Winter Ale
Blue Point Brewing Company

Winter AleWinter Ale
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From:
Blue Point Brewing Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.49 | pDev: 14.04%
Reviews:
159
Ratings:
434
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 07, 2022
Added:
Feb 19, 2002
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  77
Our Winter Ale is a hearty, robust amber ale. We use pale, Vienna, crystal and chocolate malts to create a balanced character of malt and hops with just the right amount of spice to warm you up during the colder months.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JohnFatAss:
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Reviewed by JohnFatAss from New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A really nice beer. It has a clear copper color. Thick off white head that left a impressive amount of lacing all the way down the glass.

Sweet and malty with a mild spicy finish.

Extremely easy to drink even though it weighs in a 7% abv.

An excellent choice for a cold winter night.
Dec 26, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.02 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

Mar 07, 2022
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Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The first full week of Spring. No better time to check out Winter Ale. A couple of 12 oz. cans are emptied into a clear glass liter mug. It is a beautiful brown and when exposed to strong light, shows just a tint of red. It began with a nice off-white head, but quickly after, little remains. Like some of its cousins, stouts and porters, it smells mostly of malt. Unlike them, this malt aroma brings nothing close to the roasted character they both have. This is a luscious ale. Reminiscent of a good wee heavy, but not quite as sweet, it is a malty delight. It is sweet, just not as sweet as most wee heavies. Think of one velvetly smooth stout with the bitterness of the roasting process missing. Probably best of all, there's no heavy handed inclusion of additional spicing. Whatever they add to the complexity of the taste, they do subtly. They become slightly more pronounced cumulatively, but never become distracting. At close to an 8% ABV, the alcohol component is hidden. That there is almost no glass lacing doesn't matter at all. This is superb.
Mar 29, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by itsmelvv from New York

Mar 18, 2021
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Reviewed by mikeg67 from New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle. Pours amber with tall, long lasting, fluffy off-white head. Aroma is of caramel malt, ripe fruit and grassy hops. Body is full and crisp. Taste is of herbal, grassy hops, caramel malt, red fruit and some spices. Finish is long and dry. Delicious brew.
Mar 09, 2021
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Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Deep amber appearance with a well laced, average size, off white head. Muted, sweet malt aroma. Innocuous taste, fairly well balanced, with an earthy, lightly roasted malt quality. Medium-bodied, decently carbonated mouthfeel. Lingering, bitter finish with a hint of spicyness.
Feb 26, 2021
Photo of Beertsipper
Reviewed by Beertsipper from New York

3.17/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
An average, unoffensive beer. Spice note are apparent Decent drinkability. High ABV. But lacking in too many respects. An average Winter Warmer, at best. It drank like a red ale, or like a dark pale ale reminiscent of Dale's Pale Ale. But Dales' is much better. Without the spices.
Dec 13, 2020
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Reviewed by xxxcjbcxxx from Indiana

5/5  rDev +43.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A perfect winter beer, without the stereotypical "Christmas seasonings/extra ingredients/flavor enhancers." I like the herbal, Christmas-candle-like beers as well, but this one is amazing without that. Noticably sweet, but not too sweet. Burnt, but not too burnt. Slightly bitter, but not too bitter. Absolutely perfect beer. And with the high alcohol content you only need to sip one beer to feel noticeably different. Lots of carbonation, but not too much, given it's alcohol content and flavor, it counters any hint of being syrup-like, which high alcohol sweet beers can somewhat have. That's usually only an issue for double digit ABV beers though. Smells and tastes beautifully complex. This is basically what sierra nevada, and some other Christmas beers aspire to be. (I had the sierra nevada beer celebration ale years ago, and it stuck with me how puke-like/pungently distasteful it was. You can smell that rubbery, old-milk smell only faintly in this beer, so it adds to its palate complexity.) The fact that it was $9.99 for such a delicious, somewhat-high-ABV six pack was impressive as well.
Nov 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.69 by TangoJuliet from New York

Feb 28, 2020
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Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

3.79/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours an effervescent amber with a pinky of sand colored head. below average head retention & lacing

S: Toastyness, a little leafy hop

T: Much toastyness, a little caramel & dryness, plus a little leafy hop up front. Very dry & toasty as this warms, more leafy hops & toffee. finish plenty dry with toffee & leafy hops

MF: Medium body, subtle carbonation, good balance

A good take on the style, pretty drinkable
Feb 25, 2020
 
Rated: 3.58 by imanidiot777 from Pennsylvania

Feb 03, 2020
 
Rated: 3.62 by Hefsbeercaps from Ohio

Feb 01, 2020
 
Rated: 3.24 by chiefz1 from New York

Dec 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3 by BeerDreadz from Florida

Dec 22, 2019
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Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

3.37/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Clear golden copper pour with 2 fingers of foamy off-white head. Nice ring of lacing.

S: Caramel and malts. Toasty and sweet.

T.F: Follows the nose. Sweet grains, brown sugar, and toasted malts. Caramel and mild spice. Earthy hops. Medium to light bodied. Could use a bit more bitterness. More sweets/caramel at the finish.

O: An easy enough drinking malty winter brew. A little sweet for my taste but not offensive. Average stuff from an average brewery.
Dec 21, 2019
 
Rated: 4.13 by Hephaestos from New York

Dec 11, 2019
 
Rated: 3.59 by grinreeper from New York

May 10, 2019
Photo of Mugman8
Reviewed by Mugman8 from New York

3.39/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Very little head that disappears quickly and no lacing....nice hoppy aroma but taste is just OK....light on carbonation....disappointing beer from a brewer that I like a lot.
Apr 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by JoelZ1 from Pennsylvania

Jan 06, 2019
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Rated by izraelc from New York

3.03/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A confusing mess. Tastes like all the leftover beers got poured in one bottle.
Dec 16, 2018
Winter Ale from Blue Point Brewing Company
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 434 ratings