Wasatch Winterfest

Brewed by Schirf Brewing Company/Wasatch Brew Pub
Style: American Strong Ale
Park City, Utah USA

Bottle gratefully received from Douglas88. Pours dark ruby amber with a significant beige/tan head. Strong malt aroma - not so much sweet as strong. Some supporting notes of chocolate and resin. Medium plus body with smooth, creamy carbonation. Flavor is malt, touch of chocolate, and a lot of hop, maybe mostly floral. Finish goes down to something like bitter chocolate. Seems well balanced. Very flavorful. It’s really nice to drink.

Thanks to Douglas88. 12oz twist-off bottle. 7.1%ABV. Pours a reddish \ brown color. Foamy light brown head. Smells like a well hopped American BarleyWine. Heavenly! Deep roasted malts. Chocolate malts and floral hops. Chocolate and pine, who doesn’t like winter? Flavor is a bold, chocolate malt character. Sweet toast. Sweet molasses boldness sticks out the most. All followed by a sharp hop. Adding the bitterness that lingers on the palate. This beer is just begging for some one to love it. It might be me. Although you never want to show all of your cards, being afraid you may not receive the same as what you are looking for. It has a great flavor. A sticky, syrupy malt character. Perfectly balanced with a hop bitterness. Not to strong. ABV is just where it needs to be, to be enjoyed. An ideal holiday ale.

Date: May 23, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ticker Tasting
Appearance: clear dark red, creamy beige head, drippy streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet dark caramel aroma, toasted malt, earthy and floral hops, light fruity sweetness
Flavor: sweet dark caramel flavor, caramel candy sweetness, well balanced hop flavor, light bitterness, nice spicyness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

2008 Bottle - Thanks douglas88! - Pours amber with a large, tan head...aroma is malty, fruity caramel, and grapefruit peel...flavour is bitter hop resin tempered with a malty, but not too sweet finish...nice body, lingering pleasant bitterness...that was a terrific surprise!

Bottle courtesy of douglas88. Pours clear dark reddish brown with a dense 2 finger tan head that sticks around like an iceberg and leaves delicate lacing. The nose is sweet caramel, overly ripe fruit and brown sugar. The taste is caramel malt, citrus and some nice resin bite in the finish. Not as sweet as the aroma suggests, which is a huge plus. Medium bodied. Good beer – I don’t think I’ve had a bad one from them yet. Thanks Douglas!

12oz bottle–pours a rich light tan head that laces and deep red color. Aroma is sweet toffee-medium malt, some pine hops, dark fruit. Taste is toffee-medium malt, secondary bitter herbal/pine hops. Thanks to Wasatch for trade with Joe-jwc215 and me.

Bottle. Dark brown pour, some light carbonation with a little malt and hop aroma. Flavor was rich and bitter caramel, hops and very herbal. Finish was a warming and mellowed out as time went on. I think this was my 1st Utah beer, and i really dug it!

12oz Bottle – Trade – Douglas88
Aroma: Nice malt aroma with some hops.
Appearance: Dark amber in color, clear with a thin head.
Flavor: has a good malt flavor this was well hopped and the alcohol was high and tasty.
Palate: Dry finish, with a good Mouthfeel.
Overall: A very nice brew and I would love to have more next winter. Thanks Doug.