I Want Winter Solstice Ale in my Stocking!
Written: Jun 05 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Lot's of complex flavors, without overkill
Cons: Only brewed about 3 months per year
The Bottom Line: This is one of my all- time favorite winter seasonal beers. I wish it was brewed year- round
|
|
|
| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Winter Solstice |
Anderson Valley Brewing Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite regional craft brewers. This company, based in Boonville, California, produces many great tasting brews year- round and an occasional seasonal beer as well. This product, Winter Solstice Ale, is a beer brewed from November to January each year, to coincide with the holiday season.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Poured into a tall glass, Winter Solstice has an attractive amber/copper color with a solid head of foam that breaks up into chucks of light tan- colored carbonated deposits. It leaves lace on the sides of the glass and makes for a handsome appearance, almost too lovely to drink.
But the aroma is too enticing to hold back from imbibing! The complex nose includes aromas of candy, spice, hops, caramel, and other complex attributes that tease you and just beg you to consume.
The anticipation is almost too much! How will this beer taste? I can't hold back any longer.....MMMMMMM what a great tasting brew! I can taste all sorts of complex flavors in this beer. Primarily, the dominant taste is sweet malt, but there's a dazzling array of other flavors present, including caramel, nutmeg, vanilla, hazelnut, hops, and fruit. The beer finishes with the warming taste of alcohol, but remains on the sweet side.
Speaking of alcohol, the content of this beer is 6.9 percent by volume, making it stronger than the average brew. But the taste of alcohol is not that dominant, thanks to the sweet flavors that help to balance it out.
Food Compatibility:
This beer could be matched up with many foods, due to its complexity and its sweetness. It would taste good with stew, steak, chicken, spiced cake, candy, and much more. And, of course, it's very good to drink all by itself, in celebration of the holidays.
Final Thoughts:
Winter Solstice Ale is an excellent holiday seasonal beer! I have sampled many winter seasonals over the years, and this one easily ranks among my top five.
One thing that separates Winter Solstice from many other holiday beers is the fact that it's complex, yet subtle. The spice flavor is obvious, but it's not overdone like with many other winter beer. With other winter seasonals,you feel like you're drinking a cross- section of a spice rack with a dash of tabasco sauce. Winter Solstice is brewed more intelligently than that, with just the right level of spiciness that doesn't overwhelm your palate.
This product has snatched two gold medals, one in the 1997 World Beer Championships and one in the 1998 World Beer Championships. It could easily win more, in my opinion, if it were more readily available.
Try Winter Solstice Ale, and see for yourself how excellent a winter beer can be. It's like getting a large Christmas bag from Santa, full of many complex parts that, when combined together, form the perfect finished product. It will make your holiday season worthwhile!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.