Alaskan Winter Ale

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Old Ale
Juneau, Alaska USA

Non descript was the headline of my notes. Safe orange color with no head. Semi-sweet on the nose. A bit of sharpness that rounds off in the mouth. As it warms it improves. Lingers nicely.

12 oz bottle. Pours a golden copper with a creamy white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet toasted malts and spices.

The flavor is sweet sugary malts with some piney spices and some vegetal notes. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with creamy carbonation.

Overall, it’s too sweet for me, with some off-notes. I’d prefer more spicing.

Carmel and buttery sweetness on the nose. Slight pine, and substantial grainyness. Butterscotch, cherry, hazelnuts and spruce are readily identified in the taste. Moderate maltyness, decent floral hop balance in the mid. Finish is somehow disappointing, to quick and dry, not enough legs on the malt. Palate is syrupy. One of the better readily available winter seasonals

22oz, stamped A030909, which I figure is the drink by date of March 9th. Clear amber orange with a one finger short-lived light beige head. Nose of fruity caramel, toast, and some light spicy nobles. Very English, and not bad at all. As far as spruce tips go, I can only pick up a hint of old brown needles that have been on the ground for some time. Flavor is much the same with the hops becoming more pronounced, though maybe it’s the spruce (but I doubt it). Finishes semi-dry with bitterness at a 2-3. Medium body with low to moderate creamy carbonation. If you’re looking for any of the current top 10 of the Old Ale style, keep looking. This isn’t a crazy over the top amazing beer, but it is flavorful, lacking in flaws, and overall very well crafted. For only $2.99 a bomber @ Bottle barn, I shall be picking up more of this.

Pretty tasty if somewhat simplistic. Medium weight, deep, fruity nose, lite malt. Not nearly as heavy and sweet as many Winter Seasonals. Berries, camamel, lite pine edge, not too much though.

2008 Bottle - Not your typical winter ale...pours lt amber with a small head, aroma is sweet...dark fruits, honey, lt hops, flavour follows...sweet without being cloying, finishes coating the mouth but thin on taste...I had this about 5 years ago and didn’t like it one bit, it has gotten much better...in regards to winter beers it still trails the pack, but is getting marginally better...show me some hops...

Bottle. Pours a clear copper with a small, white head with some okay lacing. Aroma is almost absent but is slightly floral with hint of pine resin (or spruce I’m guessing). People have been putting weird down to describe this beer. Let’s cut the crap- this is just bad. The mouthfeel is watery and there is an utter lack of the spices that make a winter seasonal ale a winter seasonal ale. The spruce is not well executed and puts the beer off balance. Since it is low gravity to begin with, the spruce outweighs any hops leaving just the malt with a stinging spruce aftertaste. Very poor in my opinion and I had some high hopes. It is the winter ale from Alaskan breweries for Christ’s sake. This should put other winter ales to shame. Instead, there are winter ales from Belgium and Norway that would demolish this beer. And don’t even mention the price of this stuff once it comes to Oregon or North Carolina...stay away. I honestly bought it for the baby polar bears on the cap....big mistake.

Bottle. Pours a copper color with a nice white head. Smells malty and a bit floral. Tastes spicy with a nice sweet flavor.