Winter Welcome Ale – Samuel Smith’s

I grabbed a bottle of Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome 2013 and I was excited to try it. I got my glass, popped the bottle cap and poured the beer. Winter Welcome has a copper body color and a clear body clarity.  It has a soft carbonation, an average head size with a off-white color and a fizzy texture. There is an earthy aroma from the yeast and hints of candied fruit that lends the suggestion of sweetness. While tasting this beer, there are notes of caramel, wisps of candied fruit in the background (barely there) and a slight sweetness from the malt.  On the finish, there is a hop bitterness that keeps that slight sweetness in check.  The mouthfeel of Winter Welcome is a bit watery. Not that I was expecting a more medium-bodied brew, but maybe a little more than it is. Winter Welcome is a good beer -- not great, exciting or that memorable, just ......good. It is an average beer that will leave you palate wanting slightly more. ABV = 6.0%