Snow Cap

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Snow Cap

• Brewery: Pyramid Brewing Company (Washington)

• Style: Winter Warmer

• ABV: 7%

• IBU: 47

• Pour Color: A brownish red color to this one. Light travels thru easy.

    

       This one poured with a nice fluffy head that would last a few sips. After it went down though it didn't even leave much lacing. Nice see thru dark color to this one. The scent off the top is toffee, ginger, and caramel. You can tell that a nice hop presence is in this one too. The taste has a mix of chocolate, caramel, and toffee flavors. The spicy flavor of this one has a ginger taste to me to. The alcohol in this one is pretty straight forward in flavor to. Not a bad winter warmer.
      Winter brings out darker beers. As a hop lovin mustache this really makes me depressed. Everyone wants hearty and not enough want refreshing. This is a strange conundrum for that reason. A warmer usually is to much for me. It's spicy and thick, not really a drinking beer. This one isn't quite as bad as others. Yes the spice and alcohol have a strong taste, but the hops stand up and make it refreshing. Not a every day beer for me but not a bad seasonal for a cold day!

Rating: ***1/2

Yellow Snow IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Yellow Snow IPA

• Brewery: Rogue Brewing Company (Oregon)

• Style: American IPA

• ABV: 6.2%

• IBU: 70

• Pour Color: Golden and hazy color to this one.

      It poured with a slight tinge of yellow in the head. A golden color on the pour. Very murky compared to a lot of IPAs. I imagine that it's the hop haze causing that cloudy murkiness. The head was big and fluffy for most of the beer. Spicy and grassy scents come off the top of the glass. The taste is a nice balance. The hops is a nice mix of flavors. It's spicy and citrus mix is really good. The bitter of the orange peel and grapefruit flavors lingers. The malts give it a nice mix of sweet and buttery flavor. A really savory IPA that some might not like. I found it to be delicious.
      This is a nicely done IPA. Not only bitter but long lasting taste.  You swallow and a few minutes later you're still tasting bitter peels. I could defiantly see me picking this up again and again cause you really can't get board of these flavors. Also you get the fun of telling your friends your going to drink yellow snow. All and all a great beer that this mustache loves!

Rating: *****

Winter Red Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Winter Red Ale

• Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing Company (Vermont)

• Style: American Amber Ale

• ABV: 5.5%

• IBU: 45

• Pour Color: A reddish dark amber to this one.

      The head wasn't to fluffy when The Face poured this one. Just about a half inch of head that went down on fist sip. It would linger as a film in the center of the glass and on the outskirts. The light traveled thru this one easy. You get a scent of the caramel malts and the hops off the top. Not a real strong scent but you know both are there. The flavor was a well ballenced mix of hops and malt. Citrusy and spicy the hops are a good portion of flavor. The malts are sweet and slightly roasted. Not really overly sweet. Not a totally dry finish to the swallow either but the sweetness doesn't linger to long. All and all a good winter red ale that has a good hop kick.
      This is Otter Creeks winter offering and I could see swimmin in it next to a fire. When picking this one up you can't expect and Irish Red. This is much more a hopped up amber ale then anything else. It just doesn't have that biscuity sweet flavor a Irish Red has. That's probably why I enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Rating: ***1/2

Big Moose Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Big Moose Ale

• Brewery: Saranac Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: American Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.3%

• IBU:?

• Pour Color: A dark amber color that can be seen through.
  

      This one poured with a fluffy head that last for a few sips. Once bested it only was a small film island at the top of the glass. The color was a nice copper like amber, as it was slightly darker then most pale ales. The scent off the top is pale malt and hop character.  The malt and the hop again commingled in the taste too. The taste was fairly bitter in mouth with a malt backing. The malt backing is slightly sweet. A extremely dry finish to this one though. That nice sweetness is no where to be found once you swallow. Although the malts do have a nice baked or toasted flavor at the end. This is a regular in my follicles come winter.
      For a triple dry hopped beer you'd expect a better bouquet to this one. As far as a pale goes this is a nice offering. It's not the kind of super hop flavor dales has. Instead it tries to balance the sweet with the bitter and make it easily drinkable. I'd definitely take a dip again in this one. Even if it's not super hopped!

Rating: ****

Winterbraun

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Winterbraun

• Brewery: Lost Coast Brewing Company (California)

• Style: English Brown Ale

• ABV: 8%

• IBU: ?

• Pour Color: A brown red color

      Ok head on this one not to fluffy but held for awhile. The scent off the top was coffee and chocolate. You also get a full smell of the high alcohol in this one. The color is a brown to red. The taste is a mix of caramel sweetness. Coffee and chocolate bitter flavors too with a little bit of smoke. The alcohol isn't really in the taste. All and all this is a really malty sweet beer that has little balance to it.
      So this one is beloved by many. I unfortunately don't feel the same. It's just to sweet for me being a mostly malt beer. The chocolate and the smoke I like in dark beers is there but really no bitter to be found. As a hop lover mustache, a bath in this just was just to sweet. Really a good dark beer even though it wasn't in my wheel house!

Rating: ***

Union Jack IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Union Jack IPA

• Brewery: FireStone Walker Brewing Company (California)

• Style: IPA

• ABV: 7.5%

• IBU: 70

• Pour Color: A golden yellow color and easily seen through

      The head didn't come up quick at all. It eventually sat about a a 1/4 inch above the glass. It would be a trace film across the top for the rest of the glass. Even just opening the bottle though you got a nice smell of hops. This golden colored beer just stunk of hoppyness. A strong citrus hops scent that you just know is gonna be in the flavor. Tasting it you just expect to taste hops. That's not at all how it is though! The malt backing is nice and makes the high amount of bitterness seem lightened. The citrus flavors, that I smelt earlier, again are the main hop flavor. The way that it finished super dry really makes it good! This is just a great beer for any night of the week!
      I had heard tales of the Union Jack IPA. The face would be talking to other faces about beers and this one would come up. The hype is hard to argue against! The scent is hops, the taste is hops! It's easy to tell you now that I too will tell tales of union jack. Delicious and crisp you can't find much better!

Rating: *****

2XMas Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: 2XMas Ale

• Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Spice Beer

• ABV: 8.0%

• IBU: 

• Pour Color: A nice seasonal shade of Christmas red.

      Wow! This one poured out and didn't have much of a head. The color was a nice  almost burgundy. Easily seen through and it let light pass easy. Not to carbonated looking either. I started by pouring this in a pint glass. Didn't seem right so I switched it up to one of my goblets. The scent off the top is intense. Orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger all of which come right up and bite you in the nose. The taste is the same thing a huge amount going on! You sip and orange hits you with a ginger and cinnamon bite. The spice combination of flavors. It really reminds me of a eggnog mix of spices. The malts make it quite sweet and not really bitter. Although the alcohol in this one isn't hiding at all. This is really a fairly tasty fun seasonal that I would have again and again each year!
      This is one of the most strange beers I've had as a seasonal. Extremely spicy and different. As far as the holidays go I feel this encapsulates it. You want the classic feel and flavor of the holiday of course. You also finding yourself wanting to get sloshed when the relatives are round. This has you covered in both cases with the 8% ABV! Wow strange but actual I enjoyed the swim in it a lot!

Rating: *****

Old Man Winter Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Old Man Winter Ale

• Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Old Ale

• ABV: 7.0%

• IBU: 

• Pour Color: Dark red to brown color when poured

      Old man winter pours kind of dark and ominous. Really a dark red to brown. The head popped up quick but was bested easily by my locks. It would be a thin film at the top of the beer for the rest of the glass. The scent off the top is dark sweet malts and citrus to grassy hop smells. Amazing how you get a pretty even amount of malt and hop as you smell. The taste also has that balance. The sweet malts cover the alcohol flavor fairly well. A caramel and spice mix to this malt backing. The hops come off more earthy in the taste. Gives it a slight bit of bitter. All and all a good seasonal offering. 
      Haven't had a lot of old ales myself, this may even be a first. Drinking this one reminds me of a strong scotch ale. Sweet like that but they go strong on the hops. This I consider a easily drinkable beer that tastes good. It's not as good as harvest ale from last season though. Still real easy to see why some people love this beer!

Rating: ***1/2

Celebration Ale 2012

The Beer Stats: 

• Beer Name: Celebration Fresh Hop Ale 2012

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Beer Company (California)

• Style: IPA

• ABV: 6.8%

• IBU: 65

• Pour Color: A nice amber orange color, Easily see through.

      The pour looked great on this one. The head was nice and fluffy and stayed that way for awhile. The color was a shade of amber. The scent off the top was strong and full of hop aroma. The pine and citrus hit you hard like most sierra beers. You only get a slight notes of the malts in it. The taste is a explosion on every follicle. The hop flavor is strong up front and bitter. The malts are there the whole ride and balance out that bitter well. Slightly dark bread flavor to those but also a slight sweetness. All and all one of my favorites for the holiday season.
      Sierra has a few seasonals that just make the year. This is one of em. A nice fresh hop beer that has a lot of hop character without being over bitter. The fresh hop flavor is there to. Bright and crisp making this one of the most refreshing beers ever. Being a hop loving mustache, like I am, this is a special Christmas season treat for me!

Rating: *****

Wizard's Winter Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Wizard's Winter Ale

• Brewery: Middle Ages Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Strong Ale

• ABV: 6.8%

• IBU: ?

• Pour Color: A nice amber nearly orange color to this one.

      The pour on this one yielded a nice full head that hung around a good while. The color was a nearly orange color. It's easily seen through and light makes it glow. A scent of hops and malts off the top but not really much spice to me. The flavors are fairly sweet in the mouth. You notice a alcohol taste to it this one. The malts are darker and the hops are only slightly bitter. Really earthy flavors through out really. The swallow leaves a bitter taste and seems strange. More like a malty, bready wine flavor to the end. Unusual mix but not that bad. I'd drink this one again but wouldn't be my first choice in winter ales.
       Of course as I opened this one I had to have some Transiberian Orchestra playing. Having had wailing wench this one I expected to be more. Also a strong ale but not nearly as amazing. As a seasonal this one works I would get a six pack or two through the season and that would be it. Couldn't imagine every grabbing this on a spring day. Decent but nothing to send to your buddy. This mustache didn't mind the swim though.

Rating: ***

Brooklyn Winter Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Winter Ale

• Brewery: Brooklyn Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Scottish ale

• ABV: 6.1%

• IBU: 25

• Pour Color: A nice shade of red that shows tons of bubbles and light.

      This one poured a nice shade of red in the glass. The carbonation seemed a little higher then most. The head fizzed quick but would only be a film for most the glass. The Scottish malts give it a nice caramel scent. This one seems to have a spice but thats prolly just the higher carbonation. The real star of this one is the caramel malts. A slightly sweet fairly strong tasting beer. The yeast also has a role in the flavor that blends into a nice bread taste. The hops really take a back seat to all the malt flavor that's going on in this one. Still this mustache thinks it's a good scotch ale!
      Brooklyn makes tons of great beers. At the local store to day I got to meet there buffalo and Rochester rep. Unlike the big names it seems that Brooklyn wants educated beer people to do there representing, not young good looking girls that are just learning beer for the first time. If you're in Brooklyn anytime soon try some "there will be black" for me and let me know how it is!

Rating: ****

Never Summer Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Never Summer Ale

• Brewery: Boulder Beer Company (Colorado)

• Style: Winter Warmer

• ABV: 6.5%

• IBU: 40

• Pour Color: A dark red color. Light makes it through.

      The head didn't come up fast on this one and would only be a film at the top for most the glass. The color was a nice ruby red that's easy to see through. The scent off the top is a caramel and spice. The roasted caramel malts give both sweet and bitter flavors. The spices give a nice warming sensation in mouth. A nice cinnamon, coriander mix that makes the follicles frolic. A nice piney earthy flavor to the hops. Really a nice mix of spices and flavors to make a nice winter warmer. 
      Another great brew from Colorado, Maybe it's something in the water. I only like a few winter warmers cause most of the time the spices feel out of place. This one seems to be made by that warmer sensation. That sensation gives you a liquor warmth that, with the caramel malt, makes you think it's stronger then it is. This is the type of beer you can drink on the snow covered deck and it's gonna keep a chill away!

Rating: ****1/2

Smuttynose Winter Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Smuttynose Winter Ale

• Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company (New Hampshire)

• Style: Dubbel

• ABV: 5.83%

• IBU: 30

• Pour Color: A dark red color. Light makes it through.

      The head was quick to raise in the glass. Had a nice brown shade to the head too. It lowered after the first few seconds and hung low at the top. The smell was almost a raisin, chocolate, caramel mix. The color is a nice shade of red that makes it very appealing really. This one hits the mouth and you start to get a warmer sensation. The caramel character is there and a nice fruitiness. As you swallow you get a nice bitter finish. 
      Smuttynose brewing is a trip! You see the two guess on there IPA bottle and one of em is in a red flannel and suspenders. When I went to the American Craft Beer Festival in Boston that man was at the booth. He was more willing to talk beer then any other person in the place. That's the kind of person who loves his product. Also the kind of person that makes great beer. This mustache hasn't found one Smuttynose he wouldn't swim in again. Even if it's just one time a year for a specific style!

Rating: ****

Encore

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Encore

• Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company (Vermont)

• Style: IPA

• ABV: 6.4%

• IBU: 45

• Pour Color: A hazy amber color. Cloudy but light travels through easy.

      The head of the beer was fairly low. Hung around at the top for awhile as a thin film. The pour in the glass looked to have a strong hop haze from the dry hopping. The scent off the top of the glass didn't really offer that sense though. You get a little hop and a little wheat kick in the smell. Tasting this one gives you a mix of flavors. While in mouth your getting a nice kick of pine and citrus hops. It also has a orange peal bitter taste. Then as you swallow that kick of the wheat comes in strong and clean. Not a bad wheat IPA. 
      This is a good beer that does what it aims for. You get a nice hop presence and a nice wheat end. It has a nice crisp clean taste that puts a lot of pale wheat ales to shame. Being a hop loving mustache though it's not hoppy enough. It does have another factor on it's side though. At 6.4% ABV it's actually a higher ABV then most wheat ales. Remember when drinking this one, although very smooth, it ain't a session beer. I wouldn't shy away from this one if I found myself hovering above it again. 

Rating: ****

Autumnation

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Autumnation

• Brewery: Six Points Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Pumpkin Ale (More A Pale)

• ABV: 6.7%

• IBU: 74

• Pour Color: A totally transparent orange, amber.

      This one raged out the can. The head was high and pretty thick at the top the glass. Fought this mustache to a stand still. It would be hanging around as a fluffy island in the glass for a long time. Residue of that head went down the glass  as i drank. The scent off the top is a bitter orange peel and a pine kick. You can really smell a difference in wet hops. The color is a nice see through orange. The kind of color you expect from autumn. The spices you expect from a pumpkin ale are really toned down in this. You get a slight pumpkin but it's more about those hops. The flavor is strong tones of citrus, pine and a balance from the pumpkin. A well ballenced beer that I'll swim in again and again.
      Ahhhhh a december posting about a pumpkin ale... I know, it isn't the season anymore. Yet I'm still finding Autumnation and I shouldn't be. This has been one of my favorite beers for a couple of weeks now. A pumpkin that has this kind of kick of hops can't be ignored by true hop head mustaches. The can says to get one by the end of December so get your face's on that!

Rating: *****