The following are my ten most favorite cold weather brews in no particular order. They’re all so good that I want to drink them all at once, but given the ABV of most of these beers, that would result in certain death! Anyway, here we go…

And the Winners are…

Below is my list, which is complimented by each beer’s “commercial description” taken from RateBeer.com.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Punkin’ Ale is a full-bodied, spiced brown ale brewed with baked pumpkins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale is named after the annual Punkin’ Chunkin Festival held near Lewes, Delaware the weekend after Halloween.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

In the last century, British brewers made strong stouts for the Czar’s Court. They were called Imperial Stouts. Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout, brewed once yearly for the winter season, achieves a chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale represents a time honored tradition of brewing a special beer for the holiday season. There are generous portions of barley malts and fine whole hops of several varieties, creating a brew with a full, rich and hearty character.

Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions (as specified by Dogfish Head): open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2×2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy.

Great Divide Hibernation Ale

Hibernation Ale is Colorado’s original strong ale — it has been Great Divide’s winter seasonal each year since 1995. Hibernation’s massive flavors are so intense that it requires over three months of aging each year. This lengthy aging process gives Hibernation its revered malty richness, complex hop profile and hearty warming character, which is perfect right out of the bottle or cellared for longer periods of time.

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout is an onslaught of the senses. An almost viscous, inky-black brew, Yeti opens with a massive, roasty, chocolate, coffee malt flavor that eventually gives way to rich toffee and burnt caramel notes. Packed with an enormous quantity of American hops, Yeti’s hop profile reveals a slightly citrusy, piney, and wonderfully dry hoppy finish. 75 International Bittering Units (IBUs).

North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

North Coast’s Old Rasputin is produced in the tradition of 18th Century English brewers who supplied the court of Russia’s Catherine the Great. Old Rasputin seems to develop a cult following wherever it goes. It’s a rich, intense brew with big complex flavors and a warming finish.

Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout

Thirsty Dog’s Siberian Night is creamy and full-bodied, with a complex character from generous amounts of roasted, toasted, and caramel malts. For those who demand flavor, this is the perfect libation. Bronze Medal winner 2003 GABF, Gold Medal winner 2005 GABF.

Tröegs Mad Elf

The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices in Tröegs Mad Elf. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the character of this Ale.

Bush de Noël (Scaldis Noël)

This is a sweet beer with a pleasant flavour of hops. Indeed, for Bush de Noel, the brewer uses a traditional process which consists in placing hops flowers in the vats where the beer rests for four to six weeks by which time it will have reached full maturity, giving it a very distinctive taste. In the U.S the label generally reads Scaldis Noel.

Honorable Mentions

Here are some really good beers that didn’t make the top 10 list but are also great for cold weather drinking. Make sure to check out these three beers too!

• Affligem Noël
• Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
• N’Ice Chouffe

Final Thoughts

Not all of the beers on my list are available year round. So, make sure you try them while you can. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting a whole year!

Also, obviously I couldn’t fit all the best cold weather beers on a list of ten. What are you favorites? Let me know by leaving a comment — I’d be very interested to read everyone’s thoughts!

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