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

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: **

Oatmeal Stout

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Oatmeal Stout
  

• Brewery: Wolaver's (Vermont)

• Style: Stout

• ABV: 5.9%

• IBU:40

• Pour Color: Pour is black and lets little light through

      The beer pours black like a good stout should. The head was fluffy but didn't last long. As Face brought it up to me I could smell the roasted malts and a coffee scent. On the sip you realize how full bodied the oats make this one. A nice almost gritty feeling in the mouth. chocolate and coffee make up most the flavor on sip. Although the smoke of the roasted malts is hard to ignore. This one is a really good stout that most mustache's can appreciate.
      This one is more of a coffee beer then the Alta Gracia. A delicious dark beer that really isn't that hard to drink. Some darker beers have to thick a body. This one though is really nice and creamy not just thick. Really the best beer out of this sampler and a great beer that I would go back to again and again.

  

Rating: ****1/2

Brown Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Brown Ale
  

• Brewery: Wolaver's (Vermont)

• Style: Brown Ale

• ABV: 5.7%

• IBU: 55

• Pour Color: Brown almost amber color not quite see through.

      The pour came up with a nice creamy head. A nice malty scent off the beer with a sweet caramel smell. This one was another balanced taste of hops and malts. The roasted malts are obvious with a nice chocolate kick. It also seemed to have a coffee character too. The hops on this brown was where it got interesting. Quite a bit more hop then most browns giving it a bitter not to sweet flavor. The body and taste all blend nicely for a smooth taste. 
      Another good organic offering. Most browns have a almost watered down taste to it. Don't have to worry about that here. This one has got a good hop character and a delicious malt fullness. Really one of my favorite browns I've ever had.

  

Rating: ****

Alta Gracia Coffee Porter

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Alta Gracia Coffee Porter
  

• Brewery:Wolaver's (Vermont)

• Style: Coffee Porter

• ABV:6.6.%

• IBU:64

• Pour Color: A brownish red color that light still gets through

      A nice pour and color to this coffee porter. Didn't know what to expect cause it was on the lighter side of the porters I've seen. A nice chocolate and caramel scent off the top the glass. The head started fluffy but disappeared quickly. The taste was a nice sweet malty taste. Coffee, chocolate and caramel are accompanied by a nice smoked taste. An amazing balanced coffee porter that most couldn't pull off.
      As a huge fan of coffee beers I was excited to try this one. A real nice balance and a good coffee taste is what I got, and honestly what more can you ask for.  It's easy drinking not being to thick or dark and really refreshing. This mustache enjoys it greatly.

  

Rating: ****

Wolaver's IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: IPA
  

• Brewery: Wolaver's (Vermont)

• Style: IPA

• ABV:6.5%

• IBU: 50-60

• Pour Color: A transparent gold to copper color on pour.

      This one poured like most the IPAs. Golden color, pretty see through, and a fairly nice looking head. The head disappeared quick on a sip of two. The scent was a nice bouquet of hops. The fact they use caramel malts shows through with a nice taste of sweet malt each sip. The mix of bitter and sweet really was done well. A balanced beverage for sure that any follicles would be lucky to take a dip in.
       Gonna be honest here and tell ya the Face ain't bought many things organic in his life. This one was a dollar more then the southern tier sampler twelve pack and he went with the Wolaver's. This being the first of the four, it's really a decent IPA. Hoppy and malty I really enjoyed it and hope the coffee porter and oatmeal stout are better yet. The Face and I will let you know soon though.

  

Rating: ***1/2