Taste of Winter

Well, the Christmas and holiday season is upon us. So I picked up my first holiday seasonal of the year last week. Magic Hat’s Roxy Rolles. It’s a nice strong amber ale, rich hop flavor, but then something hit me… it’s loaded with citrus flavor! Strong notes of orange and grapefruit dominate the tasting, and while very good, got me wondering what constitutes a “seasonal” flavor. So in the interest of investigative journalism, I picked up 5 mid-west winters and 1 west coast for a bit of a tasting. So as I’m sitting down to the table, Toronto Maple Leafs on the back ground , I introduce to you the flavors of the evening:




From Left to Right: Bell’s (MI) Winter White Ale, Summit (MN) Winter Ale, Goose Island (IL) Christmas Ale, Rogue (OR) Santa’s Private Reserve, Weyerbacher (PA) Winter Ale, Great Lakes (OH) Christmas Ale.

So here we go:

Bells winter ale described as “A seasonally nuanced wheat ale that is both stylish and refreshing.” Pours a nice orange color, with very little head. Aroma of fruits, citrus and banana, with hints of vanilla. The flavors match the smells as banana and orange dominate the vanilla malt, little hops so it goes down smooth, reminds me of a wit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summit’s Winter ale “Offers the warmth of an old English pub to ward of a cold winter’s night.” Very dark amber color that becomes a beautiful red under light with a thin beige head. Strong caramel aroma. Rich caramel flavor with sharp hoppy bite, nice warm finish and after taste. Second favorite of the sitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve “Reddish Copper in Color with a roasty malt flavor and hoppy sprucey finish.” Dark brown in color with a thick off white head. Aroma is strong hops with a hint of cherry, citrus, and I think pine. The hop flavor dominates the beer, with hints of fruit. The hoppiness controls, including the aftertaste, but a nice fruit taste when rolling over the sweet portion of the toungue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goose Island Christmas Ale “Specialty Belgian malts create a deep garnet color and truly rich European flavor.” A translucent amber color with nice malty cream colored head. Slight fruit presence in a caramelly flavored aroma. A very hoppy bitter taste, great bite. Caramel and malts intertwined with the hop. Not outstanding in the seasonal, as it reminds me of a regular year round goose island ale with some spice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weyerbacher’s Winter white is “brewed with deep roasted chocolate malts.” Dark brown color with a thin off white head that disappears quickly. The chocolate flavor controls the smell with a slight spice/malt undertone. The taste lives up to the smell as the chocolate is dominant, but the malts provide a nice delicate balance and finishing touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, I saved the best for last in the Great Lakes Christmas Ale “A handcrafted ale with spices and honey from Cleveland, Oh.” A nice orange/brown color with a medium off white head. Cinnamon and ginger are the smells over a nice malted aroma. Great balance of flavors, with the cinnamon and ginger, fruit and spices, and ncie malt finishing touch. To pick out specific fruits seems a tad too hard for me outside of the strength of the ginger/cinnamon combo. Provided the fullest best pallate of the evening, easily my favorite of the sitting.

 

 

 

 

 

So in review, I’m still not quite certain what makes a seasonal a seasonal. Although the running theme, if only in underlying touch, was the hints of spice alongside the flavors. But to start off with a beer reminding me of a Wit, to ambers and pale ales… you can pretty much do what you want and call it a seasonal here. If one thing was certain, I was left with a nice full feeling and warmth permiated after the sitting, which would be something to sit nicely in front of a fire with. And in the end, the leafs lose in a shootout…. shit… well, always keep one glass clean so it’s ready to go! CHEERS!