Liquid Lunch: Winter Sippers

There is always a reason to pop open a cold brew even if the weather outside is furiously cold and bitter. As the seasons change so to do our pallets. In the frost of winter beer lovers alike tend to reach for the darker brews. But with all the options where can one turn to find that perfect winter warmer? The WBOB beer belly squad has your back again as the resident taste testers have compiled these sipper suggestions for your consumption. 

Joe Ferro
WBOB Beer Critic & Host 

Let me start off by saying I think any time of year is stout/porter season. I'll pop a big abv thicc pastry boi in 90 degree heat, but we all know nothing goes better in the cold weather than a coconut, maple, marshmallow, <add other adjunct here> stout or porter. The few I've had recently that stand out were Bissell Brother's, "Angels with Filthy Souls", an incredible barrel aged, maple porter. I scored a four pack off a friend of mine and was pleasantly surprised. A nice barrel taste, and some maple on the back end. It was easy drinking for the high ABV. It wasn't as thicc as I like em, but a satisfying porter from a can. Plus's for cool name and label art. 

My star player thus far in the winter of '18-19 has been from Monkish, "Hiddenness" was released around Christmas and was everything I want in a stout. My growler was filled on December 20th 2018. It's a beast of a stout aged for 18 months in rye whiskey barrels and conditioned on Tahitian and Madagascan vanilla beans. It poured like some 5W30 motor oil that was 3000 miles past the time to change it. Now I've only had the privilege of having Monkish barrel aged stouts twice, first being Deepest Darkness, released last year for Easter in a limited amount. I know Monkish gets all the boys to the yard with the haze but god damn are they so much more than that. Their barrel aged stouts have been the best of the best for me. "Hiddenness" definitely brought the vanilla to the table and the barrel was perfect. At 15.5% she comes in with a bang and I'm glad I shared with a few friends and didn't dome this big girl.

As I sit and write this at the WBOB studios I poured myself a glass of the Otherhalf/Mikerphone collab "Concentric Groove" an imperial stout with pecans, maple, vanilla and cinnamon. The maple and vanilla stand out on the nose and the cinnamon and pecans sit well on the finish. At 14.8% she comes in swinging also. Nothing warms you up this time of year like a big boy stout so crack em and enjoy, usually at a share with the abv on these bad

Scott Rotondo
WBOB Political Host 
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In the long, cold and snowy depths of winter, there's nothing like an Oatmeal Raisin Stout from Pawtucket's own Crooked Current Brewery. Drinking one of these after shoveling snow and scraping ice off cars, you immediately taste what is, essentially, a cookie in liquid form. Not too overpowering but just enough to bring back childhood memories and take your mind off the dipping temps. It finishes with a nice aftertaste that leaves you wanting for more. This brew packs a punch, so I recommend enjoying AFTER you've operated your snowblower....

 boys. 

Laurie Piatkowski 
WBOB Producer & Beer Critic

Dirt Wolf Double IPA poured a clearer golden color than most double IPA’s, it has an almost pillow light head to remind you that it is a beer and not wine, moderate to no carbonation with a very hoppy smell was rich with hops, grains and malts. There is also a rich sweetness with a floral on the back end like spicy herbs, a mix of tropical fruits, lemon citrus and a flavor of greenery or grass. Taste is very sound good amount of hop bite rich clean, also with a spicy, resinous, herbaceous quality that's very nice with moderate lingering pine resin bitterness.  At just 8.70% ABV it may read like a heavy beer but looks and tastes more like a regular IPA, you can find it year-round so in my book I give it the thumbs up. Don’t worry for those who really want the nitty-gritty of the malts and hops

• Hops: Citra, Chinook, Mosaic, and Simcoe
• Malts: Pilsner, Light Caramel Malt, Dextrose

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