I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of posting here every other weekday. So, today we soldier on with the Christmas parings! This fine Wednesday I'm looking at Winter Welcome Ale, a winter warmer from Samuel Smith's. A brewer that has always seemed to me to be quintessentially British. I'm not sure if that's actually their actual perception within the UK but to me when I think of British beer a bottle of Taddy Porter immediately springs to mind. But today, in the spirit of the season, we have Winter Welcome Ale, and to pair with it, something as essentially British and as essentially Christmassy, the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe!
Let's start with the beer. Winter welcome pours a crystal clear coppery amber underneath a finger of off white finely bubbled head that leaves spotty lacing. Quite a bit different than I was expecting! I presume a winter warmer to be a darker, more imposing thing. Nothing nearly this friendly looking.
On the nose big malty, nutty, toffee, and caramel notes are accompanied by a fruity mixture of apple, grape, raisin, and a touch of herbal hops.
Winter Welcome is medium bodied and very smooth. The flavors begin with plenty of rich, nutty, toffee and are followed by subtle fruity notes of apple and peach. It finishes with a great herbal, spicy bitterness.
I really like this one. Simple, straightforward, expertly balanced, and quite approachable. Winter Welcome is a real departure from the winter warmers we get here in the States. Simple, drinkable, much lower in alcohol and lighter in flavor than it's American counterparts and nary a seasonal spice to be found. And best of all, this beer is incredibly affordable. Do give this one a try.
And now to Doctor Who! I'm a bit hesitant to really get into the story on this one as I'm sure I have a lot of readers who aren't particularly well versed in Doctor Who and I'd hate to spoil it. Doctor Who is famous for doing special Christmas episodes that actually air on Christmas, which I love. Last years Christmas special, The Doctor, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was pretty damned great. In the true Doctor Who fashion it's a wonderful mix of fantasy, adventure, science fiction, with a real sense of wonder and pathos. Just your usual old Christmas tale of family, loss, WWII bombers, living forests, acid rain, and Bill Bailey in a getup straight out of Halo. I'll be honest, the first time I watched it I got a bit teary at the end (hell, I got teary watching it again for this post). If you're interested, it, along with the rest of the series, is available on Netflix instant. Check it out here. I promise, don't be scared off by the weird, British, sci-fi, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimeyness of it all. I mean that's all there, but that's what makes it great! Trust me.
HD
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