‘Tis almost the season
What better way to spend our last warm autumn weekend than checking out some of this year’s crop of winter beers?
The earlier arrivals include three classic winter warmers from around the region: Deschutes’ Jubelale, Pyramid’s Snow Cap and Full Sail’s Wassail.
Jubelale (6.7 percent alcohol by volume, 60 International Bitterness Units), the lightest and brightest, leads with a toffee sweetness balanced by roasted barley, followed by plenty of spicy hops.
Snow Cap (7, 47) shares the same brownish-amber color, and somewhat similar malt and hop bills, but has darker, richer flavors and a long, drying, earthy hop finish.
Wassail (7.2, 56) is bigger and darker yet, with a fruitier character and a more subdued, yet still noticeable hop presence.
No-Li’s Winter Warmer (7.5, 72) comes in stronger and hoppier than any of those, by the numbers, but you might not guess that from its mellower ruby color. Candylike sweetness yields to a complex, spicy, piney hoppiness, along with some alcoholic warmth.
Big Sky’s Powder Hound (7.2, 60) is even more deceptive in appearance, with its golden tones. The lighter body does little to hide its potency, or its big grassy, floral hop punch.
While Ninkasi’s Sleigh’r (7.2, 50) returns to a mahogany hue, the dark alt beer – a German style brewed with ale yeast at cooler, lager temperatures – is rounder and cleaner, with a nutty, toasty malt character and Ninkasi’s typically pronounced hop finish from herbal Nuggets.
Before long, they’ll be joined by the rest of the usual suspects: Bridgeport’s Ebenezer, Widmer’s Brrr and Full Sail’s Wreck the Halls, to name a few, along with my personal favorite, Sierra Nevada’s hop-heavy Celebration.
So what winter seasonal are you most excited about? Click the headline above and leave us a comment.