31 | More by buzzworthy

lehows

New York

4.72/5  rDev +33.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at The Bellport last night, it poured a brownish-red amber color with a thick cream colored head. Amazing lacing that hung all the way down the glass. Nutty aromas with a malt backbone, some mild spice and hops. Wonderful flavors of nutty caramel, roasted malt bitterness, and a touch sweet spice round out the brew. Don't confuse this with a winter warmer style ale, as some have. It's a solid and highly drinkable red ale, goes well with food too.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2007 15:42:04 | More by lehows

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Pitcher’s Pub in Cumberland, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

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

S: The aroma is very malty, with traces of tea, smoke, coffee, caramel and some hops.

T: The taste is robust and very smoky, with flavors of roasted coffee, caramelized malt and a bit of hops. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium-to-heavy body, light-to-medium carbonation, slightly sticky finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down very quickly and is very light for a winter seasonal, it’s an excellent beer to stick with for a whole evening.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2006 23:17:50 | More by TheManiacalOne

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pouring into a pint glass, the waitress tells me that I kicked the keg, to which I'd usually be proud. However, this was my first beer of the night, so it wasn't my doing really!

It pours a very white sudsy head (2") atop of an amber with ruby hue body. The head was much more than usualy probably due to the fact that the head was spitting a bit into the glass.

Aroma was mostly of caramel along with an overall cream soda aroma which was quite pleasant but odd. I also get some florals in there from the hops but the malt dominates the aroma.

Very sweet carmael with some slight spice comes through on the sip. It actually reminds me a bit of a pils with some souring hops (floral and a bit citrus) coming through to help balance out the sweetness of it.

Feel was nice. Smooth on my palate with just a slight bitter puckering at the finish. Overall, nicely done with mouthfeel.

Overall, the sweetness for the style was a bit too much for me. I had hoped that I'd get a bit more warming from this one, but the fact that it was the last brew in the keg could amount for my error in judgement. I can't slam this one considering.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2006 23:40:36 | More by Fish113d

plaid75

New York

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is a very nice alternative to the typical winter beer offering. The beer has the characteristic winter beer dark hue and less than foamy head, but is not as malty as the rest. It has a nice crisp hop character and a lighter than most mouthfeel. Personally, I cannot drink pint after pint of your typical malty winter brew. This is a nice and unique change.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2006 20:09:58 | More by plaid75

ybnorml

Rhode Island

3.7/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a dark amber ale with an off white head. The aroma malty sweet with a slightly fruity aspect. The taste is a light malt at the begining with a slight fruitiness in the middle. That end witha smooth bitterness on the finish. The flavor was more subdued than the aroma let on, but very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2004 00:11:27 | More by ybnorml

tdm168

North Carolina

3.31/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

A - amber with a thick, off white head with good retention

S - caramel, grains, sweet

T - caramel, apple, mild bitterness

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is an incredibly disappointing beer. It's super-simplistic with esters and caramel dominating, but there is also an off-putting graininess throughout. I'll pass this is up in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:20:29 | More by tdm168

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours light copper color with a thick two finger off white head. The head has a nice level of retention, slowly fading over time to leave a decent level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of a caramel sweetness and a moderately strong toasted malt smell. Mixed with these aromas is a bit of a nutty and alcohol smell, producing a rather warming smell overall.

Taste – The taste begins with a flavor of a caramel sweetness mixed with toasted malt. As the taste moves forward, it sweetness further with toffee like flavors hitting the tongue as well as a bit of nuttiness. About this time some flavors of a light bitter hop of a more herbal/grassy nature meet the tongue. The mainly sweeter and toasted malty flavors take the taste to its end where they are joined by flavors of a light alcohol, some oak, and as well as a light spice of nutmeg and cinnamon. In the end with the advent of the spice, oak, alcohol and hop, the tongue is left with a warmingly sweet and malty flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is slightly creamier then average with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. Both the lower carbonation and thicker body suit well the warming, light nut, hop, and spice flavors of the brew quite well and make for a nice slow drinker.

Overall – A somewhat complex winter warmer style with a rather nice blend of spice, nut/oak, hop, and sweet malty flavors. It is a rather enjoyable brew to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:21:58 | More by Darkmagus82

chinchill

South Carolina

3.81/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Undated 12 oz bottle served in a Trois Pistoles snifter.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color with some fine looking carbonation bubbles, all covered by a good sized off-white head. The head reduces to a lasting partial coat and ring, and plenty of lacing is left on the glass.

S: The aroma features sweet malts, with a good bit of caramel, some alcohol esters and traces of hops. Some light floral and smoke notes.

T: The taste is a step towards an imperial amber, with flavors of darker roasted malts than usual, Some coffee and smoke in the finish and aftertaste. Hops are obvious in the finish and lend a very good sweet/bitter balance. The alcohol very well hidden.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, slightly dry finish.

O: Light in body and ABV for a winter seasonal, it’ is darker and richer than average for an amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:26:41 | More by chinchill

metter98

New York

3.56/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear reddish amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a two finger high light beige head that took a long time to died down, settling to a short head covering the surface and lots of lacy rings of bubbles around the sides of the glass.
S: Sweet aromas of toffee malts are present in the nose.
T: The overall taste is quite malty and has lots of flavors of toasted malts and toffee along with notes of sweetness and spices—nutmeg stands out in particular.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is quite malty, but the high amount of carbonation in the mouthfeel makes it seem to be a little lighter and helps with the drinkability. The alcohol is well hidden from the taste. I'm not sure if I could drink more than one of these at a time because it is rather sweet and malty.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:46:43 | More by metter98

rlee1390

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear yellow/orange when pouring, clear amber in the glass, one finger head that doesn't last.

S-Lots of malt, some nutty notes, even a tad bit of cinnamon.

T-Starts extremely malty, good deal of nuts along with a tad bit of grass. No bitterness, caramel and molasses as well.

M-Light and no carbonation.

O-A boring, bland not that good from Blue Point. Guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 17:21:05 | More by rlee1390

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review copied from my notes. Was poured from a 12oz into a standard pint a few hours ago.

Appearance: Amber in color. Nice off-white head that sticks around and covers the glass pretty well.

Smell: Not picking up much. Slightly sweet smell, a little bit of malt.

Taste: This is a pretty great ale. It is not trying to do anything special, but it hits the mark and is something I would certainly go back to. Malts with a nice spiciness that hits the end for an ale that fits the season but would be appropriate any time.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly carbonated but not bad. Appropriate medium body that goes down easy.

I'd buy this year round if it was available.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:31:10 | More by ColdWaffles

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a reddish brown, fast foam. Some layer remains. Fruity cherry smell. Malty caramel. Taste is a fruity sweet red malt and a mild hop bite close. Nice blend. Maybe a hint of whisky lurking in the back? Good.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 12:13:39 | More by KTCamm

brother_rat

New York

3.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a translucent dark copper, with a gray, thick head of uneven bubbles that faded pretty quick. Not a lot of lacing. Looks perfectly fine to me, nothing bad but nothing to write home about. 3/5

S: Opening florals of corn and wet cereals, sweetish. Not the most inviting. 2/5

T: Bright and light, with muted hops up front, toasted and a bit malty, fading to a more of a malty finish; sweet. Seems to leave an ever-sweetening aftertaste, which is actually pleasant. Notes of corn & cereal & grapefruit up front, but more caramel, almost dark chocolate or chocolate biscuits, at the finish. 3.5/5

M: There's a bit of body to the beer, despite the initial lightness, and you do feel the warming ABV. Very drinkable, and I enjoyed the beer more as I continued drinking. 3.5/5

O: Not a bad beer, and perhaps my favorite offering from Blue Point (I'm not a fan of the Toasted Lager or some of their other beers, which is hard to say as I'm from LI and Blue Point is everywhere around me). But this is one of those beers where the initial impressions turned out to be pretty deceptive. From unimpressive first sniffs and tastes, I continued to like the beer more and more. They dialed down the hops, thankfully, and made a pretty solid beer that ends well. Nice. 3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 02:01:17 | More by brother_rat