Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale - Highland Brewing

a10t2

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Brown 22 oz bottle, poured into a 19 oz tulip glass. No visible date or batch number.

A: Clear, and absolutely beautiful ruby to brown color. Tiny wisps of off-white head that linger, but no lacing.

S: Diacetyl is very evident, along with some vanilla or oaky notes and a subtly earthy character that could be hops.

T: Thankfully, the diacetyl is restrained compared to the aroma. There's definite vanilla here as well, along with a big hit of caramel-y sweetness. Not much else going on though.

M: Diacetyl is again apparent on the roof of the mouth, although there's enough carbonation to cut through and keep it from being vinous.

D: I finished the beer, although I don't think I would ever try it again based on this sample.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 23:12:56 | More by a10t2

HeadE

North Carolina

2.73/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from 22oz bottle to pint glass with coppery color and minimal head with no lacing.
Aroma is of overwhelming vanilla tones with none of the usual spice or roasted malt characteristics of a winter warmer.
Flavor reminiscent of cream soda with strong vanilla notes and no hop finish. Overly sweet with caramel tones in the background.
As fans of the previous offerings of Cold Mountain, my wife and I both agree this was a poor showing. Another bottle in the fridge, we will give it one more chance but are not as excited about future showings as we have been in the past. Perhaps it will cellar and age well and we will buy another to try again in six months.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 01:14:24 | More by HeadE

mortarit

North Carolina

2.68/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I can't believe as much of Highland brews I have tried and consumed that I don't have any reviews for any of them.

2007

Up front I was not impressed because I have had better and knowing that it changes from year to year I won't stop tasting their winter warmer.

Why the change in bottles, the previous ones had the flip top. Now I got one in the 22 oz. bomber.

The major downfall to this year brew that the hops were missing or not producing the taste that so desire.

I will have to get another one to see if I get the same response to finished this review. I can't believe of the disappointment after waiting a year for it.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2007 19:10:01 | More by mortarit

Wolfpack2005

North Carolina

2.63/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A-Pours a deep clear amber color. A Brisk pour reveals a fairly impressive off white head that leaves a good amount of lacing

S-Aroma is unimpressive, dont detect too much except for a mild vanilla scent.

T-Very mild bittering hops up front. Picking up small notes of vanilla, raisin, and caramel, but the backbone of this beer seems to be some sort of a nut extract (maybe hazelnut). Not picking up any of the traditional spice that are typically in a winter warmer which is not necessarily a bad thing. Im guessing this beer is about 6-6.5% by the lack of alcohol taste that I like out of my winter WARMERS.

M-Very light with minimal carbonation.

O-IMO a sub-par beer. I cannot get past the hazelnut extract flavor that dominates the beer. I do like the fact that Highland stepped outside the bound of your traditional winter warmer. With some tweaking however i think this could be a good beer. Needs more burn.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 00:46:06 | More by Wolfpack2005

smurfyou

North Carolina

2.55/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Maybe this will be the first unflattering review of this beer? I'll preface this by saying I live in NC and love NC beers. My expectations might have been high because I enjoyed it last year.

I got a 22oz bomber of 2006 Cold Mountain from Greenlife in Asheville. Sat down after dinner with a fire going, in a cabin on a cold mountain night. Poured a decent looking dark amber color with a bit of head. Smelled like a winter warmer, nothing too suprising but nice. But when I tasted it, I was assaulted with nutmeg/spice flavor way out of balance with the beer part. Vanilla too I think. The malt flavor that was there was nice, just covered up by spice. The mouthfeel was very thin, contrary to what the smell and appearance would have you think. I honestly couldn't believe how unbalanced this beer tasted. Maybe thats what they're going for, a lot of you seem to like it. I could only get through half of it, the rest went down the drain. Sorry to all who can't find it...

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2007 22:16:45 | More by smurfyou

kkipple

South Carolina

2.48/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I was excited to see this locally in Columbia, as I'd wanted to try it for some time and had not been able to get my mitts on it. On draft, too! I eagerly ordered a pint...

...and was bitterly disappointed! I post this review bewildered as to what I actually drank, because apparently most everyone else loves this beer.

It arrived a rich, clear mahogany, no visible bubbles and a small white head which booked it within minutes.

I smelled this beer and immediately thought "Vanilla and cereal" ?? Several sniffs later I'd picked up marshmallows, cocoa, and again a weird cinnamon grain flavor. I said as much to my tablemates and one replied "Yeah, it smells like Life cereal!" Which is absolutely correct. I can't say I enjoyed the smell, but it's certainly different.

The taste was overwhelmingly cinnamon Life cereal! Loads of vanilla and sweet malt, no hop presence whatsoever. Very timid mouthfeel, and altogether too much vanilla and sweetness to be drinkable. I had trouble finishing my glass. No roasted grain flavors or subtlety.

The mouthfeel was moderately carbonated and bizarrely thin for a winter warmer, I like mine much fuller.

My bar summary notes end: "Vanilla and spice overpower -- too sweet to drink much of. Odd." And that about sums it up. Being the number one rated winter warmer on the site, I'm baffled as to why this was so bad. Perhaps a bad batch or one that was damaged during transit? I didn't note any unwelcome flavors or smells, but the sum of the mix was practically undrinkable. I'll try Cold Mountain again, hopefully from a bottle, and re-review it.
For now, it's a sad letdown from a brewery I really respect.

EDIT: I've had this several times from bottle since, and really, I still dislike it. Ah well.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2007 00:16:29 | More by kkipple

plaid75

New York

2.38/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured a deep amber hue with a wisp of white foam atop. There was little retention and lacing.

The smell featured a strong sweet cereal aroma with a healthy dose of vanilla. Some nutmeg detected as well.

The taste consists of and astringent cinammon and nutmeg flavor with an overdose of vanilla. Very medicinal in the bitterness.

The mouthfeel was thin with an uncomfortable astringency.

Overall I was disappointed in this beer. Perhaps it is past its prime. Either way, I couldn't finish it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2007 15:53:01 | More by plaid75

JDV

Texas

2.33/5  rDev -42.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

bottle courtesy of DrBayern
Rich maroon brown with a fluffy beige head. Smell is sweet, malt, vanilla, cream and perhaps some butteriness or butterscotch. Kind of reminds me of scotch ales, which i'm not too keen on. Taste is smooth vanilla, cream and caramelly malt. A good beer, in all honesty, but something about the strong sweet vanilla like aroma that was a bit cloying or unpleasant to me.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 18:47:49 | More by JDV

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.33/5  rDev -42.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

2010 vintage on tap in a shaker pint. One day after a disappointing cellared '09, let's see how the fresh batch measures up.

See-thru amber with a very modest creamy head, but a fair dose of sticky lacing. Nose is rather uninteresting (perhaps partially at the fault of the crappy glassware)- gentle maltiness with a vanillaish spicy presence. Tastes similarly frustrating; it's like they left the 'warming' out of the 'winter warmer'. Aching for a dose of robustness. Plenty of leafy bitterness, a bit of toasted malt, mild vanilla and cinammon and not much else. Vaguely nutty. A bit of lingering coating chocolate milk in the finish (lactose?).

Overall impression: Disappointing offering from a generally solid brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 20:21:18 | More by PDXHops

waldoiverson

Texas

2.05/5  rDev -49.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

bomber into US Ping

A: minmal head with almost no lacing, nice dark copper color

S: smells like those heart candies you get around valentines day...no alcohol smell or hops, maybe a bit of caramel malt

t: sweetbitterness that is kind of chalky and chamomile floraly...not sure what's going on here but my mouth isn't happy

m: thin and tangy from carbonation

d: not sure about abv but on taste i'd not drink another...sorry highland

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 23:19:04 | More by waldoiverson