And this was one I was looking forward to as soon as I opened the box. Stegmaier Winter Warmer is brewed by Lion Brewery. After seeking advice from the big G (and I don't mean God, he takes too long to answer) I found Stegmaier Brewing Company, a gold medal winner in its own right and the original brewer of the Winter Warmer, was bought by Lion Brewery in 1974. Lion Brewery, also brewer of the Lionshead label, brews its beers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Ok, our foundation is set, let's jump into the brew!
Here the brew is after the first pour. You'll notice the head is nothing huge and the beer itself has a deep copper tone to it. On my way to taking my first sip, a nice deep breath fills the nose with an aroma teetering on sweetness. The newsletter provided by Amazing Clubs, The Frosted Mug, made note of the fruity aroma and it's obviously there.
The first sip was impressive. The beer itself was full of flavor with a noticeable but not strong bite. Behind a subtle strength, you can pick out the pleasant hop flavor that was, like the bite, not too strong but not too mild. Were Goldilocks a drinker, and whose to say she wasn't since she states bears were talking to her, this would be her selection for the just right winter beer in flavor.
The frothy entry that is described for the beer is correct in some way, but could be interpreted wrongly. As it looks, the beer head itself is not what I would classify as frothy. However, it is bubbly and feisty for it's size. The flavors in the head perfectly match that initially aroma. The Frosted Mug describes the overall flavor as "a combination of spicy cinnamon raisin toast and peach pie crust." I don't think anyone will confuse this beer with the sweetness that is described, but if you can imagine a dry yet slightly sweet flavor with a lightly fruity aroma I can see how that description is appropriate. When finishing the swallow, Winter Warmer creates a fun fizz going in and down the hatch.
Lion Brewery says this beer is great in front of a warm fire on a frosty night. I'd have to agree. In fact, it's easily one of my favorites as a winter ale and were you to stack this against a well-known brew like Sam Adams Winter, I'd say Winter Warmer comes out the victor every time.
So, how does Winter Warmer stack against the Good Beer Hunting's Pint-tastic Rating System (PINTRS)? I think we have a solid Imperial in our mugs here. Till next time!
- JDM
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