Non-traditional penny-coppered seasonal deepens persuasive dry-spiced Scotch malt richness, dewy tea-like resonance and resinous spruce-maple sappiness with mildly embittered hop char. Aromatic wheat wafer surge increases caramel sweetness, putting this closer to toasted lager than winter-spiced ale. Tapped version, 2011, confirmed toasted malting, but drier fig-date spicing and sweeter marzipan reminder felt.

Divergent tawny seasonal perks chewy caramel-butterscotch reliance with harvested spruce tips, mild chestnut-pine wood tones, and insurgent floral hops, abandoning predictable cinnamon-nutmeg wintering for heavily alcoholic dessert warmth. Complexities abound when syrupy flow turns bubble-gummy at thawed finish.

Tawny winter warmer luring orange-peach-grapefruit tang, plum-cherry dash, and honeyed tea linger to eloquent floral backdrop. Cinnamon-nutmeg-coriander spicing tucked inside citric glaze.

Expressive mahogany-hued Belgian-styled dark ale celebrates winter with chocolate-covered cherry initiation, luxurious barleymalt swagger, and honeyed cinnamon follow-up. Ginger teases walnut-chestnut illusions as maple finish builds.

Nutmeg, toasted nut-grains, and cocoa nibs provide heady combination for impressive bubbly-headed tutti-frutti ‘cherry red’ ale. Well carbonated and not overbearingly sweet like some holiday ales, allowing aromatic herbs to entice pumpkin-spiced cherry-berry merriment. But what are we doing drinking rich winter ales in the month of May? Brewery defunct: 1999.

Silken bottle-conditioned caramel-hued ale with lilting barleywine essence augmenting unassuming 5.3% alcohol index. Pleasant buttery creaminess enriches gentle chocolate finish. Ultimately understated, but festive treat will please even the heartiest of thirsts.

Tart raspberry puree scheme outweighs astringent crystal-chocolate malting and honeyed hazelnut whim of ’06 version. Metallic phenol hop fizz restrains strawberry-kiwi nip, recessive wood impression, and harsh walnut density.

Pour contents from flask for best results since short neck constricts complexity of headless rust-tinted winter warmer. Pungent spiced-hop bitterness consumes chocolate-covered cherry, rum raisin, dried fig, and cinnamon illusions as malt liquor waft invites buttery Scotch raid. Dainty yeast succulence knocks back residual earthen latency, but watery finish lowers potency to mere dark ale complacency.

Busy coppery garnet medium body could pass as nut brown ale as dry Brazil nut-walnut component rises above cocoa buttered raspberry puree sweetness. Roasted cola beans, sugar plum, and earthen tobacco fill out hop-spiced pine-tipped nutmeg-cinnamon bog.

Venerable spongy tan-headed butterscotch-hued Imperial Red Ale celebrates winter solstice with lusciously fruity full-bodied seasonal that remains abundantly well rounded and remarkably consistent. Generous floral-tinged tangerine-orange sweetness caresses tropical pineapple-mango tang and candied apple glaze as countered grapefruit bittering increases. Moreover, creamy maple-sapped caramel-vanilla malting compensates resinous piney wood tones.

Cascading brown bubbles surface atop burgundy hue of novel seasonal not reliant on typical nutmeg-cinnamon dash. Advertised honey influence secondary to toasted pale malt exhortation and dry mocha-maple splurge. Woody spruce-pine bottom picks up prickly citric hop souring. Brewery defunct: 2007.

Thickly chewy caramel malting allows radiant red-fruited punctuality to shine through 8% alcohol heft and floral-hopped bitterness. Though lacking distinct seasonal nutmeg spicing, appealingly overripe apple-grape cameo and toasted barley base broaden depth.