Ommegang Lovely, Dark and Deep Review

Brewery Ommegang of Cooperstown, New York is part of the Duvel brewing dynasty. They should know how to do a good winter ale. And they do. Lovely, Dark and Deep is the name of their Oatmeal Stout winter ale.

Ommegang Lovely, Dark and Deep pour dark brown with a khaki head of firm foam that hangs around for a while. The aroma is roasted malts, coffee, powdered cocoa, and dark pitted fruit. The taste is roasted coffee, smokey tobacco, and burnt chocolate chip cookies. Very distinct charred flavor, like soot from a wood fire. It’s not unpleasant, just distinct.

Lot’s of body, good carbonation, and rich mouthfeel. Not your typical Oatmeal Stout. The alcohol is light for the style at 5.3% ABV. A unique winter ale that needs to be savored.

Wingman Noel Review

Wingman Brewers of Tacoma, Washington takes the prize with their cool bottle shape. Wingman is a very local brewery only distributing in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Noel is their Belgian style winter ale.

Noel pours garnet with large bubbles that dissipate to nothing, not even lace, after just a moment. The aroma is sweet caramel, cola, and candied figs. It’s made simply from Saaz hops, Pilsner malts and Belgian candi sugar. Perhaps too simply. It tastes sweet, with little carbonation, cherry, cola, and oh so thin.

I want to love it because of the style and the cool bottle, but it needs work to add more body and malt backbone to be a Belgian style winter ale.

Alameda Papa’s Old Ale Review

Alameda Brewing Company of Portland, Oregon is no newcomer to the brewing scene. They’ve been brewing commercially since 1996. Their Christmas beer goes by the name Papa’s Old Ale (the label on my bottle) or Papa Noel’s Olde Ale.

Papa’s Old Ale is a hoppy version of an English Strong Ale. It pours dark copper with a substantial light brown head that retains it’s shape. The aroma is sweet caramel malts and few subtle hints of cocoa and earthy spice.

It tastes as one would imagine: Sweet malty start with caramel and molasses that give way to a bitter hop finish. The generous amount of hops will please craft beer fans. It’s dark, medium bodied, clean and at 7.2% ABV, it’s a fine winter warmer. Very enjoyable.

Fish Tale Ales Winterfish Review

Fish Tale Ales is an organic brewing company in Olympia, Washington. Fish Tale brews a full selection of great beers, include the Hobbit series and the Christmas Vacation series. Today, I’ll review Winterfish, a seasonal ale.

Winterfish pours light amber with a thin white head of foam. It smells of malts,

Nøgne Ø Winter Ale Review

Nøgne Ø is an outstanding Norwegian brewery pushing against a traditional lager-only beer culture. I previously reviewed their collaboration Special Holiday Ale. Today, we turn toward their Winter Ale. At least that’s the name on the US import. In other Scandinavia the name is God Jul, which in Norwegian means “Merry Christmas.”

Ø Winter Ale pours deep, dark brown with a no visible head. At least for a few seconds, and then

Pfriem Winter Ale Review

Pfriem Family Brewers of Hood River, Oregon has only been brewing commercially for 3 years, yet they are producing excellent beers. The Pfriem Winter Ale is an unmistakable Northwest ale.

Winter Ale pours amber with a bubbly head of tan foam. The aroma is fruity hops, orange zest and loads of pine. Smells more like an

Rinkuskiai Missing Elf Review

Brewery Rinkuškiai is a family held brewery in Lithuania. Brewing since 1991, Missing Elf is their Christmas beer. The label says it’s a Double Bock.

Missing Elf pours golden with quarter inch white, fine head that reduces quickly to some lacing. The bright golden color doesn’t match the beer style, and neither