Dogwood Winter Ale 2003

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

i know everyone thinks i am nuts, but i prefer the spiced version. this was good though. nice chocolate carmel, like reisin candies and some nice spice (not as much as the spiced, but some) nutmeg and allspice. nice hint of cinnamon. mmmm... this beer, in every form i have had it, tastes a lot like a nice warm comfort beer.

Bottle acquired in trade with SpringsLicker (thanks!). Bottle best before date of 04/04/04. Poured a dark and muddy brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, light smokiness and I swear I was smelling some cinamon. Tastes of chocolate, prunes, raisins, and caramel. Moderate sweetness.

Bottle: Courtesy of kp via trade. Aroma of fruit, yeast, and light toffee. Pours a cloudy brown with no transparency and a big tan head that lasts for a little while. Flavor is very yeast with some moderate caramel and light fruit. Finish is a little acidic but also contains lots of chocolate and slight bitterness. Very lively carbonation. Too carbonated.

[Sampled October 2004] An unclear orange beer with an off-white head. The aroma is of oranges and peach. The flavor is a little old and dusty, but with notes sweet flavors of alcohol, malt, oranges, peaches in the over ripe end.

This beer pours a murky brown somewhat reddish/magenta color with a think soapy tanned head and very little lacing. The aroma is nutty, candy sugar, vanilla, alcohol, oak and more alcohol...obtrusive amounts of alcohol! The mouthfeel is full bodied with a sweet malty backbone upfront. The mouthfeel gets thicker as the beer warms and as the aftertaste builds...its almost watery at first. Almonds, sugar candy, vanilla, and chocolate are prevalent. There’s no sign of the alcohol, wood and nutmeg/spice that I sensed in the aroma now. Dry, but not overwhelming finish. Something about the difference of the aroma and mouthfeel throws me off here. Acidic finish, somewhat sticky and cottony. Well aged, mild carbonation..probably two years old.... good, but lacking something...like a hoppy bite!

the only thing I can say about this was that I felt like I was drinking a hot chocolate after it cooled off, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Very dark brown with huge creamy tan head. Lots of head. Big heavy malt aroma and presense of dark fruits like plum and figs. Several nice flavors. It’s smooth and subdued malt flavors play nice with some mild spice and a well hidden alcohol. A faint chocolate taste along with some roasted malt in this medium bodied and quite complex flavorful finish.

1L Bottle (011/2500) complements of Ken (Indiana_Red) via TheBeerCellar2
Dark tawny brown color with tons of head, almost gusher amounts but not quite. Thick lacing and retentive head. Nose of raisins and aged malts, some turbinado and lots of doughy body. Flavor is creamy with almonds and aged qualities. A touch of soy sauce, roast and sherry tickle along with the flavor. Finishes creamy and balanced, a brief transcript of what used to be the hops in this stands out. Good beer though!