Hibernator - Long Trail Brewing Co.

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

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

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

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

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Teikoku, Edgemont, PA

This is a Scottish ale? Could've fooled me. A winter warmer, maybe. Poured into a stem glass, a darker amber color with a slight haze, and a nice cap of foamy white head that left some attractive lacing on the glass throughout the session. Aroma of sweet malts, slightly nutty. Sweet taste of malts, honey, brown sugar, bready, with light fruit notes, and some grassy hops. No real characteristics of any Scottish ale I've ever had, and a low ABV to boot. Still a nice beer overall. Medium-bodied, and went down pretty easy and smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 03:40:12 | More by Rifugium

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Al's of Hampden. Served in a tulip pint.

The color is a deep copper/bronze with great clarity and thick cap of cream which has excellent retention. There are very tiny bubbles visible that rise rapidly and swaths of lace are left on the glass. The smell is very pleasant with a general toast scent with mild sweetness and subtle apple/pear-like aromas with a subtle spice ester and hint of earthy odors with mild pine from the hops. The feel is excellent -plenty of malt yet dry and toasty with a light spice from the yeast and gentle bitterness supporting the yeast textures well with a semi-dry finish and low alcohol impact on the palate.

I really like the way this starts clean and as it progresses it becomes more expressive with light fruit tinges from the yeast blending with the slight toasted graininess in the malt profile. there is a hint of pepper with the mild accent of caramel malt in the mix. The taste of apple skins are noted with a mild piney flavor from the hops which are very tasty combined with the scottish yeast. Overall I really enjoyed this beer -so much flavor for a relatively low abv beer. The way it finishes is mostly dry yet clean in general without too much in the way of what counts - a nice balance of the yeast, malt and hop flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 13:51:46 | More by Slatetank

far333

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Golden brownish reddish with a low off-white head. Low aroma of subtle malt and cracker. Flavor is malty upfront, biscuity, semi sweet, notes of toffee, nutty flavors, subtle caramel. Even mouthfeel, low carbonation. Overall a tasty easy drinker, not over the top, but a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2011 19:03:41 | More by far333

jtierney89

New Jersey

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

Nice hazy amber/brown color with good lacing. The scent is great. Has a little bit of everything. Some sweet malts, herbal hops and a touch of alcohol.

Medium body with a good deal of carbonation. Flavors are there but mild. Touches of sweet malts, toffee, butterscotch, and toast. Finishes with a clean herbal hop presence. Flavors are mild but work very well. Has a very very mild fruit aftertaste.

Great beer but not exactly something id use to battle the cold months of winter. Definitely good though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2011 03:22:45 | More by jtierney89

patreely12

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - dark reddish brown color, ruby. thin dissolving head, but a good amount of lacing.

S - first hops and wheat. lingering smell of malt and alcohol.

T/M - mild malt and hops, medium bodied. somewhat sweet but with a sharp finish where you can taste the alcohol, though it isn't off-putting.

D - a good scottish ale, haven't had too many of these. good cold weather beer, would be great with a holiday dinner.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2010 19:14:10 | More by patreely12

Seanibus

California

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep clear copper with large fluffy head. Aroma is malty, carmelly. Flavor is sweet, malty, with dark caramel and toffee. A little overripe floral hop character, but relatively little hop bitterness - its there but like a subtly spicy tea. Mouthfeel is relatively thin. Not deep, but a good winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2010 19:30:35 | More by Seanibus

gestyr

Pennsylvania

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

This was on tap at the hotel I was staying at.

Pours a nice dark amber with plenty of head that left lots of lacing.

Smells of malt and carmel

Tastes malty... very malty.

low to medium mouthfeel. I would expect it to be a bit thicker as a scottish ale

I would buy this again. Nice winter ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2010 00:58:04 | More by gestyr

Genuine

Connecticut

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

Had this on tap, while having dinner one night at a local dinner hotspot.

I figured, this was one of Long Trails seasonals that I haven't tried out yet so I figured it was time.

Poured a very nice..dark amber in color, very pleasing to the eye. Not much of a head on this one, then again...it could have been the way it was poured then served. Also, not much lacing was to be seen.

Smell - this one smelt nice. Overall, this beer had a nice nose to it.

Taste - I would have to say this is a good winter warmer. It's not too light, but not too heavy. Just enough of a hops kick right at the end.

Mouthfeel - Very smooth, medium body. Almost creamy but not. Maybe because mine was on tap, but there was hardly any carbonation to speak of. I think i'll revise this when I try it in bottle.

Drinkability - I could definitely have a few of these on a cold winter night. Not sure if I'll go back to it again, but it is definitely a good try and I think, it would make a great session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2010 05:50:21 | More by Genuine

DNICE555

Connecticut

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

On tap at Plan B. Figured this would be a nice one for my 75th review since this is one of the beers I used to have at my buddy Rob's house back in the day. Def one of the transitional beers which eased me into the craft brew scene.

A - Clear amber body. Caucasian head with very nice eacing.

S - Grains and a subtle amount of malt.

T - Grainy bready taste up front with a warm malty finish.

M - Medium body and carbonation

D - Nothing spectacular about this beer. It is a scottish ale I guess but it serves it's purpose as a nice winter warmer. Nice if you are looking for a decent pint. Very sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2009 18:11:54 | More by DNICE555

jdg204

Pennsylvania

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

One of my co-worker's decided a late afternoon, Friday meeting at the local watering hole was in order and I was in full agreement. The choices were pretty limited but I was interested to see an untried Long Trail on tap, so I decided to partake.

A: Medium brown color with a thin tan head that leaves a bit of lacing.

S: Light aroma of caramel and roasted malt.

S: Starts with a sweet caramel and lightly roasted malt flavor which is balanced somewhat by a bit of a hopped finish.

M: Medium body with good carbonation.

D: This was a solid brew and I enjoyed a few of them to prove the point. While not very complex or robust, this beer knows what it is and serves its purpose well. Extremely approachable 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: on-tap

10-18-2009 04:45:29 | More by jdg204

drtth

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a standard shaker glass and finished over about 30 min. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: Color is clear and deep amber with reddish undertones. Head thin and quickly disappearing with ring around glass and some lacing.

Smell: Faint with some malt caramel.

Taste: Soft but definite caramel malt flavor with no detectable hop presence, but not overly sweet. Early on with the first few sips there seemed to be a hint of metallic flavor, but that disappeared as the beer warmed a bit.

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel good with some body and nice carbonation. Short finish that leaves the mouth ready for more.

Drinkability: Fine for one, but I think I'd switch after my first to try something else. I do have to say that this was my first sample of this beer and based on the "-ator" in the name I was expecting a Doppelbock and not a Scotch Ale. Nonetheless it was a worthwhile brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2009 02:27:22 | More by drtth

Duhast500

Massachusetts

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

Poured into a tasting cup from the tap.

The color is a dark amber / red with a dark white head.

The smell is a bit bitter at first with a hint of malts and wheat. It is also a little sweet as well,has a slight caramel feel.

The taste has a slight hoppy taste to it before giving way to a chocolate and caramel feel.

A great beer to have on a cold day. A tad bit heavy but not too heavy and would go good with a nice steak.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2009 17:16:01 | More by Duhast500

Kolsch

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap. Never had a Long Trail before, so I got a sample. I liked the sample so I got a Pint.

Appearance is dark maple lite brown with nice head retention with plenty of lacing.

Smell is of slight malt, though nothing spectacular.

Taste is where I really liked this beer. Nice Malt backing with a slight bitterness. Not too much malt and not too much hops, very good balance. Excellent session beer. I had several!

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2009 03:12:07 | More by Kolsch

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at the Quentin Tavern.

A: The ale is a darker ruddy color, dark enough to be brown. Not much head on this one.

S: The aroma is malty, bready with caramel aromas. An earthy hop presence adds some body.

T: The taste is malty, more bready flavors that get thicker as the ale warms. A thick, peaty presence lacks smoke but creates a full taste. Hops are grassy and earthy, a decent counterpunch to the malts.

M: The ale is smooth with a strong malty flavor; a decent winter drink.

D: A good choice for lunch, the ale won't knock you out despite its decent flavor profile.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2009 20:28:51 | More by akorsak

maddogruss

New Jersey

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

Had this at Cloveleaf Tavern the other day.

A: Pours a darker amber body with hints of red hues. A small white head is present, reducing to a nice lacing about halfway through the beer.

S: Smelled a little malty, although the odor was not that strong. Slight hints of honey.

T: Tastes same as it smelled. A good, malty beverage with a hint of honey in the aftertaste. A little on the sweeter side.

M: The mouthfeel could have been a little thicker. Slightly thin, possibly because it was on tap, but I felt it could have been a little thicker. Nice, smooth carbonation makes it easy on the throat.

D: Definitely a drinkable brew. Tastes very good, especially the slight honey presence in the aftertaste. Goes down nice and smooth, making for a nice, enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2007 16:23:43 | More by maddogruss

Gavage

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: deep amber / brown in color with a thin 1/2" head that fell quickly. Some spotty lacing develops.

Smell: barely any aroma, only some malt sweetness can be detected.

Taste: nice strong maltiness, somewhat bready, with a very faint chocolate tone. Decent piney bitterness. No real peat tones noticeable. Actually quite tasty, just not in a scottish ale sense.

Mouthfeel: smooth at the start, and the finish is dry and smooth. Medium bodied. Short malt-filled aftertaste.

Drinkability: Nicely drinkable if you like a nice malty brew. Try it, everyone will have a different opinion on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2006 23:33:52 | More by Gavage

aquatonex

New York

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice deep ruby with a decent head that fizzles out quickly. Nose consists of caramel notes with some hoppiness. Taste is pretty good, rather bitter with some mild sweet tones. Flavors have a decent balance. It lingers around for awhile, not too crisp. Overall, a pretty OK beer, good for its style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2005 01:57:00 | More by aquatonex

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

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

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