It pays to have connections. Though I certainly cannot buy Long Trail Hibernator Winter Ale here in Georgia, it is very easy to find in New England. There, I have family, and therefore connections along the Underground Beer Railroad. For this I am grateful, because I absolutely love Hibernator. Now that spring is finally emerging from its long winters nap, Hibernator seems the perfect beer to toast a cool April evening.

Hibernator is sort of an oddball of a beer. It is high in alcohol and thus a perfect winter brew. The extra kick makes it a wonderful nightcap beer to send one off into a hibernation of one’s own. Long Trail styles it as a Scotch ale, and it does have the rich malty sweetness for the style. The buttery character I got had always suggested a winter warmer to me, another rich and malty style.

Hibernator is chock full of malt richness derived from six different varieties. Honey and brown sugar are added to the brew for extra complexity. Though these will tend to ferment out, they will impart unique character to the beer that cannot be achieved by malt sugars alone. They also help increase alcohol content. Tettnang hops are used to balance off some of the sweetness.

Hibernator is a special treat on draft, and I have enjoyed it that way in many locations in New England. Long Trail is becoming an increasingly popular beer as are other Vermont favorites like Otter Creek and Magic Hat. I have even sipped Long Trail beers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. They are not, unfortunately, offered as complimentary beers.

You can find Hibernator in most of New England and New Jersey (though not in Rhode Island the last time I checked). You can also drink it at the brewery during its normal season of October through March or April. The Trailhead Pub adjacent to the brewery offers freshly brewed Long Trail beers to be enjoyed in the pub or, weather permitting, out on the sun deck as you watch the Ottauquechee River flow by. In winter, you can enjoy your Hibernator as you warm yourself next to the cozy wood stove.

As with most brewpubs, the brewing equipment is proudly displayed through large panes of glass and you can enjoy a few pints along with pub fare while you watch the next batch being made.

Long Trail Hibernator Winter Ale pours to a beautiful deep garnet color with a lightly carbonated, minimal head and a rich and slightly buttery nose. The first sip is warming, very strong and sinfully alcoholic, quite complex with a slightly chocolaty malt character. There is a subtle hint of buttery diacetyl and a rich, smooth and slightly sweet malt body. That sweetness becomes bittersweet in the finish when it melds with the hops.

This is a fantastic beer, one that mellows out nicely over time. I generally do not serve beers of this nature with food, preferring them as a before or after dinner drink, or as I mentioned as a nightcap. When traveling to New England, this is a beer worth seeking out.



Home