Winter Warmers <p align="center"><font size="6" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">WBAS Winter Warmers Tasting</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="6" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">8 February 2008 at the Loving Arms Pub</font></p> <p align="center"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Loving_Arms1.jpg" width="427" height="479"> <img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Loving_Arms2.jpg" width="420" height="479"></p> <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Brandon and Sarah once again opened The Loving Arms Pub to host a WBAS tasting event. Winter Warmers were the evening fare. The event was conducted as a blind tasting featuring 10 representative beers from across the U.S. hand-picked by Dan. </font></p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"><font size="6" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Brandon.JPG" width="640" height="498"></font></p> <p align="left">Brandon behind the bar</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p>The table below provides some information on the Winter Warmer Line-up</p> <table width="88%" border="1"> <tr> <td width="19%"><div align="center">Beer</div></td> <td width="17%"><div align="center">Brewery</div></td> <td width="16%"><div align="center">Location</div></td> <td width="5%"><div align="center">ABV</div></td> <td width="43%"><div align="center">Brewer's Description</div></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Stoud's Winter Ale</td> <td>Stoudt's </td> <td>Adamstown, PA</td> <td>6.0</td> <td>This medium to full bodied ale is a deep brown color with notes of chocolate and nut flavors. It has a subtle hop bitterness and chocolaty aroma. This is the perfect holiday beer for the season</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Smuttynose Winter Ale</td> <td>Smuttynose </td> <td>Portsmouth, NH</td> <td>not avail</td> <td>Smuttynose Winter Ale is a full-bodied, amber beer brewed with a special Trappist ale yeast. Stylistically reminiscent of a Belgian Abbey Double, it features fruity aromas and flavor, balanced by soft Crystal hops. Warming, mellow & pleasantly complex</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Winterbraun</td> <td>Lost Coast Brwy. & Café</td> <td>Eureka, CA</td> <td>6.5</td> <td>A full-bodied, brown ale with a rich chocolate taste created from roasted chocolate and caramel malts. Topped with Czech Saaz hops to give it a spicy flavor and aroma. </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Bell's Winter White Ale</td> <td>Bell's </td> <td>Comstock, MI</td> <td>5.0</td> <td>Wheat Ale brewed with American Wheat and a proprietary blend of Hefe and classic Belgian-style yeasts.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Snow Cap Ale</td> <td>Pyramid </td> <td>Seattle, WA</td> <td>7.0</td> <td>A rich, full-bodied winter warmer crafted in the British tradition of holiday beers. This deep mahogany colored brew balances complex fruit flavors with a refreshingly smooth texture.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Winter Solstice Ale</td> <td>Anderson Valley </td> <td>Boonville, CA</td> <td>6.9</td> <td>Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale begins with a very high original gravity to create a hearty and spicy brew with a deep amber hue and a smooth finish.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Rouge Ale: Santa's Private Reserve</td> <td>Oregon </td> <td>Newport, OR</td> <td>6.0</td> <td>A variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops--including Chinook, and Centennial, and a mystery hop called Rudolph by head brewer John "more hops" Maier! This holiday elixir is brewed with two-row Harrington, Klages and Munich malts, along with Hugh Baird 30-37, Carastan 13-17, and Crystal 70-80 malts, plus free range coastal water and proprietary top-fermenting Pacman yeast.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Winter Storm</td> <td>Clipper City </td> <td>Baltimore, MD</td> <td>7.5</td> <td>Our "winter warmer" ale, brewed with copious helpings of English malts and US and English hops, a ruddy hued "Imperial ESB" in style. Full malty flavors dancing with powerful hop aromas and a lingering, firm hop bitterness. Seasonally available from mid October to February.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Celebration Ale</td> <td>Sierra Nevada </td> <td>Chico, CA</td> <td>6.8</td> <td>Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale represents a time honored tradition of brewing a special beer for the holiday season. There are generous portions of barley malts and fine whole hops of several varieties, creating a brew with a full, rich and hearty character.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Mad Elf Ale</td> <td>Troegs </td> <td>Harrisburg, PA</td> <td>11.0</td> <td>The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast , this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the character of this Ale. </td> </tr> </table> <p align="left"><font size="6" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/all_tables.jpg" width="576" height="390"></font></p> <p align="left">A full house at the Loving Arms</p> <p align="left"><font size="6" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Bill_Doug.jpg" width="576" height="419"></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Doug, Jean, Bill (note Mardi Gras beads) and Brad listen as first-timer Kathy asks a technical question</font></p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"><font size="6" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Brad_Bill.jpg" width="576" height="443"></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Brad deep in thought searching for the perfect words to describe the flavor he just tasted</font></p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Curtis_Russ.jpg" width="576" height="432"></p> <p align="left">Curtis and Cait put the final touches on their ratings, while Russ and Lindsey await the next round</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/Tom_Chris.jpg" width="576" height="323"></p> <p align="left">Tom, Chris O', Chris M, and Gabe ----- Hmmmm</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"><img src="/media/Winter_Warmers/happy_crowd.jpg" width="576" height="374"></p> <p align="left">The happy crowd</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">The results of the tasting are presented below. The crowd favorite was Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice with an average score of 41.88 out of 50. Five panelists gave it their highest score. Sierra Nevada Celebration finished second with a 39.10 followed by locally brewed Clipper City Winter Storm at 38.82. Bell's Winter White Ale was at the bottom of the pack with a score of 26.08. Seven panelists rated it as their least favorite.</p> <table border="1"> <tr> <td>Taster</td> <td>Stoudt's Winter Ale</td> <td>Smutty-nose Winter Ale</td> <td>Winter-braun</td> <td>Bells Winter White Ale</td> <td>Snow-cap</td> <td>Winter Solstice Ale</td> <td>Rogue: Santa's Private Reserve</td> <td>Winter Storm</td> <td>Celebra-tion Ale</td> <td>Mad Elf Ale</td> <td>Taster Liked Best</td> <td>Taster liked Least</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Doug</td> <td>40</td> <td>40</td> <td>24</td> <td>11</td> <td>21</td> <td>22</td> <td>23</td> <td>30</td> <td>28</td> <td>27</td> <td>Stoudts,Smutty</td> <td>Bells</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Brad</td> <td>45</td> <td>45</td> <td>39</td> <td>34</td> <td>38</td> <td>46</td> <td>43</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>W Solstice</td> <td>Bells</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Bill K</td> <td>40</td> <td>35</td> <td>33</td> <td>26</td> <td>39</td> <td>40</td> <td>37</td> <td>43</td> <td>42</td> <td>42</td> <td>W Storm</td> <td>Bells</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Kathy</td> <td>30</td> <td>21</td> <td>28</td> <td>25</td> <td>38</td> <td>45</td> <td>39</td> <td>40</td> <td>35</td> <td>48</td> <td>Mad Elf</td> <td>Smuttynose</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Curtis</td> <td>33</td> <td>36</td> <td>19</td> <td>14</td> <td>27</td> <td>50</td> <td>40</td> <td>38</td> <td>39</td> <td>31</td> <td>W Solstice</td> <td>Bells</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Russ</td> <td>41</td> <td>36</td> <td>32</td> <td>33</td> <td>30</td> <td>38</td> <td>35</td> <td>37</td> <td>37</td> <td>39</td> <td>Stoudts</td> <td>Snowcap</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cait</td> <td>42</td> <td>27</td> <td>39</td> <td>12</td> <td>27</td> <td>46</td> <td>23</td> <td>40</td> <td>38</td> <td>25</td> <td>W Solstice</td> <td>Bells</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lindsey</td> <td>41</td> <td>33</td> <td>34</td> <td>36</td> <td>29</td> <td>41</td> <td>26</td> <td>44</td> <td>45</td> <td>35</td> <td>Celebration</td> <td>Rogue: SPR</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Gabe</td> <td>42</td> <td>40</td> <td>42</td> <td>32</td> <td>38</td> <td>44</td> <td>36</td> <td>42</td> <td>45</td> <td>39</td> <td>Celebration</td> <td>Bells</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Chris M</td> <td>33</td> <td>38</td> <td>40</td> <td>35</td> <td>36</td> <td>44</td> <td>28</td> <td>41</td> <td>43</td> <td>44</td> <td>W Solstice, Mad Elf</td> <td>Rogue: SPR</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Chris 0'</td> <td>39</td> <td>34</td> <td>40</td> <td>32</td> <td>44</td> <td>47.5</td> <td>30</td> <td>37</td> <td>39</td> <td>44</td> <td>W Solstice</td> <td>Rogue: SPR</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tom</td> <td>38</td> <td>35</td> <td>41</td> <td>23</td> <td>23</td> <td>39</td> <td> </td> <td>35</td> <td> </td> <td>27</td> <td>Winterbraun</td> <td>Bells, Snowcap</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td>38.67</td> <td>35.00</td> <td>34.25</td> <td><strong><font color="#FF0000">26.08</font></strong></td> <td>32.50</td> <td><font color="#33CC00"><strong>41.88</strong></font></td> <td>32.73</td> <td>38.82</td> <td>39.10</td> <td>36.45</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td><strong><font color="#FF0000">lowest</font></strong></td> <td> </td> <td><font color="#33CC00"><strong>highest</strong></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> </table> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="center"><a href="/Pages/WBAS_News.html" target="_parent">Return to WBAS News</a></p> <p align="center"><a href="/Pages/recent_tastings.html" target="_parent">Return to Recent Tastings</a></p> <p align="center"><a href="/index.html" target="_parent">Return to WBAS Home</a></p> </body> </html>