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

Pumpkin Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Pumpkin Ale

• Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing Company (Vermont)

• Style: Pumpkin Ale

• ABV: 5.3%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: Another orange colored pumpkin ale.

      This one poured and the head was about a finger and a half. I fought with it for a sip or two then it was nowhere to be found. The color in the glass was another orange copper shade. The scent was a fresh pumpkin scent. Nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon can be smelt off the glass too. Even with all of these flavors and smells the taste is quite light. The pumpkin in taste is the star and really is delicious. If I were you this is another one I would try!
      Wolaver's goes the organic route and uses local pumpkins and spices to make this beer. It comes out great. This maybe my favorite beer from Wolaver's. I could see at the thanksgiving game popping a few of these open and enjoying! I'd suggest you too do the same since it's a seasonal. So go get one before it's too late!

Rating: ****1/2

Spring Bock

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Spring Bock

• Brewery: Otter Creek (Vermont)
  

• Style: Bock

• ABV: 6.2%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: A golden slightly murky color.

      The bottle is opened and you get a nice sweet malty yeasty scent off the spring bock. The head started fluffy but faded fast. The color was a golden orange that had a cloudy quality. The hop flavor in this one is a nice earthy back ground. The malt is a nice sweet barley flavor. Really a nice lager flavor. The one downside, much like the copper ale, is that it has a slight alkaline taste that again is a weird off flavor. Nice and light this one was a decent spring offering. 
      This is the last that is in their spring sampler, and I found the sampler wide ranging. The Copper Ale wasn't to good. The Bock is average. Yet the Stovepipe Porter and the Black IPA were great. When it comes to Otter Creek Brewing I'm gonna keep it dark from here on out. Otherwise the follicles pick up on a metal taste that isn't appealing.

Rating: ***

Stovepipe porter

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: StovePipe Porter

• Brewery: Otter Creek (Vermont)
  

• Style: Porter

• ABV: 4.4%

• IBU: 28

• Pour Color:  A black pour letting little light through the bottle.
  

     On pour this one had a nice fluffy head that you would expect. Chocolate, roast, and a slight sweet smell comes off the glass when smelled. On first splash you realize this one has a nice thick body. Like a porter should. The taste is a nice smokey, roasted, chocolate taste. Almost a hint of coffee in there too. Really a great porter that no one could complain about. 
     This one is a nice full bodied porter. I find this to be a good beer to use for chili or stew. A nice dark roasted flavor to this one helps add to most recipes. This one also ain't to bad just out the bottle either. Here's a recipe using this one in chili. Enjoy!

     

Rating: ****

Black IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Black IPA

• Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing (Vermont)
  

• Style: Black IPA

• ABV: 6.0%

• IBU: 60

• Pour Color: A dark pour that can't be seen through, black.

      Nice citrus and pine scent out the bottle. On pour, it was black, letting little light through. The head held for a few seconds but not too long. The scent off the glass is a slight roasted scent and the pine and citrus scents of hops. The taste is where it gets really good. It splashed up and I got a nice bitter taste of hops. Once my follicles got used to that it was easy to taste the coffee and roasted barley flavors. Really really delicious smooth porter feel with the hops of a IPA. This is by far the best of the four I got in the Otter Creek sampler. 
      Black IPAs seem to be coming out more and more each day. If done well these are some of the best beers out there. Why settle for a IPA or a porter when you can have both? That nice roasted flavor and bitter hop make for some great mixes of tastes. Otter Creek happens to have a real good one too. So go try it.

Rating: ****1/2

Copper Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Copper Ale

• Brewery: Otter Creek (Vermont)
  

• Style: Altbier

• ABV: 5%

• IBU: 32

• Pour Color:  a copper color to the pour easily seen through.

      On pour this one had a quick rising head. That was quick lived as it disappeared almost instantly.  The scent off the glass is a sweet malty scent. The caramel malt is what you catch most of in scent. On sip you get a strong taste of those caramel malts again. A slight roasted taste to it too. It also has a alkaline flavor that I found to be off setting. Overall the hops only add slight tones. Almost a spicy kick but really don't come through strong. This one is a very malty earthy beer. 
      Being Otter Creek's flagship beer I expected more. The earthy spicy tones of the hops, that you could taste, was good. The alkaline almost metal taste though was really not good. This isn't one that I would buy again on any occasion really.

Rating: **