Review Date 4/3/2002
Try? Re-buy?
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.
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