Winter Storm (2005-)
Heavy Seas Brewing Company in Halethorpe, Maryland, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Regular|
Score
6.72
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Winter Storm may be Hugh's favorite beer in the Heavy Seas catalogue. Our winter ale draws on hops from the West Coast and the UK for its pronounced bitterness. A mix of pale and darker malts give it its tawny color and its bigger body. True to the style, Winter Storm's aroma is nutty malts and earthy hops. This is a perfect fall beer, especially because of its warming qualities.
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6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Overall Impression: This was a nice beer, don't have the particulars in front of me, but here's the ranking for when I tried it...
Tried
on 31 Mar 2009
at 18:39
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
12 ounce bottle from Beer Run in Charlottesville, VA. Pours a clear copper color with a large head. Good head retention and poor lacing. Aroma is nutty with caramel malts and some fruity notes. Taste is grainy with caramel and bitter hops. Medium bodied.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Jan 2009
at 01:39
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle. Pours a reddish brown with a little bit of a bubbly film on the surface. Aromas are sweet: malt and fruit (apples and oranges). Flavor is just plain heavy in all areas... alcohol, malt and hops all come through as overbearing at different points and the flavors don’t blend together well enough for my tastebuds to get really excited. This is kind of an ongoing complaint I have with the Heavy Seas beers. Still, this one is better than most I have had by them.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jan 2009
at 21:08
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
12 oz bottle courtesy of eaglefan538. Best before Mar 2009 notched on label. Pour is mostly clear ruby golden with a 3/4 inch tan head. There is no visible carbonation. Aroma of resinous hops, with cookie dough maltiness and soft vanilla notes. Nice smelling beer. Taste is the cookie dough slightly sweet maltiness initially, with a nice mineral character right behind that. There is also a toasted element taht reminds me of rye, even carraway. The hops are present as well, though less resinous than the nose and more bitter. The hops are primarily in the latter part, and certainly are the main component of the finish, which is quite bitter. As it warms, the sweetness gets a bit sharp, and the alcohol wanrmth is more evident. Overall, an interesting concept which was exceuted well. I must say, I was quite certain I was not going to enjoy this based on it being called an "Imperial ESB". I was wrong, thanks Brian.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Dec 2008
at 17:53
7.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at David Copperfield Pub New York 20-11-08. Pours red amber with a white head. The aroma is a bit sweet and malty and taste is crisp hops but also sweet and malty much like aroma suggested, there is a nice lingering bitterness. It’s a fresh full flavoured beer, quite decent winter offering lacks a good spiny edge to it but decent enough. A7 A5 F7 P4 OV15 3.7
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Dec 2008
at 07:49
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
12oz bottle. I can remember having the pre Heavy Seas Winter Storm IPA, and the initial IIPA Winter Storm, but I wasnt even aware that the current version is an Imperial ESB. Brown orange color, looks highly filtered as you can still see through it. Big sweet malt profile, smooth hoppiness. Quality product, but almost a little too full bodied for the more subtle ESB characteristics you’d desire.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Dec 2008
at 21:19
4.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 3
Let’s git this one out of the way, I’m pesimistic about anything that says imperial on it. I’ll rate this monster in recognition of ratebeers triumphant return. Kinda looks like iced tea. Fairly strong hoppy lager aroma, somewhat like imperial pilsners I’ve had. Not as bad as expected on the taste buds but it certainly is quite hoppy bitter. Roll your tongue up against the roof of your mouth and get a shiver, mah fah. Never had an impy ESB, but what the Devil? Kick butte, plowing thru my taste buds. Regardless of how offensive this is, it is not as bad as many impy IPA or impy stouts. Really does have ESB character on the upper level of rudeness. Some ESB are friendly and well mannered, and this is not! heheheh. Will not buy again, way too much for this lager lover. On par with Berkshire Cabin Fever Ale or Laggy’s Impy red.
Tried
on 18 Nov 2008
at 16:43
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Pours ruby/amber with a creamy head. Aroma is matly/caramel, lightly hoppy and earthly. Taste is slightly roasted, and a good presence of nutty and caramel malt. Maybe some licorice, reminding me of a sweet sugary cough syrup. Light yeast, hops giving an enjoyable tingly mouthfeel.
Tried
on 17 Jul 2008
at 19:27
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Pours a muddy brown with a beige head that leaves a fairly good amount of lacing. Carmely aroma with malts and all that nice stuff. Taste is hoppy, sweet, caramely, with a bitter finish. I got some molasses at the front. Texture is a little syrupy.
Tried
on 11 May 2008
at 16:14
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
12 oz bottle-pours a foamy light tan head that laces and copper color. Aroma is nice citrus-grapefruit and orange/pine hops, secondary medium malt. Taste is some alcohol, citrus-grapefruit and orange, metallic/herbal/pine hops, some tannins bitterness, secondary medium malt, some roasty. Slightly slick mouth fee. Taste doesn’t meet my expectations from the aroma, the (English) hops didn’t seem to quite stay ‘balanced’ on the jump to imperial ESB.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Feb 2008
at 18:46