Coors Winterfest

 There's been a lot (I do mean *a lot*) of macro-bashing on the site as of late -- maybe it's the holiday season putting folks on edge, with the macro-brewers an easy target to vent at? Either way, regardless of the latest doings on the site, I admit I didn't go into this beer really expecting much. Picked up for laugh, to be perfectly honest. And if that is considering to be "macro bashing by proxy" or what have you, so be it.

But really? This isn't horrible. Pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill mass-produced Red/Amber-ish ale. More than a few hints at some Killians parentage with this one -- or, rather, which came first, Killians or Winterfest? (Probably not much easier to answer than "which came first, the chicken or the egg?").

But generally speaking, this is a beer that doesn't impress, but also doesn't really repulse, either. I have to take exception to the rather sweet cloying backend of this beer -- again, hints of both Killians, and the awful "JW Dundee's Original Honey Brown".

Of course, there is always going to be some debate as to whether this is really an ale or not. I tend to think that it really is, since it does have the very slightest hints of wispy fruity esters in nose. And the middle and front end of this beer's flavor profile and mouthfeel do hint at something a tad more complex that what you might find in a "Amber Lager" or what-have-you. Nothing even approaching awe-inspiring or anything -- and it really does end up near the bottom of the seasonal holiday beers I've had this 2005 -- but it's really not that bad, in the final analysis.

A shame that Coors won't make this a year-round offering -- but then I guess it would cut into their Killians sales some. Oh well.

//TB