Faceplant Winter Ale
Nelson Brewing Company
- From:
- Nelson Brewing Company
- British Columbia, Canada
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
Ranked #176 - ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 81
Ranked #35,434 - Avg:
- 3.51 | pDev: 8.83%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 21
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 01, 2026
- Added:
- Oct 25, 2004
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 4
SCORE
81
Good
81
Good
What more can we tell you but this amazing organic ale is our best seller when available fresh in season. Faceplant is brewed with imported organic malted barley, brown sugar, and molasses. After a day on the slopes, tip back a few fresh free range Faceplants to warm the soul... Careful, the name says it all!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by drinkincan
3.23/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.23/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Dark earthy raisiny, but not too sweet at all, nice carbonation level but still its just ok overall
Apr 08, 2025
Reviewed by altstadt from Canada (BC)
3.6/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
3.6/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Clear dark cherry red color. Almost no head; just a very fine skiff in the middle of the glass. No lacing. Holding it up to the light, you can see that very few bubbles are rising.
Sweet fruity, perfumy smell with a very light spice. Swirling the glass kicked up a candy perfume smell and a bit of toffee.
Lightly sweet, some strong black tea notes. Surprisingly light malt given the color. Dry oatmeal shows up in the middle. The aftertaste is mild bitters and the dry oatmeal.
Almost completely flat, but it still manages to foam up a bit. Easy to drink, but doesn't really feel like a beer.
The low carbonation couple with the strong black tea flavor is a bit unusual. It is more like an iced tea than a beer. At least the residual sugar content is somewhat low. Perhaps this should be chilled cooler than expected for a winter warmer.
Dec 06, 2019Sweet fruity, perfumy smell with a very light spice. Swirling the glass kicked up a candy perfume smell and a bit of toffee.
Lightly sweet, some strong black tea notes. Surprisingly light malt given the color. Dry oatmeal shows up in the middle. The aftertaste is mild bitters and the dry oatmeal.
Almost completely flat, but it still manages to foam up a bit. Easy to drink, but doesn't really feel like a beer.
The low carbonation couple with the strong black tea flavor is a bit unusual. It is more like an iced tea than a beer. At least the residual sugar content is somewhat low. Perhaps this should be chilled cooler than expected for a winter warmer.
Reviewed by Sathanas from Canada (AB)
3.53/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Decent winter warmer. Some molasses/brown sugar flavours and some nice caramel/toffee malts. A slight (English?) dirty hops that give it a slight black tea spiciness, nice mouthfeel. Easy drinkin.
Jan 20, 2016Reviewed by harrymel from Washington
3.47/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Canned: unk
Dark brown with some nice fine light cream foam. Smells of bread, toasted rye, some graham and a little bit of herbal hops. Taste is biscuit, cocoa, coffee grounds, some soil, it's a dry porter like beer with a little more body and a little less dry. Medium bodied with low carb and a wet finish. Good drinker.
Mar 15, 2013Dark brown with some nice fine light cream foam. Smells of bread, toasted rye, some graham and a little bit of herbal hops. Taste is biscuit, cocoa, coffee grounds, some soil, it's a dry porter like beer with a little more body and a little less dry. Medium bodied with low carb and a wet finish. Good drinker.
Reviewed by maclean25 from Canada (BC)
3.32/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.32/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Despite the unseasonably warm weather over the last week, and expected to continue for the next week, I decided to go with another Winter Warmer to accompany the many I had over the holiday season. I have liked several of Nelson Brewing's product so I came in with moderate-to-high expectations.
It pours with a large fluffy brown head and a deep dark red (clear) body. That head, consistent across all six of my cans, just made the beer look fantastic. The aroma, though, is faint. I detect some fresh coffee, wood, and roasted grain. The tastes is also faint, but deep, like it only exists in the background and aftertaste. I taste some caramel or light molasses, vanilla, and hops. It is a smooth, easy drinking winter ale and despite its 6% I get no alcohol taste. It has perfect carbonation and a medium body.
Feb 13, 2013It pours with a large fluffy brown head and a deep dark red (clear) body. That head, consistent across all six of my cans, just made the beer look fantastic. The aroma, though, is faint. I detect some fresh coffee, wood, and roasted grain. The tastes is also faint, but deep, like it only exists in the background and aftertaste. I taste some caramel or light molasses, vanilla, and hops. It is a smooth, easy drinking winter ale and despite its 6% I get no alcohol taste. It has perfect carbonation and a medium body.
Reviewed by zachloveshisbeer from Canada (AB)
4.02/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is one tasty seasonal! Picked up a 6 pack of cans (from what I understand, they're only doing cans these days) from the Co-Op liquor store when I was looking for some Aussie beers, and I'm glad I picked it up. Cracked a can and poured it into a Sam Adams pint glass. Poured a rich, deep amber with a fingernail's worth of head, very little lacing. Smells of rich, deep molasses and brown sugar. First sip - sweet, malty, nice mouthfeel but very easy-drinking. The sweetness fades after a few seconds and it's followed up by a huge molasses and brown sugar pleasantness. I've had a lot of winter ales in my day, and this one is probably the best Canadian one I have had so far. Great job NBC! Appreciate that it's organic as well.
Jan 20, 2013
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)
3.88/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
355ml can. Having just returned from damned-near snow and cold-bound Banff, this seems totally on the spot.
This beer pours a crystal clear, dark brassy amber hue, with two fingers of tight foamy beige head, which leaves a low slinking wash of lace around the glass as it duly recedes. It smells of crisp biscuit and sweet caramel malt, a bit of oily nuttiness, and soft earthy, leafy hops. The taste is not a big departure - more nutty, caramel malt, some slightly softened biscuit notes, subtle brown shugga, a twinge of bitter chocolate, and more somewhat tangy leafy hops.
The carbonation is average, with a mild spritziness here and there, but generally smooth, with the body displaying a hearty medium weight. It finishes fairly off-dry, the nutty, crackery, caramel malt still in charge, with a mild edgy nondescript dryness tugging at the metaphoric pant cuffs.
A decent kinda strong brown ale, with flavours spread nicely all over the hill, and the 6 points of booze easily integrated, which provides that extra warmth to envision until you can get yourself back to the lodge.
Jan 21, 2012This beer pours a crystal clear, dark brassy amber hue, with two fingers of tight foamy beige head, which leaves a low slinking wash of lace around the glass as it duly recedes. It smells of crisp biscuit and sweet caramel malt, a bit of oily nuttiness, and soft earthy, leafy hops. The taste is not a big departure - more nutty, caramel malt, some slightly softened biscuit notes, subtle brown shugga, a twinge of bitter chocolate, and more somewhat tangy leafy hops.
The carbonation is average, with a mild spritziness here and there, but generally smooth, with the body displaying a hearty medium weight. It finishes fairly off-dry, the nutty, crackery, caramel malt still in charge, with a mild edgy nondescript dryness tugging at the metaphoric pant cuffs.
A decent kinda strong brown ale, with flavours spread nicely all over the hill, and the 6 points of booze easily integrated, which provides that extra warmth to envision until you can get yourself back to the lodge.
Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)
3.28/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.28/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - clear cedar brown. solid creamy tan head retained nicely
S - strong nutty and sugary aroma with a mild mustiness
T - sweet and nutty flavours give way to a mild spice note with a more earthy woody finish
M - relatively thin and a bit prickly, finishing sweet and a little dry
O - not a great brown or winter ale, not bad but a bit on the prickly side makes it not as easy drinking as the style normally is, but still tasty enough for a try
Nov 26, 2011S - strong nutty and sugary aroma with a mild mustiness
T - sweet and nutty flavours give way to a mild spice note with a more earthy woody finish
M - relatively thin and a bit prickly, finishing sweet and a little dry
O - not a great brown or winter ale, not bad but a bit on the prickly side makes it not as easy drinking as the style normally is, but still tasty enough for a try
Reviewed by scott451 from Canada (ON)
3.5/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
One finger bubbly light tan head on a clear brown. The head soon diminishes to a ring. Minimal lacing.
Malty smells. Well balanced but a very mild flavour. A slight chocolaty caramel taste. Very mild hop finish.
Medium body and carbonation. Drinkability is good. Watch out for the high ABV hiding behind the mild exterior.
Dec 23, 2010Malty smells. Well balanced but a very mild flavour. A slight chocolaty caramel taste. Very mild hop finish.
Medium body and carbonation. Drinkability is good. Watch out for the high ABV hiding behind the mild exterior.
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