Winter Haze - Dale Bros. Brewery

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this from a friend in CA. Glad to try a new brewery and new beer to me. 22oz bottle bottled on Jan 17, 2011:

A: Super clear brownish copper with a 1/2 inch white head that doesn't seem to go anywhere too quickly. Good.

S: Smells very good. I get some nice orange citrus with a great blend of piney spices. I get a hint of sugary malt on the backend. Very good.

T: A hint of dry water malt with a slight breadiness. Almost a metallic earthiness. Here's where it's lacking. Eh.

M: Light body with a heavy carbonation. A super dry finish. Ok.

D: Goes down a little harder with the metallic hints. Decent.

All in all, this started on it's way to a great brew, but once I hit the taste it was all downhill from there. Not much to offer from this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 02:17:22 | More by steve8robin

jwillcourt

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz cellar temperature bottle into a wine glass. I didn't notice that it was bottle on 1/20/2009 until after it was open. Pity I didn't wait until its first birthday, next week.

A - Lives up to the Winter Haze name: hazy, reddish-brown. Rosy, red-grapefruit color when held to the light. Very pretty. Two finger white head that settles to thin film within two minutes. Little lacing. No visible carbonation.

S/T - Strong caramel and toffee malt with citrus hops. Taste dominated by caramel and biscuit malt, as expected from the smell. Followed briefly with a slight sour taste, with a bitter hop finish.

M/D - Feels light-bodied for a double. Slight carbonation. No residual mouthfeel. Enjoyable and goes down easy. The 22oz serving is enough. The bottle says 6.6% ABV, but today it feels higher.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 01:58:10 | More by jwillcourt

womencantsail

California

3.73/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Pizza and Such in Claremont.

A: The pour is a clear, dark amber color with a large off-white head.

S: A nice sweet caramel malt aroma and a mild spice to it. I also pick up a slight bit of hop aroma.

T: I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. A definite sweet, caramel malt flavor, but still a mild bitterness and spiciness which add complexity to it.

M: The carbonation is moderate and the body is medium.

D: By far the best beer I have had from Dale Bros. I wouldn't mind having this one again, and it is a big step up from their Pomona Queen.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 10:22:05 | More by womencantsail

JTahoe

California

3.05/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First things first... why is this listed here as a barleywine? The bottle makes no such claims, rather it is labeled a "Doubly Common Beer" and described as: "A celebratory twist on American-Style Amber Lager. We call it a Doubly Common Beer because the ingredients are those of a California Common Beer but we add more of them!" So, it's an imperial take on a CA Common. OK, that out of the way...

A - Clear glowing amber with two plus finger creamy head with sheeting lacing and good retention.

S - Hints of toasted grain, malt, and burnt sugar.

T - Bready with caramel, toffee, dark brown sugar (the burt sugar character comes through a bit here as well). Decent hop presence adds some pine notes and a slight herbal character. A bit bitter at first, but becomes more mellow.

M - Medium body with some coating maltiness, fairly low carbonation.

D - Not bad--a good effort, though not one that beckons for another round.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 04:41:06 | More by JTahoe

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.53/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours caramel/brown with 1 finger of cream colored head. Good lacing & head retention

S: A bit of malt, caramel & brown sugar

T: Caramel & rich biscuitty malt & a bit of piney hops up front. brown sugar dryness as this warms along with a bit of grapefruit hops. Leafy hops, some more caramel & a touch of herbal hops. Finishes with boozey warmth, piney hops, dryness & a smidge of brown sugar

MF: Medium-bodied with low carbonation, skews malty like an English Style BW or Old Ale or maybe just not OTT on hops. Could be chewier

Drinks easy enough, a passable, not good barleywine

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 03:27:47 | More by russpowell

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear amber body with a wispy, off-white head.

Smell: An aroma light on caramel but full of pine hop scents. Maybe a bit of dried mint leaves, too.

Taste: Starts with a small, quick dose of toffee sweetness before wandering into a fair amount of spicy, piney hops. A mild, sparing bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Though a decent, well-made brew, it fails to really excite my beer-drinking sensibilities.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 22:24:44 | More by ChainGangGuy

Dukeofearl

California

3.05/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle for $2.99 at Liqourama in Upland, CA in (approximately) November 2006, consumed in January 2007.

Before I ran across this, I had never heard of this brewer before, and was excited to get something new from an Inland Empire brewer (there aren't many working commercially). The label doesn't have much information, but it does have a green diamond with two white snowmen (with red caps) toasting a pint, "Dale Bros. Brewery", and "Winter Haze, Doubly Common Beer". On the side of the label, in addition to the normal government stuff, is "Alcohol 6.4% ABV" and an address for the brewer. Seems awful low ABV for a Barleywine!

Pours a clear golden amber with a decent amount of carbonation, but not much head to accompany it. A thin cover sticks around, so it's better than nothings.

Original aroma is sweet with a gentle orange candy-citrus tones, and almost a minty bread base. Flavor follows that theme, with a definite hop dominance and a somewhat harsh alcohol heat in the end of the swallow. Much harsher than expected for a 6.4%. I am trying to think my way out of this as being a barleywine- what is it? OK, skipping style- it has a full rich malt base, somewhat creamy in mouthfeel, and floral hops. Astringent ending that almost makes me want to not swallow. Harshness in throat long after the swallow is completed.

Overall, a decent beer, but not terribly well balanced for my palate. Settle down the ending of the swallow and this might be something I would like.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2007 02:57:18 | More by Dukeofearl

Boilermaker88

California

3.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This offering from a new brewer in my area was given to me by a friend from work. Presented in a 1L swing-top brown bottle, this barleywine had a clear brick red color and only a small off-white cap for a head. Random ghostly lace was left on the glass walls.
The smell was dominated by aromatic hops and a whiff of alcohol. Any malt aromas were completely subjugated by the hops. Taste followed the form of the smell; up front, there was only a suggestion of caramel and roasted malt. As each sip was held, a pronounced spruce-infused hoppiness burst forth and carried through to the finish, leaving a hops presence on the tongue long after each sip was swallowed. The alcohol was very well disguised. The feel was medium-bodied, smooth, and slick.
This out-of-the-blue offering from a previously unknown local brewer had enough going for it to entice me to look around for more styles. This wasn't a great barleywine, a bit off-balance and not as robust as others, but still was an intriguing sample.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2004 17:54:17 | More by Boilermaker88