Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome Ale

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: English Strong Ale
Tadcaster, England

550ml Bottle: Pours orange in colour, very good head that didn’t leave. Strong, strong aroma of hops and candy sweetness. The taste is surprisingly light compared to the aroma, more malts than expected. Nice!

Bottle at home ... copper colour ... ... quite fizzy ... fruity malt little caramel...little spicyness and some hop linger. Nothing wromng with it just not that exciting.

550 ml brown bottle, winter 2007-2008, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). BB end of August 08. ABV is 6.0%. Clear amber colour, huge off-white head. Moderate malty aroma, notes of caramel, toffee and biscuits. The flavour is also moderately malty and quite sweet, with notes of treacle, toffee and hints of oak. Moderate hops in the finish. Nothing wrong with it, but not really outstanding. It is quite obvious that this beer is not bottle conditioned.

For years one of my absolute favourites, this is a smooth but delicious, flavourful & satisfying ale. It is deep amber with a thick, long-lasting off-white head and some weak lacing. The flavour has plenty of malt with just enough hops to balance and give the whole a fairly complex, rich, but perfectly balanced taste, with an interesting blend of faint fruitiness, spice,toffee and toasty biscuit elements, all nicely balanced so nothing overpowers. At the same time, it is crisp, almost faintly tart, with a nice, lively palate. It is smooth and very drinkable with a nice, crisp finish.

An unusual take on the style. Pours a yummy clear crimson gold, little head, slight effervescence. Nose dominated by coppery malts, honey, caramel, malts of all shades, some oaky characters. Hops used predominantly to balance malt sweetness. Not overpowering, a nice change of pace. re-rate 2007:Pours a lovely caramel amber with a quickly receding clear white foamy head, leaving a small ring and thin patina of bubbles on the surface. Aroma is full of caramel and biscuit, a slight roastiness. Not too thick on the palate, flavors of graham crackers, mild spiciness, a relatively well bittered lager-like hop character, nice crisp finish like rice cereal along with pretty strong buttery diacetyl with a lingering minty bitterness. Seems to land somewhere between an old ale and an IPA. Not bad.

550 ml bottle. Coarse, mostly lasting tan head over a clear amber to light ruby colored body. Light sweet toasted malts, mild hops, and notes of caramel and nuts in the aroma. Full malty taste. Notes of wood and roast with a nice hoppy edge. Body is medium plus. Malt-sweetness and lingering hops in the finish. Nice all over.

Pours a clear ruby with a little bit of head that leaves a little bit of lace on the way down. Nose has a touch of pine and surprisingly (for a 6% ABV) I am getting alcohol. Taste is rather dry. I don’t think I have had a beer this dry before. Seems a bit woody, kind of like sucking on a piece of oak. For a winter warmer, I am not feeling very warmed. Mouthfeel is standard. Drinkable, sure. But I think there are better of the style out there. Overall, a disappointment I’d say.

English version of a Belgian X-mas ale. Light amber with a white head, Aromatic spicy nose. Cinnamon malt and barley flavour. Nice palate spicy swallow...good stuff.