Hibernator - Long Trail Brewing Co.

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

Zraly

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear russet brown with amber highlights. Nice off-white head with compact bubbles. Faint nose of malt, hops, and a touch of yeast -- smells like beer.

Nice toasted notes of malt and caramel with some fruit in the mix. A bread note binds the transition on the palate. Slightly oily herb and earth hop finish. Smooth, and the bitterness keeps the palate ready for the next sip. A bit more carbonation than I'd like but the body accompanies it well (medium range). This is a very respectable ale.

Extremely well-balanced and warming without the overkill of some winter releases. This is a nice Scottish-style winter warmer to drink if you want to have more than one and don't want to get buzzed too quickly.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 00:23:56 | More by Zraly

kajerm

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Translucent brown, amber at the edges; almost no head and scant lacing. Light malts on the nose. Opens up light with light roasted malt notes (caramel, nuts) mid-palate. Finish is Noble-tasting hops with long but very muted bitterness. Much less compact flavor profile than I expected from the aroma and early flavor. Mouthfeel is effervescent with light to medium body.

Good fridge beer, but not particularly memorable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 01:04:29 | More by kajerm

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.33/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Into a pint glass:

A: dark brown/almost dark golden colored body with a small white head that lasts just a couple seconds, spotty lacing running down the sides of the glass.

S: some mild roasted malts along with some nuts

T: slightly sweet through the roasted malts

M: light, sessionable, mild nutty aftertaste and finish

O: good for the style, awesome to me, always look forward to having this every winter

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 17:09:57 | More by kangarooAdam59

Chico1985

Massachusetts

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

Bottled 10/21/11.

Pours a slightly hazy burnt orange, big ol off-white head retains well at about half a finger and leaves good lace. Some sediment floats about.

Smell is quite faint, but not bad once it warms. Sweet malts, caramel, some tea, maybe a hint of chocolate.

Taste is big on the sweet malts and caramel malts, a tea leaf feel and herbal hops balance it out a bit along with some spice. Toasty bread in the finish. A light peat presence comes around with warmth and makes it a little more well-rounded.

Carbonation is a bit stinging but not bad. Decent mouthfeel.

An okay winter ale, doesn't offer much beyond that, definitely improves with warmth.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 23:39:09 | More by Chico1985

rlee1390

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Cloudy ruby red, little head

S-Spices, cinnamon, nutmeg and some roastiness.

T-Malt with some spice. Not much else. A bunch of malt with little else to offer.

M-Medium bodied but lacing carbonation.

O-There is nothing off putting in this beer. However it has a bunch of malt and little else.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 17:01:18 | More by rlee1390

adamrobertt

New York

4.38/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - I'm drinking this out of a bottle but I had it in a pint glass the other day... nice amber color which was actually a bit lighter than I was expecting. I was expecting a really deep dark color, like a stout or something - but the amber was nice. There was a bit of lacing on the glass but not much and the head seemed to dissipate quickly. Sort of a foamy head.

Smell is not too intense out of the bottle. I get notes of brown sugar and toasted malt, but nothing too intense.

The flavor is really interesting and complex. I'm tasting burnt sugar, brown sugar, slight black coffee, unsweetened chocolate, big toasted malts, big deep caramel notes, a pleasant soft butteriness, and moderate alcohol at the back end. Really nice. Flavorful and comforting.

The mouthfeel is pleasing. It has a nice weight in the mouth but isn't too heavy. I'm not getting an excessive carbonation, it seems average to maybe slightly above, but nothing distracting or unpleasant.

Overall this is a great beer. Definitely my favorite from Long Trail.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 04:17:30 | More by adamrobertt

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

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

12 oz. brown bottle. Bottled on date stamped on bottle neck.
Served in an Ittala 50 cl mug.
It pours a bronze/amber color with a full, but fast-fading off-white head and substantial lacing.
A sweet and dry malty smell rises at first pour, giving way to citrusy hops, cut grass, pears and faint touch of apple brandy.
This is a balanced brew with tastes of crushed barley, wheat toast, caramel, limes, and pear brandy.
It's an easy drinker with a little tight astringent back-of-the-throat bite in the finish.
What is it really?
Call it a hybrid of a Scottish Ale, British Winter Warmer and hoppy Bockbier. Got me. I have another...

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 22:52:32 | More by BeerResearcher

EkimGram

New York

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: 12oz bottle poured into standard pint glass. Colour is a hazy amber. Very thin head fades to just a thin rim around the glass. No visible carbonation.

Smell: Generally mild aromas of roasted malts and a hint of coffee. A little nutty.

Taste: Lots of bite initially followed by sweet, roasted malts. Aftertaste is the winner here - lovely flavours of burnt, roasted malts with a mellow nuttiness to it.

Mouthfeel: Light body with some powerful carbonation. Finishes dry.

Overall: A supremely solid beer. I'm quite pleased knowing I've got five more of these. The carbonation is a tad much for my preference but all-in-all I totally dig this brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 06:22:18 | More by EkimGram

oline73

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear reddish amber with a half finger of off white head. A layer of head remains on top of the pour.

Smell: Sweet malt with some fruity notes. Not as much caramel as I would expect given the style.

Taste: Bready malt with some fruity notes, I'm picking up mild cherry. The finish is bitter with the malt flavor lingering.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a nice take on a winter beer. I would have liked just a touch more sweetness, but not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 03:26:46 | More by oline73

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

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a straight sided pint glass

A- Cloudy copper color, with a small white head, decent lacing down the glass.

S- I get equal parts herbal hop, dark fruits and caramel notes.
Smells really quite good.

T- I get the hops up front, with a bit of the fruit twang, but it's quite subdued. Transitions into a really long toasted grainy note. Bitterness on the finish balances it all out. There's a bit of alcohol in there as well as it finishes. I could use a bit more sweetness.

M- Appropriately medium bodied, with a fizzy carbonation that you really feel on the tongue. Dry on the finish.

O- in the bottle it's good, on tap it's better.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 01:39:42 | More by JWU

11millsown113

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured into a Sam Adams Boston lager glass.

A-- pours a nice reddish amber color. very thin head. the head almost completely disappeared within a minute.

S-- strong caramel scent. not roasty at all and has a hint of hops. i also smell a toffee kind of smell which adds. very good smelling beer.

T--sweet caramel and toffee flavor. a good combination of malts but i wish there was a little more to it. has a good flavor but i wish there was more to it. its also a little over carbonated and actually tasted much better after it sat for a while and released a lot of the excess co2.

M-- its much lighter then i expected. it looks and smells like a thicker beer but its not. once again i wish there was more to it.

O-- overall i think this is a very drinkable winter ale. its a good everyday beer, nothing too special. but not a let down. i wasn't expecting a big beer with a thick body. and for the price. im pretty happy with it. 9 dollars a 12 pack. if anything its a good in between beer when trying a lot of other beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 22:24:53 | More by 11millsown113

sirminkdeadly

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into my favorite standard pint glass.

A-- A beautiful dark amber color straight out of the glass. Held up to the light, the color softens a little; reminds me of the burnt sienna crayon in the huge 64-pack that all the cool kids brought on the first day of Kindergarten. Pours about an inch of head down the center of the glass.

S-- Agree with one reviewer to a 'T': toffee and caramel notes, with a faint smell of hops playing in the background. Of course, this beer really isn't for the hops. You're trying to enjoy a warm, malty flavor, and the smell mirrors that.

T-- The taste really mirrors the smell. There is a pretty standard malt base to this beer, with a hint of hops. It is a little lighter than I expected from the color, and the effervescence from the yeast comes through a little bit over the malt. The malt is sweet and toasty, but that's the only layer of skin on that onion.

M-- The foam and fluid is a little thin, and the carbonation is a touch high on a beer of this style for me. Once again, it falls a little short of what the beer advertises on the smell and on the beautiful look. I swished this one around and took smaller sips and bigger ones, and no difference. I kept expecting it to be thicker, and it wasn't. Not to say that it's bad, because it wasn't...

O-- Long Trail's got a little ways to go here, but one thing's for sure: they picked grains that would make this beer look and smell excellent. Now, they just have to get that to the taste buds in a much stronger way. I'm sure those malts can come through much stronger, and when they do, those batches will be phenomenal. This is still a very good beer that I'd come back to next winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 01:29:26 | More by sirminkdeadly

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Brooklyn Winter Ale.

A: Slightly hazy amber with two-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted a few minutes. Great lacing.

S: Malt and hops. Mild.

T: Moderate sweetness and light to medium hop bitterness. Bitterness up front then sweeter toasted malts. A bit mild though.

M: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation. Smooth but kind of thin.

O: I can't pick a winner here. Both descent Scottish Ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 03:26:16 | More by SolipsismalCat

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

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

Clear dark brown with a medium sized white head.

Smell is rich and malty with some brown sugar sweetness and earthy hops.

Taste is boozier than the abv indicates. Perhaps due to the unique hop profile. Malt and grain dominated with the bitter end of hops shining through

Medium bodied with good carbonation

Not my favorite from Long Trail but worth a try this winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 00:48:25 | More by TheMultiYeast

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a standard pint glass, color is amber/light copper, with light tan head that dissipated quickly leaving a nice ring.

Smell is mild, slight caramel and toffee notes, feint hop notes.

Taste is clean to lightly sweet caramel malt, light toffee type flavors, very feint hop tones providing some bittering.

Mouthfeel is well balanced, good carbonation with decent flavor presence on the tongue.

Overall, nice brew, i remember the flavors as more pronounced from previous years versions, but this is still one of my favorite long trail brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 23:47:24 | More by mvanaskie13

PicoPapa

Connecticut

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

12oz bottle with a Bottled On Date of 091211. Pours a cloudy dark brownish mahogany color with minimal head. Good lacing. Aroma is slightly boozey with some malts and earthiness. Maybe some caramel. Taste is similar to the aroma. Some sweet alcohol flavor along with earthy malts. Hints of toffee. Medium bodied. Alcohol aftertaste. Pretty solid winter brew. Overall, I will look for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 04:49:05 | More by PicoPapa

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

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a deep amber, cloudy and hazy. A tall fluffy white head sits on top. Average carbonation.
Simple aromatics here. Caramel malts slighty toasted. Thats about it as i can tell.
Taste is malt forward slightly toasted some hops in the pine resin catagory. Back to the malts there seems to be a faint toffee aspectI'm picking up here.
Medium mouthfeel here.
Long Trail in my opinion makes good beers. Thier like a second tier brewery and they try hard but this is just an average scotch ale, pale ale,amber ale, whatever. I like this beer perhaps out of a tap in Vermont it would be better but today it's just average.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 20:02:33 | More by micromaniac129

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice light mahogany brown with some ruby red highlights and a creamy ecru colored head sitting nicely on top.

Malty sweet notes present an inviting aroma with hints of toffee and some butterscotch. Just a touch of herbal hops in there as well.

Biscuits and grain welcome you at first before the sweeter malts come at you with notes of caramel, which are followed by the floral hops and their accompanying touch of bitterness.

Mouthfeel is smooth but leaves you wanting more. Not quite the umphh you'd expect from a winter seasonal. Overall, Hibernator is a enjoyable malt-forward beer for a cool winters evening but it lacks the strength to make it stand out in a crowded field of winter brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 20:23:55 | More by Kinsman

tzieser

Arizona

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

i am 99% sure i have reviewed this before. weird.

a: hazy brown in color with a one finger thick white head that sticks fairly well.

s: rich malty aroma with subtle sugar notes. has that classic english-style yeast aroma as well. i like it.

t: deliciously rich malty flavor. has a bit of smokey peat-like undertones, followed by brown sugar notes and has a subtle earthy hop flavor to balance things out. well balanced and very drinkable.

m: smooth mouthfeel.

a fantastic seasonal brew that i look forward to every year. recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 02:21:45 | More by tzieser

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: a hazed, but bright, copper hue. head is starts by almost bustling out of the glass. thick. good retention and great lacing.

S: there is definitely something smoky going on here. im guessing a small percentage of peat malt was used. otherwise, all malt here. virtually no hop aroma.

T: a touch of smoke/peat flavor, but just a touch. rich malty character. there is actually a reasonable amount of bitterness in the body. finish is dry.

M: moderate carbonation on what i would call a light body.

D: one minute peat, one minute malty, the next a little bitter. good complexity on the body of this thing. a tasty winter brew that is perfect for the falling of the leaves. i wish there was a little more on the body here, but otherwise solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 01:01:33 | More by Jimmys

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

abgba121

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: pours a hazy deep copper with about a half an inch of head, leaves behind a nice spotty lace down the glass.

S: sweet with a slight hop presence

T: ,mildly sweet with floral tones, a nice hop touch in the middle, finishes smooth

M: medium body, good carbonation

O: a good scottish ale, though I have had few of the style, I enjoyed it

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 05:39:11 | More by abgba121