Hibernator - Long Trail Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

A plain beer, not offensive, with some spices. Not much hops, lager a bit past due. Thanks Kid Presentable. Decent darker colour, no head to speak of.
A bit of aroma. Bitter, even acidic and some malts. Dry metallic and pepper aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2005 04:16:35 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bright burnt orange with a polished bronze-like glow when backlit with morning sunshine. My usual pour netted one fat finger of orange-khaki colored foam. No matter, because the head has a thick and creamy texture and is beginning to grace the glass with an attractive band of filagreed lace.

The nose... well, there really isn't one at this point. Let's see what time and warming will bring to the table. Answer: not much. The aroma is a faint (and I do mean faint) echo of the flavor profile. Since really low scores are reserved for beer that smells bad...

While the name implies a malty, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, snow-falling-outside, blazing fireplace kind of ale, Hibernator is anything but. The malts sound inviting enough: pale, wheat, crystal, chocolate, caramel and black. Crystal/caramel dominates. It also tastes like the brewers skimped on adding the malt to begin with.

A bit more flavor is appreciated as the middle third of the bottle is breached. Other than steely caramel and some dark butterscotch, there ain't much happening. The ale is more bitter than sweet. That could be due to the Nugget and Mt. Hood hops (25 IBUs), or the borderline selzer-like carbonation.

The mouthfeel is too light and too fizzy. Again, nothing at all like a winter ale. As always, improvement here would have probably have led to higher flavor and drinkability scores.

Long Trail Hibernator hasn't taken very kindly to hibernation. A 5.6% beer won't last forever, but I'd expect it to have held up better than this in the 9 months or so since bottling. Fresh Hibernator is probably a different (and better) story.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2008 12:26:19 | More by BuckeyeNation

brentk56

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a pillowy ecru head that sticks nicely and leaves some wisps behind

Smell: Peaty and grainy, but lacking the malty presence I would expect from the style

Taste: A hint of bread and toffee, up front, with a metallic, grainy and tobacco presence developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, their is a bit more toffee and tobacco flavor, but the overall effect comes off as a bit unbalanced

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I would expect a bit more malt to make the flavor profile more interesting; the grainy aspect just doesn't work very well for me

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2009 00:14:30 | More by brentk56

oberon

North Carolina

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

Poured a clear mahogany brown with a tight formed one finger sized white head leaving a broken ring of lace as it slowly settled,somewhat muted aromas mainly sweeter malt like that of brown sugar and dark fruit there was a hint of herbla hop but it was faint.Obviously malt tilted and pretty basic brown sugar and caramel sweetness mainly though not overly sweet a touch spicey hp comes thru in a rather quick finish.Not bad its drinkable but I got a bit bored with it in the end.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2007 01:30:51 | More by oberon

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: clear, bright amber, near-crimson color, with a slight, short, fuzzy of-white head.
Aroma: faint, flat, but a bit sweet.
Taste: malt is huge here, and announces itself right off on the palate, bold, yet not boisterous, and never sweet, despite this "brewed with honey" business. Interesting stuff, really, for it calls itself a "winter ale" on the label, yet is acknowledged as a Scotch Ale here, with which I'd concur. The honey never really figures much...no, wait, I caught some! Yeah, it's really more of a minor undercurrent in the flavoring. The body is assuredly medium, maybe more, with barely a touch of hops, and major malt all the way through the brew.
A perfectly respectable winter beer, nice little entry from these guys, and thanks go to rabidawg for providing!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2003 11:00:18 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a dark amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a smooth and sweet caramel and roasted malt scent with a dry yeast aroma. It has a slight hop presence that adds balance to the aroma. The taste is good. It has a rich and creamy malt flavor with a dry hoppy finish. It goes down easy and finishes with a sweet caramel malt and hoppy finish. The mouthfeel is good as well. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a fine Scotch ale. It has good flavor and aroma; an excellent drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2005 21:20:26 | More by WesWes

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is hazy copper in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that quickly faded into lacy patterns of bubbles.
S: There are light aromas of caramel malts in the nose.
T: The taste has subdued flavors of biscuit and caramel malts along with some hints of sweetness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit watery on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer went down very smoothly; I would have no problem having more than one of these at a time.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 15:49:56 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light copper color with a thin, off-white head that fades at an average rate and leaves a decent lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is very sweet with honey & malt.

T: The taste has the same sweetness of honey & malt that you get in the smell. There’s also some bitter/tart/sour flavor that follows, which seems to be a combination of hops & spice.

M: Very smooth and a bit more crisp than your average winter release, medium body, medium carbonation and a finish that’s a little bit sticky, but not too much.

D: This one has some decent flavor to it, isn’t as filling as most winter releases goes down quite easily. Most winter beers are typically sippers, which this one could be, but it could be a very good session beer as well, especially if you’re ok with the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2006 04:02:57 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a deep brown color with a thin tan head on top. This beer has a malty sweet aroma with some earthy aromas too. The flavors of some light spice back up with some roasted malts and caramel. The mouthfeel of this beer is drinkable, it's not really thick and has a decent carbonation. Overall it's not a bad brew, it's got some warming spices in there that are nice but I'm had better Winter beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 23:25:31 | More by Knapp85

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

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Pours hazed - somewhat murky - brown with a thin tan head that leaves a bit of lacing.

The smell is of light roasted caramelish maltiness.

The smell is of sweet malt with a bit of roast and a metallic touch. There is something Scotch-ale-ish giong on. Malty - though a bit light - with a hint of roast and a touch of bitterness. Sweetness turns to a late bitterish dryness.

There is a thinness about it for a winter ale, but it isn't watery and manages to hit medium-bodied. Carbonation could be eased up a bit.

Although it's not heavy and the abv is relatively mild for a winter brew, there is a limitation on the drinkability - maybe just that it is anything particularly special, IMO. Worth checking out though, as a lighter winter ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2008 01:23:12 | More by jwc215

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

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Pulled out of a mixed case. The appears is a simple brown with a white head. The aroma leaves a lot to be desired with a plain, too-clean mix of mineral-y water and a hint of toffee. The flavor gets a little better with a deep caramel and toffee flavor and hint of chocolate. It's not perfect, the flavor is too weak for the style, but overall this is an OK beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2009 23:49:00 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appears a deep caramel amber brown with a large off white khaki head, forms a thick head that leaves behind even bands of lacing. Aromatics sweet baked holiday breads with a touch of peated malt, overall really sweet caramel tones with a touch of alcohol. All of their beers have that touch of maple syrup in them especially the Triple Bag I had on ta last night. Flavor isn't overtly too sweet a rustic somewhat balanced with hard edges of herbal notes and earthiness, kinda stuck on the tobacco leaf kick. Mouthfeel is medium bodied a tad cloying not overly heavy in anyway but something just doesn't sit well with each sip, I thought their IPA was rock solid but so far I can't say Long Trail is one of the greats through their whole portfolio. Drinkability is pretty weak with this offering not the brew I would look for again anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 21:04:31 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark ruby that is fully clear. Nose is very perfumed at the start. Soap is also there. After a very short while it turns into a milder sweet toned leafy character. Flavor is smoothly sweet with that perfume coming out again over my tongue. I get an odd aftertaste that is like someone sprayed perfume in my mouth. Odd. Slightly sticky on the liquid and low on carbonation. Overall I feel like this is a "new world" scottish ale. A bit too hyper and vibrant and not subdued or mature enough. Decent enough, and definitely well made. There are just better examples of the style out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 07:28:54 | More by RblWthACoz

Jason

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12oz brown long neck with a "Bottled" date clearly marked.

Appearance: Clear deep copper (reddish tint) in colour with a well formed creamy bubbled lace.

Smell: Touch of butterscotch and herbal hop with a mild twang of fruitiness.

Taste: Light carbonation yet very smooth, nice chewy malt mouth feel in the middle. Hints of toasted malt, subdued fruitiness and a herbal hop bitterness which is a tad sharp along with the alcohol. Hints of butterscotch, ghost like rum alcohol and toasted bread help to finish off this brew.

Notes: A more than decent pick for the big influx of winter brews in this year (2003) ... just enough hops to tame the body. Quite an enjoyable malty brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2003 02:47:46 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ouncer with bottled on dating (bottled 10 days before this review!) Pours almond and clear, minimal head is off white, next to no lacing. Nose is a boring sniff of malt and perhaps some smoke. Malty ale is the deal here, honey sweetness adertized on the label and picked up on the palate, decent sessioner, but not much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2005 00:42:45 | More by Billolick

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Appears a cherry wood brown with a a1 finger off white head. Lots of stringy lacing.
Smells of brown sugar, concord grapes, roasted malts and nuts.
Taste is brown sugar and honey mixed with roasted malt.
Mouthfeel is smooth with a toastiness that resonates and slaps the roof of the mouth.
Despite the aging from the winter months, this held up to be a pretty decent brew.

Finger licking good.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2005 14:54:54 | More by weeare138

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

Gusler

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a crystal clear mahogany color, the head moderate in size, the consistency frothy, beige in color and the residual lace a nice thick covering sheet. Sweet malt nose, with a hint of butter, candied apples also come to mind, a pleasant sniff. Ambrosial start, malt a plenty, the top middling, somewhat tart finish that has a purposeful spicy hop bite, carbonation middling, and the aftertaste bitter and long lasting. Quite a quaffable beer and one that suits my palate, and worth the sample.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2003 12:45:30 | More by Gusler

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

Brad007

Vermont

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

Pours a dark red color with a thin head. Aroma is a bit smoky upfront with the malt showing through nicely. As it warms up, this aroma gets stronger. Taste is smoky on the tongue with a nice balance showing through. It's nice and subtle and not your typical winter beer. The smokiness isn't overpowering either. I like the aftertaste. Not a bad beer at all. I just never gave it this much thought.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2007 03:01:05 | More by Brad007

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear amber color with 2 fingers of slightly off white head. Pretty decent retension and an ample amount of lacing. Head is actually creepy looking as the larger bubbles pop and fade resulting in a thick head that has an uneven, crater-filled surface... intersting. Nose is slight malt with a faint amount of hops, and a bit of grain. Taste is a little more bitter forward than others for the style. Also tasting grain throughout and a lingering partially metallic aftertaste. Medium feel, low carb. Not bad overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 02:26:17 | More by stakem

tavernjef

Minnesota

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

Clear and bright amber copper color; thin, dark ivory cap fades off quickly, sparce lacing in spots, yet keeps a good collaring the whole glass down.

Aroma is tame with a roasted grainy husk, buttered crispness floating on top of the roast with a small sensation of starfruit and red apple playing underneath.

Flavors meld nicely from what the smell leads to, but just not in any real style or girth. Tame and milding roasty grain, slightly sweet malting, floral hop notes back the end with an almost smokened buttery burntness lending a nearly coffee-like sense. More so of a weak coffee bean thing. Definately keeps a fairly decent roasty edge throughout but nothing too heavy as it should be for a Wee Heavy.

Feel is too; tame and mild; crisp, roasty, lighter medium body with a silky smoothness to it, maintaining a good drinkability. Finishes with a lingering roasty edge. Not bad, could be better could be worse. Nothing spectacular, but respectable and sessionable.

Thanks to the monk for trading up some scraps from his mighty beer table!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2004 03:36:40 | More by tavernjef

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Long Trail Brewing Scottish Ale, poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. A murky copper in color with a head that recedes to a fine film. No lacing.

Aroma, quite malty. Sweet Scottish malt, light floral hops, peat.

Surprisingly hop accented, with a piney and earthy character. There is a decent malt body, lightly roasted with a hint of toffee. The beer struggles a bit for balance but finishes bitter and somewhat dry.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a roasty, dry finish.

Drinkability rates relatively high, and it is interesting to drink a rather hoppy Scottish ale. A nice twist on the style from Long Trail.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2009 19:47:25 | More by Stinkypuss