Warmer Winter Winter Warmer
Cigar City Brewing

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by rodbeermunch from Nevada

I think this was another one of those Catador Club bottles. Didn't have a big expectation, winter warmer always seemed like a brown ale that wanted to be a barleywine to me. This beer exceeded expectations.

Pours a brownish dark amber. Decent head formation, 3/5" beige in color, well textured and good retention. The aroma was a mild bourbon presence meets brown malt. I can dig it. Didn't drop a bunch of dark fruit on me or spice rack, so that's win/win.

Oh wow, this is pretty neat taste wise. Its like a mild gran marnier, the citrus meets barrel impact, the brown malt, the citrus is nothing bitter or acidic, its like those candied citrus, but its not sweet either, just smooth and layered. Truly has a mild warmth to it, nothing approaching hot. Everyone says toffee and they're not wrong here. There is a mild bitterness but it rounds the beer out just fine. Props for avoiding a heavy yeast or spice rack with this one. Straddles the line between winter warmer, imperial brown and old ale just fine.

Aug 24, 2020

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by SHODriver from North Carolina

A: Poured into a snifter to a deep brown with some ruby edges which is topped by a dense finger and a half of light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of caramel, vanilla, dark fruits, oak, and a little faded citrusy and herbal hops.
T: Taste is a little pine and citrus with some dark fruits, figs, caramel, slight chocolate, vanilla and a little oak. Swallow is more vanilla, caramel, dark fruits, oak, and a little more citrus. It reminds me of a chocolate covered orange at times.
M: This beer is fairly thick and has a very silky mouthfeel. The beer has a low level of carbonation but it is adequate for the style and contributes to the silky mouthfeel. On the swallow this beer is fairly drying.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer with some great flavors and complexity. Age seems to have done it well but this one probably would have fared a little better in the ratings if they would have classified it as a barleywine since the American hop notes are out of place. Definitely drinking well though.

Dec 02, 2017

4.04/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

2013/2014 release poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color with a short beige head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains brown sugar, fruit, caramelized malts and some earthy hops.

T: The taste starts out very sweet with strong flavors of caramel, toffee, brown sugar and some fruit. Then a hearty malt character comes in. The hops presence is mild overall but strong for the style and provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and a little crisp, medium-to-heavy body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down dangerously easy, slightly filling, well-disguised strong kick, good representation of style, this is a very solid beer to sip on for a while.

Jun 11, 2017

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by bcrossan from North Carolina

Very nice bourbon influence. Overall really sweet and good beer

Dec 25, 2016

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by RoamingGnome from Wisconsin

Drinking Cigar City Warmer Winter Winter Warmer in April is perfectly appropriate if you're drinking it in Wisconsin. Hell, our April is probably colder than their winter. That's neither here nor there... This is the 2015 vintage, and I have to say, I agree with those who have advised against aging this brew. Why???? Well, I think it's damn delicious right about now. It's a cola colored brew with a decent head, that quickly settled to a collar. This is just awesome hoppy molasses deliciousness. The alcohol stays well hidden. I also like how this isn't all spiced up. My personal preference is not drinking a beer that makes my mouth feel like the inside of a Yankee Candle. I prefer this chilled. That was a random statement... Nice smooth body. The carbonation is lively enough, definitely to my liking. This is damn good... I'd go for this Florida brew again. Speaking of Florida, did you see the size of that Alligator that was eating the cattle??? That was one big MOFO.

Apr 09, 2016

3.61/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by SportsandJorts from Virginia

Appearance: pours a garnet to brown color. a finger or so of a tan head with good retention and leaving behind a nice lacing. pretty opaque due to the darkness but some nice brightness to it.

Smell: citrusy, candied sweetness, toffee and chocolate. some rich maltiness in the back ground.

Taste: opens up with some syrupy candy sweetness. a good bite of citrus. some notes of toffee and chocolate. lots of resiny hops and some earthy and pine notes to them.

Mouthfeel: syrupy and pretty thick. pretty strong bitterness and hopiness but the syrupy sweetness wins out.

Overall: a unique old ale. I like some of whats going on but the syrupy quality and the balance aren't quite right for me. maybe some time would balance things out a little better.

Apr 04, 2016

3.99/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by StonedTrippin from Colorado

this to my homie jeremy for bringing this one over last night. its a cool take on the style, to not have a spiced winter warmer i think is uncommon, but i dig it pretty hard. it has a year on it, and some definitely oxidation has occurred, but it flatters this beer pretty well i reckon. some sediment in the glass, hazy and thick dark brown caramel color with a tall white head, real lively looking for what it is. past the wet cardboard oxidation up front, it smells like an english barleywine. heavy sweet malts, toffee, dried cherries, and maybe plum, its quite fruity in the nose, and all of these hops they boast on the label seem to be lost over time. surprisingly it is quite hoppy in the flavor, perhaps just the nose was muted, its bitter on the finish, still sweet too, but layered and good. lots of cherry here, semi artificial at times, but it resolves before its over. yeasty too, which i also dig, high gravity english strain maybe, its hard to tell with the oxidation, and then plenty of booze to back it up. a cool take on the style and a beer that probably shouldnt be cellared much longer than a year. an awesome beer to kick off an awesome night of beer drinking.

Mar 05, 2016

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by stakem from Pennsylvania

2010 vintage. 750ml bottle poured into a matching CCB snifter. The brew appears a dark mahogany color with ruby clarity and a khaki cap that fades leaving patchy lace.

Aroma is sweet with toffee, caramel, molasses and some toastiness. Raisony alcohol.

Taste is malty sweet like molasses, toffee, caramel and firm bitterness. A bit of burnt character and mild oxidation.

Medium to full bodied with modest carbonation. More bitter than I was expecting but still a solid brew with some of its age starting to become noticeable.

Jan 29, 2016