Heavy Seas Winter Storm - Category 5 Ale

Today's tasting comes from Beer!, where we review the winter seasonal from Heavy Seas - their Winter Storm ESB.

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Co.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: ESB
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today's beer tasting is Heavy Seas' winter seasonal, the Winter Storm Category 5 Ale. The Winter Storm is a big ESB. It is deep amber in color with an off-white, clumpy head and fine bubbles of carbonation. The nose has a big citrus-hops aroma with some faint sweetness.

The Winter Storm leads off with a solid bitter kick up front. Fruity hops flavors pass by quickly but distinctly. The bitter hops then take on a pine/juniper quality with some floral notes as well. There is a hint of sweetness, some mineral notes and a background of pretzel maltiness. The Winter Storm has a fairly heavy body, which suits it well. The finish is long bitter hops balanced by a hint of sweetness.

It's not often that I taste a seasonal beer and wish it was available year-round, but the Heavy Seas Winter Storm is a rare exception. This is simply a fantastic ESB. There is a considerable bite for the hopheads, but it is balanced by a faint residual sweetness. Its heavy body and high alcohol content (7.5% ABV) help hold everything together as well. This is a top-notch beer for the hopheads, get some soon before it's gone.

Goose Island Honker's Ale

Brewery: Goose Island
Location: Chicago, IL
Style: ESB
Brewery Website
Rating: B

In my glass today is the Honker's Ale from Goose Island in Chicago. The Honker's Ale is an ESB that at first taste is clearly modeled after the prototypical English style. In the glass it is a golden-amber in color with a faint haze. The head pours on the shorter side and white in color. The nose detects citrus and pine hops in balance with malty biscuit notes.

On the palate there is an initial flash of aromatic hops that quickly fades to a malty bread/crackers note which finally leads to some lingering bitter hops. The hops has herbal and floral notes taking the lead over a background of citrus and pine. The bitterness level is moderate and well-balanced. Also present are notes of mineral water as well as a slightly sweet berry note. The Honker's Ale is light-to-medium bodied. The finish has saltines along ngering piny hop notes.

The Honker's Ale is a well-balanced, British-style ESB. It is easy drinking, but it seems a bit thin to me. This is a good beer, but with a fuller body and a bit more of a bitter bite it would have the potential for greatness.

Shipyard Old Thumper

Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co.
Style: ESB
Location: Portland, ME
Brewery Website
Rating: A

The Shipyard Brewing Company's Ringwood Brewery Old Thumper Extra Special Ale (now that's a mouthful!) is an American-brewed version of a champion British beer. The master brewer at Shipyard was mentored by the founder of Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire, and he now produces a version of the Old Thumper at Shipyard.

The Old Thumper is a golden amber color with a faint hint of red. It pours with a thick, bubbly white head. The nose is fruity with sourdough bread notes as well. One the palate, the Shipyard Old Thumper has some acidity up front with bread and some bitter hops flavors. These are underscored by complex notes of caramel, dark chocolate and tart berries. As the acidity fades, the bread and bitter notes linger through the finish. The Old Thumper has a light-to-moderate body with a juicy mouthfeel. This is a damn good beer, but it does have a distinctive flavor (similar to sourdough) that may turn some people off. If you enjoy ESB's, this is one of the great ones.