Drinking in Boston: Warm from the Inside Out

As it spits a mix of snow and sleet and rain outside, we realize it is well into the Winter Warmer and Winter Ale season. So, what’s keeping us warm this time of year? Old Jubilation, Avery Brewing’s Winter Ale, is an English Strong Ale. Its beautiful ruby color hints at its toasty nutmeg spiciness. In fact, the beer is quite spicy, considering no spices are actually used, just five malts. Definitely wintry, but a little cloying, Old Jubilation is a solid beer but not special. Magic Hat has put out two wintry offerings, its Feast of Fools Odd Notion, and its seasonal, Howl. The Odd Notion is an American Sour Ale, light, citrusy, and apple-y when it warms up a bit, with a hint of caramel. Some may question its wintryness, but as Magic Hat notes, its sparkling sharpness cuts though winter meals like crab and probably ham. Howl (Black-as-Night Winter Lager) was only somewhat middling after this first offering. Though it looks like a great porter, it is actually rather fizzy, a feeling that sticks to the roof of your mouth. A chocolate finish rounds it out. The best named award goes to Great Divide’s Hibernation Ale. An English Style Old Ale, this is a very balanced beer. Ruby colored, the delightful chocolate, sugary smell leads to a sweet taste and slightly creamy mouthfeel. While this could be overwhelming, the sweetness is stabilized by a solid hop background. Although one glass may be all you could take, it may take only one at 8.1% abv to make you hibernate anyway. More wintry beers after the jump! Photo courtesy Alfo 23 on Flickr using Creative Commons License There are two more offerings this winter that one may argue are not wintry in their lack of

spiciness. Rogue Ale’s Santa’s Private Reserve is one. Amber and murky, this one smells as floral as a Double IPA; Rogue says it is a variation on the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with more hops. One taster noted that it “had more hops than Rudolf’s tail.” An accurate description. We all agreed that Santa should be a bit generous and share more from his Private Reserve. Heavy Seas’ Winter Storm “Category 5” Ale is another example of a delicious non-spicy winter selection. This beer, also amber in color and floral smelling, is hoppy and sweet at the same time. It is brewed as an Imperial ESB. Definitely a good choice when you need warmed up from the inside out. Two beers caught our eye (or taste buds) as particularly special winter beers. The beautifully oak-hued Weyerbacher Winter Ale is one. The first thing that catches you is the maple smell. The beer is definitely on the malty side, as is traditional for winter beers. This one is warm and toasty and ends on a pleasant not-too-sweet note of orange. The last beer that struck us as a great winter beer was Anchor Steam’s Christmas Ale. They change their recipe every year, and we have to say this is an especially good vintage. The dark, ruby brown-colored beer holds a subtly spicy, malty flavor. It is smooth, so much so as to compare it to a malty cream soda. But the malts are balanced nicely with the hops that appear at the end of every sip. This is but a mere sampling of all the Winter Warmers and Ales out there. Let us know what your favorite is.

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Drinking in Boston: Warm from the Inside Out