Coors Winterfest

Brewed by Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Amber Ale
Golden, Colorado USA

Poured redish with a little head and lacing. It had a strange taste that was a bit harsh; I think it was an attempt at spices. I think it was just an attempt at big brew doing something special.

Rich amber color, this is one of the best smelling beers I have ever encountered with a nutty aroma. A rich taste with hints of spice and nuts. I certainly hope it makes its way back to upstate NY again next year.

This amber pours a dark amber color form a 12oz bottle. Small sized beige head. Aroma is malt and spice and something a little chemical. A medium to light bodied amber. Malts are caramel and toffee. Slightly spicy hops. There are also some grainy like aspects to this beer as well. Still it mostly tastes like a cola crossed with a Coors Lite. Thin and watery, mostly tasteless, There is a touch of cinnamon in the taste as it warms. Mouthfeel is thin. Finish is crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Pours a reddish copper with a decent off-white head. Aroma of maple syrup. Hops, toasted malt, and maple syrup in the taste. Fairly clean finish; not much of an aftertaste. This has changed some over the years. Still a pretty good effort for a macro, but not as good as it used to be. 2006 update: This has unbelievably gotten worse, so I have down-graded it to a 2.2 from a 2.8.

Bottle. I’m shocked that it’s a coors beverage, this is a great winter beer. Dark color. A malty aroma, and a slight sweet flavor.

The beer emerges from the 12-ounce brown bottle a clarion deep mahogany color with a frothy light tan head that is portly in size, after its demise the lace forms a splotchy coating of lace. Nose has an interesting malt aroma, chased by what I classify as vinegar like tones, which doesn’t bode well for this beer. Start is lightly sweet, fair grain profile, and the top light in its feel, finish is moderately carbonated. Hops are present and mild, the aftertaste quite dry and lingering, not what I would call bad, but not anything I would recommend.

2005 bottle consumed on 12/8/05. Pours a respectable clear auburn-amber, with some light golden tints and a large but mostly diminishing (quickly) off-white head that is bubbly. Obviously the same level of filtration and carbonation as any other Coors product. The aroma is surprisingly hoppy. Floral, wintergreen and green tree-bark like notes, with a light toasted malt in the background, hint of caramel and otherwise just hops. Initial hop aroma is of moderate strength, but soon, I’m left wondering where all of the aroma went. Nonetheless, no flaws at all detectable in the aroma. Flavor is not what I expected, but what I should have expected. Fully attenuated almost, there is little to no sweet malt. Why I would expect anything but near complete attenuation from these guys is beyond me. It certainly needs some residual sugar, as the body is medium-light to light, though again, why am I surprised? They try to run a fine-line between making this a mass-market product but just leaving a little appeal for more than the mass-market drinker. Toasted grains, terribly filtered body, hint of caramel and light chocolate. Nutty. Overcarbonated, watery texture, but drinkable. No alcohol or yeast apparency.

Pours with a tan, long lasting head. A nice amber color, but NO nose, no aroma. Toasted malt, a bit of hops in back. Other than that....