Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - Vanilla
Cigar City Brewing

Hand bottle shared by illidurit at a tasting - thanks, David!

Pours a clear medium brown color with minimal head and lacing. This could definitely be the result of the fact that it came from a hand bottle.

Aroma is lots of spices and vanilla, with cinnamon standing out and some sarsaparilla notes.

Flavor is caramel, toffee, and lots of great vanilla flavor, as well as candy apple, cinnamon, root beer, and a touch of alcohol. It's pretty amazing how Cigar City can really make a flavor like vanilla jump out at you in a beer like this, but still have it be very balanced. These guys can brew.

Smooth on the palate with low carbonation (again possibly due to the packaging). 10% ABV is extremely well-hidden, and I would have guessed this one was more around 7%. Drinkability is good.

Handbottle from a growler courtesy gunhaver. Pours amber brown with no head. Aroma is muted, with some vague fruits and not much vanilla. Notes of toffee and alcohol. Vanilla comes out in the flavor, melding with a light roasty toasty note and some dark fruits. Sweet and syrupy, not bad in sample size but I imagine it's not so easy to drink a whole glass.

Picked up a growler from the brewery.

A: Pours a nice deep amberish brown with a nice cream colored head. Nice retention and lace.

S: Wonderful sweet malt aromas up front. Tons of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Very mild sweet piny notes with a big blast of real vanilla beans.

T: Vanilla forward for sure, real vanilla nothing imitation here. The malt sweetness plays well of the vanilla. Lots of nutty toffee and caramel malt flavors. Very light pine and a touch of citrus.

M: On the fuller side of medium, sweet, bold, and smooth.

D: Good, I think this was my favorite of the treatments of this beer.