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Regrettably, I forgot I even had a Samuel Smith glass I could have used for this Winter Warmer. I'm not even sure I would have given this a second look (despite the organic chocolate stout that I very much enjoyed and have had again since my review). British breweries just don't inspire me. If you look at the graph for Samuel Smith, for example, it looks like a middle finger that also screams mediocrity. And they're one of the good ones. Still, some guy suggested this beer to the owner of the beer store, so I grabbed one to see if it can stand out.
I shouldn't have expected anything other than an orange-brown beer that looks like a generic ale, but I guess I had so frequently had the stout from Samuel Smith that I just automatically assumed that black liquid would come from a bottle that looked like this. The head is off-white and nothing to write home about. The aroma is a vague malt and spices. The hops appear to be floral, but they aren't strong.
First sip is possibly the most drinkable winter warmer I've had. It is cool going the whole way down - like a reverse Kentucky Hug. The spices are quite light, as is the floral nature of the hops. The malt is kind of caramel, and it gives a good base for what is also a light and flowery yeast. I'm genuinely impressed with how much of a chore this beer is not. It's easy going.
Tip-in is light carbonation tingle over caramel and toffee malt that isn't ringing the bells too hard; this is so the flowers of the hops can at least peek through. The middle comes with increased carbonation that is matched by spices in the air, but the ground is firmly the caramel and flowers. The finish is a ghost of spices with flowers that run into the trail off.
Bottom Line: Surprisingly enjoyable.
3.75/5
