Winter Ale
Adams Street Brewery

Winter AleWinter Ale
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From:
Adams Street Brewery
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.3 | pDev: 16.67%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
59
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 03, 2015
Added:
Nov 04, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
This rich, smooth, copper-colored ale is brewed with six malts for a lot of aromatic complexity, with cookie, caramel, raisin and toasted marshmallow notes. New World versions of noble hop flavors bring a certain European elegance, but with a little more brash personality, topped off with the floral-and-citrus that the all-American hop—Cascade—delivers.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.57 by Waveoff from Pennsylvania

Sep 03, 2015
 
Rated: 2.82 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

Aug 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by jbierling from Michigan

Feb 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.28 by CraigTravor from California

Jan 21, 2015
 
Rated: 2.67 by IchLiebeBierZu from Minnesota

Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.61 by tommy5 from Michigan

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.59 by jjhardy12 from Wisconsin

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by DbbC from Illinois

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by t8dd from Illinois

Oct 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by ralerwen from Illinois

May 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Dovers from Wisconsin

Apr 13, 2014
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

2.37/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
355ml bottle, 6% ABV, at Pizza Brew in Calgary.

This beer pours a clear, medium bronzed amber hue, with two fingers of puffy, tightly foamy, and eventually loosely bubbly ecru head, which leaves some minor sea plume lace around the glass as it quickly abates. Pretty darned pale for a winter ale, I have to say.

It smells weakly of musty, somewhat bready caramel malt, sour, yeasty, and muddled dark fruit, and a wet mineral flintiness. The taste is more of same, but thankfully (?) amped up - grainy caramel malt, stale white bread, a kind of acrid apple and cherry pit 'fruitiness', a weirdly isolated and muted roastiness, and dead floral, musty hops.

The carbonation is moderate in intensity and yet quite frothy, the body medium-light in weight, and rather tacky in its wan attempt at smoothness. It finishes just off-dry, the toast finally connecting with the still understated bready caramel malt, the so-called fruitiness having slunk off somewhere.

It's like the brewer read about all these fancy winter ales that proliferate this time of year, and took a bland amber ale and gave it a slight uptick in underwhelming fruitiness, nothing more. Sigh - this hardly inspires thoughts of warming hearths, knit sweaters, hot tubs, or especially, hope.
Feb 25, 2014
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle, with some kind of a bottling code on the side. Acquired this six pack from the local beer store for just $4.99. It seems to be a newer entry in Berghoff's catalog.

Poured into a clear balloon snifter.

A - Pours a dark ruby cola colored body with one finger of creamy tan head that falls to a ring quickly. Looks pretty good for what it is.

S - I get a bit of toasted malt roast, a bit of cream, some caramel, faint indistinct spice rack notes, some earthiness, green apple, and some spritzy yeast funk.

T - Taste is of smooth caramel & toffee, but both are short lived. Earthiness, green apple, musty yeast, mild hint of vanilla, a hint of vinous grape, and some coiny metallics on the finish.

M - Feel is smooth and creamy, with good spritzy carbonation. Medium-thin bodied, with some sticky green apple on the finish.

Overall, it wasn't bad, if maybe just a little bland, and a little thin-bodied. This should also probably be classified as a Winter Warmer instead of an American Strong Ale. I think it would be interesting to see what a year would do to one of these bottles. Definitely one of the better Berghoff offerings that I've tried. Recommended.

Berghoff Winter Ale ---3.5/5
Dec 27, 2013
Photo of Hergestridge
Reviewed by Hergestridge from Illinois

3.71/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I used to dislike dark full flavoured beer... funny how age changes one's perspective and taste buds...
Berghoff Winter Ale is quite an excellent entry..
It's a nice dark caramel colour.. Rich heady foam with slight lacing. A bit of a semi-sweet nutty flavour. Smooth clean taste and for a 7% abv it has a sweet, mellow and non liquor taste that lets you know it packs a punch, but it's a pleasant slap on the back.. so to speak. Thank you, Steven's Point Brewery!!! Nice entry.. Will definitely buy again before the Yule Season Ends!!!..
~Carry on Citizens!!!~
sMc

Serving type: bottle
Dec 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by NorthSideSean from Illinois

Dec 07, 2013
Photo of Lemke10
Reviewed by Lemke10 from Wisconsin

3.42/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This pours a dark brown color with a slight beige head. There is the scent of toasted malts, caramel, and toffee in the mix. The taste is pretty big and bold with lots of good toasted flavors. This is the first Berghoff beer I’ve had since the move from Minhas Brewery to the Steven’s Point Brewery and the change is amazing. This makes for a delicious drink on a cold winter day.
Nov 12, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by krome from Illinois

Sep 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by JoyHelfrich from Illinois

May 15, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by MrTana from Wisconsin

Mar 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by matjack85 from Illinois

Jan 26, 2013
Winter Ale from Adams Street Brewery
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 59 ratings