Dogwood Winter Ale 2003

Formerly brewed at Dogwood Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Bottle... Clear, very dark ale with a ruby glow against bright light. Chocolate, vanilla, toasted nuts and a suggestion of green apple in the aroma. Malty flavor with gobs of chocolate and cashews. Balanced nicely by good hopping. Medium-bodied and fizzy. Short, crisp, chocolatey finish. First time I’ve tried this beer, but I doubt the cellaring did anything but good. I really hope Dogwood makes their rumored comeback. Thanks to growler for providing the bottle!

Rating #100. 1L bottle, #0006/2500, courtesy of growler. Pours a big fluffy head; beautiful lacing once the head settles down, pitch black with chocolate-brown edges. Cinnamon, almost vinuous quality, chocolate and green apple. Tons going on. Huge mouthfeel, cocoa, green apple (other people are getting formaldehyde?), spices, and a long, bitter chocolate/cocoa finish. An odd complexity that really impressed me.

(1 Litre bottle, #6/2500, thanks growler) Big beige head, brown-black body. Aroma is moderately sweet, chocolate, caramel, some cinnamon, cherry, light formaldehyde. Taste is medium sweet, chocolate, grape/raisin, some cinnamon, alcohol, light apple. Light-medium body, some effervescence.

(bottle from kramer17801,thanks man!)brown body with a small off white head.dark fruits and some caramel and roasted malts make up the aroma.flavor was as interestinf mix of smoke,tobacco leaf,dark fruit,carbonated water,and roasted malts.

Bottled. Via trade with goldtwins- I know it’s an 03 ’cause Larry wrote right on it " ’03 ". Best before date is 04/04/04, oh well. Pours Coca-Cola color with a like-colored head. Fruity and malty aroma with notes of cherries, raisins, caramel, bourbon and grapes. The taste is rather light with some tobacco, raisins, plums, caramel and chocolate. A bit over carbonated. Sweet, chocolate and fruit aftertaste.

Thanks to beercellar for this one. Pours out a nice deep brown with a small brown head. Aroma is of alcohol and some dried fruits. Taste is nice with some spices, burnt fruit raisin and some notes of alcohol on the finish. Nice beer, but I found it missing something

12 oz bottle. Dark earthy brown with a dirty tan head. A little stays. Alcohol, raisins, dusty attic with a touch of Welch’s Grape. Tastes coffee, licorice, radishes. Doesn’t quite come together. Medium mouth with mid-tongue tingle quickly evaporates and becomes airy, dry then woody.

Bottle (12oz). Via trade with pailhead. Deep clear chestnut with a large hissing-foamy tan lasting head. Very woody and yeasty aroma, definitely like a harvest ale, alcoholic, dry almost musty malt with date and fig sweet-sourness, some light burnt red wine. Taste is very sweet, caramelized brown sugar, molasses, with light woodiness and sweet soft spicy yeast, enough alcohol to reach the tips of my ears quickly - very well carbonated, syrupy, decent buy not spectacular body, alcoholic and extremely quick diminish. Very nice, has aged well - compares favorably to the SE (which I’ve also had) but this one is more straightforward and drinkable. Excellent, thanks again to pail’