Skip to main content

Harpoon Winter Warmer

Hey everyone, thanks for coming by these parts.  This whole week the temperature in NJ hasn't been higher than 25F, and at night we are usually in single digits.  Now, this may not be a big deal if you are in Maine or Canada or Alaska, but we haven't seen this kind of weather in awhile.  Not that I'm complaining, I kind of like it, so I'm just making an observation.  I'm going to take advantage of this cold weather tonight and enjoy a winter warmer.
Harpoon has been brewing their Winter Warmer since 1988.  It took me awhile for that year to really settle in.  1988.  I was only 7 years old when Harpoon first started brewing this beer.  2 years after the Mets beat the Red Sox in the World Series.  I love thinking of the early days of "craft" brewing, and how it must have been to convince the American public to buy something they didn't know they wanted just yet.  Harpoon has decided to up their ante, and will be opening a brand new 300-seat beer hall that will have great visuals of the brewery.  A trip up to Boston is definitely in order!

Winter Warmer
Harpoon Brewery
Spiced Ale
5.9% ABV
21 SRM
Harpoon Winter Warmer pours a striking copper color with a small off white head, which bubbled away very quickly.  Dominating aromas are cloves, vanilla and cinnamon.  Blended together, it is honestly a bit medicinal.  Lots of mixed flavors going on, mainly cinnamon and clove.  Harpoon Winter Warmer is quite sweet, medium bodied and a little less than average carbonation.

Overall:  Not terrible, but not great.  The flavors are decent, but not something I could drink all the time.  Glad I tried it though!
What do you think of Harpoon Winter Warmer?  Let me know in the comments!

As always, find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dogfish Head Positive Contact

Frankenstorm is on it's way.  Bread: Check.  Candles: Check.  Ice: Check.  Beer: Check!  The big storm is supposed to strike land here in NJ late Sunday night into early Monday morning, and last until late Tuesday.  Kerry and I live in the western part of NJ, so we should be safe from most of it, except for local river flooding.  Tonight I'll be reviewing Positive Contact from Dogfish Head.  This is their collaboration with Dan the Automator (who I honestly had never heard of before this collaboration). I poured Positive Contact into my Yards Brewing tulip glass.  It poured a pale orange, golden color with a two and a half finger width head.  Apples, bananas and peppers hit my nose right away.  The smell is incredible and strong.  The Positive Contact is full of flavor, and reminds me of a smooth drinking Belgian tripel.  It tastes immediately of fruity esters, mainly banana.  The finish is peppery.  I'm ...

BJCP: Strong Scotch Ale (9E)

This is the first article in a new series of posts, where I will periodically choose a section from the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines , write about the style, and then drink and publish my tasting notes from some of the commercial examples given by the BJCP.  Now, I'm not sure if I will ever actually take the exam to become a beer judge, but I think this will be a fun exercise to learn more about beer! Fair warning, I will not be doing the sections of the BJCP style guidelines in any sort of order.  Whichever kinds of beer I am craving is what I will be writing about! Strong Scotch Ales (also known as Wee Heavy) comprise sub-category 9E in the BJCP style guidelines.  They range between 6.5% and 10.0% ABV, and have a light copper to dark brown appearance.  Obviously, strong scotch ales are all about showcasing the malt.  While studying this style, I found it quite interesting that the brewers ferment out the wort at cooler temp...

Beer Digest: Mission St., Hitachino, Weyerbacher

I've had some really great and interesting beers over the last week.  In this new post series, I'm going to highlight my favorite beers from the last week or so.  Hope you enjoy reading!  Suggestions and comments are always welcome! Mission St 2013 Anniversary Ale (Trader Joe's) Steinhaus Brewing Co. (brewed at Firestone Walker in Cali) 8.5% ABV I wasn't really sure what to expect from this beer, but it took me by surprise.  They say it is is blend of three different brews, and when it all comes together the final product is an imperial brown ale.  There was lots of malt, a little roast, and a full, creamy body.  I was surprised how fast I made it through the whole bottle.  There wasn't the slightest hint of the 8.5% ABV.  If more brown ales tasted like this, I would probably drink them more often. Mission St. 2013 Anniversary Ale from Trader Joe's Hitachino Nest XH Kiuchi Brewery 7% ABV Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nes...