Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - Bourbon
Cigar City Brewing

Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - BourbonWarmer Winter Winter Warmer - Bourbon
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
12%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 8.07%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
52
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 09, 2022
Added:
Aug 30, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  8
El Catador Club Exclusive

A small amount of the 2015 version of our perennial cool weather strong ale was put into white oak bourbon barrels: A boozy nose of dates, raisins and red apple is complimented by light wood aromas and a touch of vanilla while the palate of this huge beer boasts molasses, brown sugar and maple syrup flavors and a drying, tannic finish from extensive aging in white oak bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Abbbp:
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Rated by Abbbp from Texas

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dec 13, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.4 by EMV from Pennsylvania

Feb 09, 2022
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

4.42/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Mom picked this one up from the brewery a couple years back. Thanks, guys!

From a 750 into a snifter
Vintage: 2016
A high gravity FL winter ale aged in bourbon barrels

APPEARANCE: Pours a 2+ finger, medium looking, creamy but crackly off-white head with great retention. Body is a clear auburn or burnt umber brown with lower levels of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full wisp cap and clings to the glass. Splotchy wisp remains until the end leaving some solid lacing down the glass as it empties. A little over carbonated off the bat, but good looking, otherwise.

SMELL: Big nose of bourbon, alcohol, oak, vanilla, caramel and toffee aromas, with some milk chocolate, molasses and dark fruit as well. Really candy-like and lots going on.

TASTE: Sweet up front with lots of caramel, toffee and bourbon barrel initially. Oak, some alcohol too, with dark fruit, molasses and brown sugary sweetness. Booze and bourbon at the swallow with a big and bold finish of bourbon, oak, vanilla and coconut flavors, sweet toffee and caramel, milk chocolate and some sweet brown sugar and dark fruit flavors. Spicy alcohol as well. Quite flavorful and the barrels are really nice.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes sticky for sure. Some decent heat lingers.

OVERALL: Good stuff and this 2016 is really enjoyable right now. The barrels are solid and the base beer is probably good on its own. This is a winter warmer and barley wine blend, but with the barrel character on top of it, you could pretty much just describe this as a darker barley wine. Really good and well worth the trouble if you’re a fan of the style. Thanks again, ma!
Mar 30, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by emottram from Massachusetts

Dec 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Dec 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by krome from Illinois

Dec 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.77 by LloydDobler from Indiana

Sep 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.11 by KensWorld from Florida

Apr 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by Samact from Vermont

Mar 31, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

Jan 20, 2018
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Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
El Catador Club - Bottled in 2016.

A - Pours a hazy, raisin brown color with very thin toffee colored lacing.

S - Raisins, dates, figs, vanilla, brown sugar, and molasses.

T - Maple, some woodiness, figs, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar, raisins, figs, dates, and a substantial amount of warming on the way down. On the very end after the heat dies down a little there is some piney bitterness.

M - Rich, silky texture and very thick/heavy. Sits sugary and sticky on the lips, and coagulates on the tongue.

O - Old Ales aren't my gig but this one is solid and 'do enjoy the barrel aged personality of this beer.
Jan 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.06 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Jan 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by bb-magic from Florida

Dec 17, 2017
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pouring a prune juice color but filling to dark brown-copper, then nearly black, this has a dense, fluffy two-finger blanket that leaves some stalactite layers of lace.

Tobacco, prune, light barrel, dark grape, deep char, fine brandy, caramel, maple, and brown sugar. This is a complex, gut-warming beer that bucks the holiday beer trend and isn't trying to bludgeon you to death with the entire spice rack.

This is a well-crafted, mature indulgence that's great for a cold evening.
Dec 11, 2017
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.12/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This one pours a fairly dark brown, with a small head, and no lacing.

This smells quite sweet, with a good level of bourbon, lots of dark fruit and berries, sweet caramel, and lots of woodiness.

This would be very hard to take down alone, but luckily I didn't have to do that. It's quite sweet, with delicious berry desert flavors, port and bourbon, raisins, and oak.

This is medium bodied, a bit slick but pretty drinkable anyway.

I could tell that is may be starting to decline, but right now, it's quite nice.
Oct 14, 2017
Photo of monketeeth
Reviewed by monketeeth from Florida

4.56/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Nose is spice and bourbon. Nice silky mouthfeel. Taste is........Whoa! Much better then expected after reading some of the reviews. This is really outstanding! Much better than the original. A very nice surprise.
Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by IckyT2012 from Florida

Aug 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by imperialking from Illinois

Jul 11, 2017
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Reviewed by cjgator3 from Florida

4.61/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
750ml bottle poured into an El Catador snifter. Bottle dated 08/26/16 etched on the side of the bottle neck. Aroma is sweet malt and molasses with oak and bourbon notes from the barrel. The taste starts out with a quick and lingering wave of sweetness with a warming finish. This barrel aged version of Warmer Winter is thicker (more body) and more sweet than the non-barrel aged version of this beer. The bourbon barrels give it another added layer of complexity.
Jun 17, 2017
Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - Bourbon from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 52 ratings