Winter Cru
Flying Fish Brewing Company

 

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, bread, light cinnamon. Taste is malts, yeast, some spices. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall this is an ok beer.

Winter Cru from Flying Fish. 12 oz bottle. Purchased from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA on 09/02/23 for $ 4.00 (Including tax) - $ 0.333/oz. In reefer at store, stored at 34 degrees at home. Reviewed 23/02/23 (Review 3048). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on bottom of label “BEST BY:” (Field is empty). Marked on the bottom lip of the bottle in black ink “06082134B11023”, not visible until the bottle was emptied. Served at 52.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 56.4 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), slight haze. Under direct light, a large number of suspended tiny particles. When rear lite, same.
Head – Average (Maximum 1.2 cm, aggressive center pour), white, fizzy, high density, quickly receding to a 0.2 cm crown, and a thin, partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3.5 – Smells slightly fruity. No malt, no hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Begins lightly sweet and fruity, well balanced against the slight hop bitterness. No ethanol (7 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. Weak gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. As the temperature rises, the nutmeg appears but the cinnamon never arrives.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 A bit thin but otherwise decent.

 

From an undated (literally nothing printed in the "Best By" section of the label) 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours translucent yellowish brown with about one finger of white head that disappears quickly leaving a ring around the edge of the liquid in the glass. No lacing to speak of.

Smells of bread, dark fruit, clove and a hint of cinnamon.

Cinnamon is more noticeable in the taste but still not strong (gets stronger on warming). Sweet taste with clove in the background.

Medium-bodied. Low carbonation. Dry finish with light cinnamon aftertaste.

More Belgian when cold, more winter warmer when warm. Ok beer.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a wide mouth, grip shaped goblet: color is gold, head is off white with fine bubbles, head presents 1 finger thick, then dissipates to thin top, ring along the glass sides.

Smell is belgian yeast and spice, esters, phenols, maybe some light cinnamon but not overly 'spiced', malt is toasted and honey like.

Taste is similar with belgian yeast and spice, some banana and clove, hint of cinnamon spiciness but not overdone, malt is lightly sweet with light toast and honey - really quite pleasant.

Mouthfeel is crisp carbonation, moderate sweetness, low/moderate bitterness, drying esters and light lingering spiciness.

Overall a very nice belgian styled riff on the winter ale - maybe not that wintery or spicy but notable spice and pleasant belgian yeast character.

 

12 ounce bottle poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

L---Lightly hazed, light Amber color. Thick, slightly off-white head. Very good retention and beautiful lacing.

S---Spices, nutmeg is noticeable.

T---Some yeast to go along with spices. Some banana.

F---Medium plus mouthfeel. Very well carbonated.

O---A tasty beer, but nothing really makes me think winter beer. It's just a good beer.

 

By no means bad, but by no means "great." Tastes, feels, and looks like a "winter soda." Thin in consistency and carbonated, with Christmas-inspired flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg, just as the packaging reads. Good beer. A little, teensy weensy bit sour which threw the flavor off a bit, and again, spoke of alcoholic soda. No major complaints.