Red Brick Winter Brew (2008)

Brewed by Atlanta Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Name: Winter
Date: November 26, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewery
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: muddy brown, creamy beige head, bits of lace
Aroma: sweet malt aroma with lots of fruity character
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of fruity esters, brown sugar sweetness, light balancing spicy hops, touch of chocolate

Name: Winter
Date: December 09, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: Green’s
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: cloudy dark ruby red, wispy beige head
Aroma: big sweet fruity aroma, lots of sweet esters, peaches and apricots, touch of peppery alcohol
Body: sticky sweet body
Flavor: big sweet fruity ester flavor, caramel sweetness adds to the fruityness
Overall: bottle and draft are very close on this one

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Pours a transparent dark copper mahogany with a thin, wispy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel and raisins with some light fruity esters and biscuits. Body starts with good fullness and a sweet caramel and toasty pale maltiness along with notes of doughy Belgian yeast before a drier, warming peppery finish. Could hide its alcohol and be a little smoother, but still a decent brew.

Pours copper/brown with a tan head. Smells of sweet malt, some spicy hints, dark fruit. Tastes sweet and sugary with a fruity finish.

Bottle, 12oz. It’s a dark, reddish brown beer with a big, diminishing, beige head. There’s alcohol, roasted malts, some malty sourness, and dried fruits in the aroma. Roasted flavor with some chocolate, slightly sourish, and with an alcohol warmth. Medium to full body, warming and dry mouthfeel. The finish has a roasted bitterness and a lasting alcohol warmth. A lovely beer enjoyed with strawberries, but a bit more warm than wished for. 090619

Bottle. Red brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is roasted malt, hop, coffee. Flavour is dry, roasted, malt, smoked, coffee, chocolate, hop, alcohol. Medium to full body, but also a nice beer.

Very dark brown. Burnt popcorn in the aroma. Mild coffee and some chocolate. Not great, but an OK effort.

Appearance: A lightly effervescent, dark mahogany-hued body with a small, fizzy, white head. Smell: Aroma that’s fairly fruity and a bit high on the fusels, coming across like sniffing a basic DeKuyper liqueur. Lesser spicy, herbal hints as well as notes of dark malts. Taste: A blend of dark malts displays flavors of caramel, bread (though light), and roast (even lighter). Hmm, right from the word "go" it’s kinda conspicuously boozy. Tastes of plums, figs, bananas, and spicy licorice try their very best to usher you away from the glaring alcohol character. Lightly hopped with a slight herbal pop and only ever mildly bitter. Finishes dry and fruity with a bit of lingering alcohol heat on the tongue. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Try as I might, I just wasn’t too crazy about this one. However, for good or bad, it’s at least pleasing to see Atlanta Brewing Company trying their hand at some new brews.

12oz bottle. deep chestnut brown. Dates, candi sugar, raisin, lots of dark fruits in the aroma. Prune juice dipped sourdough bread. Fruity and doughy. Nice dark malt complexity. Finishes with a nice alcohol burn with some woodiness. Classic Belgian style big beer with dark malt.