Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale

One of the things about winter warmer, or winter ales, is that the recipe is a little different each year - this could be good or bad, depending on how the change goes! Now I've not tried Deschutes' winter ale before, so I don't have anything to compare it to. Jubelale is a pretty solid offering. I didn't think much of it when I tried it at Oktobeerfest, but drinking it in the comfort of my home, I'm a bit more positively inclined toward it. It poured a reddish brown with a one-finger beige head. Nice piney hoppiness, with tastes and aromas of apricots, dates and black cherries. Heavy bodied with aftertaste of spices, a little nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon. I'd rate it a 6.5 on the IGB scale.