eXile X-8: Spiced Winter Warmer
DuClaw Brewing Company

eXile X-8: Spiced Winter WarmereXile X-8: Spiced Winter Warmer
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From:
DuClaw Brewing Company
 
Maryland, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.38 | pDev: 13.31%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
34
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 19, 2016
Added:
Dec 17, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  12
No description / notes.
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Ratings by bros:

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Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

3.17/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3
**
01/10/2015
Aroma: light caramel.
Look: dark brown. Small head, but lasting.
Taste: Spicy, hops, vegetable.
Feel: a little flat, but creamy.

Some good points, but overall a disappointing holiday brew.
**
Sep 19, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.32/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Beer poured into a pint glass from a bottle. Pours cloudy brownish red with a fluffy cream white head. Smells of winter spices and slight candy, not that strong. Tastes of winter spices with slight chocolate, nice mix. Beer is heavily carbonated but light bodied and nice drinkability. Overall, a very slightly above average beer.
Jan 18, 2016
 
Rated: 2.75 by SpAiReArGsEonNE from New Jersey

Dec 16, 2015
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
I am winnowing away at the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody and all sorts of things are surfacing from the depths!

From the bottle: "Craft Be Cherished. Rules Be Damned."; "The 8th experiment in the Exile Series blends honey, molasses, maple syrup, and traditional winter spices in a medium-bodied mahogany ale. X-8 has arrived; throw a log on the fire and prepare to ... get toasty!"

I Pop!ped the cap and sort of sat back as it released some pressure as I did so. I had no idea if it was going to gush, but I did not want to be right on top of it if it did. Moments later, all was still calm, so I went with a gentle pour so as not to stir things up. Even so, I could see things becoming murky in my glass, so I halted and allowed the finger of foamy, deep-tan/light-brown head to settle into wisps. Color was a murky Copper-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22). Nose was heavy with molasses (treacle), but I got honey as well as nutmeg and cinnamon. Mouthfeel was kind of thick, but the carbonation seemed low, which may have been a contributing factor. The spices were the initially prevalent flavors, but as it warmed, the earthiness of the molasses and the sweetness of the honey began to come forward. Finish was at the cutting edge of the boundary between semi-dry and dry. The spices made it quite dry, but the honey and molasses worked in tandem to keep it (barely) in check. Phew!
Dec 08, 2015
Photo of JerzDevl2000
Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

3.56/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up in the Single Beer Clearance rack at Joe Canal's in Parsippany last week. I never had this before and obviously, I never drink this style of beer this time of the year. It didn't look or completely feel like a Winter Warmer as it could have been darker and spicier on but by itself, it was a decent beer to enjoy with enough alcohol in it to boot as well.

Nice rich mahogany hue to the pour as there was a sufficient tan head as well. Not a lot of lacing left but there were some indication of rings along the back side of my pint glass as I worked my way through this. This had the loo and feel of a Christmas beer as there was toasted malt and ginger in the nose, along with some blood orange and light spice notes of clove and cinnamon in the taste. Chewy, somewhat cloying, and carbonated enough, this went down fairly easily with enough bread in the taste to give it some body.

This was a bit strong but never really felt it and the alcohol didn't overpower everything else. I'd reach for this again around the holidays but for this time of the year, this didn't stand out enough for me to go to in the midst of the heat and humidity that have stuck around over the last week. A decent offering that straddled a few categories while not having any outstanding or forgettable attributes.
Aug 20, 2015
Photo of jjd315
Rated by jjd315 from Pennsylvania

1.78/5  rDev -47.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Maybe I shouldn't be drinking a winter warmer in July. Maybe there were just too many spices.
Jul 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.61 by JesseKilgannon from Delaware

Mar 11, 2015
Photo of ThisWangsChung
Reviewed by ThisWangsChung from Maryland

2.67/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Late to the party, but whatever. 12 oz bottle into a teku.

Appearance: Pours a dark copper color. The head is two fingers high and pale yellow in shade. Retention is nice, but I really like how much lacing sticks to the glass. (3.25)

Smell: Well, it has a decent spiciness to it. Mostly cinnamon and nutmeg. The way the spices meshes with the malt backbone, it almost reminds me of gingerbread. After a while, the spiciness subsides to reveal a rather generic amber ale. (3)

Taste: It starts off with some caramel malts, with the spicing showing up very mildly around the middle. The finish is more caramel malts (and, in fairness, some burnt toast). Yeah...this is dead simple, and I'm not enjoying it much, if at all. (2.5)

Mouthfeel: Somewhat heavy, with a long, lingering finish. Combined with the low carbonation, this is almost a chore to drink. No wait, it is a chore to drink. (2.5)

Overall: I should have drank this fresher - maybe then, I would have gotten a more assertive hop presence to cleanse the finish better. The malt or spice profile isn't particularly impressive, though. I'd like to try a fresh bottle of this, but I'm in no rush to do so. (2.5)

2.67/5: A subpar amber ale with mild spicing at best
Mar 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.64 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Feb 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by Drknight from Virginia

Feb 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by oline73 from Maryland

Feb 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.56 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Feb 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.47 by Dilbert65 from Maryland

Feb 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Zekenyce from New Jersey

Jan 31, 2015
Photo of kevintaraross
Reviewed by kevintaraross from Maryland

2.58/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
For a Winter Warmer - i expected WAY better from DuClaw.
Dark.
Foamy.
Smooth - almost like a cross between a malt and a stout.
Seeing "spiced" on this beer bottle label - my taste buds expected way more "kick", flavor and "taste" - if that makes sense.
Jan 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by lobos62 from Pennsylvania

Jan 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.18 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jan 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Jan 15, 2015
 
Rated: 3.54 by huysmans from New Jersey

Jan 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by tkdchampxi from New Jersey

Jan 10, 2015
eXile X-8: Spiced Winter Warmer from DuClaw Brewing Company
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 34 ratings