The Erie Better Beer Bureau
The Erie Better Beer Bureau is a group dedicated to bringing good beer to Erie county and acting as an advocate for the customers of the Erie craft beer market. We aim to provide the most up-to-date and relevant craft beer news, reviews, opinions and information available. Must be 21 or older to view. As always, please drink responsibly.
Cigar City Warmer Winter Winter Warmer — Reviewed By: The BBB
Brewery: Cigar City Brewing Co.
City – State – Country: Tampa, Fl USA
Style: Barleywine
Alcohol: 10%
Reviewed By: The Better Beer Bureau
INFORMATION: It’s a pretty chilly April day, so we decided to break out a couple of big beers. This was a 2010 bottle that Morey managed to land in a trade (thanks Mark). None of us had ever had this before, so we were excited to try this one. We went to Cigar City’s website, and this beer wasn’t even listed as their winter seasonal anymore. Not sure if they decided to brew something else in it’s place?
APPEARANCE: Murky chocolate-brown color with a khaki colored head that stood over a finger tall and pretty much remained until the last drop. Good head retention with decent lacing.
AROMA: Huge malty sweetness, brown sugar, burnt caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon rolls.
TASTE: You’re immediately hit with an in-your-face malty sweetness up front accompanied by a fizzy punch. Caramel flavor along with a slight bitterness reminiscent of burnt sugar. Very little in the way of hop bitterness though. The candy-like flavor intensifies as this beer warms making for an almost cloyingly sweet finish.
MOUTHFEEL: Full bodied with a thick and syrupy feel. Carbonation is moderate to high (especially for the style).
THE BUREAU’S BOTTOM LINE: While very grateful that we had a chance to try this, we all found it to be overly sweet. Sweet can be good, but this was just a bit much. Maybe this would have been better when it was fresh? It’s probably safe to assume that 2 years in the basement made this even sweeter than it originally was.
Morey’s Score: 3.5 out of 5
Dave’s Score: 3.75 out of 5
Pat’s Score: 3.5 out of 5
About eriebetterbeer
