Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale
March 13, 2009 vertical: 2008/2009 Fresh: A3.5: Bronze with a thin white head, very little retention or lacing. S3.5: Marmalade/rind, floral hops, candied pineapple, apple/fruity esters, light caramel. T3: Very floral hopping, nice fruitiness (predominantly candied pineapple), a little more bitterness than previous vintages. M:3.5 Moderate body is smooth, moderate carbonation. D3.5: A decent drinker. 2007/2008 (at 1 year): Probably the most well-rounded with a slight hop bias. 2006/2007 (at 2 years): Still my favourite of the more recent releases. It's slightly more malt-pronounced with a light caramel residual sweetness. Seems to be more of a winter warmer in my opinion. --- Feb 1, 2008 vertical tasting: 2007/2008 (fresh) Bottle #SH24C1: Perhaps the most balanced malt/hop flavour of the last 3 years, allowing the fruity esters to be a little more perceptable. Without the benefit of the cellar, the alcohol is a little more warming. 2006/2007 (at 1 year) bottle #SH17B1: My favourite of these 3, with some darker malt flavours shining through (dark fruit, caramel & bread). With a little more residual sweetness, this one has a little more body as well. It still has a good bitterness and pleasant spicing from the hops. Definitely the best of the 3, and the most reminiscent of earlier vintages. This one's closer to a winter warmer than the other strong ales. 2005/2006 (at 2 years) bottle #SI07A1: The last of the clear bottles, but I've kept this one in the dark. It's a slightly lighter hue than the newer versions. Amazingly this one still has the hoppiest nose, with a remarkable amount of hop flavour still apparant (earthy-orange citrus). I still think this one lacks the maltyness that a winter warmer should have. There's still plenty of head & a little retention, but there's a slight hint of oxidation (flat, wet cardboard). I don't think I'd keep one for more than the 2 years. --- Jan 19, 2006 - 2005/2006 Vintage Fresh: I picked this up when the LCBO winter release was hitting the shelf (no light exposure). With the recent snowfall, I thought I'd re-welcome winter. A: Very clear, coppery in colour. Pours with a nice white head, leaves a nice lace, but there isn't a lot of retention. S: Not a lot of nose. A little malty (bread and caramel), with some grassy hops and a hint of citrous (Goldings?). T: Seems to be hoppier than previous years. There's a fair amount of hop flavour (Goldings?), with an assertive, crisp bitterness. Certainly balanced to the bitter side, but there is some nice caramel malt flavour. There isn't much fruit flavour... a think a fruitier British yeast would be nice. M: Moderate body is slightly creamy. Moderate carbonation. D: Drinkability is good. A few of these should warm you up!