Stoudts Winter Ale
Review Date 11/23/2005
Try?
Re-buy?
It’s no secret
that I love winter beers. This may just be the most wonderful time for a
beer, after all. I just love the wide array of treats brewers present to
beer enthusiasts as gifts this time of year. Well, not exactly gifts, mind
you. We do still have to pay for them.
But these brews are special all the same, and cause for good spirits this time of the year. Some brewers know they have a winner, and stick with it year after year. Others eschew uniformity, and instead tweak their recipe on an annual basis.
I’ve always been partial to the Forrest Gump philosophy. You know, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. My beloved, but now sadly defunct, Dogwood brewery did this with their Winter Ale, of which I just polished off my last one liter bottle the other day.
But what does that have to do with Stoudt’s Winter Ale? Well, it seems Stoudt’s subscribes to the Forrest Gump school of thought, too. They like to surprise with you something new under the tree each year.
I found this out when I popped the cap on a bottle of Stoudt’s Winter Ale this year. Let’s look at the description on the company’s website:
A medium to full bodied deep amber ale made with rye. This top fermented beer has a smooth malty palate with a noticeable hop presence. Made with English caramel malt, German Munich malt, and finished with Hallertau Mittlefrueh hops. 6% abv
Well surprise! That’s not what’s in my bottle. Here’s what I got:
Stoudt’s Winter Ale 2005 pours to a jet black color with a thin but creamy tan head and a roasty, coffeeish nose. The palate is medium in body, a little silky almost like an oatmeal stout, with lots of roastiness, chocolate, and espresso notes.
The finish is very roasty, with a dominating coffeeish bitterness, if not a hoppy one. If you’ve ever tasted a handful of fresh roasted barley or black patent malt, you’ll have an idea about what this beer is all about.
While this definitely is not an amber rye ale, it is a nice version of a dry stout. I’ve seen references to this year’s version as a chocolate nut brown, but I think the beer is bigger than that. The roastiness and body are too intense for that.
However you slice it, this is a great winter brew, and a nice present to unwrap for the holidays. But don’t wait for Christmas morning to pop a bottle. Go ahead an enjoy one now. I’m sure Santa won’t mind one bit.
But these brews are special all the same, and cause for good spirits this time of the year. Some brewers know they have a winner, and stick with it year after year. Others eschew uniformity, and instead tweak their recipe on an annual basis.
I’ve always been partial to the Forrest Gump philosophy. You know, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. My beloved, but now sadly defunct, Dogwood brewery did this with their Winter Ale, of which I just polished off my last one liter bottle the other day.
But what does that have to do with Stoudt’s Winter Ale? Well, it seems Stoudt’s subscribes to the Forrest Gump school of thought, too. They like to surprise with you something new under the tree each year.
I found this out when I popped the cap on a bottle of Stoudt’s Winter Ale this year. Let’s look at the description on the company’s website:
A medium to full bodied deep amber ale made with rye. This top fermented beer has a smooth malty palate with a noticeable hop presence. Made with English caramel malt, German Munich malt, and finished with Hallertau Mittlefrueh hops. 6% abv
Well surprise! That’s not what’s in my bottle. Here’s what I got:
Stoudt’s Winter Ale 2005 pours to a jet black color with a thin but creamy tan head and a roasty, coffeeish nose. The palate is medium in body, a little silky almost like an oatmeal stout, with lots of roastiness, chocolate, and espresso notes.
The finish is very roasty, with a dominating coffeeish bitterness, if not a hoppy one. If you’ve ever tasted a handful of fresh roasted barley or black patent malt, you’ll have an idea about what this beer is all about.
While this definitely is not an amber rye ale, it is a nice version of a dry stout. I’ve seen references to this year’s version as a chocolate nut brown, but I think the beer is bigger than that. The roastiness and body are too intense for that.
However you slice it, this is a great winter brew, and a nice present to unwrap for the holidays. But don’t wait for Christmas morning to pop a bottle. Go ahead an enjoy one now. I’m sure Santa won’t mind one bit.
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
