Brooklyn Brewery Winter Ale

[FedoraDave]

Another seasonal, and it's from a brewery that I respect and admire. They know how to make good beer.

I like it when breweries print descriptions on their labels. Yeah, it's PR hype, to some extent, but going beyond that, it lets you know what they were thinking when they formulated this recipe. So let me quote from the bottle collar:

"We brew Brooklyn Winter Ale from heirloom Maris Otter malts to create an ale with roots in blustery Scotland, where winter comes early and leaves late. Brooklyn Winter Ale is richly malty, aromatic, full-bodied, and a perfect match for stews, roasts, and holiday dishes."

The appearance is of a rich, deep copper color, with an off-white head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is complex; very malty. Almost has an earthy aspect to it. But it's definitely not unpleasant.

This earthy maltiness carries through to the taste. Very little hops presence, although I'm guessing English hops, given the description. So a strong hops presence would be unusual. It has malty sweetness, but not cloying. It's offset by some roasted malt, which gives it depth and a little more bitterness and, dare I say, maturity.

The finish is somewhat dry, and the roasted aspect carries through, which is a benefit. I can see this going well with hearty winter dishes like stews, chili, etc. This is a good alternative to stouts and porters, for people who don't care much for stouts and porters.

Brooklyn Brewery makes good beer. Whether you like what they brew is, of course, up to you. But they know what they're doing.

[John Sand]

Thanks for the review. I like that more craft brewers list their ingredients. It helps the hombrewer and doesn't hurt the business.