River Horse Belgian Freeze Winter Ale

Brewed by River Horse Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Lambertville, New Jersey USA

Bottle. Pours ruby brown with a beige head. Sweet caramel malt aroma, a touch of fruit and light spice. The flavor is more on the toasty, still with sweet caramel and just a touch of spice. Pretty good.

Poured from bottle - sampler pack. Toasted malt aroma. Mahogany, thin lacing head . Toastiness comes through in flavor too, and the caramel is noticed as well. Also tasting something like fig in there. Alcohol evident in afertaste, but not overpowering. Does get a bit heavy and heady at finish. Woulda liked a bit more complexity here, but overall a fine brew.

THOUGHTS: This is like a way better version of Blue Moon Full Moon. So if you liked Full Moon, try this to see what a real American take on a Belgian Beer should taste like. A really nice beer. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brown with reddish highlights with a small, tan head that mostly diminished. There were also tiny particles in the beer of an average to thick density. The aroma was moderate caramel malt, light milk chocolate, moderate, doughy, leathery and earthy yeast, brown sugar, spices, dark fruit and candi sugar. The flavor started sweet and slightly bitter, and finished a little sour and slightly bitter with an average duration. There was candi sugar, chocolate, spices, yeast, dark fruit like raisins, brown sugar and slight alcohol. The medium to full body was a little oily and then dry with tingly carbonation and a light astringent finish.

12 oz bottle...pours a shade of brown between a porter and a cola...fizzy tan head w/ very little retention. Aromas of roasted malts, chocolate, bready/doughy yeast, and some dark fruits. The flavor was a subtle mix of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, and yeast. The beer had a medium palate, with moderate carbonation, sweet start that lead to a lingering bitter chocolate/slight coffee, yeasty finish. The beer was a bit odd, but not terrible.

12 oz bottle. Pours amber body. Malt aroma, not a bad flavor - but easy to drink. Wouldn’t have guessed this one is 8%.

12oz - Perfect Pour (Belgian Freeze). Dark brown, light tan creamy head. Soft dried plum and raisin nose with a faint brown sugar undercurrent. Touches of dark fruit and chocolate cola nut round to a lightly bittersweet finish. Medium bodied with medeium carbonation. Not overly complex, but a decent attempt at the style. More in line with a dubbel if you’re asking me...

12 oz bottle from EZ Liquors. Pours a deep brown with slight burnt orange on the edges and a small light beige head. Aroma of cheap sugary chocolate and some cherry notes. Palate on this one was just waaaay to thin for me with some bubbly carbonation banging around and a super qucikly fading aftertaste. Flavor on this was actually a step down from the aroma somehow chocolate..dark fruit and add a slight touch of licorice in there. BLAH.

The one I tried was called "Belgian Freeze". A very handsome brew - dark brown pour, light tan head, plus those cool label graphics. There is a touch of skank in the sweet, hoppy aroma. A nice, malty taste with light, enjoyable hops. Nice tingle on the palate. A drinkable and reasonably priced Yankee Belgian.