winter 2012 pt IV

Might as well start kickin through some more of the winter seasonals, not only seeing as the spring seasonals are rolling out, but New England actually got some snow the other day!!  Crazy!

This one here is quite ironic, since 98% of this winter has, in fact, been mild!  haHA  now, some people aren't a fan of these guys anymore  now that, in one way or another, they're owned by Anhueser-Busch InBev.. but this ain't called Bud, so I still like it!  Goose Island - Mild Winter.. a 5.6% ABV, 28 IBU winter brew.  A nice ruby brown pour with a medium aroma.. full of malts and caramel, sweet and spicy.  The taste falls middle ground, like the nose.  Nothing outrageous, but a nicely balanced malty, spicy beer to bring you through the winter.  Some caramel, chocolate malts, bits of rye spiciness, nutty and toasty and just a bit sweet.  On the finish is just a touch of hops to round out the bill..  nothing unbelievably amazing, but just a nice, balanced beer.  cheers.

Up next, a local seasonal!  Fisherman's - Navigator...  A dopple-bock at 7.0% ABV and 37 IBUs.  A nice amber/rich wheat pour, thick head that never quite goes away.  Very true to the style, the nose is incredibly malty.. biscuits, bready, nutty, mild caramel...very sweet and crisp with just a hint of alcohol.  Again, the taste is fairly true to the style, with the American interpretation of much more booze!  Lighter in body than most winter seasonals, a nice alcohol bite overtakes the lighter malts in the beginning, actually fading as it warms, surprisingly.  Caramel, light brown sugar and nutty malts..  a bit of warm spice and some rich honey go through and through.  Not much besides sweetness on the finish and the hops are about as present as they'd be in a RIS...  a good beer, but again, nothing extraordinary.

..and to end this session...  Boulder - Never Summer ale..  fitting cause, again, until a few days ago, this was almost never winter!  5.94% ABV and unknown IBUs (but I'd probably place this high 50's... maybe 60ish)  Coppery brown with a nice, reddish head.  Caramel malts, rich winter spices and a decent hop aroma, faint underlying apple cider/mulling spice, really nice!  Malty and hoppy taste-wise, a bit different take on a winter.. the spice is still there, the nice but sweet malt bill is there too.. lower ABV, but a nice boozy bite and piney/floral hops come through in the finish leaving a spicy, dry bitter taste with bits of lingering sweetness.  A really cool take on a winter seasonal..