Bottle. One of the last from this important brewery. Pours a dark ruby hue, brown as well. A small off-white head. A malty nose, some cardboard. Thin palate, sweet toffee, caramel, light spice. Solid brew. Probably quite a few years old.

Nice and malty with s touch of spice (nutmeg?) , makes this a nice cold weather brew. Smooth, Aroma is malt and spice, taste is more of the same, dark amber/light brown with thin beige head, Just the right amount of spice makes this one of the better ones.

Pours dark red/brown and leaves the same colored body with a two finger foamy white head that rises a bit and falls at a nice pace but ends up creating a nice soapy looking valley with a ton of speckled foamy lacing all over the place (nice show); the smell is full of malty breadiness up front, light raisin and molasses enter in the background with some extra dark fruitiness entering in the aroma; the taste has caramel and sweet breadyiness with some added earthy orange and nutmeg; sweet sticky caramel aftertaste; sweet dry finish; its pretty easy on the palate for being a darker Winter Warmer, carbonation is pretty smooth and good for the style and for me; overall not bad for a darker Winter Warmer as I’m usually not that into the darker ones of this style, however I would definitely take this one over most of the darker winter warmers

On tap at Tapwerks. Pours a clear amber red with a tan head that dissipates to the edges and laces. Aroma has notes of sweet grain and caramel with hints of earthy grain and biscuit. Flavor is similar with sweet grain and light caramel throughout with backing notes of biscuit and grass.

Enjoyed on tap at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL prior to seeing the band Surfer Blood. I didn’t take tasting notes while enjoying this, but I remember this being a lightly spiced, slightly malty ale that went down nice and easy. Definite caramel notes, just a decent brew.

12oz bottle. Murky amber-brown body. Foamy off-white head. Toffee, amber malt tones, some Christmas fruitcake/wassail action. It’s not really a great beer by any mean, but it manages to approximate the style well enough. Rich and malty, a spiced ESB.

Murky Brown, Huge Head, Lots of Lacing. Moderately Sweet Malt, Light Pine aftertaste that does not last long. When you think of a winter brew, this one is too thin and not sweet enough to be one. Nevertheless a decent brew that I’ve enjoyed it this cold spring evening.

12oz bottle pours clear amber with copper hues and supporting a weak tan head. The aroma offers up lots of prunes and raisins and then a bit of fig like sweetness. The taste is similar as I get a raisin note that borders on peppery along with some softer prune notes in the background. To midway it picks up some candi sugar and a faint beat quality.

Plums, light mint, seasonal spices, dried fruits in the middle, caramel, figs and a touch of cinnamon in the finish.

12 fl oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a small off-white head. Aroma is spiced and dry herbal. Phenolic, dark malty and slight caramelish. Bitter, dry herbal and roasted dark malty. Ends dry and bitter finish.