Winter
Creature Comforts

 

 

 

 

 

It's a looker, with the deep reddish-brown coloring you're looking for, crystal clarity, a modest creamy head, but excellent lacing and effervescence. But unfortunately it suffers from the same thing that bogs down so many "red" IPAs: a bit of a watered down IPA with the bready malts turned up too high and the hops not really getting a chance to shine. That's true on the nose, which is pleasant but pretty unnoteworthy -- piney, malty, and grassy, with a little splash of citrus -- but especially true with the taste, which is wholly uninteresting. It's an easy drinker and certainly doesn't taste bad. it's just very run-of-the-mill. And when the aftertaste gives you more flavor than the actual liquid -- pithy and resiny, which is what I want throughout the sip -- it's just not a beer I'm going to come back to. Glad I got to try it, though, as Creature Comforts is a fantastic brewery and we're devoid of "hop season" beers here in TN.

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear, amber-tan body with an inch or slowly receding, ivory-hued foam. Light, delicate lacing.

Smell: Pith-hinting citrus and needly spruce with a small scattering or berries atop restrained toasted malt with a little, not-so-sweet touch of light brown sugar.

Taste: Lightly toasted albeit crisp breadcrust with a very faint hint of sweetish light brown sugar as it's rather dry throughout. Grapefruit, maybe a little floral lime brightness with some everso tangy red berry action and a spicy, herbal, sprucy element. Medium degree of bitterness. Hop flavors prevail on the scantly warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It is assuredly inspired by the perennial classic, SN Celebration though housing a contemporary IPL (or Cold IPA [or whatever they come up with in the future for marketing purposes]) profile.

 

 

On tap at Los Angeles location.
Beautiful pour. Amber in hue but head drops off quickly.
Nose is bright citrus, grass, some pine and a hint of onion on the back.
Flavor follows the nose put the malt comes in as well, mildly bready hint of sweetness.
Tad thin.