Brooklyn Brewery's Winter Ale

Brooklyn Brewery has, so far, produced several of my favorite American beers. Among these are their Brown Ale (as evidenced by the giant mug full in Adam's post from Oct. 3), and the Local 1, which was new for 2008, and one I'll have to pick up again, so I can review. The Winter Ale also seems to have edged its way in to my favorite American beers. It is based, loosely (I assume), on the winter ales of Scotland.

The beer's color is a dark coppery brown, with hints of red and gold. Despite my most vigorous pour, it developed a one-finger head, which dissipated quickly into a small ring round the edge of the glass. This did tend to leave a little lacing as I drank, but it slid down the sides of my glass back into the beer.

This beer is very tight on the nose. There really is not much to the aroma at all. It initially reminds me of Yuengling Lager. It seemed odd to me that a Scottish style winter ale would remind me of such a common lager, but I had to remind myself that I have drank enough Yuengling to recognize it when I smell it. The more I smell, the more the malty scents start to come out.

The taste is a bit sweet and malty at first, and progresses to bitter quickly. I am again reminded of Yuengling, and I do not say that to belittle this beer. Although it is not as flavorful as I had hoped, and come to expect from Brooklyn, it is a very well balanced beer. The sweet start, and long-lasting, mildly bitter aftertaste are really making this stand out to me.

The mouthfeel, however, is this beer's best quality by far. It is a medium to med-light bodied beer, with just the right carbonation. It is smooth to drink and leaves a nice coating on the tongue and teeth, which is contributing to that long-lasting aftertaste.

The outstanding mouthfeel and understated taste make this beer extremely drinkable. So much so, that I had to repeat my Brooklyn Brown Ale experience, and once again fill the oversized OBX mug. Overall, drinkability seems to be the common quality present among all of Brooklyn's offerings, and this is certainly no exception.

-Dan