The holiday season, from
Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, has always been my favorite time for beer
drinking. With such an abundance of special seasonal beers, who could blame me?
Be they hoppy, malty, or even kissed with spices, holiday brews are as much a
part of the season as brightly colored lights and colorfully wrapped packages.
One such holiday treat is Full Sail's Wassail. This delightful brew from Hood
River, Oregon, claims to be a British-style winter warmer, though I'm not sure I
would place it there stylistically (the gravity for example seems too low at
1.06 or so).
The first time I tasted Wassail was in a package from Beer Across America back
in the early nineties. It was one of the first beers I got from that Beer Club,
and I can still remember my delight in opening the box and seeing six bottles of
this otherwise unobtainable (at least here out East) treasure. I didn't take
tasting notes back then, but I did in November of 1997:
Wassail is a murky brown in color, and the nose reveals a grassy hop
character. A bit of malt is detectable, but soon overwhelmed by the citric hop
character of the beer. Indeed, it is the relative lack of maltiness that rules
it out as a classic winter warmer (traditionally an interchangeable term with
old ale). I believe the beer is closer to an IPA in style; though it may not
possess sufficient aromatic hop traits for the style, it does have a wonderfully
bitter hop finish. A delicious brew indeed.
My next sample came with the 1998 vintage. Of that I thought:
Once again, I have to say that this beer is way overhopped for a winter
warmer. It has a big bitterness to it in the finish and a subtle grassy
hoppiness this year, from my experience winter warmer's accent malt and yeast
character most highly (there is a nice touch of chocolatey maltiness here). It's
not an IPA as I claimed it leaned towards stylistically in the past. It is a
wonderful beer, whatever it is, and that should be enough in the final analysis.
Update, November 7, 2008:
And here it is November of 2008, a full ten years later, and I'm happily sipping
a delicious pint of Full Sail Winter Wassail again. The years may have
rolled on by, but the beer hasn't changed: still a wonderfully chocolaty brew
that's remarkably easy to drink. There are notes of fruity raisin, too, and a
permeation of herbal grassy hops. A kiss of bitter hops finishes the beer out
nicely.
A great warming winter brew and a bit stronger than in the past at 7% alcohol by
volume (it weighed in at 6.6% on past samplings). Goes great with yule fires,
snowball fights, Christmas carols, and blinking multicolored lights.
Update January 23rd 2015: I so enjoy going back and adding updates to the beers I've enjoyed over the years. Part of the fun is reading my old observations and updates and comparing the beer to see how it has stayed the same (or changed) over they years. In the case of Full Sail Winter Wassail, the beer is definitely getting stronger (7.2% ABV this year) and I think maltier too. The 2014 edition definitely has rich notes of chocolate malt, light hints of raisin, is a little toasty even and as always has an aggressive hop bite.
Here's what Full Sail has to say about tit his year:
A few unmistakable signs tell us when winter has arrived here in
Hood River. The waterfalls in the Gorge start kicking out the jams. The snow
report for the backcountry regains its hold over us. And the Wassail starts
flowing once again. We’ve brewed Wassail every holiday season since 1988, and
it’s now as much a part of the festivities as sharing a roaring fire with our
closest family and friends.
It's no wonder this multi-medal winning Winter Warmer is one of our favorite
beers to brew. Choosing our ingredients for Wassail is like taking time to
choose the perfect gift. Each year we carefully select the best hops and malts
to brew this special beer. This year’s Wassail is brewed with a range of caramel
malts and dark chocolate malts giving it a deep mahogany color and a full malty
body. We used a blend of Pacific Northwest hops for a pleasant hoppy aroma and
finish creating a deliciously balanced beer that appeals to both hop and malt
lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle.
Full Sail Wassail is a remarkable value as well. I picked up a six-pack last November for just $7.99, an almost unheard of value these days. That wouldn't matter so much if the beer wasn't incredible, but it is very delicious, and I am bumping this beer up another 1/2 notch for value.
The label says this beer is a available only for 90 days, and is best by April 04/01/15. An April Fool's joke perhaps? I think it would hold out much longer, and I am saving at least one bottle for a Christmas in July tasting. See you back then for another update.......
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft