Winter Seasonal Session: Round 1

Posted on December 18, 2007
Filed Under Brews and Breweries |

On Hiber! On Jubi! On Iso! On K-9!?! Below is my review of four winter ale brews I recently had during a tasting session. I’ve ranked them in order of my least favorite to favorite.

4. Isolation Ale – Odell Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO)

Isolation Ale is a simple, winter-ale that lacked the strong bold flavors of your typical winter seasonal. It poured light brown and had light hops and malts that left a bit of a sweet taste behind for me. Overall, it was a little too bland for my liking.

3. K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale – Flying Dog Brewery (Denver, CO)

Again, a light brown-colored brew, but it is definitely stronger in taste than the Isolation Ale. Some light spices hit me up front, then it ended smoothly. Possibly due to the Oats used in the brewing process? This one was my wife’s favorite and I would definitely sit down and have it again. It is a good winter ale if you want more than one.

2. Old Jubilation – Avery Brewing Co. (Boulder, CO)

What is turning out to be one of my favorite breweries in Colorado got knocked out of the top spot, but was a close second. It is possibly a “1a” though. This is a very nutty brew and dark in color. It was spicy for me and extremely aromatic. Be cautious though. This brew tops in 8% ABV, but didn’t taste like it.

1. Hibernation Ale – Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Wow! This is the one I had to keep coming back to. This is the multiple, award-winning, strong ale from Great Divide that is loaded with taste. According to their web site, it is brewed in July and aged until late October. Man, can you taste it too. It is very rich and malty, but the hops blend in well also. If you can still find this brew, definitely pick some up as it keeps for about 2 years.