Nutfield Winter Frost Beer Review

Nutfield Winter Frost

Review Date 12/16/2002

Try? Re-buy?

One of the things I have missed the most since moving from New England has been ales brewed with Ringwood yeast. Nowhere in the United States are they as readily available as they are in the northeastern most part of the country, where they are produced by a large number of breweries. Among those brewers are Geary’s, Shipyard, and Gritty McDuff’s from Maine, Magic Hat from Vermont, Middle Ages from upstate New York, and Nutfield of Derry, New Hampshire. The latter is perhaps the least well-known of the above, but nonetheless brews an impressive line of delicious ales worthy of any serious beer enthusiast’s consideration.

Nutfield brews a regular lineup that includes Auburn Ale, an Irish Red, Black 47, an exceptional Ringwood Irish dry stout, an IPA, a copper ale, and a few seasonal ales. Their winter offering, Nutfield Winter Frost, is a hearty brown porter introduced in 1996. It is sold in six-packs or as part of Nutfield’s Mixed Nuts 12-pack during the winter months. It is released each November in limited quantities, and once again this year I managed to get my hands on some.

Ringwood beers are idiosyncratic and require a special brewing setup for best results. The system is called a Peter Austin System and is named for the English brewer who introduced them to the United States. They are generally characterized by open fermentation vessels and brew kettles wrapped in brick. Beers produced with Ringwood will usually have a distinctive signature to them with a rich buttery character.

Back in December of 1996 I wrote this about Nutfield Winter Frost:

The Old Nutfield Brewing Company of Derry, New Hampshire, is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries. Each new beer they produce seems to be a further improvement of the brewer’s art. Nutfield uses that old New England favorite yeast, Ringwood, in it’s beers, and to good effect.

Nutfield Winter Frost is an exceptional beer for the cold weather. Rich and warming, this beer is burnt ruby in color with a buttery, chocolaty nose. The first sip reveals those traits in abundance, with the buttery notes slightly overtaking the roasty character of the brew. A bitter hop finish rounds out this wonderful beer. Bravo!

You might think at first that Nutfield’s Winter Frost derives its name from the ice crystals which form on just about everything on a cold New England morning, but in fact this is not the case. Though Nutfield is undoubtedly aware of the double entendre, they actually named the beer for famous poet and New Hampshire resident Robert Frost.

Winter Frost is made with pale malt as a base with Crystal and Caramalt used to add body. Chocolate and Black Patent malts impart color and roasty flavors, while torrefied wheat improves head retention. Winter Frost is hopped with Northern Brewer and Cascade varieties. Alcohol content is about average at about 5.4% by volume.

Nutfield Winter Frost pours to a deep ruby-brown color with a buttery chocolate nose. The palate is rich with medium body and good mouthfeel. It is packed with tasty hints of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, and the unique flavor of Ringwood. A subtle butteriness permeates the beer right into the finish where a bit of roasted bitterness combines with a touch of hops to round out the brew perfectly.

I’m a huge fan of Ringwood porters and this is a great one. Perhaps not as smooth as Geary’s London Porter and therefore a bit bolder than the traditional London Porters of old, but still a classic brew in the English style. This is an excellent choice for sipping on a cold winter evening along with a book of Robert Frost’s poetry. Try a pint while Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening.

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

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