Winter Warmer
Columbus Brewing Company

 

 

 

The Winter Warmer is decent for a Xmas type ale.....it has all the ginger, nutmeg, pine cone flavors and scent. It pours a rich clear copper with thin white head that is not lacing. The mouthfeel is medium in body with good carbonation. Overall its a solid winter beer and is best had next to a fire.

This beer pours a slightly hazy orange amber color with a one finger khaki head. It quickly disappears except for a small ring around the edge of the glass and leaves spotted lacing. The smell is sweet bready malt and a hint of toffee. Taste is much different with caramel sweetness and breadiness up front followed by a strong dose of cinnamon and tingly spiciness on the back end. Feel ia lighter than expected with no trace of alcohol. Overall a good beer, but just not my first choice of style.

 

Picked up a sixer on a business trip to Columbus. Rockin beer scene in Columbus BTW.

Pours deep ruby with subtle hint of spices. More flavors come out as it warms. Not your typical spicy holiday beer but a solid winter warmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 10/31/2012. Pours hazy and cloudy reddish orange color with a 1 finger foamy off white head with decent retention, that reduces to a minimal ring of lace. No glass lacing, and some moderate streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, apple, cinnamon, gingerbread, and light floral. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of malt and spices notes; with moderate strength. Taste of caramel, apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, toast, gingerbread, clove, pepper, and light floral. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, apple, cinnamon, toast, gingerbread, and clove on the finish for a bit. Nice balance and robustness of malt and spice flavor; with a solid malt/spice balance and a fair amount of cloying sweetness/spice flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a solid winter warmer. Good robustness and solid balance of flavors; and very smooth to drink. An enjoyable offering.

12 ounce bottle
Served in a conical pint glass

A - It is the color of weak iced tea with suspended sediment. It has some amber highlights. Maybe, an inch of off-white head.

S - I really have to search for much aroma. I get some faint caramel malt and cinnamon.

T - The taste does not have to be sought. At first I tasted ginger bread. Then I got molasses cookie. Good either way.

M - Medium with some chalkiness

O - When I didn't get much on the smell I figured this was an old winter warmer. The taste changed that notion. I enjoyed the cookie-like flavor. I want a molasses cookie now.

 

 

2012 bottle sent to me via Ohio. Poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a dark cherry with 1.5 finger head. Solid head retention.

S: Winter spices, some ginger, and sweetness that I'm having difficulty placing. Sort of like a raspberry snow cone or something. Definitely smelled it before as a child, but having trouble recalling exactly the smell now.

T: The flavor delivers on the odd aroma I was talking about. Something of a raspberry sweetness that's very nice. Can't think of another beer that has this same flavor profile. Malt forward, big caramel notes spices and cinnamon.

M: Medium bodied, carbonation heavy, swirled it a bit to reduce it as I drank. Finishes with a creamy sweetness.

O: Very good winter warmer, usually not my favorite style. This however delivers and would probably be my favorite of this years style next to Anderson Valley.

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a murky, hazy, burnt orange/auburn. Nice fluffy off-white head that sticks around and leaves really nice retention. First off, I'll say the aromas get better as this beer warms. There's alot of ginger going on. Lots of sweet caramel malts as well. It basically smells like combination of a gingerbread cookie and a carmel apple. Also some chocolate malts in the mix as well. The flavors match the nose. The spices are definitely there, but far from overwhelming. The cinnamon is pretty subtle, but does its thing. This one doesn't really have a strong bitterness to it. This one has a strong English influence to it. Flavors are really nice, but one note. Mouthfeel is wonderful, just like most Columbus beers. It's light, creamy, fluffy with the perfect amount of carbonation. It's a very smooth beer. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Once again, it changes for the better as it warms up. Nice brew.

I like this beer and it's just short of being something really special. It's pretty unique and stands out with all of the other cinnamon spiced beers brewed in Ohio. Not sure if it can go toe to toe with some of them, but it can definitely hang and is better than others. My only beef is that it becomes one note and lacks true depth. It's a good beer to enjoy on a rainy day.

 

I got this in a beer exchange. Thanks Chris!

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - hazed amber color with a thin off-white head.

S - lots of winter spices, ginger bread is good.

T - ginger bread and cinnamon with just a hint of bitterness on the finish.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation, easy to drink.

O - a good example of the style.