Elysian Bifröst Winter Ale

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Seattle, Washington USA

22 oz bottle, about a year old, from Sams in Chicago (Dec 2004). Pours a light reddish gold, substantial head dying quickly to leave some creamy lacing...citrusy hops in the nose, bit of caramel, new leather, pine tar, fairly assertive but not particularly well blended....quite hoppy at the front, but large amounts of sweet citrus and more than a hint of syrupy honey keep it in check, as well as making for a somewhat cloying mouthfeel...still the hop level is pleasant, and it dries out enough at the end to provide a nice dried orangepeel citrusy tang...ehh, it’s decent enough.

brownish orangish color thick white head well laced. Hoppy aroma a bit stale some nice citrus and a good carmel w/ a twinge of alcohol. Palate is lightly creamy and well coated. Reminded me of a barley wine. Big malt taste some carmel and toffee a lightly bitter finish and a warm swallow. Pretty good stuff.

Pours to a deep brassy red colored body with a nice thin white head that’s bubbly and foamy. Excellent lacing. The aroma is citrusy and malty with sweet fruits. The flavor is a lemony malt with nice barley and light peanuts. Actually a nicely balanced and flavored brew. The palate is medium bodied with a nice carbonation and smooth mouthfeel. Very drinkable. Thanks Matt!

A nice amberish beer. Very hoppy for a winter ale, but very tasty too. Definitely worth trying and having quite a bit of.

Very nice brew. Pours a dull amber in color wih decent white head and minimal lacing. Some tangerines and lemons in the aroma, along with a bit of dustiness. Lots of malts in the flavor, sticky sweet, plus the flavor of alcohol soaked lemons and oranges. The use of amarillos does not go unnoticed. Kind of reminds me of that frat boy punch where they soak the fruit in grain alcohol. Pretty good.

Beer pours nice reddish amber color with a well retained beige colored head. Aroma is sweet like caramel with a dash of vanilla also some hops in the background. Flavor begins with nice sweet malt accented by a bit of nuttiness, this flavor sensation is promptly gunned down in flames by a significant Cascade hop barrage. This is not necesarily a bad thing, and I think the finish is quite reminiscent of fresh Bigfoot. Why was this beer classed in English Strong? It seems much more of an American Strong to me.

There was a sweet, candy sugar and caramel sweetness to this beer, but it was almost entirely overpowered (except when it warmed to near room temp) by the resiny hops. I have become really cynical of late about what seems to be a spate of beers of myriad styles all held to mediocrity by generous hopping with C hops. Seriously, people. If it’s an English Strong Ale, it isn’t cute or edgy or over-the-top to chuck Centennials or Cascades in it. It’s stupid, and it turns what could be any number of very pleasant beers into near-IPAs with clashing malt profiles. Suffice it to say, this beer with some milder English hops would have been a real treat. As it was, it took some serious concentration to finish the bottle. What malt notes I could find were of biscuit and weak sweetened tea.

Bottle. A clear copper colored pour, with a thin off-white head. A great aroma piney and citrusy hops. A sweet caramel malt flavor with a bit of roasted hints round out this beer. The hop/malt balance is a bit off, with the hops dominating this beer and making the roasted flavor of the beer a bit odd tasting, but otherwise a decent winter beer.