North Coast Wintertime Ale

Formerly brewed at North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Fort Bragg, California USA

Pours a thin head. Nice orange amber ale with a butterscotch nose and liqueur (ameretto is right kindestcut). Nice warmth of alcool, spices, faint bitterness, but nice body. Enjoyable.

My first foray into seasonal brews. Unfortunayely, it wasn't winter when I drank this beer so I don't know if I truly received the intended Wintertme Ale experience. Wintertime Ale poured a pretty, clear amber color which gave me great hope. The head was slight and died a qrelatively quick death. A very sweet aroma that I think of when I say "malt." There are vague hints of amaretto and hazelnut. I was a little disappointed with this beer. It was alright, not bad by any means, but not great. The taste is not strong, quite light without a robust or fulfilling body. There is a mild hoppiness that lingers momentarily as well as a slight taste of alcohol. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what made this brew a "winter" brew. I can no more imagine drinking this in winter as I can during the summer. A good beer but I can't imagine waiting with baited breath for next winter's edition.

Pours a nice slightly hazy copper color, with a small amount of head that doesn't last very long. Interesting spicy aroma, but becomes a little confused in the flavor department.

I heard some negative things about this beer, so I’ll admit I’ve been putting off rating it. After all, North Coast Brewing Co. is the maker of my favorite beer thus far: the Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, and I’d hate to be disappointed by them. The beer pours out with nearly no head. Once completely poured, a short-lasted, thin beige head emerges atop a deep, peachy-amber colored body, then retreats to a thin ring around the inside of the glass. The body color is really outstanding, even its cloudiness seems to add to the overall visual appeal. Smells of cherries, figs, yeast and faint, spicy hops. Mouth-feel is thin to medium bodied and taste is full flavored. Cherries, grapes, plum, and orange spice tease the palate initially, then are followed by bitter, wet hay and coffee flavored hops. The hop flavor is a little overbearing for this style and dispels the fruit and spice flavors I was so much enjoying. Aftertaste is strong and long lasting bitter hops accompanied by apricot, citrus, noticeable alcohol, turning medicinal in flavor as the beer warms. Looking back, I’m glad I let this beer sit in my refrigerator for 4 months; I think the beer aged quite nicely and was better off because of it. The taste is definitely complex for a winter ale, but I think the hop characteristic of this beer is a little misplaced, or perhaps mismanaged. The hops are quality and flavorful, just as are the fruit and spice flavors; however, the hops arrive way too early and with too much strength and audacity. Overall, this a complex beer from a smart brewery that definitely deserves a try. Certainly a good choice for the style that falls short of great because of its misappropriated hops. Sampled from a 12 oz. Bottle purchased at Lee & Edwards Wine Merchants in Roanoke, VA.

This brew poured a large head of mostly lasting fine to medium sized off-white bubbles and a transparent softly carbonated amber colored body. Its aroma contains mostly malt with some hops barely noticable. Its light vinuous alcohol flavor is well hidden by some malt and some spice and a hint of caramel. The mouthfeel is slightly tingly.

The head was medium sized and ivory with fine-medium bubbles.The body was carbonated and slightly cloudy.The hue was amber and the lacing had a nice appearance on the sides of my glass.The nose was that of hops, clove and spice.The flavor was somewhat bitter and the mouthfeel was tingly, medium bodied and smooth.

Slight hop aroma. Good head and lacing, amber color. Malty enough, but way overcarbonated. A little sour in the finish. Good thing I got this for cheap.

Definately a wierd time to be drinking a Winter seasonal, but it was available, and i've never had it, so I bought it! The colour is a thin darker amber with a slightly off-white head. Smells of malt and sugar arise with some other vegetably smells. The taste is almost completely of malt with some potent hop kick. Definately not what I was expecting from a seemingly great brewery. I guess I'll give them next year to make up on this one, but I was not impressed in the slightest bit with this one. The aftertaste is a bit malty and bittering, but definately not complex. I bought this in a twelve ounce bottle at Dean & Deluca in Washington (Georgetown).