Otter Creek A Winters Ale

Formerly brewed at Otter Creek Brewing
Style: Scottish Ale
Middlebury, Vermont USA

I drank this a year after its bottling date. Nothing off, kind of a light Old Ale character. Tasty without being a standout.

(1-year-old, 2002 bottle) Luxuriously portentous, sweet chocolate port perfume with peremptory wet earth impasto, reminiscent of my old love, Corne de Brume...Quiescent flavor of mashed dates amongst the same earth tones within a very Old Ale-ish, velvety, rich palate...A cumbersome metallic finish with amplifying dry astringency upon incremental warming...The promised endeavours are not delivered, of sadness a quiver...

I tried this one 293 days after brewing (I didn't calculate that - I got it from timeanddate dot com), and I think it has suffered for the age. Absolutely beautiful color and a very strong peanut buttery aroma. Flavor is also peanut buttery with a strong maple sugar component, but the carbonation is a little flat. Next time, I'll try this one in season.

Found this bottle dated 11/27/02 and decided to try it. Lots of malt in this brown colored ale, but it was pretty much a one dimensional beer. Also, it could have had a higher ABV percentage. Not my idea of a winter warmer, but it did have a nice malty taste. I didn't get the spicy finish that the bottle's label promised.

As a lover of Winter Ales, I was looking forward to sitting down and trying Otter Creek's version. The beer poured nicely with a delightful burnt cranberry colour. However, I found the head to be very disappointing. The very few bubbles that did form were scattered in patches, looking something like pond scum. I took a whiff, which seemed to be average for a winter ale: sweet and spicy. My first taste was a crisp splash that felt good on my tongue. I experienced a slight hoppy taste, dominated by varied fruits: dates, figs, orange spice, as well as many others. The after taste was slightly bitter but it was alluring enough to return my lips to the glass and finish the beer. Overall, a good winter ale that seperates itself from the average but is not "great".

Darker red brown color. Nice carmel in the aroma. Roast with a tad sweetness on the taste. Good beer. Nice mouthfeel.

Molasses and heavy yeast in nose. Also a touch of a barnyard smell. Quickly diminishing white head with average lacing. Medium brown in color. Initial taste was lightly bitter and slighty acidic. Sweetness apparent in mid-swallow, where the acidic nature also disappeared. Long sweet finish. Medium body with soft, light carbonation.

Apparently I'm going to be a high rater on this one. Excellent winter ale. Starts off sweet with lots of caramel malts, bit like cola. As it sits in the mouth, the sweetness mellows as the brew picks up a smokier character. Definite scotch overtones, though I certainly wouldn't consider this to be a Scottish Ale. Bit of coffee in the finish when cold, as it warms, the finish takes on additional smokiness, with a final touch of smooth, milky chocolate. Would have liked a bit creamier texture to go with the flavors, but it wasn't unpleasantly thin or anything. Surprisingly good.