Beer Review: Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale

It's now officially December which means most of us beer bloggers are sampling the winter fare in order to pass our thoughts along to our viewers. Thus far on this blog, the winter ales haven't netted many points according to my rating scale. That's why it's always a good option to try some more. Southern Tier Brewing Co. produces one of my favorite beers out there with it's Pumking concoction. Here's the first winter ale I've tried from this brewery.

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: 7.2 percent

Appearance: Just like any other winter warmer you come across, Old Man is a dark, nut brown. So far this season, the head on this beer was the thickest and had the most retention. I wouldn't exactly call it the thickest of all heads I've come across, though. Old man is also very well carbonated.

Smell: Very piney. It smells just like it was poured from the trunk of a pine tree. Slight hints of caramel hide behind the overwhelming pine scent. It made me want to put on a pair of long johns and get outside for some sledding.

Taste: Old Man tastes very hoppy and piney. There's as much pine taste as there is in the smell. This beer would taste much better if the caramel lingered behind in the taste as it did during the first waft.

Overall Rating:  

I'm starting to think that most winter session beers taste similar to each other. Of the three winter ales I've reviewed, one tasted similar to this one (Full Pint Festivus). The other was way off and not in a better way.