Left Hand Snow Bound Winter Ale

Brassy garnet. Initially frothy head collapses into an ivory ring. Extremely buoyant carbonation. Cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar eclipse the aromatic malt nuances. Minimal stewed-apple and plum fruitiness. Loose carbonation. Body pakcs considerable weight. Body’s softness is coupled with a dry, hard edge of roastines and a caramelized malt sweetness which harmonize with the dusting of brown sugar and cinnamon. Tacky residuals help pillar the body and compensate for the lack of malt heft, as the prickly spices continue to overshadow the potentially lustrous malts. Floral hop bitterness gains some steam, late. Lack of cleanliness (vegetal flabbiness) becomes more evident as the temperature rises above 60F. Alcohol induces noticeable warmth, considering its moderate strength. Finishes slightly tinny with a biscuity sweetness and chalky toastiness, but prominently spice-laden with lingering cinnamon, nutmeg and some gingery heat. Fairly simplistic and overspiced, but certainly passable.

Hazy dark amber color. Aroma of mild chocolate spices (cinnamon) and sweet oranges. Medium body strength, with malt, a lot of sweet caramel, mild chocolate, gingerbread spices, a touch of orangeses, reasonable bitterness. Quite balanced Christmas ale.

This was easy to drink and smooth. The spiciness was good and reminded me most of orange peel. Slight creamy, malty mouthfeel. Pours a deep brown/amber color with big tan head. A little thin and quick to finish take a way from the experience.

22 oz. brown bomber bottle. No freshness date seen. Poured out a deep reddish brown color, with a faint tan head. The head falls back to a thin ring of foam around the rim of the glass. Aromas are of honey, cinnamon, coriander, orange peel. Flavors are of orange peel, honey, spices, sweet malts. Medium mouthfeel, decent body. Slick on the tongue. Sweet, with a hint of orange peel. Finishes rich, slick, & smooth. About time someone made a decent winter ale. Too bad I could only find one of these treats.

Dark Mahogany reddish brown color. Nice snowy white head. Smells of winter spices ( nutmeg, ginger mostly) some cinnamon and cloves as well. Flavors of orange peel and gingerbread, nutmeg. Tastes like a spice creamy cake. Caramel finish in a medium body. A very nice girly Christmas spice ale!

The scene of a cozy ski lodge on the label of this bomber set the mood for a spiced winter ale tasting. The beer poured out clear boron, and displayed a one finger thick fizzy head. It was a lighter looking than the typical spiced ale, but was quite spicy smelling with assertive spruce, ginger, and cinnamon aromas. Taste was festive, as spices detected via the nose were present in abundant quantities to form an initial spice cake-like crust, on the tongue, which subsequently dissolved into gingerbread like malty body. The texture was airy and soft, and the finish continued with the spices, and ended on a lingering nutmeg note. Some might consider the spicing overdone, as there was not a hefty body to go along with it, but I found it to be pleasantly bold. Worth a try, if you enjoy winter spices.

Bottle. Mahogany pour. Almost the shade of Dr. Pepper, really. Small tanned froth on the surface. Nose is big ginger, clove, spices, caramel, and brown sugar, but is mainly gingerbread cookie though. Taste is more ginger, light clove, gingerbread cookies, nutmeg and spices. Very Christmas-y. Body is light-medium and smooth with mild carbonation. Finishes with more spices, again big ginger and clove, gingerbread cookies and light caramel.

Pours a very clear and deep copper with a thin tan head that mostly dissipates after a few minutes but laces the glass thickly. The aroma is malty with hints of spices - some nutmeg and ginger. The combination is reminiscent of gingerbread cookies. The beer’s flavor starts slowly - bubbly and mildly malty-sweet. The middle of the tongue finds more sweet flavors - caramel and toffee - along with mild spices (same as in the aroma - like faint flavors of gingerbread). The mouthfeel is nice and light, but bubbly and creamy. The finish is medium in body and the after-taste is short and minimal. Overall it’s pretty good - but it doesn’t really stand out.