I typically don’t buy beers that are geared specifically towards winter unless I’m making a conscious effort to do so, and I haven’t felt the need to do that in quite a while. However, this past winter here in the northeastern U.S. has been so long and cold that I ended up getting enough to do a proper review anyway. The cold weather seems to be winding down, but it’s definitely worth going out to grab a few of these: I stumbled upon quite a tasty selection, and at this point, you might be able to find them on sale.

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‘ADORATION’ – OMMEGANG – Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with coriander, cardamom, mace, grains of paradise, and sweet orange peel – 10.00% ABV (Eye Choir’s Top Choice)

Appearance: Poured a rusty reddish-brown with golden-orange highlights and a two-finger, light orange-tan head. Despite the dark color, some mild haziness as well as mild carbonation can be seen. 4.5/5

Smell: Quite fruity, with dark fruits such as candied dates and black cherries balanced by lighter fruit notes such as banana taffy and orange peel. Very spicy as well, with perfumy coriander and vanilla as well as notes of mace and cardamom. Malt character is more subdued but still rich and nutty, with boozy molasses creeping in as well, which adds to the confectionary aesthetic here. Really deep synergies with an amazingly good balance. 5/5

Taste: Moderate to strong sweetness, which really highlights the milk chocolate and candi sugar malt qualities, and blends in as well with the nutmeg, clove, and other spice notes to give a rum cake impression. Moderate tartness then pops up, bringing the coriander together with citrus and apple as a striking contrast. Gradually, as these flavors fade, booze and soft yeast earthiness build up, bringing out hints of slightly charred raisin and burnt sugar with a mild bitterness. Absurd complexity that is somehow reconciled with meaningful balance. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a combined full smoothness augmented by soft carbonation and saccharine sticky mouthfeel. The moderate, finishing alcoholic heat is quite smooth as well, and helps bring some darker, off-dry flavors out of the malt and fruit. Fantastic. 4.5/5

Overall: Excellent use of spices that doesn’t come off as cloying and instead balances perfectly with an otherwise excellent variety of fruity yeast notes and a robust malt. No flavor gets in the way of any other despite the extreme detail here. 5/5

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‘6 GEESE-A-LAYING’ – THE BRUERY – Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with cape gooseberries – 11.50% ABV

Appearance: Poured a dark ruby-brown with lighter brass highlights and a one finger, light beige head. Quite hazy, though some moderate to strong carbonation can yet be seen. 4/5

Smell: Strong Belgian yeast aroma, which features dark fruits such as figs and raisins along with a touch of funky horse-blanket. This is complemented by an almost brandy-like booziness that mixes with a raw gooseberry, bubblegum and faint white pepper aroma. Malt aromas are more subdued, but feature a tarry molasses and gingerbread augmented by scorched candi sugar. Complex, yet has a sort of blunted intensity to it. 3.5/5

Taste: Moderate sweetness brings out some honey and cotton candy flavors from the malt, and also gives a sort of fruit preserve tilt to the light and dark berry flavors alike. A moderate tartness adds dynamics to these fruit flavors, while also holding a firm yet subtle leathery funk up over a much milder ethereal spiciness that blends into the heavily booze-flavored, mild to moderately bitter finish. Unconventional and dynamic, if a touch wildly balanced. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a slightly slick booziness that combines with a thin, sizzling carbonation to enhance the drink’s acidity quite a bit. Alcoholic heat is moderate to strong, which fortunately provides weight behind the sugary malt. 3.5/5

Overall: Quite a potent and interesting fruit character that has a nice integration of yeast flavors, though the malt is a little understated for a winter warmer and the whole balance comes across as a bit cockeyed. 3.5/5

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‘BIFROST’ – ELYSIAN – Winter Warmer – 7.60% ABV

Appearance: Poured a moderate orange bronze with a one finger, eggshell head. The body is fully transparent, with no haziness, though virtually no carbonation can be seen either. 3.5/5

Smell: Surprisingly forward hop character that features soft mossy herbs and vague earthy spice coupled with a twinge of sharper orange peel. This fits in nicely with some baked Fuji apple and star fruit esters that eventually lead to a firm caramel malt, in turn showing off hints of bread crust with a little bit of butter. Very nicely balanced and quite unique, especially considering other examples of the style. 4/5

Taste: Moderate sweetness immediately heightens the malt towards a brown sugar-tinged dessert bread flavor, helped along by a generous dose of dried mangos and apricot marmalade. The fruit inclinations are amplified by a mild to moderate tartness that also helps transition to a drier, citric finish. There, a mild to moderate bitterness goes along with peppery pie spice and dark leafy hops. Really interesting integration of the different flavors, which by themselves and in combination are very inventive. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body, with a long-lasting yet gentle carbonation that provides a slightly fuller mouthfeel. Quite smooth, even when a mild to moderate alcoholic heat comes out in the finish. A good fit for the flavors and surprisingly apt for a winter warmer. 4/5

Overall: Completely atypical for the winter warmer style, though the combination of bitter, citric hops and tropical fruit esters works itself quite well into the typical rich malt profile and higher than average alcohol content. Truly neat idea, good execution. 4/5

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‘WINTER SOLSTICE’ – ANDERSON VALLEY – Winter Warmer brewed with spices – 6.90% ABV

Appearance: Poured a slightly dark ruby-orange with magenta highlights and a one-finger, light tan head. The body has an ever so slight haziness, but despite this, one can still easily see some mild carbonation. 4/5

Smell: Bold malt aroma that is predominantly toasted nuts with a fair amount of dark toffee and brown sugar. Some mild touches of chocolate appear in combination with a faint apple and a musky earthiness from the yeast. Distinct spices appear as well, with a large pop of sweet vanilla bean backed by milder aromas of allspice and perhaps a touch of cinnamon. Striking, enticing aesthetic. 4.5/5

Taste: Moderate sweetness hits first, with a burst of rich crusty cake and toasted walnuts meets up with the spices to form a gingerbread flavor. A mild tartness helps accentuate this and adds jammy cherry and pear into the mix, forming a fruitcake impression. In the finish, a mild fresh bitterness adds a woodsy hop flavor bordering on pine to the still sweet but waning malt flavor. Really well-balanced, and while not overly complex, the flavor is very dynamic. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with moderate punch of carbonation that initially brightens the flavor but doesn’t overstay its welcome. The mouthfeel is quite creamy, though in the aftertaste, a slight stickiness crops up along with a mild but noticeable alcoholic heat. Parallels the contrasts inherent in the flavors. 4/5

Overall: Successfully relies on an eye-catching winter aesthetic in lieu of excessive complexity, and manages to make the most of its inventive zest by maintaining an excellent sense of balance. 4/5