So-called “winter warmers” are beers that are robust in flavor and strong in alcohol, with rich malty sweetness that takes the chill away from a cold day. Karben4’s Wisco Warmer does just that. It’s a big brown ale with unique character from barrel-aging.
What is it? Wisco Warmer from Karben4 Brewing of Madison.
Style: Brown ales fall into a broad category of amber color beers. Their flavor is focused on malt sweetness with caramel and toffee notes, sometimes with roasted biscuit and breadiness. They are medium-bodied beers that range in strength from 4.0 to 5.5 percent ABV.
Background: Wisco Warmer begins as a brown ale. It’s a good example of how barrel-aging can dramatically change any beer style. Malty brown ales make wonderful barrel-aging candidates, especially in wood that’s been saturated with spicy, sweet, warm spirits. The most distinctive attributes of this beer come from three-and-a-half months in barrels formerly used by Madison’s State Line Distillery to make aquavit. And, before that, the same barrels were used by Few Spirits, a Chicago distillery, for producing rye whiskey. That leaves them with layers of spicy complexity.
However, it’s the aquavit’s caraway, anise and cardamom flavors that really stand out in Wisco Warmer. Karben4 head brewer Jeff Olson came up with the idea for putting a strong brown ale into aquavit barrels. His first attempt at a robust brown ale came last winter. He made it malty and sweet, but didn’t barrel age it. When it came time to make the beer again for this winter he was able to obtain the aquavit barrels. “When I first tasted the aquavit I thought the brown from last winter would really stand up to those bold flavors,” says Olson. “Aging in aquavit barrels is rare. This was a chance to do something uncommon and make a great blend of spices.”
The brown ale behind it is made with a blend of Golden Promise, pale wheat, Vienna, Munich and chocolate malts; a touch of oats for body; and a small amount of crystal rye to offer some bready, graham cracker sweetness. Olson adds blackstrap molasses for a hint of slightly roasted sweetness and alcoholic strength. The piney character of Chinook hops goes nicely with the spicy licorice notes of the aquavit.
Wisco Warmer is strong at 9.2 percent ABV. It is a limited release and currently found only on tap at Karben4 for $6/glass. It debuted just before Christmas and won’t last long, however, the brewery has held back some of it for the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Light chocolate maltiness and anise.
- Appearance: Black color with a medium, soft, brown-tan head.
- Texture: Full-bodied, round and soft.
- Taste: The anise with its licorice-like spicy-sweetness is up front. Hints of cardamom and caraway spice are there too, but just a little later in the flavor profile. There’s also a layer of molasses in mild roasted sweetness.
- Finish/Aftertaste: The spicy-anise notes along with a touch of pine from the Chinook hops lingers. There’s also alcohol warmth that adds to the spicy ending.
Glassware: Karben4 serves Wisco Warmer in a snifter-type glass, which is a great choice to focus the spicy aroma. Dink this one slowly, allowing it to gradually warm, and those spices will emerge even more.
Pairs well with: sweet desserts. It’s also fine on its own. There’s so much spicy anise here that this is a challenging beer to match with food. However, for a delicious treat in the brewery’s taproom, try it next to the chocolate cookie dough balls topped with chocolate and caramel sauce.
The Verdict: This is one of the most distinctive beers to come around lately. It’s loaded with anise-like character from the aquavit barrels. Describing it as a winter warmer hardly does it justice because there is so much spicy black licorice aroma, sweet maltiness and alcohol warmth. Granted, black licorice isn’t for everyone. However, while it dominates, it is not over-the-top. This is a well constructed beer with many layers of flavor to appreciate. It will surprise you, especially if you think you know what a winter warmer is all about. It’s a case study in how barrel-aging can add something very different to a beer’s flavor. The anise, Chinook hop accent and alcohol warmth make for a great winter beer experience. If you miss Wisco Warmer in the Karben4 taproom, it’s well worth the price of admission at this year’s Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival. But even there you’ll want to make sure to stop by the brewery’s booth early if you want to sample it.
