Hibernator - Long Trail Brewing Co.

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

2.91/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Thanks to angrybabboon for providing the bottle so I didn't have to buy one.

Appearance: A slight haze on a relatively straight up copper color. Small, off-white head drops to a spotty cap and tiny collar almost immediately. Moderate carbonation on the pour. A bit of clarity at the edges.

Smell: Lightly caramelized malts. A big white bread aroma. A bit phenolic. Some apple and raw grain. Biscuits and caramel. Slight roasted character. Even some vague toasted notes. Moderate malt backbone. Minimal hopping pushes hints of herbal and leafy hops. Some pale and amber malts. Pretty mild overall.

Taste: Herbal hop notes over the top of some pale malts. Bread crust with a hint of citrus. Some amber malts. A bit of caramelized malt sweetness. Minor roasted malt profile. Some toasted edges. Same mildly phenolic kick as the nose. Apple. Legit toasted bread.

Mouthfeel: A medium body with a moderate to low carbonation. A bit of creamy smoothness. Lingering dry finish.

Overall: You couldn't last the winter on this beer alone.

Drinkable en masse, despite terrible style claim. It's a mild bock type thing. Drinkable and not terrible.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 20:04:43 | More by Goblinmunkey7

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.41/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served an orange-amber colored brew with a one finger white head. The head faded very rapidly leaving a great level of lacing on the glass.

Smell – The smell is heaviest of a bready aromas mixed with a lighter caramel sweetness and some oak and nut smells as well. Overall the aroma is quite light.

Taste – The taste begins with flavors of a more breaded and lightly roasted malt flavor. Up front there are hints of a caramel sweetness. The sweetness begins to fade more toward the middle as flavors of a bit more roasted malt and more bready flavors come to the tongue joined by a lighter citrus hop of a grapefruit flavor. Other flavors of a woody and spiced nature then come to the tongue. In the end, with a increase in the caramel sweetness once again, a moderately sweetened spiced and bready taste is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The thickness of the beer was on the medium to slightly above medium side with a little bit of chewiness and a lower level of carbonation. The slightly thicker body was quite nice for the bready and spiced flavors of the brew. A bit more carbonation may have been nicer for the lighter grapefruit citrus hop flavors of the brew, but overall it was pretty well done.

Overall – Not bad. While the combination of flavors upfront was not too appealing, with somewhat off transitions, as the brew warmed more it took on a bit more sweetness allowing for a bridging of the flavors in a smoother transition.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 01:37:59 | More by Darkmagus82

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.51/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 2/1/13

Appearance: Deep amber with some light brown - mostly cloudy, with some clarity around the edges - small, off-white head, fades quickly - low carbonation - leaves a wispy cap, leaves some spots of lacing

Smell: Moderately malty - lightly toasted, bready, and decidedly grainy - caramel, amber, and pale malts - lightly roasty and earthy - some malty sweetness - mild overall, doesn't smell like a Scottish Ale

Taste: Follows the aroma - lightly roasty, lightly toasted - earthy, with some grass - some yeasty flavors - dry and roasty, but also sweet - bready, with some amber and caramel malts - some sweetness, some bitterness in the finish - flavor gets a lot more interesting as it warms up

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, low carbonation

Overall: A decent beer, regardless of the style (or lack thereof)

This is not a Scottish Ale, regardless of what Long Trail claims on the website. But I don't know what I would call it. Long Trail describes it vaguely as a malty, winter ale on the bottle, and this makes more sense. This is definitely quaffable, but it's not exceptional in any way. I don't regret buying a 6-pack that was on clearance for $6. Win.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 06:03:18 | More by angrybabboon

plaid75

New York

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.

Poured a murky amber hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured a light earthy caramel.

The taste was obviously malty with tones of earth and peat. Balancing bitterness detected.

The mouthfeel was toward the lighter side of the style.

Overall a tasty malty treat.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 18:50:17 | More by plaid75

axeman9182

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle, dated 10/15/12 (bottled on date?), and poured into my Firestone Walker tulip.

Hibernator pours a slightly hazy burnt orange. Maybe a finger of bone colored foam crowns the beer, and fades cleanly after a minute or two. The nose, while muted, has a nice complexity. Toffee, biscuits, and a tobacco aroma all make themselves known. The flavor profile leads off with malts that definitely lean more towards biscuit and bread than caramel and toffee. There's a sharp bitterness next that's entirely out of place. A subtle tobacco and herbs blend delivers the finish. The mouthfeel just lacks the fullness of body that I'd expect for a malty winter beer, though the carbonation is appropriately subdued. I don't often reach for Long Trail beers when I'm browsing at my local bottle shop, and this HIbernator isn't going to change my mind.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 05:08:41 | More by axeman9182

claspada

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear amber color with an eggshell head that recedes to leave some moderate lacing.

Aromas of light sweet caramel and roasted malts and some earthy/woody hops in the background.

Tastes follow the nose but improve as you get to your 3rd or 4th sip. Starts with a sweet caramel, toffee and lightly roasted malt flavor which is balanced somewhat by a bit of an earthy hop finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation.

Overall this was a solid brew and I enjoyed a few of them just to make sure. While not very complex or robust, this beer knows and serves its purpose well. Extremely approachable, sessionable and easy to drink, this is a definite safe option brew in macro-havens. Not a must-try by any means, but a solid choice when options are limited.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 16:51:35 | More by claspada

jjchristiano

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hazey orange hue looks as if there is a lot of yeast still in the mix. Bottle says unfiltered so I assume this is the reason. Almost homebrewish in appearance. smell is dominated by hop aroma. Can't taste sweetness. More crisp hoppy flavor that also has a bite of hops at the tail. I'm not really getting any spice either so for me this is not a preferred winter beer offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:15:49 | More by jjchristiano

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a bright, slightly hazed, vibrant, ruby coloring with a thin, sparse, filmy surface coating of head. Aromas of rich caramel, both sweet and smooth, a touch of hops bitterness, and some floral jasmine highlights. Very smooth and balanced aromas. Flavors are rich and roasty, with a scotch and caramel backbone that is sweet, but balanced. Malt profiles expound as the beer covers the palate, giving rise to some bready and molasses characteristics. Light bodied despite the rich flavors, and when combined with the lower ABV this beer becomes very drinkable. Sweet, slightly tart aftertaste with the hops presence resurfacing for a touch of bitter and spice to clean the palate. Crisp, clean finish with a touch of spice linger. Tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:20:02 | More by GarthDanielson

57md

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A sessionable Scottish Ale? Hardly seems likely, but we have an excellent candidate for that title right here. With a 5.6% ABV, this offering certainly qualifies on the light end of Scottish ales. However, there is still some delicious malty flavor present in spite of the low ABV.

To start, this beer pours copper with a tinge of red to it. There is a finger of head that dissipates quickly. The nose is malty, but not terribly strong at all. The upfront flavors are from caramel malt for sure and the malt profile gets bolder on the finish.

Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 06:41:15 | More by 57md

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz.

Pours a reddish honey gold, slightly hazy, off-white head dissipates from a half inch to a lacing.

Smells of dry barley malt, slight caramel and scotch, and a light woodiness.

Mildly sweet like honey and molasses followed by a dry woodiness with a barley character. Whisper of a hop bitterness. Bready in the end.

Medium body with tingles of carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

A so-so ale and a descent Scottish, a bit bland ultimately. Interesting and worth a try as it goes down easy but presents a good body and a stronger flavor, but probably not something I'll return to in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 00:40:16 | More by Cylinsier

JTBacon

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

To say it quickly, this beer is good. It looks by the label to be more of a 'winter' beer. But it isn't at all. It's not dark, or heavy, or has a distinct taste. But it is good, and I can see it being relatively easy to drink several of these. It's pretty neutral, so I can see IPA and Ale fans enjoying this...while those that like a darker and heavier fare try a few of those for a lighter alternative. Long Trail is a fine brewery that makes some great beers...this one probably ranks slightly above the median of its offerings. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 17:43:01 | More by JTBacon

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

pours a clear, dark copper tone yielding a big 2-finger beige colored head. nice retention and lacing... great presentation.

nose is somewhat tame, noteworthy in its caramel, bready maltiness, but not a whole lot else going on. flavor follows the aroma closely, which is to say, meh... bready, with sweet, caramel malts, a bit of a metallic edge to it. OK - nothing more, nothing less; a decent if uninspiring quaff.

medium bodied, medium carbed mouthfeel. goes down easy enough, just seems to me there are far better offerings to be had.

originally reviewed: 01-05-2011

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:33:02 | More by BostonHops

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Rich malts. Mostly crystal, with some very mild chocolate and black malts. Moderately roasty, just a hint of smokiness. Grains, wheat and barley. Bold aroma overall.

Appearance: Depp copper, slightly hazy. Expecting more haze since this is unfiltered. Pours a moderate light brown head. Good retention and some lacing. Some sediment stuck to the bottom of the bottle after the pour.

Taste: Dark and roasty. Crystal malt with some darker varieties, mild black malt which adds some of the roastiness. Some peat, and mild pine brought on by the hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium-low body. Mild carbonation, but what's there stings a bit. Not overly dry, must have gone a bit light on the unmalted roasted barley. The finish is mildly dry nonetheless.

Overall: Nice bold yet relaxing brew. On the sweet side, but nicely balanced. It's fitting that it is released as a winter seasonal.

Notes: Drank on 5/7/2012. 10/25/2011 stamped on the bottle, I assume this was the brewed-on date.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:56:42 | More by soulfly1492

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This was served from the tap at The Distillery in Victor, NY. It arrived in a house pint glass and glowed a golden brown color, with amber hues to the light. It held a half finger tall tan head, which showed poor retention. This left chunky bubbles atop the liquid, with surrounding sheets of lacing. No sediment or haze was noticed, and carbonation appeared light. The aroma opened with mild, steely malts. With warmth these took on great complexity, showing chocolate and deeper toffee components. Otherwise the nose met light earthy hops, with minerals, honey, and nectary floral sweetness. Our first impression was that this beer was not bad, and had a curious bitterness. The flavoring opened up with a strong synthetic cherry vibe. The malts here were coffee-esque, with a surprisingly strong roastiness. The middle peaked with bitterness of floral hops and booze. This gave a metallic and medicinal feel to this stage of the tasting. The malts deepened, becoming more chocolatey and chalky here, and only slightly sweeter. The finish showed even grassiness to take over all else. This washed the palate, leaving room for a final twinge of brown sugar sweetness in the final drops. The aftertaste breathed of bready grain, cherry cough syrup, metals, grassy hops, booze, raw honey bomb, and raw bananas. The body was medium and the carbonation was average. There was a light metallic coating around the mouth, with a final dryness, but this never approached astringency. At times the feel was a little watery, with only decent froth and pop. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank somewhere in the middle.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the malty inclusion, and the eventual complexity to the flavoring. While not all the flavors were necessarily well blended, that malty complexity of toffee, caramel, chocolate, and coffee all coming together was nice. We felt the nose to be a bit mild, and ultimately the beer need a bit more sweetness to fit the classic stylistic guidelines.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 15:14:20 | More by TheBrewo

CloudStrife

New York

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into snifter. 12/07/11 on the neck.

A: Pours an opaque orangish ruby with a 1 finger off white head. Can see some fast moving bubbles inside. Lacing on the sides. Head is easily rejuvenated.

S: Dark fruit notes. Some toffee and carmel malts. Winter spices seem to be present too.

T: Malty upfront with an almost wheat like finish. Some of the typical carmely scotch ale flavors. Hops make an appearance at the end along with a very faint spice.

M: Medium bodied, drinkable. Seems like a wheated out scotch ale.

Overall a good take on the scotch ale but one that's not for me. With the other had hitting winter warmers this one takes a backseat. I still find myself buying it though.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 00:09:42 | More by CloudStrife

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a copper color, smallish head which sticks around for a little while, not much lacing on the glass.

Smell is mostly caramel malt, slight nuttiness, picking up a bit of toffee as well.

Taste is straightforward with caramel malt leading the charge, decent creaminess, soft carbonation, toffee in the aftertaste, not much of a hop presence but it's not sorely missed with this beer, lightly spiced.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:18:08 | More by deltatauhobbit

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ba Review #136
Served On: 03/14/2012
Glassware: Sam Adams Perfect Pint
Labeled ABV: -
Date/ Code: 12/26/11

This was in the winter 2011 Survival Pack. One of the last winter seasonals left in my beer fridge.

Look: Poured a cloudy copper-brown with yellow and gold variations along the edges. The head was a 1-finger of off-white patchy foam that formed a rocky surface on top. Carbonation bubbles responded fairly well to the signature laser etching on the bottom of the Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

Smell: At first the aroma was of roasted spices like cinnamon and ginger. Then I started to notice a biscuit quality typical of Winter Warmers.

Taste: Upfront were notes of earthy ginger with a clean alcohol dryness in the middle. The finish was bitter with some roasted notes randomly. The aftertaste was a lasting biscuit mixed with more faint spice.

This beer was an interesting spin on a winter seasonal. I can’t say It followed the Scotch Ale style much, but it certainly had nice complexity and I’ll definitely look for it again. It was very similar to a Fordham Scotch Ale, only with a winter spice character.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 22:14:44 | More by CraftBeerTastic

Bendurgin

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Pours a light brown with a finger of bubbly beige head. A little bit of soapy lace sticks.

A bit of a nutty aroma with good toasted malts in the forefront. Seems to have a touch of sweetness on the edge. Good nutty flavor profile with hints of brown sugar and a huge malt profile that finishes out with a slightly bitter hop finish.

Medium bodied with prickly carbonation. Overall this one is real solid. Well crafted and tasty for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 04:00:08 | More by Bendurgin

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle stamped 112111-1732. Sampled on March 2, 2012. The pour is a slightlu cloudy medium amber with a silkly, fluffy light tan head. The aroma is full of caramel and other sweet malts. The body is smooth, creamy, and about medium. The flavor is fully malted up front with this delayed bitter hop bite toward the end. It ends clean. This is a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 22:12:04 | More by puboflyons

KDawg

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured from bottle into a pint glass. Pours a medium orange color with a nice foamy head.

The aromas are a bit muted with some aromas of malts, toffee, and caramel with a touch of hops. Not all that deep either sadly

medium bodied with a smooth feel and flavors of caramel and malts

A good scotch ale and very drinkable. It would be better if there was more depth to it, but it's enjoyable regardless

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 14:50:45 | More by KDawg

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a quarter inch off-white head with short life. The body is a hazy amber/peach, almost a simple tea color. It smells simply of malt. And the taste is malt, too, with a slightly nutty aftertaste. The body is lightweight. There's an exceedingly long bitternut finish. Frankly I find this sample one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 09:38:52 | More by MoreThanWine

Thads324

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear copper with a thin white head. Dissipates to just a ring after about a minute. Aromas of soft caramel and a lot of stale bread(it smells how stale bread tastes). Not really any hop. Taste is better than the aroma. Starts crisp with a semi-sweet bread flavor. A hint of smoke and toffee. Bits of caramel too. There is a subtle hop bitterness that is resinous and earthy at the same time. Breaks up the sweetness nicely.
Well carbed and medium bodied.

A more robust beer in flavor than the abv would suggest. Oddly smells like an old lager?
Goes down well and is a nice little brew

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 03:53:14 | More by Thads324

jneiswender

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a perfect pint. Served cool. Nice billowing toasted marshmallow head and a cola colored body. Grassy, metallic smell. Nice varied malt flavor. Sweet front. little hop bite in the middle. Sweet candies in there too. Medium carbonation and smooth. Good beer. I guess for a scotch ale I imagine some smoke. Don't get any here. But a good beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 16:28:38 | More by jneiswender

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint gleass at a neighborhood bar.

A-Dark copper/amber color, slightly hazy. Minimal head, decent lacing.

S-Earthy roasted malt with a spice that I'd love to identify.

T-Creamy malt with a bit of a hop finish and a lingering spice flavor.

M-Nice body despite its lack of carbonation.

O-A winter warmer...what is that spice??

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 03:11:51 | More by NiceTaps

mpmckenn

New York

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Medium body, light brown with a thin head.

S-Some spices and malts. Slight roasted nuts smell as well.

T-Malty with a hint of spices. Pretty pleasant.

M-Medium carbonation, slightly bitter aftertaste.

O-Not a bad beer. something you can have a few of and not get sick of. worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:35:45 | More by mpmckenn