As a style, Winter Warmers tend to be heavy on the malts and sweetness. The style likely takes after the German Doppelbock; full-bodied, heavily malted beers preferred in the wintertime for their almost full-meal value. In the past, such beers have been called "liquid bread" due to their nutritive value when fresh grains might not be available. It's fairly common for a bit of alcohol warmth to come through when drinking a Winter Warmer, for that extra cozy, warming effect.
Never Summer Ale pours a dark copper color with barely any head to speak of, though that might have been my fault in pouring it too cautiously.
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| The rare Winter Warmer in its natural habitat. |
The Winter Warmer smells very sweet, toffee and caramel malts dominate the aroma. Very little hop scent is perceptible. There is also no hint of alcohol in the scent.
Never Summer Ale tastes very sweet. Roasted malts and a taste similar to toast are the main flavors in the ale. There is very little bitterness to the ale, though a bit of hops flavor does come through. What bitterness there is becomes sharper in the beer's aftertaste. There is no alcohol warmth to the ale which is disappointing for a Winter Warmer. At 5.94% ABV, the lack of alcohol warmth is not surprising.
The Winter Warmer is actually somewhat thin-bodied, though a medium level of carbonation works to enhance the mouthfeel of the ale.
Overall I was somewhat disappointed in Boulder Beer Company's Never Summer Ale. I was really looking forward to enjoying the qualities of a Winter Warmer. After all, at the time of this writing, it is winter, and I could use some warming. I was definitely expecting more of an alcohol warmth to the beer as well as a bit thicker body. Never Summer Ale doesn't taste unpleasant at all, but it just doesn't have the characteristics that a good Winter Warmer should.
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