Laurelwood Vinter Varmer

Brewed by Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Bottle:   Deep amber, almost brown, moderate to thin sudsy off-white head, spotty lacing.   Malty nose, quite malty.   A little bit of cereal, but otherwise sweet malty goodness.   Moderate hop bite.   Seems fairly nutty.   Minor roastiness.   Very slight vegetable aspect, but its minor.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate.   Not a big American Strong Ale type of beer, but it certainly is warming.   Biscuity finish, minor sweetness, very malty.   Subtle roasted malt lingers.   Not bad for a Winter Wamer, a little malty, nutty, with soft roasted malt notes.   Enjoyable.   Reminds me of Snow Cap but without all the hop bitterness.

Bottle from malt and vine. A combo bitter ipa plus brown ale. Warming, yet hoppy. These guys don’t make a bad brew.

22. Pours a murky dark brown with plenty of dense, somewhat creamy tan head. Falls quickly away leaving virtually no lace. Rich sweet earthy pine nose--a little bit of brown bread in there, but otherwise a lovely walk in the woods. Creamy medium body with perfectly placed refreshment-level carbonation. Toast, earth, bits of roast, and plenty of pine on the mid-palate. Like a brown ale recipe that went through some sort of alchemical fusion with a great APA, or something. Nice resiny finish. This one is very drinkable even for having a decent heft to the body--disappears in a hurry.

Pecan and almond aroma, clean dark brown, creamy tan head. Back and forth on this one. Some sips it is creamy and nutty with a roasted finish, other sips have it sharply roasted with a strong carb bite and a grassy sharp bitter finish. Maybe I have a cold, but this became metallic in the end.

Appearance: Pours a near clear, dark mahogany-hued body with a small, frothy, white head. Smell: Roasty, toasty maltiness with scents of dark caramel and just a hint of molasses. Also, a note of fresh pine as well as a vague, indistinct spiciness. Taste: Flavors of oven-toasted dark caramel and roast with a medium amount of lingering sweetness. A few globs of molasses. Sharply spicy, resinous hop flavors of pine and even spruce tips with a sturdy amount of bitterness. Tastes of fruit and pepper glide by the tongue. Finishes dry, roasty, a bit spicy, and with some noted alcohol warmth. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Fairly good and worth a try. It sets itself apart from the typical wintertime seasonal offering.

Bottle, dark red amber color with a small head. Aroma of caramel and loads of malt. Sugared sweet.

Mahogany with a thick cream head that leaves plenty of lacing. Strong caramel malty aroma. The taste of a stout but without the thickness. Caramel taste with a strong bitter finish.