Elysian Bifröst Winter Ale

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

Bomber. Dark and slightly cloudy amber/orange color with a craggy off-white head. Aroma of light caramel with floral and citrusy hops. Slightly sweet biscuity malts with a citrusy and earthy hop edge on the finish. Rich mouthfeel with fine carbonation. I love the balance among the hop varietals- generally citrusy with a hint of twiggy earthiness. A fine brew.

(bottle - 22 oz) Amber color with an inch of off-white head. Aroma is lightly spiced but lots of hops and some citrus. Flavor is very hoppy at the beginning but blends with some citrus and malts near the middle. Rather smooth.

Draft at Barcade. Gold with a lasting head. Aroma is hoppy with cantelope and orange. Flavor is plenty hoppy with pleasantly stinging hops smoothed out with soothing mildly sweet malts. Some tangerine with a nice, long finish.

Bottle from Bottleworks. Pleasant spice aroma. Has a lingering cream head. Taste good hops and a nice spice and a good level of carbonation.

22 oz bomber. Poured gold with cream-colored head. Flavor was intensely bitter (in a good way) with back-biting hoppage slamming your tongue. Not much nose, but a lot of flavor. Surprised this is not an IPA. Not bad at all. Dry, bitter and poweful.

11/25/08 On draft at 74th Street Ale House, Seattle, Wa. Aroma is surprisingly low, with just a hint of PNW hop-laced caramel coming through and faint grain sourness. Appearance is fairly clear gold with a well maintained cream colored head. Flavor is quite citrusy with a sweet piney bittering forward, supported by a little more caramel malt that lingers into the finish and balances very well with an almost candilike note. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with a medium carb bite and lightly resiny texture on the tongue. Overall, a big cool winter ale that is just out of balance with its underwhelming nose. 1/19/09 From cask at the Latona, seattle, Wa. Aroma is sour yeast forward with a mix of fruity notes, grapefruit and faint hop flora. Appearance is very hazy yellow-orange with a surprisingly well maintained white head and good lacing. Flavor is citrusy but round, with an almost true orange character and low bittering. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a moderate carb texture. Overall, very different from the original, the repitched yeast changes this completely.

22 oz bomber from EZ Liquors. Keeping track of Elysian brews they are now 1-2. Bifrost Winter Ale, or let down #2 as I like to call it, had an aroma of cheap stale hops and old vegtables. Flavor was slight sweetness from the malts along with overly astringent hops. Total let down.

Airborne pint in a bottle from Seattle - thanks to Stefan and Elisabeth. Pours a slightly unclear, amber coloured body supported by a white head, leaving lacings on the glass. The body has also got some nice glints, almost like snowflakes. Dry hoppy aroma with flashes of oranges and grapefruits. Nice succulent fruits in the flavour combined with a discreet touch of honey and caramel sweetness. Hop bitterness to the finish. Rather foamy in the mouth. Almost full bodied. Very suitable as a winter warmer for the dark, cold and frosty nights beyond the Arctic Circle. [Shared at the superpower beer session in Tromsø, 13.01.2009].