Part 5 of my parade of winter 12-packs…

With spring seasonal brews emerging from the winter thaw — wait, what winter thaw? — I figured it was time for my final post on winter mixed 12-packs. So I’ll end the 2013-14 winter beer-drinking season with the Winter Survival Pack from Long Trail Brewing Company in Bridgewater, Vermont.

The line-up included:

• Long Trail Ale, the brewery’s flagship beer is an Amber Ale (4.6%)
• Hibernator, Long Trail’s winter seasonal is a Scottish Ale (6.0%)
• Double Bag, an American Strong Ale, and the reason to buy this 12-pack (7.2%)
• IPA, a session-worthy English-style IPA (5.9%)

In addition to the winter 12-pack, I’ve enjoyed a couple of other Long Trail brews this winter. When I saw Limbo IPA on the beer shelves at Magruder’s, I did quick search on RateBeer to find that it is rated 97 overall and 97 in the IPA style. So I brought home a six-pack and hoped for the best. Am I glad I did! Limbo is unlike any other IPA I’ve ever tasted. This unique IPA clocks in at 7.6% ABV and 80 IBUs. It’s a big, mouth-watering IPA, brimming with all the flavors and aroma of the new breed of hops coming out of Australia and the Pacific Northwest. The Long Trail website has a great video about Limbo. This beer will shake your bones!

Finally, I was the lucky recipient of a bomber of Long Trail Culmination Ale (9.3%), an Imperial Chocolate Porter from Long Trail’s Brush and Barrel series (thanks, Rich!). This dark chocolate Porter is a rich, roasty beer with notes of chocolate from freshly roasted cacao. The bomber was perfect on a cold winter day!

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