Tremont Winter Ale
Shipyard Brewing Company

Tremont Winter AleTremont Winter Ale
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From:
Shipyard Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
7.2%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.58 | pDev: 26.54%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
18
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 20, 2013
Added:
Nov 15, 2000
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by edchicma:
Photo of edchicma
Reviewed by edchicma from Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Tremont does it again....Outstanding dark color with nice fruit aroma and beautiful head that laces all around the glass. Smooth
quality with a crisp finish. I just bought this so I assume it has been aging nicely on the shelf. Does not taste like a 7.2 abv. Taste had a nice semi-sweet malty quality with a great crisp and rounded finish. Drinkability? Great, I could polish off quite a few of these although the abv might catch up with me. Love this stuff.
Sep 23, 2003
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 1.5 by BGsWo22 from Texas

Mar 20, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Dec 01, 2011
Photo of puboflyons
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 fl. oz. bottle of the 2008 batch. The expiration date was Oct '09. I am reviewing this under winter ale even though this brew has been renamed "Nor'easter Winter Ale." This pours a handsome translucent reddish-copper-brown with a short-lived off-white head. The malts are evident in the aroma but there is not much in the way of spices or hops. The body is average and leans slightly watered down. The taste is reminiscent of an English bitter with a touch of hops. I found it to be a nice experience.
Dec 04, 2008
Photo of sstackho
Reviewed by sstackho from Canada (ON)

2.56/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
12oz single bottle purchased from Wine Emporium in Boston. No freshness date (but the label has years 03, 04 and 05 on it, which is a bit concerning!) Pours a light-to-medium golden with no head and medium carbonation. There is little aroma. First taste is a bit spicy and goes down pretty nicely, although the taste doesn't linger for all that long. Interesting, as I see the brewer says no spices are used. Unfortunately, the aftertaste does not develop well and will not leave pleasant memories of this beer.
Mar 28, 2007
Photo of Hibernator
Reviewed by Hibernator from Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Tremont Winter Ale
12 oz brown bottle
Best before label, but there is nothing notched.
Served in a 20 oz tulip pint glass

Pours a reddish amber. Decent head on top, but then vanishes to a thin lace. No lacings present.

Whiffs of sweet malts and butter.

Whoa...diacetyl galore. Whaddya know? Shipyard butterscotch, old cream diacetyl bombs dominate the palate. Totally uneven and unbalanced. What is going on here? Decent malts and decent hops, but the dairy and butter flavors are out of control.

I'm sure this is nothing like original Tremont Winter. It's much too obvious Shipyard put their unwelcoming stamp on this beer. Honestly, I was expecting more.

Yet another contract brew gone wrong.
Jan 26, 2007
Photo of acarroll413
Reviewed by acarroll413 from Massachusetts

2.35/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
poured from a 12 oz bottle into a glass

A- a reddish amber color, quite pleasing to the eye, the head was an ugly off white though. right there i should have known something was wrong.

S- it didnt smell like much except metal which was weird because it came from a bottle

T- well what i can say, this beer was terrible. it was really bitter upfront, in the middle, and in the back. i cant even being to describe the misery this beer put me through. i dont think winter warmers should be this bitter. the only thing good about this was the carbonation, which was higher than most winter warmers, perhaps to make up for the lack of taste or texture?

M- felt like seltzer water going down. thin and distasteful.

D- another wonderful offering from the Shityard brewery.
Mar 20, 2006
Photo of lordofthewiens
Reviewed by lordofthewiens from New Mexico

2.4/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Was at our local dive the other night and thought I'd try some winter brews, instead of my usual Geary HSA. This was first up. In brief, not so good. It had a nice amber color with a good head to it. There was a pleasant caramel/molasses smell to it. It tasted sweet, but had a very bitter aftertaste. Not a good beer, and nothing I'd want more than one of.
Jan 14, 2006
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

3.21/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz brown bottle with a best before end of date on the side of the label. Brewed and Bottled by Shipyard Brewing Co. LLC Portland, ME.

Appearance: Quite foamy at during the pour, dark tawny hue with a light tan bubbly head.

Smell: Hints of caramel, over ripened fruit and musty diacetyl.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Estery with a faint solvent alcohol, toasted malt with some chocolate undertones. Bothersome diacetyl lays down a musty buttery over ripened fruit character. Hops a meek within the maltiness, there is a quick cake like character from the malt towards the finish.

Notes: Sad in comparison to what this beer used to be, an ok brew but most of the depth and complexity is missing.
Jan 02, 2004
Photo of mschofield
Reviewed by mschofield from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer was good in the bottle, but was even better on cask.
Hazy ruby-brown with a 1 1/2 finger frothy white head.
Cherry and cinammon to the nose, the spice on top of roasted malt and a toffee base.
As with the bottle the taste was full of toffee and sweet-malt, but the sweetness was more restrained (the sweetness was a little too strong for me in the bottle), a little woody and doughy.
Medium bodied, more flat than the bottle version.
Dec 22, 2003
Photo of Nytemare
Reviewed by Nytemare from Oklahoma

3.83/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark red almost brown with a dense tan head. Loads of carbonation initially, but after a bit it settled down into a few steady streams. Dense lacing all the way down. Smells like toffee or butterscotch. Some breadiness as well. Virtually no hops to the smell at all. A little peppery from the yeast at first in the flavor, but not much. Quickly gives way to a bready malt with some toffee. A little hops in the aftertaste. About the only thing I'm not liking about this beer is the sourness it leaves in the mouth. Not too bad, but I could really do without it. I would say medium to full bodied, oily, clings to everything, and sticks for a while. Definately drinkable. Could, again, like it better without the sourness, but other than that, yummy. I just don't think the sourness belongs with this beer. It seems out of place. Oh well.
Dec 19, 2003
Photo of JAL67
Reviewed by JAL67 from Massachusetts

3.09/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
From the looks of other reviews I will be in the minority. I just didn't like this beer. Very strong ABV and while I like that(I love SA Winter 6.94%) it's just was too much. Very filling and could not finish the 6 pk in one sitting. The taste did nothing for me at all. Not impressed. I'm a die hard SA fan and that might have something to do with my judgement of this beer. I would tell anyone to atleast try this beer and make their own decision...but for me not a winner.
Dec 11, 2003
Photo of scottum
Reviewed by scottum from Vermont

4.6/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I buy this beer every spring because I can get it for under $15 a case and with 7.2% it just doesn't go bad that fast. If only the store knew what they had. Such a good beer. Pours a dark amber with a nice white head. Nice smooth mouthfeel. Malts hit you hard at the start with some sweetness. Hop bitter balances perfectly to finish up the punch the malts started. Complex. So wonderful to see a beer of this quality for this price!
Apr 10, 2003
Photo of Jdiddy
Reviewed by Jdiddy from Rhode Island

4.08/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Another great beer from Tremont. Great deep dark copper color with a dark malt/caramel taste. A basic winter ale but much stronger. I actually feel it may be stronger than it needs to be but a fine beer nonetheless. Great on a cold winter night.
Dec 31, 2002
Photo of beernut7
Reviewed by beernut7 from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This seasonal brew is probably the tastiest I have yet had from Tremont. The chestnut color sits below a foamy tannish head wafting a smooth malty aroma. The overall nutty flavor is well balanced by a mellow bitterness. The smooth heavy body and alcohol content make it a perfect warmer for the cold times ahead.
Dec 03, 2002
Photo of LarryV
Reviewed by LarryV from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Malty, hops seem to be more in the background for this brew. Deep reddish color, rather opaque. Rather a sweet beer that can tend to be a bit cloying after a while. Not a bad brew, but there are other winter brews that I prefer over it. A rather filling beer as well. It does make a good batch of chili though. I found it difficult to finish the 6 pack that I had, so I ended up using 2 bottles to make chili.
Aug 08, 2002
Photo of xXTequila
Reviewed by xXTequila from Massachusetts

3.82/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
not bad...it's starts with a caramel like flavour but ends with the taste of rum raisin? i think i'd have to try it again befor i decide if i really like it.
Nov 24, 2001
Photo of Todd
Reviewed by Todd from Finland

4.67/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: 12oz brown with a best if consumed by date clearly notched.

Appearance: Dark copper, tarnished red hues (garnet-red basically). Rich looking. Nice off-white frothy head, that sits, sticks and rules the top of the beer. Excellent retention.

Smell: Leafy hops meld with the unique Yorkshire Ale yeast strain aroma. Very aromatic with hints of rum, fruit and sweet bread.

Taste: Heavy mouthfeel, butter-rum smooth, big rich malt profile. Candied fruit sweetness, likened to the type in traditional Christmas Puddings. Caramel malt flavours. Hop bitterness is done to perfection. Raw, leafy, a bit prickly and balances out the agressive malt sweetness, but not too much as to steal the show. Hops linger with light winter-like spice, from middle to end, a warming alcohol and a biscuity dry grain flavour at the end.

Notes: Layered and textured with a rich complexity. We at BeerAdvocate are cheering with glee that Tremont has bottled this winter brew! Brewed with out any spices, flavours or fruits, though an addition of raw cane sugar is used in the kettle to add to the complexity and alcohol content. A truly awesome brew that has impressed us enormously, year after year ... sip and savour.
Nov 15, 2000
Tremont Winter Ale from Shipyard Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 18 ratings