Winter Warmer
Independence Brew Pub

Poured a clear yellow. Almost looked like Miler High Life, but I watched the bar tender pour it. The head was definitely not Miller as it was huge and fluffy and left a good lacing. The carbonation seemed to be rising from just about everywhere inside the glass giving it an inverted snowing look. Very nice to watch.

Smelled of dry corn, yeast and lemons.

Tasted powerfully of citrus. This is the most orange like beer I’ve ever had. This was accompanied by a dry oat like malt and a licorice flavor. Finished strongly of grapefruit. Also in the finish was a delightful alcohol warming that caught me by surprise as it didn’t taste at all like alcohol.

The mouth feel was extremely creamy with a full body and a huge small bubble carbonation.

This is a fun beer to drink. I stopped in after work on a cold day for a seven ounce glass and it really hit the spot.

A hazy golden-amber body is capped by a creamy head of white foam that holds quite well and leaves rings of lace as it goes. Some sweet, honeyish malt greets you in the nose along with a waft of floral hops. It's full bodied, creamy and smooth in the mouth with an initial zest on the tongue. The honeyish malt and floral hops return in the flavor, well-balanced by an underlying but solid bitterness and some spicy alcohol that leads to a dry, bitter finish. Very well done, and surprisingly drinkable despite it's 9.5% abv.

Served as part of a sampler tray at their brewpub. This one poured out a slightly hazed ruby-orange-amber color. The thin head quickly turned into a film, then disappeared altogether. When I put my nose to this one, I knew I was in for it. It smells strong, complex and heavy. A syrupy malt, almost cordial like aroma comes through. The alcohol is pretty well hidden, but can be detected. Strong fermented fruits with caramel and molasses are there, too. The taste reminds me of a barleywine more than anything else – and a nice one at that. Strong syrupy flavors and heavy malts dominate. Hop flavors are there in force, but are taken over by the malt side of this beer. This is a flavorful, thick and full bodied beer with a strong but pleasant finish. I enjoyed this strong beer. A nice winter sipper.