Winter Beer Blog
January 03, 2012 at 9:23 AM
Winter Warmers
The doldrums of winter are upon us. For better or worse, the chilly air and frigid snow is here to stay. Fortunately, while your body may be cold, nothing warms the spirit like a good beer. The Wood-N-Tap's winter beer portfolio provides just such an opportunity, with a great variety of hearty and richly flavored brews from around the world. This season its all about robust dark beers, brewed with an over abundance of flavor. While such beers would weigh you down over the summer, they are the perfect end to a cold New England night, and a great precursor to a cozy bed. So bundle up, grab a seat, and as always, come as you are.
Brown Ales
Sometimes labeled “Harvest” beers by American brewers, Brown Ales enjoy a tremendous amount of popularity during the Fall and Winter seasons due to their rich, filling flavor. Such beers showcase a sweet caramel taste, often with distinct nutty undertones. They typically have a brilliant color, ranging from garnet red to deep brown. These beers normally use very little hops, making them less bitter, and consequently, less “crisp” in finish than other popular styles. Such beers are probably the lightest and easiest drinking options of this season's offerings. Examples include Newcastle, or Corsedonk Brown.
Stouts and Porters
Perhaps the most robust and full bodied of the Winter styles, both Stouts and Porters draw their rich flavor and dark color from the inclusion of an overabundance of malted barley. In many modern beers this barley is roasted (much like the beans in your morning coffee), lending them a dry, slightly bitter taste. It is also fairly common to infuse such beers with nitrogen gas in addition to carbon dioxide, giving them a creamy flavor and distinct fluffy head. The rich filling nature of such brews lends particularly well to the addition of flavors like coffee, chocolate, oatmeal, or vanilla bean. Examples include Guinness or Young's Double Chocolate Stout.
Winter Ales
These special release beers, in following the trend of the season, are usually malty darker beers, ranging in color from rich red, to an almost midnight black. Typically, such beers are high in alcohol content, lending them a “warming” feeling perfect for fighting off the winter chills. It is common for many brewers, especially in America, to add spices during the brewing process, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, ginger, or juniper. Each brewer experiments with different amounts and varieties of spice giving their individual beers a broad range of flavors, and resulting in each brew having a taste as distinct and unique as a winter snowflake. Examples include Sam Adam's Winter, or Sam Smith's Winter Welcome.
