North Coast Wintertime Ale

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

Color is a nice dark glowing amber, one finger high head of creamy tight evennesswhich is dark ivory in hue. Settles slowly leaving a good skim and ring with stringy lace that drips morphing into spots. Smell is of musty fruits, orangish, grassy, earthy in tone, but is quite soft. Taste starts quickly with a sharp feel of very dulled sweet malts and stingey hops, then grabs into a dark orangy twang, somewhat earthy and musty. The flavors meld together well but aren't very strong, its pretty light and uneventful. Feel is a solid medium body, starts strong with a good thickness, thats a little tough to swallow and fades into a creamy smoothness with a very light lingering tang. Could make for a good session beer, but beyond that it may be a passable offering for the style.

Deep, crystal clear amber beer with a large, frothy, ivory head. Mostly lasting with excellent, thick lacing. The nose is malty and very yeasty (bread dough) with huge shots of maple syrup and winter spices. Allspice and maybe cinnamon? Dark fruit as well. The flavor is of Russian black bread, alcohol, clove and oak up front. Very well-balanced with a moderately bitter hop presence and earthiness on the backside. Full-bodied with a silky mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Long, yeasty, spicy and dry finish. A very nice winter warmer... even in the Spring!

hazy orange copper, tan froth head with good retention. sweet sugar and spice nose. nothing exceptional or festive in the taste - comes off asa lightly spiced and slighlty malty Pale . the hops give it a nice citric finish.

Nothing special. No nutmeg? why not? Very acidic and not much warming about it.

Seems Aubrey and I are the only ones who smell smoke in this brew. I think it's practically a rauchbier, it's so smoky. The spiciness is mild. It's really the malt that's pronounced. Again, very SMOKY, but also yeasty, like halfway to a weissbier. Excellent!

Somewhat amber with a decent enough head. Some spices in the nose and taste. Fair amount of maltiness and a good balance. But...Rather non-descript. I expected something bold about the beer, being a winter offering and in comparison to some of their others. OK, but still disappointing.

Pretty glowing orange color with a beige head. Slight citrusy, carmel aroma. The flavor was decent...similar to many APA's I've had. Not bad, just not what I expected.

Thanks to Brewbandit for this bottle. Good winterale. Nothing special stood out however. Tasted as it should be.