Upland Winter Warmer
A barley-wine style ale. The strong malt character and dark color is produced using a long boil and the fines British and American barley. Rich fruit flavors and aromas are balanced by a pleasant bitter taste. The finish is long and lingering, making the drinker want another...that and the 9% alcohol content.
3.5
166 reviews
Bloomington, United States
Community reviews
Sample of 2009-2012 vintages at the Blarney Wine tasting on 03/16/2013: Reviewing the 2011 which was my favorite of the bunch. Pours a brownish-amber color with a medium foamy off-white head that recedes slowly. Small patches of lacing. Aroma of malt, caramel and ripe fruit. Medium to full body with flavors of caramel malt, dark fruit and grassy hops. The finish is malty up front with a fruity and grainy aftertaste. Decent overall.
10oz tulip at Cock and Bull. Clear red / orange color. Good thin off-white head. Good lace. Not much nose. Very spicy flavor. More winter warmer than barley wine. Strong hop flavor too, even for a barley wine. Medium / bigger body. Dry texture. Smooth, lighter carbonation. Alcohol not very noticeable, but there is kind of a spicy bite in the finish. OK winter warmer. Kind of unbalanced, I think. Big, strong hop... Could use a more interesting malt profile
Aroma of marzipan, pumpernickel, orange peel and resin. Appearance is amber with tan head. Flavor matches the nose; but with a resiny finish. Palate is medium, creamy and very soft. Quite good.
$5.49 bomber pours a slightly hazy copper brown color with small off-white head and alcohol leg lacing. Smells like dish soap. Aroma is much better: includes grapefruit, lemon, caramel and toffee. Taste is mostly bitter with some alcohol in the finish.. Body is medium to full with average cabonation and a sticky mouthfeel. This is the hoppiest barleywine I’ve tried. A great value which definitely warmed up the coldest day of the winter so far.
Bomber - pours amber with orangish ivory head and good lacing. Nose is spicy caramel and maybe grapefruit. Flavor adds a definite grapefruit quality. Hoppy for a barley wine but it works for me. Boozy finish. Medium to full body. Fairly sweet but overpowered by the bitterness. Between this and the Komodo, I will start to look for more from Upland.
Dark golden to brown pour w/ a nice small bubbled off-white head and some decent lacing. Smells like "fucking dishsoap" yep that’s what I said when I smelled this glass.... if I get beyond that (and it’s damn hard to do) there’s a touch of citrus peel hints of grass and alochol. Palate is pretty well coated lively carbonation. Flavor is better than the aroma. An assertive grassy hops with aggressive bitterness and hints of lemon zest unfortunately that soapy taste is back in the finish. It’s not as bad to drink as the last upland beer I opened, but after my small pour I’m going to pour out the rest of the bottle.
22 ounce bottle bottled in November 2011. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a ruby red/copper color with about an inch light tan head that sticks around for a while. There’s also a good amount of lacing. It smells like dark fruit, caramel malt, toffee, and some oranges. It tastes like caramel malt, dark fruit (raisins, cherries), oranges, berries, and toffee, along with some pine and herbal hops. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it’s a bit creamy and slick with moderate carbonation. I thought it was a decent enough brew. And for just $5.49 a bomber, I’d buy this again in the future. It’s certainly worth trying, especially at that price.
Bottle shared by rschnake...thanks Rob! - Pours ruby red with a thin ring of white head. Nose is sweet malt and caramel. Alcohol is prevalent, with some dark fruit and honey. Light herbal hopping. Not terribly pungent, and a little sharp. Taste is about the same, lots of honeyed bready malt, light grassy hops, and some baking spice. Noticeable heat on the finish. Smooth, velvety carbonation, but pretty thin. Interesting...wasn’t expecting this.
Originally reviewed: 5/3/09. Pours a deep ruby red with very little head on top. No lacing. Weak. Smells of booze, cherries, yeast, and candy. Not too bad.
Mouthfeel was decent. Fair amount of carbonation in there. Flavor was very yeasty and Belgian. Different. Tons of pineapple, strawberry, and shall I say it again, yeast. This was interesting. Very cloying with tons of sweetness on the finish. Not my cup of tea necessarily, but ok. Glad I got to try it.
Here is a barleywine that provides a significant difference in taste and finish between bottle and tap. I have had it each way, and have enjoyed it each way, but on tap it is superior in overall taste. The aroma is very sweet and fruity, the color of the body a syrupy amber, and a nice palate that you would expect from a good barleywine. That’s exactly what Upland has created with Winter Warmer - a solid barleywine that is unbelievably good on value price. I bought a 22 oz. bottle of this at a local liquor store for only $5.49. The pint on tap I had was much higher in price, but the quality was significantly raised as well. It is not among the high-tiered barleywines (like Hebrew Jewbelation) but they are a nice and commendable option in the genre.
Bottle. Orange, raisin, toffee malt and alcohol aroma. Dark orange-brown color with small head. Sweet orange, raisin, and toffee malt with a moderately bitter herbal hops and alcohol finish. Body somewhat light but a nice drinkable.
Pours a deep amber/brown with thick white head. Pleasant aroma. Tastes of dark fruit, molasses and caramel. Medium bodied. Finishes slightly bitter and warming (alcoholic). Overall, pretty decent barleywine.
Pours a dark, crisp brown, with little head. Caramel and persimmon aroma. Mellow flavor with a warm nutty malt and a hint of darker fruits. Medium to full bodied with a wet finish and a light lingering bitterness. Quite delightful.
Bottle shared by a friend. Clear amberish copper pour with a medium beige head. Aroma of grainy malt, caramel and dark fruit. Sweet caramel and cotton candy flavor with dark fruit and a bit of hop.
Deep reddish brown, white head, above average lacing. Aromas of caramels, raisins, and some leather. Taste is sweet but not unbearable. Fairly smooth, not alcohol bite. Nice finish that though short, brings out the resinous flavors. Overall, I am pleased with this one. Barley’s can, to me, get to be too alcoholy, and this one just let’s the flavors come through.
Bomber. Pours a deep dark brown with slight copper hue. Nice frothy off white head, dissipated, but laced nicely. Aroma is ripe fruit and roast malt, raisiny perhaps. Taste is fruity malt, with nice hop balance. Surprisingly no alcohol burn at over 8%. This is a very nice barley wine, definite worth a second tasting, and perhaps store one for a year.
Bottle at javit’s Birthday Tasting: Pours clear orange; thin off-white head; spotty lacing. Nose is caramel, white pepper, some smoke. Flavours of toffee, brandy, caramel apples, toast, and marmalade. A solid Barleywine.
22oz bottle in a shaker. Pours amber/brownish with a cream-colored head. Aroma of some cereal and caramel malts, some spiciness, and floral hops. Flavor about the same. Smooth texture. Alright, but not the best of its style.
Brand new bottle from 2011. Aroma is bright, perfumey, hints at caramel sweetness with some herbal, slightly piney and almost minty hops. Appearance brownish red, brilliant crimson up to light, with a two finger beige/khaki head. Taste is full on sweet, especially as it warms, with a tingly bitter finish. Palate is creamy, thick but not too thick, and smooth, with a lingering aftertaste. ABV is low-ish for the style, so no burn even though this is fresh. Doesn’t pack all the punch expected of the style, but this is still a nice sipper and very reasonably priced ($5 for a 22). Not bad at all.
A very solid offering with about a year on it (2010 offering). Pours an amber brown with off white head that laces gently. Nose and taste dark fruits, caramel, mellow hops and booze. It’s a touch thin on the palate but otherwise quite tasty.
Bottle. Barley malt, yeast, and fruit aroma. Dark amber with a small, quickly dissipating head. Sweet malt, bread, touch of dark fruit, and a lingering spicy hops. The body seems a little light for the style.
12 ounce bottle from Crown #19 (I think) in Carmel, IN. 2010 batch. Pours a hazy copper with a thin tan head that quickly fades. Large floating particles. Aroma of toffee, toasted malts, raisin and faint hops. The taste is toffee, citrus, raisin, bitter hop finish. Medium-full bodied. Nice beer. Its been months since I’ve had a barleywine so this hits the spot. Winter here I come! Incidentally, rating #4444.
Shared from 22oz bottle. Poured a dark amber color, fluffy off-white head. Aroma was touches of dark fruit, alcohol. Flavor was warming alcohol, touches of dried fruits. A bit too hot for warmer weather, even early spring.
bottle(courtesy StFun) at Morrie’s tasting(12Nov10)pours dark ruby red with a medium tan head. Aroma is toffee and caramel, very rich with some tobacco notes as well. Flavor is sweet, but not overly and is again rich with caramel and bitter orange peel and alcohol.
Murky caramel colored with a large frothy taupe head that sticks around. Some lace and an active body. Aroma of malt, grains, spices, tannins, varnish, yeast and some mild sourness. Taste of malt, bread, light alcohol, mild nuts. Mouth feel is a bit oily, a bit subpar overall for a barley wine. Best part about this one was Aaron Rodgers to Gregg Jennings on two deep balls to beat the boars to secure a playoff spot for the Packers.
Pours a dark amber with a thin off white head. Nose is Herbal hops, breads, toasted malts, cereal, chocolate, and light roast. Taste is hoppy, roast, sweet, lightly bitter. Heavy mouthfeel, with medium light carbonation. Good beer but not overly complex and not really a head turner but I cant make beer this good. nice.
served in 12oz bottle. diregarding the label of barleywine style ale. which i didnt feel that it was. it poured dark amber color still clear enough to see through. the head was nice and last a few second before fading away. the taste i thought was on the light side even though its 9% abv. not totally sold on this but still a decent beer.
A: The pour is a darkish amber color with a thin, off-white layer of foam.
S: Pretty basic in terms of the aromas. Brown sugar, caramel, bread, and perhaps some dark fruit notes. There’s also some noticeable alcohol to the beer. A bit of a yeasty thing going on as well.
T: Caramel, toffee, and perhaps some brown sugar provide the usual sweet flavors. Some dark fruits like raisins and plums, bread, and a bit of citrus. Not really very focused or what you expect from a barleywine.
M: The body is probably a bit on the thin side, like the -bal aged version, with a moderate carbonation.
D: A pretty pedestrian beer. No real big or bold flavors, which you normally expect from a barleywine.
Pours a clear, reddish body with a decent, fluffy, off white head. Aroma of dark fruit and bread crust. Some biscuit/toast, raisin and plum come through in the flavor. Slight bit of warming alcohol. Medium-full body with moderate carbonation and lingering malty character. Overall a very nice sipper!
Bottle (Beers of Summer at OTH). Pours a red-brown with an off-white head. Aroma is brown sugar, grapes, and plums. Flavor is dark fruits and nuts. Medium bodied with some decent warmth. Pretty durn good.