Wasatch Winterfest

Winter is a pretty great time of year. I prefer cold weather to hot weather. However, with the colder weather comes the need for warmth. Alcohol does a great job of tricking your body into thinking it’s warm, when really it isn’t. Remember in those old cartoons when the Saint Bernard would come bring whiskey or whatever to the hiker trapped in the snow on a mountain, and then the guy would stop shivering and sometimes the snow around him would melt? That guy should actually be dead. The alcohol just causes your capillaries to open up, allowing your blood to flow more freely near the surface of your skin, where most of your heat-sensing nerves live. So, if you’re trapped in the snow and a Saint Bernard offers you a drink, take it, but then grab on to that dog. He’ll keep you alive longer than the booze.

That was a weird digression.

I feel that Wasatch’s strength in beers is their darker beers. Their Polygamy Porter is top notch and this Winterfest is pretty fantastic, too. It’s a darkish, brownish color with an off-white head. I guess it kind of looks like a Saint Bernard in that respect (continuity!).

The smell was really rich. The somewhat higher-than-average alcohol level was noticeable to my nose. There’s some notes of piney hops in there, too.

It had a pretty smooth mouthfeel, dare I say, silky? I DO NOT, for it wasn’t that silky, but it was definitely smooth. There’s a slight malt front, and a really hoppy finish, with a mix of both floral and piney hops. In fact, this could almost pass for an IPA if you didn’t give a damn about the BJCP Style Guidelines.

I highly recommend this winter seasonal. It’s tasty.