Abominable Winter Ale
Hopworks Urban Brewery

Abominable Winter AleAbominable Winter Ale
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From:
Hopworks Urban Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #832
ABV:
7.3%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,733
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 10.45%
Reviews:
146
Ratings:
404
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 18, 2024
Added:
Dec 24, 2008
Wants:
  48
Gots:
  49
Made with Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops and six organic malts.

70 IBU

This is a Winter IPA.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Canned on: 11-14-23

A - Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a very dense, thick, cream colored head. The haze comes from floaties and sediment since I poured the whole hog at one time.

S - Light caramel malt with some spicy citrus.

T - Light toasted sweet caramel malt base with faded citrus spice over the top, finishes balanced (initially) but then the hops build after the sip and leave a spicy, piney bitterness on the palate with some residual citrus. The Chinook residue gradually builds on the backside.

M - Medium body with light, prickly carbonation.

O - Would definitely be interested in revisiting this beer when it's released in November.
Feb 18, 2024
Photo of NickSMpls
Reviewed by NickSMpls from Washington

3.42/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Can says Winter Ale, style is IPA. It's not a winter warmer style. Color is a hazy dark tan. Nose is a light floral with some biscuit / yeasty background. Taste is hoppy up front with an average finish. Nothing off here, slightly higher ABV of 7.3%.
Nov 19, 2023
Photo of jeffdr123
Reviewed by jeffdr123 from Florida

4.28/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a can from an airport cooler. Lots of everything in this beer. Layers of vanilla and caramel malts and a little spice. Plus a hoppy finish and a little boozy aftertaste. It'll warm you up.
Jun 24, 2023
 
Rated: 3.9 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Dec 14, 2022
Photo of WayneManor
Reviewed by WayneManor from Washington

3.77/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: Beautiful orange caramel. Head looks nice but dissipates quickly
Smell: Good n'Fruity, butterscotch
Taste: Hoppy but not bitter. Uplifiting flavor.
Feel: Good amount of carbonation.
Overall:Solid IPA type beer. I guees it has more malt than alot of IPAs thus claiming to be a winter beer.
Dec 07, 2022
Photo of Iamaskier
Reviewed by Iamaskier from Idaho

3.92/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Unfiltered orange-brown body with a nice soapy head. Smell is sweet; tropical fruits, caramel, and a hint of vanilla. Taste is light and syrupy pine, a bit of citrus, and then caramel malt, and grapefruit on the finish. Body is smooth. One of the reasons I dig ‘winter’ IPAs.
Nov 09, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by shigg85 from Japan

Apr 25, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Dark cola brown with a tan head and slight lacing, not exactly a looker. Nose hits you with west coast pine, resin, and citrus meeting caramel and general malts, pineapple rind and herbal notes but nothing too potent, just good all around. Taste is very malt forward, caramel in particular, very resinous throughout, candied orange, pineapple, grapefruit and pine hops round out. It is delicious but seems like it is on its way to a strong ale more than ipa until the hop finish. Feel is sticky and thick for style, very malty, but hop bitters do break through. Enjoyed this a lot, but the purists will balk
Feb 05, 2021
 
Rated: 5 by nosnatef from Oregon

Feb 03, 2021
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 ounce can - canned Nov 30/20
Pours a clear dark ruby colour with copper notes and 2 fingers of tight creamy khaki coloured head - beautiful lacing.
The aroma hits with a burnt caramel malt, slightly spicy, earthy hops with grapefruit and pine.
Taste starts with the caramel malt sweetness, grapefruit/grapefruit peel, pine and follows with an earthy slightly floral hop bitterness at the back, a bit resinous - intensifies as beer warms,
Smooth medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation - (comparison to Celebration, is a bit thinner); lingering piney citrus bittersweetness.
Jan 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4.18 by Connybumbum from Colorado

Jan 02, 2021
Photo of gvickery
Reviewed by gvickery from Texas

2.29/5  rDev -43%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
To begin with, I got this as a single and it’s called a winter ale.
Look: Promising, dark burnt orange copper.
Smell: Confusing, citrusy, pine resin, dank hops.
Taste: Straight up west coast ipa. Why is it called a winter ale? Cause it’s a little dark? It’s ok as far as ipas go but it’s definitely NOT a winter ale. I’m giving it a low score because the label is so misleading. There are some really good winter ales out there but this ain’t one of em.
Dec 29, 2020
Photo of TheBricenator
Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon

4.09/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: Semi-clear amber in color chock full of tiny floaties and the vigorous pour yields a nice off-white head that settles to a lid and leaves good lacing
Aroma: Orange, grapefruit, floral notes, some blueberry in the background, bready malt, and a little caramel
Taste: Bready malt and citrus fruits come on strong and hold center stage though soon after, are joined by some caramel sweetness and rose-led floral hop notes. Rich bready malt and citrus take hold again and lead to a sweet malt and floral-hop-dominated finish
Mouthfeel: Full, medium-high carbonation, and finishes with a good hop bite and very light dryness
Overall: I dig it. I love this beer and drink it every year. A tasty somewhat throwback hoppy strong ale that isn’t spiced or too malty. I enjoy the use of a/some floral-dominated hop varietal(s) as well as these aren’t utilized much in strong ales nor winter warmers and I am way into that aroma/flavor profile. Delicious
Dec 10, 2020
Photo of Captain69
Rated by Captain69 from Illinois

4.12/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
great malty ale -=taste great all thru the beer
Nov 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Oct 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.25 by bundy462 from Texas

May 09, 2020
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a clear chestnut color with a massive three finger head; excellent retention and webby lace

Smell: Burnt caramel, cardamom, nutmeg and a jolt of spruce

Taste: Burnt caramel forward with the spice cake tones building; the spruce tones emerge, in the middle, bringing a Pacific Northwest flavor to the finish; menthol in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Ah, a throwback beer to the days when winter brought something other than imperial stouts; this is half Winter Warmer and comes across somewhat like a light colored Cascadian IPA; not crazy about the spruce/menthol finish, however

Thanks, philhyde, for the opportunity
May 01, 2020
Photo of detgfrsh
Reviewed by detgfrsh from Texas

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From a can produced 12/2/19. Hazy dark amber with a thick layer of cream colored head. Toasted malt and piney hop smell. Medium body with some stickiness. Rich caramel malt and piney hop flavors. From the label and name I was thinking winter warmer, but this is actually an IPA and a good one at that.
Jan 19, 2020
Photo of imnodoctorbut
Reviewed by imnodoctorbut from Texas

4.53/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
poured from can dated Oct 2019 into pint glass.
*came into this brew completely blind as to it's reputation

A: hazy, dark copper body, and a big fluffy near-tan head with mid-level retention, leaving a frothy cap across the surface
S: pine. spice (cardamom, nutmeg). orange peel. blast of molasses, burnt caramel, dark brown sugar tinged malts.
T: all of the sweet caramel and bready malt notes hit front and center, followed by a bundle of spices and fresh, dense pine. finishes with a grapefruit bittersweetness
F: medium carbonation, medium-thick body, and a lovely balanced fade from lush-to-dryness that keeps me coming back.

Overall (personal opinion):
I bought this set of cans because I liked the yeti, had been set on a winter ale/warmer, and I had never heard of this brew. BOY HOWDY. first thought on sticking my nose into the glass - "is this an IPA????" followed immediately after first sip with a "YEP"
all of that said: absolutely great brew. best "mountain-themed-IPA" I've had this year, hands down.

4.5-something to hufflepuff
Dec 25, 2019
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bomber into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear copper-amber color with a one finger head of off white foam. The head has a fantastic level of retention, slowly fading over time to leave a good sum of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is heavy of a caramel and molasses smell mixed with some nice aromas of pine and juniper. Along with these smells comes some light dark fruit aromas as well as a moderate showing of some dark fruit and spice.
Taste – The taste begins with a nice caramel bready flavor that is matched by flavors of cardamom, nutmeg, and juniper. Along with these flavors are some hop flavors of a pine and herbal nature, and while light upfront these flavors get quite a bit stronger as the taste advances. Toward the end the caramel fades a bit, but is replaced by some flavors of toffee and butterscotch and with the increase in the hop and a little bit of orange-zest and grapefruit hop, one is left with a soothing and delicious spiced ale taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is somewhat thicker and chewy with a carbonation level that is average. For the sweeter and spice, mixed with the somewhat more dank hop the feel is nice and creates a nice sweeter and spiced sipper overall.
Overall – A nice tasty winter ale. This is a well crafted brew with a nice blend of spice, hop, and sweet. Very tasty.
Dec 10, 2019
Abominable Winter Ale from Hopworks Urban Brewery
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 404 ratings