Thickly chewy caramel malting allows radiant red-fruited punctuality to shine through 8% alcohol heft and floral-hopped bitterness. Though lacking distinct seasonal nutmeg spicing, appealingly overripe apple-grape cameo and toasted barley base broaden depth.

Full-bodied amber-hued winter ale lacks typical holiday seasoning identified with its ilk. Hop-embittered caramel malts reminiscent of richer Fuller’s E.S.B. Unfortunately, dirty grain pungency doesn’t kick in until inconsequential bitter finish subsides.

Extremely sour raisin-fig frontage encounters vinous mouth-puckering gueuze-like grape esters before burnt coffee acridity pushes forward. Raw cocoa-chocolate malt astringency annuls tepid walnut-hazelnut inadequacy and barren winter spicing. Brewery defunct: 2003.

Peculiar ginger-aided beer with copper hue and holiday ale spicing. Though never overbearingly eccentric, Pete’s definitely done better.

Well calibrated, boldly boozy, full-bodied winter seasonal not dissimilar to complex pale ales, yet not as distinctively detailed as Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown or Oatmeal Stout. Sweet whiskey malts inform creamy vanilla-butterscotch frontage and cinnamon-nutmeg-spiced fruitiness contrasts slinky orange peel bittering. Sugar plum, stewed prune, and rum cake illusions relieve ancillary red cherry, pear, and marmalade snip to medicinal finish.

Apt copper-toned seasonal with cinnamon toasted apple jacking, modest dry-hopped spicing and barley-roasted caramel chocolate malting given mild cherry encore. Ashy spruce embers cloak tart citric whim.

27th anniversary winter ale has a hazelnut-chestnut-walnut essence, seasonal pine luminescence, and pronounced mint-y clove follow-through. Its busy spiciness, rich creaminess, and sugary caramel malting anchor strong medicinal finish.

Nearly bock-like with its dusky prune intimacy, chewy toffee-caramel malting, and soft hop-spiced tingle. Gritty cereal-grained subtlety aids moderate cinnamon-toasted nuttiness, but herbal seasoning lacks.

Pride of the Chesapeake Bay, this spry citrus-scented winter treat cloaks sweet malt essence with dark fruity pungency and crisp hop supplement. But it’s closer to briskly carbonated summer ale than spicier heartily robust holiday seasonal.

Rust auburn wintry ale gains prickly spice-hopped tongue to complement ripe peach sweetness, orange rind bitterness, and grapefruit peel souring. Thick chocolate-cocoa malts linger below descending smoked wood cadence.

Middling reddish maroon winter ale pits up-front maple-sugared yeast sinew against sour raisin come-on and minor nutmeg suggestion, but tinny copper ale finish lowers ancillary mocha appeal by a drop.

Tart raspberry aroma surrounds cinnamon and nutmeg-spiced holiday-styled amber ale. Sharp grains battle back summery fruit essence, but malts falter badly at coy finish. Creatively meshed, though inessential.