Cabin Fever
Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro

Cabin FeverCabin Fever
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From:
Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro
 
Washington, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
Ranked #14
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,327
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 10.33%
Reviews:
51
Ratings:
90
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 06, 2022
Added:
Nov 11, 2002
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  11
Hit the slopes and cozy up next to the fireplace with the perfect companion: Cabin Fever. Rich and malty with a balanced hop character, our Winter Warmer is, by nature, deceptively strong. With an extended conditioning period, Cabin Fever is blissfully smooth. This winter there’s no need to fear the cold. Warm up with a fever.

45 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by John_M:
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this on tap at the brewpub, but this review is from the bottle. Draft version was probably a bit fresher tasting, but really, I detected very little difference between the two formats.

The beer pours a molasses brown color with OK head retention and lots of sticky lacing all around. The nose is pretty complex, with a considerable amount of spice superimposed upon the brown sugar. Otherwise, I get some cherry, light spearamint, licorice, vanilla, orange peel and nutmeg. Flavors pretty much replicate the nose, but with a hint of chocolate as well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly decent finish. Plenty of flavor in this one, of that there is no doubt. Also, the hint of bitterness in the finish counters the moderate sweetness very nicely. Finish is fairly dry, which I appreciate. Drinkability is likewise pretty good, thought the boatload of spice in this bad boy wears on you after a while. Otherwise, the alcohol is well diguised, and this beer is not at all heavy or tiring on the palate.

A nice winter warmer, but probably not a beer I could see myself drinking during any other season.
Feb 08, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of BigIronH
Reviewed by BigIronH from Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice cola brown, ruby hues in the light. A two finger mocha head rises and falls to a stiff ring with good retention. Nose is cinnamon, oak, vanilla, roasted malt, and baked bread. Maybe some subtle all spice like notes in the background which come through better on the tongue. Feel is full but not mouthcoating. Overall, a delicious spicy seasonal ale.

*this batch comes in at 9%
Nov 06, 2022
Photo of jonphisher
Reviewed by jonphisher from New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
This beer has a beautiful color to it, this picture doesn’t do it justice at all. It’s a beautiful deep red color and it’s crystal clear. Not very thin layer of light brown head remains with a dense ring around the glass.

This beer is so bizarre because I know there is no fruit in it but it smells just like strawberry jam. Then like a slightly toffee and spice like smell follows. Kind of reminds me of some sort of moist dark fruit bread.

Taste is rich toffee like berry and other fruit flavors, some spice, some nuttiness and dark bread vibes on the finish. It’s really neat because the berry morphs into raspberry now. I’m assuming it’s the tastes of everything else affecting me now, that we’re absent or perceived differently in the aroma.

A big beer that actually drinks incredibly smooth, soft mouthfeel, nut like bitterness in the finish, a touch sweet, and indeed nice and warming.
Nov 28, 2021
Photo of ovaltine
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This beer pours a deep mahogany brown, and it’s nearly clear and sports a sudsy light tan head that provides ample lacing. The nose is rich caramel and some stone fruit, specifically black cherries.

The taste definitely has black cherry flavor, but it’s the rich caramel that edges toward butterscotch that makes this beer so delicious - I’d love to have a 6er of this to age to see how it evolves, because it’s really fresh now (canned 10/4/21) and I’d love to see where it goes at 6 months and a year.
Oct 18, 2021
 
Rated: 3.86 by Pinz412 from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2021
 
Rated: 3.88 by procession7 from Netherlands

Dec 26, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Got in a BIF from beertunes. 12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 10/22/2019. Pours fairlyu crystal clear deep reddish orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, pine, citrus peel/rind, wood, herbal, grass, and peppercorn; with lighter notes of toffee, cocoa, coffee, raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, red apple, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, earthy hops, and light-moderate fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, pine, citrus peel/rind, wood, herbal, grass, and peppercorn; with lighter notes of toffee, cocoa, coffee, raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, red apple, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, pine, citrus peel/rind, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, toffee, cocoa, coffee, dark fruit, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, earthy hops, and light-moderate fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and no acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/roasted bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and sticky/resinous/rindy, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.5%. Overall this is an awesome English winter warmer style. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, earthy hops, and light-moderate fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish; not overly aggressive. Awesome balance of rich English malts and earthy English hops; with restrained fruity yeast. Mild residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example. Reminds me of Deschutes Jubelale a lot. Could use a bit of age to tone down the hops as with that one.
Dec 24, 2019
Photo of Oh_Dark_Star
Rated by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

3.64/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
This was alright, but would thrive with some carbonation!
Apr 20, 2019
Photo of Brennan27
Rated by Brennan27 from Washington

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Malty, toffee, caramel, and some pine.
A nice winter ale that hides the 8.5% pretty well, and truly sounds would be perfect at a cabin.
Jan 04, 2019
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Many thanks to jhartley for this beer.

A- Dark burgundy colored pour with nice clarity and thin caramel colored lacing.

S - Earthy and nutty with toasted malt aroma and toasted malt sweetness.

T - Toasted nutty malt, some booziness with some resiny citrus on the very back end. Sweet finish with underlying citrus resin.

M - Medium body.

O - A nice Winter Warmer. Would be even better with a splash of Bourbon in the glass!
Jan 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by beerjerk666 from Florida

Jan 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Dec 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.92 by redleg64 from Michigan

Dec 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by EdwardAbbey from Washington

Nov 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Jan 03, 2017
Photo of ssteakley
Reviewed by ssteakley from Washington

4.75/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A rare opportunity to find this in my favorite beer store here in Seattle. Not disappointed! Full bodied winter ale. Please bring more to Seattle! The smell and taste are near perfect to me.
Feb 07, 2016
Photo of Tdewhurst
Rated by Tdewhurst from Washington

5/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Great, heavy, flavorful winter ale. Best in Cask.
Jan 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Noooddle from Washington

Dec 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.03 by Phi_Psi_OR_Beta from Oregon

Dec 17, 2015
Photo of Moose90
Reviewed by Moose90 from Washington

3.69/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Served On-Tap

A — Pours a deep copper color into the glass, with an off-white colored head on top of it, leaving behind semi-consistent lacing.

S — Smell is strong and lightly sweet, notes of rich malts and spices, pretty prototypical winter warmer.

T — Bready, sweet, malt forward, little bit of a spice component, overall it is sweet and rich.

M — Medium-Full bodied, and warming on the way down.

O — Good overall, not one of my favorite styles, this one is fine though.
Dec 09, 2015
Cabin Fever from Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 90 ratings