Cold rain makes for fine opportunities to sip bold winter beers, bursting with spices, roasted malts and complex flavors. There’s a great scene in the 2007 documentary American Brew where late British author Michael Jackson (a.k.a. the Beer Hunter) describes a perfect scenario for sipping a dark ale. He’s in a pub, holding a full pint of heavy ale. “This would be even better on a cold night,” he says, “just as the rain is hammering against your window panes, and you’re in a nice, comfortable leather chair, and your wife’s gone to bed, and you’ve a got a bit of peace. You can have a bit of beer and some quiet time.” That’s all fine and dandy, but winters beers are also better on a cold, rainy day served in a flight at a lodge-like beer store/taproom in the middle of Tacoma’s Proctor District. Enjoy Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Winter Ales.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Winter Ales
Sig Are Ye Draft?!
6.5% ABV
Sig Brewing brewed this English-style winter ale with Latona Pub in Seattle. Featuring layers of rich British malts and hopped with UK East Kent Goldings, expect notes of baker’s chocolate, smooth caramel, and a hint of holiday rye spice.
Oakshire Ill-Tempered Gnome
6.8% ABV
In 2006, when Jeff and Chris Althouse founded Oakshire Brewing Co. in Eugene, Oregon, they were the only employees, brewing Original Amber on a four-barrel system under the moniker Willamette Brewery. In 2008, Willamette Brewery became Oakshire Brewing. Today, Dan Russo leads the brewing operations of Oakshire’s collaborative production team and overseeing the Pilot, Vintage and Core Seasonal programs, including the annual release of their beloved Ill-Tempered Gnome. This winter warmer combines dark malts with resinous hops for a more ESB experience.
Kulshan Kitten Mittens Winter Ale
7.4% ABV
Kulshan Brewing adds four different malts — 2-row, Chocolate, roasted barley, and Munich — to Kitten Mittens Winter Ale giving it the rich, medium-bodied winter warmer we adore with a nose of milk chocolate and a touch of brown malt. The body strikes a nice mix of easy malty notes and medium sweet chocolate balanced by earthy hop notes, thanks to the Apollo, Willamette and Fuggle hops. Expect a touch of chocolate liquor on the finish.
Double Mountain Fa La La La La
7.6% ABV
Winter warmers are top-fermenting ales that offer plenty of malty and sweet flavors alongside a balanced hop character. Many of these tasty brews are blended with spices, which give the style its trademark “warmth.” Double Mountain Brewery’s winter warmer is a big, malty hop bomb. Brewer Matt Coughlin loads the brewery’s holiday brew up with Gambrinus Organic Pilsner, Munich malt, imported Crystal malts and enough Centennials to fill Santa’s toy bag.
Kulshan Royal Tannenbaum
9% ABV
Ripe with festive spirit, Kulshan Brewing’s Royal Tannenbaum is balanced and clean, with just enough spice and warming alcohol notes to keep you warm on these cold, rainy days. Playful notes of fir, pine, and pithy citrus are layered on top of a smooth and bready malt body, followed by resinous and slightly lingering hop bitterness.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
