Old Man Winter
Southern Tier Brewing Company

REVZEB from Illinois

3.49/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Burnt orange brown with a cream colored cap and lacing. Toast, burnt caramel and toffee, floral hops make up the nose, very light. Taste has lovely caramel, toast, and toffee malt flavors to start but then a copper like flavor with earth before the floral hops round out in a weak way. Body is watery after initial malt surge, no definition besides this, just a watery weak warmer

Feb 12, 2021

Bluecrow from New York

3.77/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

-deep amber-colored bottle pour with some haze and a thin foam film that dissipates very quickly.
The aroma presents some malt sweetness
The flavors include mild malt notes, woody, earthy aspects and some caramel.
The body is moderately light.
This is just fine.

Jan 26, 2021

chitoryu12 from Florida

3.82/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Look: Light, clear amber with gold highlights. One finger of off-white head with good retention.

Smell: Sweet, slightly yeasty malt, orange peel, slightly resinous hops.

Taste: Toffee sweet malt, slightly toasted. Mild, somewhat metallic hop bitterness that lingers long on the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy, with high carbonation.

Overall: A nice winter beer, but make sure to let it warm up from refrigerator temperature to get the full flavor range.

Jan 16, 2021

Singlefinpin from North Carolina

3.99/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I'm drinking this at my favorite tap room in Greenville NC, Tapped Drafts and Crafts.
Poured from a tap into a pint glass.
Looks, slightly hazy amber orange, with a nice foamy head that dropped to a thin cap with a bit of lacing.
Smells very lightly bready, lemony, spicy kind of like a Hot Toddy.
Taste follows the nose, with hints of cocoa, and nuttiness much like an English Brown Ale.
Mouth feel is medium plus for the style.
Overall a nice example of a Winter Ale that I would definitely order again.

Jan 04, 2021

mikeinportc from New York

3.97/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

BB date : 04/01/21

Clear amber with one finger of off-white head, that leaves a thin ring and a few spots of lacing.

Smell is caramel,toffee, and a hint of molasses that fades with the head. A bit of slightly sweet dried fruit aroma when first poured, that is more apparent from the open bottle - fruit-cake-like , though more subdued.

Taste is close to the aroma, but less sweet, with some toastiness to it. Toffee is the most prominent part of that. Mild , drying bitterness.Light spicy tingled. Not sure if that is from actual spices, noble hops, or both . I like that it is subtle enough that it has me guessing. Slight wood+bread crust aftertaste, that lingers awhile.

Feel is medium, lightly slick & coating, with moderate, soft, very, very fine carbonation. Some tannic, mucilaginous coating lingers at the back of the palate.

Overall , while nothing exciting, it is enjoyable, and easy-drinking. Reminds me of some of the drier,more subdued Oktoberfest/harvest beers that I've had this year. In fact, it has similarities to ST's "Harvest", but less hoppy. If the usual spiced-up winter warmer ISN'T your thing, maybe give this one a try? I haven't had this in a long time. A single, gifted to me reminds me to have it more often. :)

Jan 01, 2021

jkblr from Indiana

3.71/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle BEST BY 04/01/21 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 7.5% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright light honey amber in color with light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a complete web of lacing. The aroma is faint with orange and caramel. The taste is semisweet caramel & otherwise unnoticeable malt with orange peel, pie spices and minimal pine. Moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish, mostly due to the spice. Overall, nice winter warmer. Not too dominant with any one element.

Dec 04, 2020

Hophead from New York

3.29/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

color is something like ice tea, not much head or lacing.

I get a little bread and raisin on the aroma, but overall the aroma is not very pronounced.

Taste is like an old English ale, with noticeable bitterness, but not overpowering. Some burnt notes from the roasted barley as well, which has that unsweetened coco nib character. Would like a bit more of that. Could be a bit more rounded out.

A bit of slickness on the mouthfeel. A bit on the thin side with medium carbonation.

Overall, it's okay thanks to the hop presence, but not would I would call a traditional winter warmer. I am however glad it is without spices. I liked it more on the first few sips but it sort of weakened towards the end of the bottle.
Not a drain pour but will not be getting this again.

Nov 16, 2020

Greywulfken from New York

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Basically what I've come to expect from a "winter warmer" - has some soft bready/fruity sweet-points, a light bitterness that mostly comes off as seasonal spices and hops - and a warming, rounded body that is slightly filling but not over-done... Almost has an old ale quality to it... I liked it - try some...

Nov 15, 2020

teromous from Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the right side of the label: "BESTBY 04/01/21 LKW 20274 194607"

Appearance: The body is a light tea color of brown and golden-brown with very good clarity. The head is short and white with a creamy texture. Even as short as it stands it has good lacing. Good head retention.

Aroma: Spicy hop notes with lemon. There is a bit of alcohol that comes through and a bit of mint. It has a nice refreshing aroma.

Taste: Up front there is a lot of lemon with a bit of pine character. There is a bit of mint towards the middle. The overall hop character is strong. The finish is very resinous with notes of lemon and pine.

Mouthfeel: It has a rather thick body. It is noticeably full and present on the palate with a smooth slickness.

Overall: It is a very interesting take on the Winter Warmer. This beer takes a very hop-forward approach on the style but it also has a much larger and fuller body than what would normally be found on a Barleywine or an Imperial IPA. It's an interesting beer and it's definitely worth drinking if you know what you're getting into. The lemon and slight pine-like flavors can be a little strong and overtake the malt character quite a bit but the beer as a whole is very well made and enjoyable. I could drink it again from time to time, especially if I was putting together a mix-a-six for winter/Christmas themed beers.

Oct 30, 2020

KTCamm from New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

1/24/20...light copper with thin layer of white foam. Malty bready nose, slight cherry fruit nose. Slight fruity taste, gritty bitter balanced throughout. Fruit punch/cherry everywhere. Tasty.

Mar 29, 2020

scootny from New York

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

An orange amber with a decent sized off white head. A touch of lacing her and there. Some chill haze.

Nose has toffee, toasted malt. Light hops and mild yeast fruitiness. Light orange citrus.

Taste is malty with caramel, lots of toffee and lightly roasted grains. Toasted bread as well. Some notes of faint plum and yeast esters. Hops are mostly earthy but bring a bit of orange and orange zest in the finish. No real alcohol presence in the palate. Taste best on the cool versus cold side as the malts really develop and the yeast complexity deepens.

Medium weight with some fullness in the carbonation. Quite drinkable for the abv.

A solid winter warmer.

Jan 24, 2020

beergoot from Colorado

3.47/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden honey colored body; excellent carbonation; thick and sculpted head; broken rings of lacing ladder the glass. Low-profile aroma; not much other than some dull notes of caramel and grain. Mild flavors; subdued caramel notes; some nicely balanced hop bitterness. Heavy body; warm; semi-sweet mouthfeel throughout.

A decent if unremarkable winter ale. It brings a somewhat rich toasted malt body and taste to the palate and has a nice hop bitterness offset. The body seems somewhat weak but not bad overall. The alcohol presence at 7.5% ABV is not readily apparent, which is a plus. I'm not sure why there is little presence to the smell, but it is what it is. Otherwise, a pretty good winter ale all around.

Jan 06, 2020

MaltsOfGlory from Oregon

3.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

Pours not even a finger of white, soapy head into a shaker pint. Initial lacing looks ok. Body is an odd, dark orange, with brown. Quite transparent. Basically no bubbles coming up. Doesn't really look like a winter warmer, and so far it looks average overall.

Nose is a little hoppy, some clear notes of mandarin orange, lemon. Subtle notes of bready oktoberfest-like malts hiding underneath. Smells ok, a little heavy on the citrus for a winter warmer. Nose is not huge either.

Hops certainly hit first. A little pine, some citrus for sure. Malts only briefly hit for a nanosecond at the end. This is fine, I would like something a little maltier and overall more flavorful. On some less assuming sips, this is very close to that classic "this just tastes like beer".

Mouthfeel comes across as a lighter ale as well. Carbonation is medium-high. Body is on the lighter side. Somewhat dry. Bitterness is medium as well. Good mouthfeel for this beer, but again not what I would think for the style.

Drinkability is pretty high. This is really as straight forward as they come. Think lawnmower, but slightly darker.

Appearance turned out pretty much as it started, uninspired. Lacing was barely visible.

Overall a very standard beer. Nothing bad, nothing great.

Jan 02, 2020

IronLover from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Golden orange in color with perfect clarity. Poured with a moderate, white foam with medium retention. Bready and toasted malt aromas with light toffee notes. Medium bodied with medium light carbonation, a slick, oily feel and subtle warmth. Bready malt and toffee flavors with medium light earthy hoo flavors. Medium light hop bitterness. Boozy heat and toffee flavors in the back end. Finished with light toffee flavors followed by delayed malty and earthy hop bitterness. Like most English style ales, this is best enjoyed at warmer serving temperatures. Great malty character with mellow hop character. Very tasty.

Dec 27, 2019

Mrseanworldwide from Ohio

3.69/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Not a bad ale - just not the kind of ale you might be expecting packaged the way it is. Very balanced - best drunk with dinner instead of by itself. Hops are pronounced but this isn’t like an west coast ipa. I probably agree it’s most like an English strong ale. Has some sweet notes, but nothing especially wintry or holiday-like.

Dec 12, 2019

FastEddy23 from Florida

3.49/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Wanted some more malt and toffee. Was not bad, just wanted something a little heavier for a winter ale. This tasted like a winter ipa. I would imagine it's good on draft if its fresh.

Nov 26, 2019

mschenk from Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep amber with a small white head
Smell is not very strong but has a maltiness that hits the nose if you pay attention
Taste is pretty good, a little more hoppy than I though it would be. Something about the finish I find off, can't put my finger on it.
Mouth feel is nice
Overall not a bad beer but with all the good beers out there I will not be buying this one again,.

Nov 12, 2019

MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.77/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Date of birth 10/01/19, so over a month old.

Looks good, clear amber with golden highlights body. Small white head leaves a little lacing.

Decent malty aroma.

Nose translates to the taste. Good maltiness, but not much sweetness. There is a slightly sour bitterness at the end which spoils the drink a little.

Mouth around medium, finish that lightly sour small bitterness. A little warmth in the back of the throat

Overall, this beer is listed as an English old ale, but the only real evidence of that is the slight warmth at the end. Winter Warmer might be a better style for this okay beer

Nov 10, 2019

hopsputin from New Jersey

3.52/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: dark mahogany color with a thin off-white head

S: dark caramel malts and barley. Sweet strawberries, and a gentle kiss of dark fruit

T: caramel malts and earthy hoppy bitterness. Following that is some generic dark fruit. Candi sugar and resin close this out

M: medium, sticky mouthfeel with medium carbonation

O: too hoppy for an English Old Ale, with not enough depth from the malts. Also a bit too light in the mouth. - not a bad beer, just not a great Old Ale. Tell me this is an American Strong Ale and I’ll believe it

Jan 16, 2019

HorseheadsHophead from New York

3.89/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Clear dark amber/light brown in appearance, with a small white head. Decent retention, with some spotty lacing.
Aroma of toasted brown bread, cooked red apple, cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar, tart cherry.
Taste of brown bread, caramel, toffee, cherry, cooked red apple, cinnamon, raisin, cranberry, and vanilla. Despite the description, it is actually not particular sweet and there is a lingering earthy and piney bitterness on the finish.
The mouthfeel is roughly medium, seemingly a bit thin for the style, but well carbonated and makes up for it sheer drinkability.
A pleasant Old Ale. Nothing remarkable, but it gets a lot of points for its sheer drinkability without being offensive or bad in any real way.

Dec 25, 2018

Ronl12 from Massachusetts

3.52/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into pint glass. Dated 11/05/18.
Look is dark cloudy brown. Smell is malty yeast and spices. Taste follows nose. Feel is light. Overall good winter ale but nothing dominates.

Dec 23, 2018

Steve_Studnuts from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Old Man Winter from Southern Tier. A beer that generally shows up in November or so. A time of year when people are dreaming of a white Christmas and other such ridiculous, idealized winter bullshit. I like to drink it in February. Real, soul-crushing winter. When it's sub 20 degrees for weeks on end and the back-breaking snow just keeps piling up. When your goddamn car won't start because the battery you bought 6 months ago froze. When the air is so dry and frigid your goddamn hands chap and crack and bleed and...

Er...

I don't know what my point was other than I'm a charmless, cranky fuck and this is the beer I've chosen to thaw the freeze from my cold, dead heart with. It pours a standard amber with little in the way of carbonation but does retain a healthy, attractive head. There's not a whole lot there on the nose other than a mild malt sweetness and maybe a little bit of a yeasty bread dough vibe. For some reason I thought this was spiced, but I'm not picking that up at all. Just my pea-brain confusing "winter" ale with "christmas" ale, I guess. Taste follows; a little bready, with a gentle caramel sweetness from start to finish. There's something kind of earthy and bitter on the back end, too; some goofy hop variety maybe. Body is medium and crisp; maybe a touch over-carbonated, but I say that about most beers. I'm not exactly bowled-over by this one, but it's pleasant enough and clocks in @ 7.5% ABV so what the fuck? It'll warm ya.

Dec 20, 2018

keithmurray from Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - clear copper color with tan head

Smell - caramel and pine

Taste - Caramel and pine

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium plus carbonation, caramel upfront, pine in the back

Overall - this was a decent brew, but there was nothing about it that would make me want to re-visit. Doesnt profile to me as a 'holiday ale'. I think it is misclassified as an English Olde Ale, really is bordering on IPA territory

Price Point - $2.29/12 oz single

Dec 07, 2018

daliandragon from Maryland

3.56/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It is December first, so time to start knocking out the holiday and winter themed beers. This one fits the bill. Dark brown body with great clarity and little head. Nose is balanced but shows its nature with toffee and caramel malt notes.

Thick in texture and a little more carbonated than I was hoping. Boozy and malty and laced with yeasty esters and dark fruit. Worth a try but not outstanding for the style.

Dec 02, 2018

Samlover55 from New York

3.71/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into tulip
Bottled on 10/11/18
Pours a clear auburn with thin off white head
Nice interplay of malt and hops sweet and piney
Toffee and caramel,  followed by pine and some booze
Medium- bodied,  average carbonation,  bit syrupy
Overall tastes like a nice hoppy brown ale,  I like it

Nov 16, 2018