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Casco Bay Winter Ale (Old Port Ale)
Casco Bay Brewing Co.
- From:
- Casco Bay Brewing Co.
- Maine, United States
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
- ABV:
- 7.3%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 10.93%
- Reviews:
- 72
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 07, 2016
- Added:
- Mar 25, 2002
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 4
The Old Port Winter Ale has brought inner warmth and happiness to both Mainers and those from away for the past several winters. The 7.3% ABV makes our winter seasonal a Strong Ale by style. But the deep mahogany color, thick foamy head, solid malt body, and assertive hop flavor make it a worthy reward for reaching the end of another Maine winter's day.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by smcolw:
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts
3.97/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark amber/light brown (almost like maple syrup), clear. Modest head that dissipates quickly. The lace slides down the glass.
Strong "ruby" nose that comes from a generous portion of crystal malt. Lots of blackberry, currant and sweet cherry.
This beer is far more bitter than the smell would indicate. The aftertaste is nearly all hop. There's a subtle sweetness in the initial sip--so I'm giving it points for complexity. Full bodied with mellow carbonation.
This warmer does not have any of the usual spices associated with a Christmas beer; otherwise it has all of the qualities. Worthy of a six-pack.
Feb 22, 2008Strong "ruby" nose that comes from a generous portion of crystal malt. Lots of blackberry, currant and sweet cherry.
This beer is far more bitter than the smell would indicate. The aftertaste is nearly all hop. There's a subtle sweetness in the initial sip--so I'm giving it points for complexity. Full bodied with mellow carbonation.
This warmer does not have any of the usual spices associated with a Christmas beer; otherwise it has all of the qualities. Worthy of a six-pack.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas
3.5/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a reddish brown color with ivory colored head. Caramel malts, spice, and some light yeast on the nose; follows onto the palate. Medium bodied. Finishes with spice and malt.
Feb 26, 2016Rated by DavesBeerReviews from Florida
3/5 rDev -20%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -20%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Nice strong malty ale
Feb 02, 2016Reviewed by Ryanm1 from Pennsylvania
3.5/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was poured from a bottle into a pint glass. The bottle was bought from the Shipyard Brewery in Maine a couple of months earlier in a variety of choices. Casco Bay is either completely owned or just bottled by Shipyard.
The color is brown. Minimal head on it. Its got a sweet scent with hints of fruit. Appearntly it is 7.2% ABV higher than the average beer, but common among Winter Warmers. This beer is very similar to the 2010 Shipyard Winter Called Prelude. It is moderately to heavy on the carbonation and has a mouthfeel similar to eating a lesser version of poprocks.
Can't believe I am drinking this Winter ale on the warmest day of the Winter a 77degree day in Philly.
Mar 18, 2011The color is brown. Minimal head on it. Its got a sweet scent with hints of fruit. Appearntly it is 7.2% ABV higher than the average beer, but common among Winter Warmers. This beer is very similar to the 2010 Shipyard Winter Called Prelude. It is moderately to heavy on the carbonation and has a mouthfeel similar to eating a lesser version of poprocks.
Can't believe I am drinking this Winter ale on the warmest day of the Winter a 77degree day in Philly.
Reviewed by berley31 from Canada (NB)
3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured with an average-sized, off-white head that appears slightly creamy. Dissipates over a couple of minutes. Body is a dark amber color and very clear.
S: Moderately malty and sweet, with hints of chocolate.
T: Starts malty and sweet, and very smooth, and finishes slightly dry. The chocolate notes in the aroma are only barely detectable in the taste.
M: Medium bodied, quite creamy, with soft carbonation.
D: An easy-to-drink winter beer, and quite mellow and smooth compared to many of its competitors.
Mar 06, 2010S: Moderately malty and sweet, with hints of chocolate.
T: Starts malty and sweet, and very smooth, and finishes slightly dry. The chocolate notes in the aroma are only barely detectable in the taste.
M: Medium bodied, quite creamy, with soft carbonation.
D: An easy-to-drink winter beer, and quite mellow and smooth compared to many of its competitors.
Reviewed by u2carew from Massachusetts
3.63/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.63/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A) Brown with reddish hues. Pours with a thin head. Produces nice thin lacing.
S) Caramel sweet notes. A touch of alcohol tries to poke through. Some yeasty notes.
T) A slight sour bite at the front end then moves into earthy sweetness. Finishes with a bit of hop ans malty sweetness. Caramel, toffee, and butterscotch in the mix.
S) Medium bodied. Some fizziness. Slightly creamy.
D) A decent beer. Not as strong as anticipated with the winter warmer classification.
Jun 19, 2009S) Caramel sweet notes. A touch of alcohol tries to poke through. Some yeasty notes.
T) A slight sour bite at the front end then moves into earthy sweetness. Finishes with a bit of hop ans malty sweetness. Caramel, toffee, and butterscotch in the mix.
S) Medium bodied. Some fizziness. Slightly creamy.
D) A decent beer. Not as strong as anticipated with the winter warmer classification.
Reviewed by Bowdoinbeerboy from Maine
3.72/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance- Pours with no head, little carbonation and beer is a dark copper color.
Smell- Boozy and metallic, yet somehow alluring...
Taste- Sharp, metallic here too. Very malty with some lingering sweetness.
Mouthfeel- Good palate coverage.
Drinkability- Solid, not great but solid.
Nov 10, 2008Smell- Boozy and metallic, yet somehow alluring...
Taste- Sharp, metallic here too. Very malty with some lingering sweetness.
Mouthfeel- Good palate coverage.
Drinkability- Solid, not great but solid.
Reviewed by evanackerman from Minnesota
3.67/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.67/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
beer pours brown with a one finger head, decient lacing.
aroma is sweet malt, raisin bread, slightly sour.
taste is buttery malt with a slight hop bitterness
medium bodied mouthfeel, minimal carbonation
drinkability is average
overall, not bad but not something i'm likely to ever buy again, tastes more like an average brown ale than a unique winter beer, so far I have not been blown away by anything from Shipyard/Casco Bay brewery.
Oct 26, 2008aroma is sweet malt, raisin bread, slightly sour.
taste is buttery malt with a slight hop bitterness
medium bodied mouthfeel, minimal carbonation
drinkability is average
overall, not bad but not something i'm likely to ever buy again, tastes more like an average brown ale than a unique winter beer, so far I have not been blown away by anything from Shipyard/Casco Bay brewery.
Reviewed by mooseisloose from Florida
4.05/5 rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A BOTMC selection I'm finally getting to. Smells of malt and licorice with pistachios. Lots of sugars in this one. Pours to a dark translucent brown with a good two finger head. Laces nicely as the head recedes. Mouthfeel is outstanding, thick and smooth with enough carbonation to break the flavors loose. Taste is a mostly bitter start with sweetness in the middle again overtaken by a dry bitter after taste but still followed by a brown sugar sweetness. This brew has 4 phases of flavor, complex and delicious. This is a tough brew to put down. A cornucopia of flavors. The high AC in this brew is not at all detectable, this is beer with a helluva backbone. I think just drinking it, the snow is starting to fall. Time to put another log on the fire. I need to get some more of this to cellar.
Oct 04, 2008
Casco Bay Winter Ale (Old Port Ale) from Casco Bay Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
84 ratings
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