Category Archives: Winter Ale

Winter Wit– Granville Island Brewing

by Mike

From Granville Island Brewing out of Vancouver comes their new “Winter Wit”.  The beer pours a cloudy orange colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of coriander, spices, orange, wheat, yeast and floral hops.  The flavour is of orange, coriander, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus rind, wheat and yeast.  The alcohol content comes in at 6% with an IBU of 18.  This is an interesting take on the Wit.  It is a bit winter ale and a bit wit.  If you like the sound of this you should really like this beer.  Granville Island Brewing is owned by Molson.

 

First One Down Winter Warmer Ale – Wasatch Brew Pub and Brewery

by Mike

From Park City Utah’s Wasatch Brew Pub and Brewery comes their “First One Down Winter Warmer Ale”.  This beer was dated as enjoy by February 26, 2016 but consumed on April 13th, 2016 so it was not as fresh as it would have been.  The beer poured a deep ruby colour with a light brown head.  The aroma consists of floral and herbal hops, citrus, malts and earth.  The flavour is of earth, bread, caramel, citrus, resin and hops bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 7.1%.  This bottle may not have been fresh but it tasted good to me.  When it launches for next winter make sure to try this beer out.  If you are adventurous and find it still try it now.

Commercial Description:  You were first one down.  Congrats – you got all that sweet powder.  We hope you savored every moment.  Because tomorrow’s another day.  And we’re going to beat you to it.

Food pairing as per brewery:  Cuisine De Chalet

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German Winter Ale – Twin Sails Brewing

by Mike

From Twin Sails Brewing in Port Moody comes their “German Winter Ale”.  The beer pours a deep chestnut brown colour with a light brown head. The aroma is of mild roasted malts, nuts and maybe a hint of chocolate but it is fairly subdued. The flavour is roasted malts, chocolate, nuts, caramel and some earth.   The alcohol content comes in at 5.8% with an IBU of 25. While the beer has a mild flavour it is quite tasty and could be consumed glass after glass.

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Auld Nick Winter Ale – R&B Brewing (R and B Brewing)

by Mike

From Vancouver BC’s R&B Brewing comes the “Auld Nick Winter Ale” a Scottish Wee Heavy Ale.  The beer pours a deep brown colour with a tan head.  The aroma consists of toffee, molasses, brown sugar and some roasted malts.  The flavour is of toffee, molasses, earth, chocolate and dark fruits.  The alcohol content comes in at 6.5% with an IBU of 18.  This beer sits a little more on the sweet side which is quite fitting for a winter seasonal beer.  I will be looking for a few more bottles of this before the weather gets warm again.

Commercial Description: A “Scottish Wee Heavy”.  The Auld Nick is not your usual spicy Winter Ale. There are no spices in it. It is a sweet, full bodied English strong ale made using specialty malted grains and traditional hops of East Kent. A truly complex but surprisingly smooth beer.

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Ice Breaker Winter Ale – Stanley Park Brewery

by Mike

From Stanley Park Brewery (Turning Point Brewery) in Delta BC comes their “Ice Breaker Winter Ale”.  I was a little trepidatious about trying this beer as I find many winter ales vanilla and spice bombs.  The beer pours a deep ruby brown colour with a light brown head.  The aroma consists of caramel malts, molasses, chocolate and cherry.  The flavour is of big dark chocolate, molasses, caramel malts, cherry and some dark fruits.  The alcohol content comes in at 5.5% with an IBU of 20.  I was happy to find this was not a typical winter ale and reminded me of a black forest cake.  If you are into winter beer but want something different pick up a bottle or two.

Commercial Description:  The label reads Stanley Park, but tasteful notes of cherry and dark chocolate will put you in a Black Forest state of mind! Specialty German malts provide the backbone and rich colour, while low carbonation and IBU allow the unique flavours of this porter style ale to break through. Cheers!

Food pairing as per brewery:  Aged Gouda, Mascarpone, or Gruyère cheeses, Roasted Pork Tenderloin with fresh cherry and tomato chutney, or with dessert like Dark Cocao Chocolate, or New York Cheesecake

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