Vinter Varmer
Laurelwood Brewing Co.

A beautifully balanced winter ale. 7.7 ABV. Excellent mouthfeel with spiciness and sweetness held well in-check to produce a very smooth, earthy-dry, satisfying finish. The date stamp on the corner of the 16 oz. can is so stretched that I can't read it....but I think this is fairly recent 'bottling'. The can states that it is Laurelwood's take on an English-style old or stock ale. That seems right on target as "winter warmer's" can be all over the spectrum, whereas this brew is English style to the core. Highly recommended.

 

16oz can

Pours a healthy finger of light brown head into my Nonic. Retention is average and most of the head fades within a couple minutes, leaving a nice film. Lacing is alright. Body is a very dark brown, with hues of red in the light. It looks pretty decent all things considered.

Nose is wonderful. Notes of molasses, fig, tart cherries, and a touch of piney hops in the background. This surprisingly has more of a fruit presence than a malty one. Very nice.

Flavor is very interesting. Definitely get some of that tart cherry in the front, some fig as well, smooths out in the finish with some maltiness. Still, this leans towards the tart side. I wish there was a little more balance here, but this is still pretty good.

Carbonation is medium-low, has a softness to it. Body has a little weight, medium. Not really bitter, but certainly has a tartness. A touch of sweetness, but very low considering the style. The mouthfeel is serviceable and pretty well balanced.

Drinkability is pretty good. While pronounced, the tartness is not abrasive at all.

Overall this is a solid beer. I would definitely like a little more malt to counter the tartness, but it’s not egregious.

Look: Dark ruby-red in the glass and red-brown on the pour which kick starts a lofty khaki head that balloons up quickly and settles to a film, leaving good lacing behind
Aroma: Freshly baked brown bread, fruity esters, light toffee, some dried dark fruit notes, light roast, mildly spicy hop notes, and toasted grains
Taste: Kicks off with a little roasty note and toasted grains before subduing to the bready malt onslaught that follows. Warm bread, toast, toffee, some red apple-led esters, and dark fruit all in play and intermingle well with the rest nicely through the close
Mouthfeel: Full, smooth, clean, medium-high carbonation, a soft and smooth finish with no detectable alcohol heat
Overall: This is a tasty one. I hadn’t had this beer in years but remembered liking it so had to revisit when I spotted the new labeled/designed cans and my sentiments remain unchanged. A malty Old Ale that has nice depth of flavor and good balance along with a nice fruity ester touch that works well in my opinion. I’ll definitely make this offering a regular purchase each year

 

Not too bad of a taste.

 

 

 

Bottle picked up at Brewer's Haven Boise a week or so ago.. Finally getting around to enjoying it tonight out of my little CC snifter.. Clear light tea colored amber... Okay foamy white head, little retention or lacing.. Dry toasty maltiness.. Earthy... Lightly hoppy.. Not overly done in any respect, very well integrated and drinkable.. Malty, but not as much as most Winter brews and the hops are very balanced... Almost like a "standard PNW brew in reverse". Nice and never heavy.

All 3.75's

 

 

Bottle from Brewers Haven. Not getting much out of this, other than a brown ale with a bit too much hoppiness. Super dry, chalky finish. Nice pour with small fluffy head and rings of lacing, but that's its lone redeeming quality. At 6.4%, its not even that much of a warmer.

 

 

Nice deep red color with good head retention. Nice hoppy smell similar to laurel wood workhorse. Body is kind of unimpressive for the style. Has a little malty/caramel richness. Kind of light for a winter warmer. It's a good beer, but was hoping for a richer hoppier beer.