Heavy Seas - Winter Storm ("Category 5" Ale) - Heavy Seas Beer

Billolick

New York

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ouncer sampled, label has area for freshness dating, but no matter how close I look, nothing has been notched/marked, oh well. This one pours a nice glowing orangy amber, white tiny bubble head/film and respectable lacing. Nose is a citrusy/resiny blend. Barely respectable DIPA. Ratings seem high to me, as this one is sort of mushy body wise. This is a decent IPA ,but Double? C'mon get real. Could be more firm and crisp to get a higher rating from me. Does have a nice hoppy finish (not the crunch to be expected from a top DIPA however) and lots of caramel malts. This is the best offering I can recall trying from Clipper City

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2005 02:30:54 | More by Billolick

karst

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

April '05 date "Category 5" Ale. I love the sea and I love a strom. With the woods filled with a late winter snow. This almost nitro-fine foamy 2 1/2 finger head forms over a whisky copper ale.
Aroma and flavor are building to Category 5 in my nose and mouth. I love beer and probably overrate most brews at this point. I spite a a warning about a fine layer of yeast " at her bottom" on smelling and tasting this very nice brew - risk being sent to "Davy Jones' locker. This bottle was definately protected from the rigor of life at sea! (or Corral's shelves at Granite City, Illinois)
If you have to go down, why not on a double IPA!
This ship rides the winter storms well with is strong body and complex nose and taste of caramel malts and a hop sail trimed to perfection. I'll ride this clipper to the ends of the earth!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2005 16:17:51 | More by karst

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Dithyramb for the trade. This is either an awesome IPA or an average Double IPA. Either way it is a very good beer. Pours dark amber with a medium thin beige head. Thin speckles of lacing through the whole glass. Aroma of hops and oranges, as well as malt. Medium-bodied and hoppy, with pine and citrus flavors at the forefront. Nice malt balance too. The finish is tart and fruity with a lingering citrusy hops aftertaste. I like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2005 16:59:13 | More by Dogbrick

maxpower

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle pours hazy glowing amber-orange color with a thick creamy off-white head that leaves a nice lace in my glass. Sharp hoppy aroma of grapefruit and pine, resinous sticky pine and grapefruit flavors , has a full thick, sticky and slightly syrupy mouthfeel that finishes with a lingering bitterness, has a good malt balance, I need to get more.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2005 23:55:27 | More by maxpower

GeoffRizzo

Texas

4.78/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Extremely bright, see-through amber, a hops-dominated nose, with a massive blast of caramel, almost a burnt caramel smell, if there is such a thing! Very rich, oh so smooth and creamy; a blast of hops that will slap the palate into shape; fresh grapefruit and orange peel notes in the body, a decent warming affect as she warms, throw in some fresh baked bread tastings that slide down the hatch. Juicy and sweet hops, incredibly smooth and refreshing, a Double IPA Winter Seasonal? WOOO said the nature boy!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2005 01:59:46 | More by GeoffRizzo

cracker

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Frankly I was sort of let down by this beer. After hearing about it and having been impressed with small craft warning (also from this heavy seas line), I was expecting hoppy ipa with a strong hop aroma presence. It certainly is hoppy but sorely lacks floral hop aroma. Also, it doesn't seem to have a fruity malty backbone as most ipa's do (albeit they are more hoppy than anything else). It almost seemed like a overly hopped pilsner rather than an ale. Overall, I'd say it's just an average ipa. It's drinkable but not nearly as good as others out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2005 00:50:05 | More by cracker

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an incredibly rich a thick deep cream colored head rising 2 fingers high above the rim of the glass. Deep golden amber color with a yeast induced haziness. The nose is fresh intense flowery hoppiness with a nice sweet biscuity malty base to it. Kick ass hop bitterness fills the mouth along with thick slightly sweet maltiness. The hops just go on and on, ending in a long drawn out finish...bittersweet, but way more bitter/dry than sweet. Not too much alcohol sensed here, this one's a winner.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2005 01:07:37 | More by beerluvr

oelergud

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Copper hued body with a slightly off-white rocky head with good retention and lace. Rich carbonation.
Floral up front with strong undertones of dry hops, very inviting.
Very pleasant floral and hop flavors washing over the tongue leaving a slick hop oil coating. Sweet and subdued malts punches through shortly before the aftertaste kicks in with almost puckering hops and delicious bitterness.
Full and solid mouthfeel. slick coating, enduring aftertaste and an alcohol induced warmth makes this a great winter brew.

-Oelergud

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2005 22:54:51 | More by oelergud

Stimack

New York

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Gave this brew a try last evening while at Mahars. Had not heard about it before so was just hoping that I picked something good to try. Well I got damn lucky, this was a nice brew. Poured to a somewhat cloudy copper color with a nice sized off white head that had pretty good retention and nice lacing. The aroma has a very pronounced citrus like hop to it, was able to get a good whiff of it just from the pour. Also can notice a caramel malt aroma that is in the background but definitely goes very well with the other scents. The taste was not dominated by the hoppy characteristics as I thought it would be. It seems to be very well balanced, definitely hoppy, no doubt about it, but the maltyness has a very strong showing. Over all this is a excellent brew, one that I will be looking for. This is my first time having a brew from Clipper City, but will have to give some of the others a try!

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2005 13:45:59 | More by Stimack

shapudding

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tab dated April 2005. Poured out a clear an amber goldne with a thick and frothy head of orangey eggshell color. The head reduced down to a thin layer with a thick ring at the edge. Very nice scents of fruits- apples, oranges, plump raisins, maybe a bit of banana even...? Yeastiness floating up in the warm spiciness. The first sip really just filled my mouth. The body/carbination actually surprised me, but is very nice. Medium bodied I guess. The carb feels bood, almost creamy, alot going on. I'm surprised by the white grapefruit hoppy biteyness here. Very good flavors. Kinda like I am drinking white grapefruit juice in a beer form though? I find this to be a good drinker and can see myself having this one in the summer too. There is a good amount of flavor left over in your mouth after each sip.
-Thanks to the blitheringidiot for giving me a bunch of these!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2005 01:26:18 | More by shapudding

guinness33

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had never seen this one in my area before so I picked up a six pack, and I'm glad I did.

It pours a very nice slightly cloudy amber colour with a huge chunky tan head that fluffs up and damn near out of the glass. This is a very, very nice looking brew.

The smell is mainly of hops and has a bread like quality to it. Earth tones are a bit noticeable as well. It seems as if it's going to be a relatively big IPA.

The flavour echoes the smell nicely, and while it is not as big as the smell would indicate, it does present a nice balance that's quite welcome here. While it doesn't compete with the super hopped duoble IPA's, it is certainly bigger than your standard IPA. The flavour also has a bit more of a fruit quality to it than the smell did. The sweetness is a nice touch.

Overall, my only (slight) complaint would be that this one seems a touch thin and maybe even watery at times. Other than that, this is a flavourful IPA that I'd be more than happy to pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2004 19:35:09 | More by guinness33

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best before Arp 05 clearly notched in the label.

Beer style, other than "Category 5 Ale", not a word.

Clear, shiny copper body, fine carbonation streams, and a big frothy french vanilla shaving cream head which rocked above the rim.

Nice nose of pine, grapefruit, and a big burst of orange. Hey, this might be an IPA.

Nice smooth malt foundation, with enough caramel to think Oktoberfest. Hops roll in after, exciting but not searing. Nice earthy notes to the hop finish. While the nose scented American, there is a nice British twist in the taste, along with enough malt to carry it all toward the land of Double.

Despite all that good malt, there is something about the body that comes off just a tad weaker than it should be. But while it might be a slight disappointment, it is by no means a fatal flaw. Just not what it could be.

Drinkability is top notch, flowing down quite easily.

A good IPA, however you want to categorize it. A pleasure to see Clipper City back in Northern NJ. Nice to see other breweries besides Sierra Nevada creating IPA-types for a winter seasonal.

Sail on, and follow that star!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2004 06:34:03 | More by RonfromJersey

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Label Lingo and bottle babble: April 05 freshness notch. Whimsical cartoon pirate character on the blue label.

Deep amber sunset hues with carbonation sporadically rising hither and yon. Huge mountainous head cap that has the pour dimple and leaves a Blue Ribbon sticky lace.

Bubble gum hops and some rock candy malts. Citrous orange peel.

First Swigs: Blended citrous fruit of mostly oranges and Bubble Yum bubble gum hops. Cotton candy notes. Detectable malts but can’t detail the malt profile. Juicy orange hop middle and lingering zesty polished clean aftertaste.

Medium body, easy sudsy carbonation, and extremely clean.

Last Swigs: Juicy orange smooth easy Ale. My hops guess is Centennial? Enjoyable sweet drinkable ale and 7.5% ABV gives it some hidden kick. This is supposed to be a 2IPA? Ya gotta be kiddin! This is like a Pale at best. Seasonal offering in Mid October. Reminds me of local Barley Creek Super Hop. Paid $29 for a mixed case of Stout, RedSaison and 2IPA. 17/4.08

Beer is good. Happy sorta 2IPA beering.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2004 04:42:21 | More by blitheringidiot

RBorsato

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark gold/bronze with a full pillowy beige head, very active carbonation and lots of lace. Big beautiful citrusy grapefruit hop aroma and flavor. Medium bodied (may have felt a touch lighter due to carbonation) and creamy with an awesome fresh hoppy finish.... nice hop burps !!!

Must be the CC Reserve Winter Ale redux... very similar from memory as I remember that one being excellent as well.

Per CC website: Winter Storm "Category 5" Ale.
Available - Mid October
ABV: approx. 7.5%
IBU'S: 50+
Malts: Pal, Crystal and Carapils
Hops: Magnum, Fuggles, Cascade and Centennial
Style: Imperial IPA - a hearty, winter warmer, it is brewed with huge amounts of malts and hops, producing a rich flavor and powerful hop aroma.

Purchase Before: Mar '05
Tasted: 12/11/04

($27.99 / case)

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2004 22:33:28 | More by RBorsato

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured crystal clear medium amber with an off-white frothy and tall head that fell very slowly to end up coating the glass with Belgian lace.

The aroma was hoppy and grassy through the head with a prominent dry hopped aroma. The hops were citrusy with grapefruit most notable. Behind the generous hop nose was a nice malt complement which contained caramel.

The flavor was more restrained that the aroma was a malty flavor with caramel and a bitterness that was a bit less than anticipated. The bittering was certainly present, but was balanced with the maltiness and the caramel and only started to shine as the beer warmed substantially.

The finish was just dry with lasting hoppiness and maltiness. The body was medium full and well done.

12 ounce bottle. The aroma was very nice and the flavor was well balanced. No particular complexity about this beer, but pure drinkability does exist. As a fan of the Heavy Seas line, I would recommend this brew, but only as a nicely drinkable Double IPA, not as an outstanding example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2004 00:54:51 | More by GCBrewingCo

winomark

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice medium copper wiht a small, fleeting light tan head. Lots of hop citrus and spice on the nose. Mild malt tones noticable, but not too strong. Hoppy palate, but not too bitter. Malt gives a good backbone. Hop citrus makes an appearance, but not overpowering. Good, lingering, slightly bitter finish. A solid IPA. Nice hop profile, with some good maltiness. Worth a try anytime.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2004 14:24:44 | More by winomark

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light copper color and a huge, fluffy beige head. Lots of hops in the nose; dried orange rind intertwined with a clove-like spiciness, and a touch of pine sap woodiness constitute the aroma. Good crystal malt backbone with some scorchy caramel notes, and lots of hops and spiciness to keep the drinker continuously interested. Very enjoyable. Carbonation is a little on the higher side, but good. Clipper City has impressed me on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2004 08:24:09 | More by crookedhalo

Dithyramb

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this brew originally off the tap for Xmas in July earlier this year. I’m starting to see the bottles pop up all over the region for this and the other beers in the Heavy Seas lines. Seen a wide array of prices around the area.

The storm poured orangey copper with a nicely formed, off-white head. Had nice head retention.
A very defined hop aroma was complexified with some caramel undertones.

The Winter Storm has an excellent flavor combination, with floral hops mixed in with assorted fruity malts. Gave it to some macro fans during a BD party over the weekend. It was the first time in a bit that I received a smile with a “wow! That was tasty” comment.

Had this back to back to back with this year’s Hop Wallop. I was pressed to determine which was better. Overall, I’d have to stick with the Hop Wallop as better, and that would only be due to the slightly more complex flavor and mouthfeel. Regardless, this is a very good beer. Winter Storm went well with several different foods and by itself. I could easily have this as a tasty session brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2004 17:47:12 | More by Dithyramb

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a medium amber color with a big fluffy head. Lacing is minimal. Beer is very clear with no haze or sediment.
S: Nice floral hop aroma. Just a wee hint of a grainy aroma.
T: Starts with a nice big load of grapefruity hop flavors. Underneath that, though, is a nice taste of a malty caramel flavor that doesn't take away from the bitterness, rather it sets it off nicely. Finish tends toward a lingering balance of sweetness and bitterness.
M: Medium body. Good level of carbonation. Alcohol feel is pleasantly warming.
D&N: Very nicely balanced for a double IPA. Very smooth in the mouth with enough bite to make it interesting. This is a very good beer, IMHO. Clipper City does it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2004 02:00:15 | More by JackTheRipper

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Caramel amber hue big velvety cream tan colored head leaves fine intricate lacing. Aroma: Sharp grassy citrus notes very aromatic big caramel malt base wow, yep I could sit around and smell this one for awhile nice. Taste: Strong bitterness lies in the middle of a fluid balance of flavors, somewhat mild for a double IPA nowadays but very good nonetheless. Big herbal juicy hop bursts with slightly burnt citrus peel notes puckering the lips mellowed by sugary sweet caramel malts nice brew. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied evenly carbonated sugary slightly sticky texture nice. Drinkability: Excellent really drinkable DIPA so flavorful but not overbearing in anyway very nice version, probably the best beer I've had from Clipper City.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2004 21:55:07 | More by WVbeergeek

vladtheimpaler

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. Pours clear orange with a huge orangish white head. CO2 bubbles swarm up through the liquid to maintain the head. Aroma of cirtussy pine and yeast. Hoppy yet not overly so. The flavor is very malty with a good balance of hop flavor, yet the bitterness is a trifle bit subdued. This is very drinkable for the style. Not as assertive as some may want though, but very nice regardless.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2004 21:41:19 | More by vladtheimpaler

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle obtained via trade with meathookjones. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a big pillowy 2" light beige head above the slightly cloudy, light copper brew. Laces excellently, with large chunks here, there, everywhere, and aroma is intense piney hops. Taste is initially malty, and the hops kick in, yet not as intensely as the nose led me to expect. As balanced as you'll see a DIPA, although the hops burps have already started. Mouthfeel and drinkability excellent for the style. Check it out if hops are your thing.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2004 02:42:03 | More by ppoitras

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear amber color with a frothy, gigantic head. Loads of carbonation run up my glass and burts forth into the head. Smells very piney and orangish, with a nice hop floral smell. Tastes suprisingly malty at first. Oak notes burst through the middle as the hops start to run strong. The finish is all hops with a great pine flavor. This is a very interested brew indeed. The further I get down the beer the fruitier it gets. And an almost vanilla flavor comes through. Excellent beer!! Well rounded, yet still complex enough to keep my interest. Feels a little dry in the mouth for me. All in all this is another great offering from Clipper City. Hopefully this brewery will start to gain some recognition soon, because they are a force to be reckoned.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2004 02:50:22 | More by santoslhalper

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very nice color-deep copper with a great head that slowly recedes. Big hop aroma-citrusy,pine like. Great hop flavor in front of a very soft malt backround. Good body-not as oily as some of the double IPAs out there. An excellent beer all around-quite the tasty treat. Should be a year round offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2004 00:38:22 | More by lackenhauser

meathookjones

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Finally a local Double IPA that is bottled, I was truly excited to pick up a 6 of this in the store for a great price. Pours out copper with a tall beige head quickly erupting. The head collapses down to a rocky terrain as I drank this and scattered lacing was left around the glass. Aroma is full of citric and pine hops with a slight bit of caramel that made it self know once this warmed a bit. Big taste of citric bitter hops of front that is balanced by an eventual slightly sweet caramel. More balanced than I usually like my double IPAs but it works out well here. Taste ends with dry grapefruit bitterness. Body is about medium but a little lighter than I would expect. It works here though were as a Stone Ruination it kind of detracts from it. Overall a tasty very drinkable treat of a beer that I will be picking up plenty off in the future. Very sessionable for a DIPA at 7.5% as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2004 15:17:21 | More by meathookjones