Winter Warmer
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

Winter WarmerWinter Warmer
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
Ranked #136
ABV:
6%
Score:
74
Ranked #27,641
Avg:
3.22 | pDev: 19.88%
Reviews:
690
Ratings:
1,654
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 25, 2024
Added:
Dec 06, 2000
Wants:
  19
Gots:
  300
When you bring a glass of this dark copper ale to your lips to take your first sip you will notice the aroma of cinnamon. There is no aromatic hop added that might overpower the distinct spice scent. The medium body of this beer is formed from caramel and pale malts. These create enough body to support the spices without making the beer excessively rich. Bittering hops are added to counter the sweetness of the malt and spice. The finish of the beer is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination of these two spices results in a balanced, pumpkin-pie flavor.

22 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Nutleybeer:
Photo of Nutleybeer
Reviewed by Nutleybeer from New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +34.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Talk about a festive holiday beer. Most brands have steered towards darker, roasted flavors, but not this one. Harpoon made every effort to pack Christmas in a bottle...and for the most part, they succeeded.

Borderline orange in color...very mild head after the pour. Little bits of carbonation seen in the tiny bubbles.

Take a sniff. A instant burst of cinnamon and nutmeg hits your nose. A sharp, spicy aroma. It reminded me actually of a gingerbread cookie.

Interestingly, it tastes just as it smells. I could not really imagine this paired with any specific food. I would be interested in hearing recommendations.

Very nice work. A different type of holiday beer. To be enjoyed in moderation. I can't imagine having more than 1 or 2 of these in a single sitting.
Dec 21, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of mvanaskie13
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a shaker pint: color is copper, transparent, head is light tan with fine bubbles, head presents 1/4 inch thick, head then dissipates to thin top, some spotty lacing.

Smell is caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, toffee lightly, earth and herbal hop notes.

Taste is moderate spice but well placed for a winter warmer - caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, earth, tea, toffee and light cocoa, maybe light grass.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate spiced bitterness, lingering spice dryness on tongue.

Overall a classic winter warmer - high spice, moderate sweetness, drying finish.
Jan 25, 2024
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

3.55/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
2023 fresh bottle. 36th year for this beer and while it's no Anchor Merry Christmas (RIP) that is a good run of consistency.
Medium amber in color, nicely clear with a weak head of off white with no drape of lace.
Aroma is quite nice and beer-like for a cookie spiced ale. The nutmeg balanced by the cinnamon in a light malt sweetness.
Snickerdoodle in a bottle but not a great one.
More balanced but timid flavors of caramel and cookie spice. No real hop character except a mild bitterness on the finish,
I've never quite understood why these pumpkin and spiced beers sell so well but I do know that many who drink them in winter don't drink much beer the rest of the year, and those are also the folks who buy it as gift and to bring to parties believing they are doing well by the recipients. It's the thought that counts right? But please, just bring me the cookies instead.
Jan 08, 2024
 
Rated: 3.59 by DentedArthur from Vermont

Dec 31, 2023
 
Rated: 3.54 by DarrellK from Florida

Dec 27, 2023
Photo of NiceTaps
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey

3.77/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap in Jersey, pint glass.

Nice Winter brew look; dark but clean copper amber color with a touch of dark caramel. Slightly off white cap color with good sticky lacing.

Mild aroma, light spice and a bit of cinnamon as described.

Caramel soaked malt flavor with cinnamon and spice. Creamy nut bread.

Solid medium body. Pleasant hop chop on top of the malt bounces out the sweetness.

It went down smoothly and for me, better than its average rating.
Dec 24, 2023
Photo of Cathartes
Reviewed by Cathartes from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +25.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Acclimated to 48°F and poured into a goblet.

Pours a hazy, the color of a vintage penny, with a 1.5 finger custard colored relatively quickly dissipating head. Looks like someone stepped in the floor bed of a lake

Initial aroma is ginger (which it doesn't contain), a smooth and sweet aroma promising a pleasant spice burn. A little bit of 50ish% dark chocolate and maybe a hint of lemon peel? Additionally I can't cast the smell of clove gumdrops from my mind's eye as I inhale.

Initial taste is alcohol fumes (a pleasant alcohol burn one would expect from a winter drink), followed by light spice warmth. This is the taste you get from eggnog, and the key to that is nutmeg (this is brewed with cinnamon and nutmeg.) So, nutmeg happens to be my favorite spice by a long long shot, so this is right up my alley. It's interesting that it really does taste like eggnog, it even has a creaminess to it. The maltiness and ABV are perfect in my opinion, higher than your average lager but not at all daunting.

Mouthfeel is cream. Creaminess in taste as I stated previously but in texture as well. It's smooth but not lavishly so.

Will surely buy again! I really enjoyed this primarily because it reminded me of eggnog, which I adore. I also love the texture, and slightly boosted maltiness and ABV. As an overall package it achieves in flavor, alcohol, and richness, without boasting opulence.

Noteworthy is that I am enthralled by the entire genre of winter spiced foods and drinks, so my rating may be high, but consider.
May 14, 2023
 
Rated: 3.73 by QuintusHorace from California

Apr 08, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by rolltide from Pennsylvania

Jan 05, 2023
Photo of Bluecrow
Reviewed by Bluecrow from New York

3.75/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The bottle pours amber with a 3 cm cap of tan foam and hosts an aroma of allspice and cinnamon.
The flavor is of a light-bodied amber ale. The aroma-noted spices dominate. This is tasty in the holiday moment, but another purchase is not required ( by me).
Dec 30, 2022
Photo of Evaler
Reviewed by Evaler from Washington

3.9/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Color is a clear reddish brown, with a lot of head.
Aroma is a mix of hops and spices - cinnamon and nutmeg.
Taste is smoother than I expected. The sweet caramel flavor balances out the spices very well. Cinnamon and cloves with a bit of a nutmeg aftertaste. The hops are much less noticeable in the flavor than the aroma.
The feel is mostly creamy with some carbonation.
Dec 18, 2022
 
Rated: 3.62 by drews240 from Rhode Island

Dec 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.77 by Overtonjd from New Jersey

Nov 22, 2022
 
Rated: 3.1 by Beersilio from Massachusetts

Nov 21, 2022
Photo of BubbleBobble
Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York

3.41/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear mahogany, light visible carb, light ring of tannish head, good lacing. Nose is clove, cinnamon, treacle, and a bit of hot alcohol towards the back. Taste follows with clove and cinnamon up front, sweet malt and raw sugar, but mid-palate takes a weird and interesting turn to freshly baked dinner rolls before turning back to lingering spice. Mouthfeel is crisp and remains light. Overall, this isn't mind-blowing, it's pretty solid.
Nov 17, 2022
Photo of 050172062480
Reviewed by 050172062480 from Florida

4.27/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Nov.2022 Brew....Looking for a good Holiday Ale. A very good sipper superior to the Abita I just had, Smooth, full taste with just the right amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. 6.0 ABV just right!
Nov 16, 2022
Photo of Peach63
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York

3.92/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Light amber with a 1" cream colored head, which slowly fades. Moderate lacing.

Aroma of spices, caramel.

Tastes of spices, mainly cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves.

Thin body, moderate carbonation. Dry, spicy finish.

Wasn't exactly winter when I drank this. Good for any season.
May 16, 2022
Photo of BitteNochEinWeissbier
Reviewed by BitteNochEinWeissbier from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
1.5 x 12 oz bottle
Glass: 0.5 L Festmug


Look: Deep and dark but clear ruby that drifts towards a shad of mahogany with 2+" creamy beige head. The head lasted for quite some time, leaving excellent lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Noticeable but not overwhelming note of spices - cinnamon primarily with some ginger and a touch of cloves. Fruitcake and candied fruits. A good undercurrent of malt, including darker malts (ie, dark bread) and even some toasted ones. The spices do dominate the aroma, but they don't really get out of hand.

Taste: Very similar to how the beer smells. The cinnamon is up front along with ginger, but these quickly give way to the malts and candy. As the cinnamon (and ginger) declines, the nutmeg comes forward. Things finish with the spices (primarily nutmeg with cinnamon and cloves added in). All in all, decently balanced.

Feel: Crisp. The body is medium-light.

Overall: Winter warmers and spiced ales/beers aren't really my thing, but this one isn't too bad. The spices are noticeable, but not overpowering, and they do blend with malts nicely. This is obviously a beer that has had some spices added instead of the other way 'round. It drinks far easier than other Winter Warmers/Holiday beers that I have had. I would drink this beer again.

I will note that the ABV (6%) is a tad low for what I prefer for a Winter Warmer, but that's OK.
Mar 20, 2022
Photo of tekstr1der
Reviewed by tekstr1der from New Hampshire

4.21/5  rDev +30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Going way crazy on rDev with this one - I love it. All the warm cozy spices and malt make for a delicious dessert beer. Not going to drink a bunch of them in one sitting, but very enjoyable.
Mar 06, 2022
Photo of moodenba
Reviewed by moodenba from New York

3.56/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
The Winter Warmer from Harpoon bottle opened in late February. Beer was about 45F, poured into a simple glass. Look and smell were pleasant. Amber body with a moderate tan head; aroma mild malt and spice. Taste is mellow, with a good balanced flavor. I'm not a big fan of spiced holiday beers, but this was pretty good. The 6% alcohol is not apparent.
Feb 26, 2022
Winter Warmer from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 74 out of 100 with 1654 ratings