Pours warm brown with hues of red. The generously tall and creamy tan head takes some time to sink into nice lacings.

Dry; black coffee, dark chocolate and faint vanilla. Caramell malt, roasted, holding some sweetness. It was surprisingly malty for Sierra Nevada. Rich smooth coffee and dark bitter chocolate flavors are in there as well.. Hops but far from the powerful American-style as Sierra Nevada usually use; very mild citric and piney notes. Body is full while carbonation is held back. The aftertaste is long and almost like what you would expect from an ESB. This was a pleasent surprise from Sierra Nevada where their hops usually take over the whole experience. This is perfect for crisp fall evenings around a bonfire or those last few weekends at the lake where fleece jackets and sweatshirts give way to the cold night air. This will be a must and it is unfortunate this the only true seasonal they put out.

Odell Brewery (Ft. Collins CO) Isolation Ale

This is a really good beer. The nose and flavor is packed with great hops quality. The malt side, however was a little disappointing for a winter seasonal when one expects big, bold, malty beers.The head of Isolation Ale is dense and white. Its body is clear dark copper. The aroma is bursting with floral and spicy hops and malt. The hops steal the show in the taste where the spicy and floral trend continues.There is a malty sweetness balanced against average bitterness. I am not the biggest winter beer fan out there so this was a treat. I have become a really big fan of the Odell Brewery. They rarely disappoint. I am excited there is a beer store in Duluth that sells these bottles one-off so sampling is easy. I strongly reccomend this for people who are coming into winter brews for the first time

Odell Brewery (Ft. Collins CO) 5 Barrell Pale Ale

I went in to this one in a very non-combative way. Pale Ale's are my favorite beer type so I am always eager to try a new one. This was my first foray into anything from Odell and this was a good intro. The color was semi transparent copper/amber and it poured about 3 fingers of head. Nice flavor of caramel, toasted malt, fair cream, and light nuts. Fairly complex, decently balanced and built. It was very wet and smooth but could have been a little more crisp. I don't much care for dry beers but this could have been a touch drier. I would definetley have it again, and certainly plan to.

**Pairs well with a good burger or your favorite bar snack.

New Belgium (Ft. Collins, CO) Snow Day

This was a great way to start the winter. New Belgium hit a home run with this winter ale. I usually expect a winter beer to be a lot heavier and very bitter. This was not. This had a great hoppy presence with the carmely after taste you expect from a winter beer. The color was VERY dark. When poured in a glass, it has the color and consistancy of cola with about a finger and a half of head. It was very light bodied and one could enjoy more than a couple without filling up. New Belgium is very consistant and you can never go wrong with six of any of their brews. If you are like me and like to sample, grab a Folly Pack.

**Enjoy with a hearty dinner or some good cheddar cheese while watching TV.

I Think I am on to Something Here.......

Surly (http://www.surlybrewing.com/) will always be known as the brewery which got me interested in beer. I was working in a liquor store when I first sampled it. To that point in my life (mid-college) I drank the basic swill beer; Budweiser, Michelob, Coors etc. Definetley quantity over quality. I hate to admit it,but I bought it for the label. It is unique to say the least It is distributed in 4-packs of pint cans, as opposed to bottles with very bold designs with an animated avitar, so to speak on them. I decided to give it a try and I sampled their flagship "Furious" and was blown away. It was the most flavorful beer I had ever tasted. It had a pine-needle aroma and tasted very bitter-sweet. I had no idea what hops were until that point but I had a crash cousre after that beer. The beer had layers to it as opposed to a malty-watery easiness about it. I found a new flavor after each pull and was ready to explore.I realized that beer was something that could be appreciated instead of just guzzled back like water on a hot day. I am excited to share my samplings, tastings, pairing ideas, and beer experiences.