We carefully selected 6 beers to compete for the Best Winter Beer of 2018! We’ve done Summer and Fall competitions previously, but this lineup out scores them all collectively. It was a huge treat to review these beers for you corkies.
Below are the rundown, based on the order tried:
1.Winter White Ale from Bells Brewery
An alternative to dark and heavy winter warmers and stouts, Winter White is a stylish and refreshing Wheat Ale. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley and wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices. Deliberately brewed to retain a cloudy appearance, Winter White is a beer for embracing winter.
2. Spruce Tip Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point
Our flagship Sculpin IPA shows its complexity in this limited Spruce Tip edition. For a different twist on our trademark IPA, we added Oregon spruce tips that contribute a unique piney, citrus and woody character on the nose. Plus, their flavor notes of red berry, lemon and wine grapes perfectly complement our hop profile. A great brew for the holidays and well beyond, this is a standout in a forest of IPAs.
3. Haywire Husky Coffee Lager from Wasserhund
Brewing Poured a body that straddles gold and orange with one-finger head that stuck around for a while. The Sumatra coffee beans added to the beer dominate both the aroma and taste. The coffee beans give off a slightly dry and sweet coffee taste and the beer is light-bodied and easy to drink. Not a bad beer and worth trying but it is a bit of a one note beer.
4. Organic Chocolate Stout by Samuel Smith Brewing
Brewed with well water (the original well, sunk in 1758, is still in use with the hard water is drawn from 85 feet underground), the gently roasted organic chocolate malt and organic cocoa impart a delicious, smooth and creamy character, with inviting deep flavours and a delightful finish – this is the perfect marriage of satisfying stout and luxurious chocolate.
5. 2018 Pecan Pie Porter by Clown Shoes Brewing
Dark brown-black beer, has just a slight translucence around the edges in a glass… Produced a finger or two of dark tan foam… Nice aromas of, well – pecan pie – and bourbon, and molasses and dark malts preview much of the same on the sip… Softly sweet with chocolaty malts and sweet cold espresso, suggestions of molasses, pecan, and vanilla… The booze airs it out nicely but this beer has a rather solid body
6. Milk and Cookies by Wicked Weed Brewing
Crafting the ultimate comfort beer was a winter challenge we happily embraced. Our Milk and Cookies Stout is a cold weather classic, and this version cranks up the comfort through barrel aging. We entrusted our Imperial Milk Sout with Golden raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla into the warming embrace of Kentucky Bourbon barrels to carry us home for the holidays. Relax. Drink up. You’re home.
