Winter Warmer
Coddington Brewing Co.

"Invierno Calentador" is the name of this latest brew which is the 2nd in Coddington's winter warmer series. I was told it was 7.4% ABV but I couldn't tell when drinking it.

This light mahogany colored ale is slightly hopped with a pronounced malty flavor. The addition of dried figs to the mashtun, kettle, and fermenter, bestow a silky sweetness to the finish.

I'm not really a winter warmer guy so I wasn't expecting too much but I was pleasantly surprised and had a second. Worth a try for sure.

I was intrigued by this Winter Warmer since it was brewed with dried figs.

Pours a deep mahogany color with dark reddish hue. Lots of lacing in the glass as it settles from a finger or so of white, fluffy head.

Very subtle nose. Some sweet malt, caramel, dark cherry and not much else that I can detect.

Taste is brown sugar, bread dough, caramel and malty sweet with a somewhat dry aftertaste.

A decent Winter Warmer that does not have the familar spiciness that usually turns me off from the style.

Served in a standard pint. Poured a translucent amber with a one inch, frothy, off-white head; some webs of lacing present during the tasting. Nose was malty and lactose sweet. Taste follows nose; didn't detect any of the residual spiciness characteristic of the style. Consistency was fairly light-bodied with a lively level of carbonation and some astringency/acidity detectable at the back. Easy drinking and flavorful without being cloying and overspiced. Well worth trying at the pub before it's gone for the season.

On-tap 2/13/08 at the brewpub, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep golden brown color, with a short dense off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of fruit, caramelized malt and touches of spice and hops.

T: The taste is malty and spicy up front with some flavors of fruit & caramel in the background. There's a decent hops presence, despite the menu listing the beer as "slightly hopped." It's decently balanced. The after-taste is slightly bitter.

M: Crisp with a little smoothness, medium-to-heavy body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is dry but slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, slightly filling, good kick, it's a decent beer but not one that I would select again.

Not much of a development of a head here. Dark reddish brown coloring. The aroma was more like a standard ale. This ale is brewed with figs (aren't figs fruit?) which may have been too subtle for my nose. But then again it was also too subtle in the taste. More like a winter ale than a "warmer" . Decently hopped, nto to the west coast fashion but a bit hoppier than has been usual in this area.