Fremont Winter Ale

Review Date 11/30/2021  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Winter Warmer   Brewery: Fremont   Country: USA   State: Washington   $ Per OZ: $.18 (B)   ABV: 8%

Winter Ale! I just love a good winter ale. I’ll confess yet that it’s not winter yet as I’m sipping and enjoying my can of Fremont Winter Ale; indeed, it’s not even Thanksgiving. I couldn’t wait, though, to try this beer, and so here I am to tell you about it. I did not know a lot about it when I ordered a can from Craftshack, but the photos on Untappd showed a dark and inviting brew perfect for this time of year. Which is not yet winter, but starting to get cold.

Did I mention this is an “Imperial Winter Ale”? That’s what my can says. The brewery website tells a bit more:

This is a tasty Winter Ale to snuggle up to, released for the winter months when snow blankets the terrain of the mind and the body craves warmth and, let’s be honest, it’s dark and wet most of the time so your beer better be damn good. Winter Ale is dark like the weather with roast chocolate and warm malt flavors balanced by noble hop aroma and subtle hoppy spice. Warm up to it. Because Beer Matters!

Ingredients from the website:

2-Row Pale, Munich, C-120, Chocolate, Carafa 2, and Roast Barley with Columbus, Willamette, and US Goldings hops

Fremont Winter Ale has an alcohol content of 8% by volume with 45 IBUs. I paid $3.04 for my can from Craftshack. Total Wine sells it for $12.99 a 4-pack pint cans OR a 6-pack 12-ounce cans-your choice-in California. My can had no freshness dating.

Fremont Winter Ale pours to a dark brownish color with a thick rocky tan head and a rich nose of fudge brownie with toasted nuts. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body and super malty, with more of the chocolate-fudge notes the nose promised. Toasted nuts, dark chocolate, perhaps a kiss of molasses. It’s flinty, too, like a fine old ale. The beer finishes dry with hop bitterness and a smidge of alcohol warmth, it’s roasty-toasty there too. just a beautiful winter warmer and one I am lucky I got to try. I would definitely buy it again.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??