Longfellow Winter Ale

Bomber picked up at the Beverage Castle in Tampa. It poured deep clear amber with big bubbled tan head. The aroma is rich and inviting dark roasted malts, dusty malt residue, dark chocolate and coffee. The flavor doesn’t disappoint with dark roasted malts, some black patent malts, molasses, French roast coffee (that grows with intensity toward the finish), a slight astringency and hints of caramel candy. Doesn’t seem to fit the style with its low gravity but a really nice treat nonetheless.

(Bottle) Dark ruby colour with huge, frothy beige head. Malty nose with notes of chocolate, wild berries, cherries, caramel, spices and hints of coffee and citrus. Malty, slightly roasted taste with herbs, chocolate, caramel and hints of coffee and some citrussy hops in the finish. Mainly dry. Nice taste, but its is a bit thin and short. Would need some extra punch to be a true winter warmer.

[bottle] Dark brown with large, thick head. Malty liquorice aroma. Dry, roasty cocoa flavour leading to a herbal hop bitter finish.

Bottle. Pours an almost black colour with a lonhlasting thick tan head. Sweet malty spicy caramel aroma. Sweet malty spicy flavor with hints of licorice and caramel. Sweet malty finish with a bitter aftertaste.

(Bottle 65 cl) Pours a beautiful, clear mahogany with a reddish tint and an off-white head. Lightly nutty aroma. Fairly light body with hard roasted, malty notes ending rather bitter. Starts rather anonymous but does develop some sort of personality. 011206

A deep red beer with a lazing off-white head. The aroma is sweet malty with a dusty hop note. The flavor is sweet malty with a dusty hop note, as well as light roasted notes, leading to a dry end.

First rating650 ml bottleSweet a bit nity scent, some green apples acetaldehyd. Roasted taste, chocolate. Roasted coffee aftertaste. Low bitterness. Dry a bit salty mouthfeel and aftertaste.7/3/8/3/15=3.6RerateCask at Tap House in Oldsmar, on Feb 1, 2011Black color, light brown head. Sweet, malty, fruity scent. Smooth, toffee, butter, malty, fruity taste. Smooth mouthfeel, low bitterness7/4/7/4/14=3.6

Bottled. Mahogany colour, rich but brief head. Complex aroma of madeira, hay, cinnamon, chcolate and caramel. Medium bodied with clean crystal malt character. Notes of pears and butterscotch. Resiny finish with lingering bitterness. Very interesting flavourwise, but with too clean mouthfeel to work as a winter warmer.

22 oz labeled "limited release" must be a winter 2004 bottle. Pour is a clear ruby-orange-mahogany, quite a layered color effect with lasting light beige head, that is very creamy and thick, but with virtually no lacing (filtered). Smells of dry breadiness, light roast and toasted malt, caramel, hints of cherries and candied oranges. A little bit of stale cardboardy-mustiness. Flavor begins quite sweet and sugary. Basic caramel and toffee malt flavors with some English yeast fruitiness (cherries, plums, stawberries). A subdued roastiness goes well with the creamy sweetness, but could be, perhaps, a bit more assertive. As it warms and breathes, some of the sugary thickness recedes and leaves behind a lighter, mroe chocolatey and fruity concoction. Hints of spice and English-like hops (dry, soily, slightly bitter). The creamy malt sweetness is reserved for the finish now, which comes alive with depth of flavors (caramel, brown sugar, cake icing, Godiva liqueur, chocolate covered cherries, cinnamon and allspice). The longer it warms and breathes, the more I enjoy it. Medium-full body with a lightly creamy mouthfeel despite the seemingly high filtration. No alcohol apparency.