First things first: we definitely opened a can of worms with this project. At first we figured we'd just list our favorite beers we like to drink during the winter months. Seems easy, right? Not so much. A trip to a few of our favorite package stores made us realize that there's a lot of actual "winter" brews... and if we wanted to do this right, we should try as many as we can. This lead us into buying and trying pretty much whatever we found that was deemed a "winter" brew. So, this turned a 1-2 night project into a week long project! I mean really... we wanted to make sure we could actually taste everything we were trying and not get wasted and cram too much into a school night!
First, we fully review and rate beers that were actually winter inspired brews that use the word "winter" or "snow" or something similar in their names. We found that these were mostly your common macro breweries and we've dubbed these as "your usual suspects". These are beers that you can readily find in your local package or grocery store.
Then we review and rate a few not so common beers that were winter inspired that we happen to find here in our area.
Lastly, we listed a bunch of our favorite beers that aren't necessarily deemed as winter brews, but we like to enjoy during the colder winter months. Some are available all year long and you'll find a lot of awesome Connecticut breweries listed.
Huge thanks to our local package & grocery stores that sell "mix 6" or singles. That was a huge help for this project - and it is worth noting to you readers out there that if you are interested in trying a bunch of different beers that you might not want to gamble buying a 6 pack of... you should also take advantage of the mix 6 or singles!
Snowflake Rating:
(in what type of weather you should drink this beer)
❆ = slush
❆❆ = flurries
❆❆❆ = steady snow
❆❆❆❆ = nor' easter
❆❆❆❆❆ = blizzard!!!
Your Usual Suspects:
Description: White ale brewed with a blend of fresh ground spring spices including orange, plum and fresh ground coriander.
Our Notes: Spices are definitely present in aroma and flavor, especially orange; almost a sweet back end; I feel like this beer has been tweaked since I (Meg) last had this in 2014 - better than I remember.
Purchased at: Stop & Shop - Groton, CT
Our rating: We're split! Meg:❆❆❆ Chris: ❆❆
Description: Festive Bock beer; lager brewed with orange peel, cinnamon & ginger
Our notes: Spices are not heavily present but we do get a little ginger and definitely a citrus back end; a solid lager; definitely would pair well with a burger or even a hearty soup
Purchased at: Big Y - Groton, CT
Our rating: ❆❆❆
Description: Rich malt base highlighted by warming notes of caramel & toffee.
Our notes: Nice color, malty, slightly sweet back end; definitely has an "old school" taste
Purchased at: Dicks World of Wines - Westerly, RI
Our rating:❆❆
Description: Rich malt sweetness woven together with notes of dark fruit, oak and vanilla
Our notes: Definitely oak & smoky flavors; malty, very slight hint vanilla after taste
Purchased at: Big Y - Groton, CT
Our rating: We're split! Meg:❆❆❆ Chris:❆❆
Description: Schwarzbier-inspired lager layers notes of chocolate, roasted barley, and dark bread that finishes surprisingly light and pleasantly dry
Our notes: Roasty aroma, bittersweet, nice dark color - notes of licorice
Purchased at: Big Y - Groton, CT
Our rating: ❆❆❆
Description: Fuller-bodied beer brewed with roasted malts for a flavor with hints of cocoa, coffee and caramel; aged on real vanilla for a smooth, creamy taste
Our notes: Not getting a ton of vanilla; however it is smooth and roasty; has a bit of a weird tasting back end
Purchased at: Big Y - Groton, CT
Our rating: We're split! Meg:❆❆❆ Chris:❆❆
Description: Hearty, robust amber ale; created with pale, Vienna, crystal and chocolate malts.
Our notes: Malt forward, nice color - almost shocking that this clocks in at 7.7 abv
Purchased at: Stop & Shop - Groton, CT
Our rating: ❆❆❆
Description: Winter Warmer was Harpoon's first seasonal beer; a smooth, medium bodied ale spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Our Notes: Definitely an "old school" holiday beer; lots of spices present - its honestly like liquid gingerbread; I'm (Meg) liking this one more than I thought I would - although I think it's a little thin...
Purchased at: Stop & Shop - Groton, CT
Our rating: We're split! Meg: ❆❆❆ Chris:❆❆
Description: Malt character is balanced against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities; a different picture on the label every year.
Our notes: Chris has been drinking this beer for years - and is easily one of his favorite winter brews; a solid traditional English style ale
Purchased: Grand Wine & Spirits - Groton, CT
Our rating: We're split! Meg: ❆❆❆ Chris: ❆❆❆❆
Description: German Dortmunder style; hint of malty sweetness that quickly fades to show a crisp, hoppy character.
Our notes: Exactly how it is described above - definitely malty sweetness with a hoppy back end; clean & crisp; would pair well with a hearty meat & potatoes meal
Purchased at: Stop & Shop - Groton, CT
Our rating:❆❆
Description: Mild roast on the palate from chocolate malts and balance from caramel malts
Our notes: Definitely roasty, hints of caramel sweetness; easy drinking - one of our go-to dark beers that can be readily found on tap at local area bars
Purchased: Stop & Shop - Groton, CT
Our rating: We're split! Meg: ❆❆❆❆ Chris:❆❆❆
Your Not So Usual Suspects:
Description: Winter IPA to toast hop growers around the world for another successful harvest. This storm of hoppy citrus and pine notes is a bright reminder the end of the Hop Cycle is only the beginning.
Our notes: Definitely huge hop character, lemony, pine, solid IPA for the winter months
Purchased at: Big Y - Groton, CT
Our rating: ❆❆❆❆
Description: Dark copper color; caramelized malty and spicy aromas redolent of cinnamon, allspice, black currant, black licorice. Pleasantly creamy, with a silky body, sweet caramel flavor, hints of seasonal spices and a clean, malty finish.
Our Notes: Aroma of spices; sweet with flavors of cinnamon or vanilla - but not too over the top; creamy - tastes like a caramel cream candy!
Purchased at: Universal Package Store, New London, CT
Our rating: ❆❆❆❆
Description: Blends dark malts and sweet chocolate into a hot cocoa porter with a hint of vanilla
Our notes: Drink this one more room temp... takes a bit to get into; initially overpowering smoky flavor, but as it warms it turns more roasty with slight hints of bitter chocolate; not getting any vanilla; medium body; cool label art
Purchased at: Universal Package Store - New London, CT
Our rating: ❆❆
Brews we love and highly recommend you get snowed in with...
Beer'd Midnight Oil Oatmeal Stout 6.2% (CT) ❆❆❆❆❆
Outer Light / Hanging Hills Southern Love Baltic Porter 7.8% (CT)❆❆❆❆
Wormtown Blizzard of '78 Coffee Brown Ale 6% (MA) ❆❆❆❆
Two Roads Espressway Coffee Stout 6.5% (CT) ❆❆❆❆❆
Mayflower Leather Bound Books Baltic Porter 8% (MA) ❆❆❆❆❆
Mayflower Hometown Brown 5% (MA)❆❆❆❆
Cottrell Can'n Porter 6% (CT) ❆❆❆
New Belgium Accumulation White IPA (CO/NC) 6.2% ❆❆❆
Heavy Seas Winter Storm Imperial ESB 7.5% (MD) ❆❆❆
Thimble Island Vanilla Coffee Stout 6% (CT) ❆❆❆
NEBCO Imperial Stout Trooper 9.5% (CT) ❆❆❆❆❆
Mast Landing Gunners Daughter Peanut Butter Milk Stout 5.5% (ME) ❆❆❆❆❆
Limited Releases... if you have 'em, a snow storm is the best time to pop 'em!
Igor's Dream Russian Imperial Stout 10.9% (CT) ❆❆❆❆❆
Goose Island Bourbon County Imperial Stout 14.7% (IL) ❆❆❆❆❆
Founders Canadian Breakfast Imperial Stout 11.7% (MI) ❆❆❆❆❆
Fall / holiday brews we (still) can't get enough of...
Troegs Mad Elf Belgian Strong Ale 11% (PA) ❆❆❆❆
Grey Sail Wheelhouse Series Kegnog Milkshake IPA 7.7% (RI) ❆❆❆❆
Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA 6.8% (CA/NC) ❆❆v
Platform Holiday Donut Cookie Holiday Ale 7% (OH) ❆❆❆
Lawsons Fayston Maple Imperial Stout 10.1% (VT)❆❆❆❆❆
Lawsons Maple Nipple Amber Ale 8% (VT) ❆❆❆
Long Trail Harvest Vermont Maple Brown Ale 4.4% (VT) ❆❆❆❆