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Beer Advent Calendar – Day 6: Winter Warmer presented by MA Girls Pint Out (GPO)

@magirlspintout

Beer Advent Calendar – Day 6: Harpoon Winter Warmer presented by MA Girls Pint Out

To celebrate the Holiday Season, 2Beerguys.com and Seacoastbeveragelab.com have teamed up with beer bloggers around the country to host the first annual beer bloggers advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you. 31Bloggers Blogging – click here for the running list of beers/bloggers.

• Blogger: Rebecca Millette from MA Girls Pint Out
• Website: http://ma.girlspintout.com

• Beer: Winter Warmer.
• Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
• Website: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com.

Commercial Description:

Winter Warmer was Harpoon’s first seasonal beer. It was designed to be enjoyed during the holiday season.

When you bring a glass of this dark copper ale to your lips to take your first sip you will notice the aroma of cinnamon. There is no aromatic hop added that might overpower the distinct spice scent. The medium body of this beer is formed from caramel and pale malts. These create enough body to support the spices without making the beer excessively rich. Bittering hops are added to counter the sweetness of the malt and spice. The finish of the beer is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination of these two spices results in a balanced, pumpkin-pie flavor.

Details:

• Style: Spiced Ale
• History: Brewed since 1988
• ABV: 5.9%
• IBU: 22
• Calories: 233

Why I selected the Winter Warmer:

Last winter was my first winter as a real life craft beer drinker. Hard to believe, right? Many nights were spent at The Haven in JP (go immediately, eat a burger, order a beer from Jason who may be wearing a kilt) cozying up to the bar with a pint of Harpoon Winter Warmer. I feel festive just thinking about it. Winter Warmer is a spiced ale, with just the right amount of cinnamon and nutmeg – perfect for holiday meals and desserts. There is some debate on how much spice is too much, but for the colder months, we’re big fans of the extra spice. Winter Warmer is a good go-to beer and one of the first that made me love the winter seasonals. This beer was Harpoon’s first venture into seasonals, and I think it was a great start. (Really excited to try the Vermont Spruce Tip Ale.)

Next Tuesday, 12/13, Girls’ Pint Out and Google Boston are teaming up for a tasting at Harpoon Brewery in Boston. Tickets are still available here and includes the tasting, a swag bag full fo fun, and entry into a couple of raffles. We’ll be donating $3 from each ticket will be going to Harpoon Helps Spread Holiday Cheer. You can find more information here, but know that we’ll be giving various stores like Target, Stop & Shop, Dunkin Donuts and Wal-Mart. These gift cards will enable parents in the family shelters to go out and purchase gifts for their kids – so they are able to give something that they choose.

About MA Girls Pint Out:
Rebecca Millette runs Girls Pint out, based in Boston, MA. She does everything from blogging to planning numerous events to get people interested and excited about the craft beer culture in Boston. Visit them at http://ma.girlspintout.com

About Harpoon Brewery:
“We started the Harpoon Brewery in 1986 because—like today—we loved beer and wanted more good choices. While traveling in Europe after college, we drank many wonderfully diverse, fresh, local beers. We also saw firsthand how important local breweries were to their communities. After our travels, we asked each other, “why not bring great beer and that sense of community to New England?” That was the genesis of the Harpoon Brewery.For more information, visit http://www.harpoonbrewery.com..