Category Archives: Winter Warmer

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Winter Warmer

De Struise Tsjeeses Reserva Bourbon Barrel Aged

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: 2014 Vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Belgian X-Mas Ale, bourbon barrel aged.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2014 vintage, bottled on 9th November 2016. Poured into whatever glass I could find at the hotel.
Appearance: A cloudy copper brown colour, with a thin half finger tanned head, that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, candi sugar, plum, raisin, toffee, caramel, toasted bread, chocolate, oak, and bourbon.
Taste: Moderately sweet, plum, raisin, candi sugar, toffee, bourbon, oak, and a touch boozy and spicy on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and interesting flavours. I preferred the Port BA version more than this Bourbon BA version, but it could very well be that I let this one age for too long.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Fremont Brewing Company, USA, Winter Warmer

Fremont B-Bomb Coconut

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Brewery: Fremont Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 14%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: Malts – 2-Row Pale, Crystal-120, Munich, Roast Barley, Carafa-2 and Chocolate. Hops – Columbus, Willamette and US Golding. Adjunct – Coconut. Limited 2018 release.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Coconut Edition B-Bomb: Imperial Winter Ale with Coconut aged in Bourbon Barrels.

This year’s release of B-Bomb is aged in 8-12-year-old American Oak bourbon barrels and is a blend of 9, 12, and 24-month old barrel-aged Winter Ale. This special edition adds toasted coconut to complement the bourbon, oak, cacao, leather, toffee, and dark coffee notes achieved from its extended barrel aging and barrel blending. Each barrel contributes a different note, and combining each barrel to create a coherent tone is a distinct art and true pleasure. Please do enjoy this unique barrel-aged ale today but know that Coconut Edition B-Bomb will age gracefully for years to come. Don’t Be Afraid To Be Abominable.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.74
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2018 release. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly, but left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, coconut, chocolate, vanilla and molasses with hints of oak and bourbon.
Taste: Roasty, moderate sweetness, bourbon, chocolate, coconut, vanilla, oak, a touch of booze and hints of molasses.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice sipper, but it got too sweet as it became warmer. I easily preferred Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb which I thought was near perfect, over this version.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Fremont Brewing Company, USA, Winter Warmer

Fremont B-Bomb Coffee Cinnamon

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Brewery: Fremont Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 14%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: Malts – 2-Row Pale, Crystal-120, Munich, Roast Barley, Carafa-2, and Chocolate. Hops – Columbus, Willamette and US Golding. Adjunct – Coffee and Cinnamon. Limited 2018 release

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb: Imperial Winter Ale with Coffee & Cinnamon aged in Bourbon Barrels.

This year’s release of B-Bomb is aged in 8-12-year-old American Oak bourbon barrels and is a blend of 9, 12, and 24-month old barrel-aged Winter Ale. This special edition adds cold brew coffee and cinnamon bark to complement the bourbon, oak, cacao, leather, toffee, and dark coffee notes achieved from its extended barrel aging and barrel blending. Each barrel contributes a different note, and combining each barrel to create a coherent tone is a distinct art and true pleasure. Please do enjoy this unique barrel-aged ale today but know that Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb will age gracefully for years to come. Don’t Be Afraid To Be Abominable.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.61
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2018 release. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a thin brown head that although thin, stuck around, while leaving some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, cacao, caramel, toffee, bourbon, oak and cinnamon.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, light roast, coffee, cacao, caramel, toffee, bourbon, oak, light cinnamon and a splash of booze.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, light boozy warmth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Amazingly balanced in aroma and taste with wonderful sweetness, light bitterness and alcohol warmth. Great coffee and cinnamon balance. Just a superb sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hong Kong, Winter Warmer, Young Master Brewery

Young Master Celebration Ale

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Brewery: Young Master Brewery
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 6.6%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: 30 IBUs. Porter. Spicy, warming, roasty. Malts – All Malt (blend of 5 varieties). Spices – Vanilla, 2 types of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Black Pepper, Clove, etc…

Brewer Description: (from website) Decadent Porter with notes of chocolate and coffee layered with a holiday spice blend featuring cinnamon, vanilla beans, nutmeg, cloves and all spice. It’s an aromatic brew perfect for holiday season festivities.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 946ml crowler, filled on 11th December 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: Dark brown and near black in colour with a big three finger dark tanned head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Lots of Christmas related spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread mixed in with milk chocolate and creamy vanilla.
Taste: Gingerbread cookies, milk chocolate and vanilla stand out with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice popping up in the background.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to light bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable as the creaminess of the chocolate and vanilla combined well with the holiday spices which were not overpowering.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, USA, Winter Warmer

Deschutes Jubelale

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: 65 IBUs. Malts – Pale, Crystal, Extra Special, Carapils and Roasted Barley. Hops – Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Tettnang, East Kent and Goldings

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cocoa, dried fruit, and toffee notes. A robust ale with a warming spice.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 355ml bottle with a best before date of 3rd April 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear dark amber colour with big almost three finger tanned head with great retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Caramel malts, toffee and dark berries.
Taste: Milk chocolate, cocoa, roasty coffee, toasted bread, raisin and prune sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was ok, but I didn’t really get the warming spices that were supposedly there.

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