Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale - Highland Brewing

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a crystal clear ruby amber. The head is tan, tall, and lasting to lace the glass.

The aroma is malty and bready. Similar to a scotch ale. Some slight gingerbread spices are present in the aroma. Also a toasty aroma and caramel. A very complex aroma to say the least with fruitiness, spices and malt.

The flavor is complex with malt sweetness, hop bitterness, spices and a multitude of hard to distinguish flavors in the background. Definite fruitiness, raisins or other dark fruits.

The finish is dry with muted spices and slight bitterness. The body is medium to medium full.

A very complex beer with quite a bit going on.

1 liter wax coated flip top bottle - 2003 vintage.

(Thanks to Loki for letting us know where to get the beer and Beerinator for picking it up!)

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2004 00:43:31 | More by GCBrewingCo

Loki

North Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sampled from the 1L wax-sealed fliptop bottle.

Appearance: Dark, ruby brown with a huge beige head that fades to a thin, bubbly covering. Fantastic lacing that leaves behind outlines of winter mountain range.

Smell: Big, roasted candied malts, cinnamon, caramel, and candied sugars. Hints of red fruit and cotton candy. Inticing and surprise. So magical combination of belgian candy, caramelized malt, wild rasberries, and fresh cotton candy with a solid cinnamon and spice backbone.

Taste: Roasted malt, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, belgian candied sugar, soft red fruit, and cotton candy. This is like being in a fair in the Belgian mountain forest in the middle of winter. Wonderful combination of flavor that is not to sweet, but keeps the tongue dancing and brings all of your senses alive.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, crisp, clean, perfectly balanced sweetness with a slight spicy hop finish to cleanse the palate.

Drinkability: Superb. The best seasonal I've had all year, perhaps ever! There is a reason it comes in 1L bottles, because once you taste it you want much more and you don't want to share! Fantastic.

Taste:

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2003 19:49:06 | More by Loki

homersimpson

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Version 2003
1 Liter Bottle
Clear, dark amber brew with light tan head.
Scents of sweet malt and spices.
Medium, smooth body with light carbonation.
Initially, spicy up front with just enough of a crisp hopto make it clean. Not much sweet with the spice, and the malt is definately hidden. Has a long spicy finish.
Definately on of my favorite winter brews, but could use a boost in alcohol and malt (they do go hand in hand!)
Needs a bit of a sweet burn in the finish to make it perfect.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2003 00:22:21 | More by homersimpson

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

In my experience, this beer is only available in 32oz (1L?) swing top bottles during the winter months. Fairly well spiced, this beer is reminiscent of pumpkin pie both in smell and taste. Definately an enjoyable beer, but I feel it could be made more so by increasing the quantity of malts and holding the spice level the same. However, this wouldn't work in NC because this beer is already close to the 6% alcohol level the state has set as a limit for all BEER. Which is ridiculous.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2003 00:52:32 | More by cerevisiaephilus

RBorsato

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy auburn bronze color with a beige head. A nice spicy aroma and taste (nutmeg and cinnamon) reminiscent of cinnamon toast. A toasty warm feeling great for wintertime. Medium bodied (leand full) and very smooth. Similar to Harpoon Winter Warmer in terms of spice intensity.

[2001 version (1 liter swingtop bottle) Tasted 11/23/02]

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2002 12:02:17 | More by RBorsato