Port Townsend Winter Ale

Brewed by Port Townsend Brewing Company
Style: English Strong Ale
Port Townsend, Washington USA

22oz bottle Pours amber topped with a small off white head. A great floral aroma and hops. A nice tast almost like a IPA. Thanks Indiana_Red for this one.

A very surprising beer. At first blush, it has a very flowery taste, almost too much, but after it warms up a bit, it definitely grows upon you. Nice dark amber look. Could use a slight bit more hoppiness, but it’s enough to keep the taste buds happy. Nice body - a very mouthy feel. Sampled in 22 oz. bottle, but can guess it would be better in the sampling room.

(22 oz bottle: Obtained 22-Dec-05 in trade with Larry Pitonka, thanks André!) The nose is only lightly aromatic and the obvious floral character isn’t thrilling me in the least, but the faint, sweet caramel is reasonably pleasant, though not pleasant enough to get me excited about drinking the beer. Seemingly a winter warmer with Pacific Northwest influence, I must admit that I’m not crazy with the choice of hops. It’s coming across as really floral in flavor too, and the bitterness is a bit strong, bullying it’s way to prominence in the long, drawn-out finish. Not that this beer is exceedingly hoppy compared to what I’m used to on the west coast, but it’s out of balance according to my tastes. It’s just too damn floral! The sweet, caramely maltiness sets a nice base but is overshadowed by the perfumy fields of flowers, though the sweetness becomes unwelcome once I’m on the second pour. Alcohol isn’t well masked for only a 7.4% brew. Body is medium, with ample carbonation stimulating the palate and alcohol hinting its presence. Color is deep amber with significant haze. The first pour yielded a very small, off-white head, but the second pour from the bomber has the head reaching nearly half an inch. Retention is fair, with the head settling to an inconsistent, thin, filmy layer. Lacing consists of several small, but densely packed patches. Yeah, this beer is okay, but the imbalanced and floral nature of this brew is just killing my overall enjoyment. I definitely won’t seek this out again.

Majestic mahogoany body w. a full head and spicy aroma. The flavor was a dull blend of malts w. a mild, but pleasant hop touch. Surprised to see the high alcohol content, was masked well. Overall, standard winter fare.

Bottled. Cloudy reddish amber. Appley nose with some of citric hops. Plenty of warming caramel malt, still the mouthfeel is somewhat hard. Lingering bitter finish. Solid but unspectacular.

Bottle @ OMH-tasting
Aroma like a wet dog. Slightly sour like an old ale. Hints of DMS. Slightly malty aftertaste.

Amber colour with a thin white head. Aroma was caramel malts and hops. Flavour was quite hoppy and sweet and finishes quite bitter.

B5K. Dark amber colour, slightly hazy. Chewy brown sugary malts in the flavour. Full body. Aroma of toffee, nuts and hints of demerara. Sweet finish with toffeeish notes and a hint of alcohol.