St. Peter’s Winter Ale

*** Sorry Rob, I beat you to it.

I was actually really surprised to find out from Nagy senior that no one had done a review of this beer yet. As far as I know, every member of the beer collective has tried this incredible brew. I suppose all of you were just so mesmerized and captivated by it’s holy demeanor that you just had to take a seat and appreciate this rather than take the time to review it. I can completely understand that, for I got a little bit lazy over the last week and rather than reviewing the rest of the Mill St. Sampler pack like I said I would, I just drank them all instead. I do like to occasionally relax and just simply enjoy my beers too! Although I don’t want to sound like reviewing them is a grieveous, painful process. It’s not. I shouldn’t be complaining.

Anyhow, getting back to the actual review. Here’s some fast facts:

– St. Peter’s Winter Ale comes to us from Suffolk England, where it is brewed at a restored medieval hall.
– The spring water used as the base of the beer has been continually supplied by an underground spring for around 700 years.
– The unique flask shaped bottle has been used by the brewery since 1770.

St. Peter’s Winter Ale is a really good breer. It is definitely deserving of the name Winter Ale, it is creamy, smooth and filling but not syrupy. The color is a deep copper/ ruby. 6.5% alcohol content contributes to a warming, satisfying mouthful. The head is thick to begin with (this one you ought to dump into your glass) and fades to a nice, thin veil. The aroma is slightly roasted, blunt and dry. To me this tastes like a spicy campfire with some damp peatiness. It’s just so damn good, you have to try it to know. This is not a good beer to start off the night with, because except for a few select Trappist brews, there are few beers that could top the complexity of a St. Peter’s.

Usually English beers are lighter in alcohol percentage and are much thicker, heartier, and could easily replace lunch. St. Peter’s has it’s own very unique style that separates it from all the other English beers that I have tried such as Caffrey’s, Tetley’s or Smithwicks. This ale is in a completely different world, although geographically very close to where those beers originated.

Wow. An absolute favorite. I look forward to Winter Ale’s appearing with all the other rarities on the shelves around Christmas time. This is one to buy lots of when you can, because they won’t last long at all. So stock up because they are available now! Age one and see how it tastes next Christmas. Click to read my paper review!