It’s that time of the year – winter seasonal brews are beginning to emerge from breweries. Some of them take the spicy route, with additions of clove, nutmeg, special hops, and such; others prefer to take a boozy route, with various styles of barley wines or malty double IPAs. Not so for Odell out of Fort Collins, Colorado.

Isolation Ale pours a gorgeous dark amber/caramel brown, with a moderate head that quickly dissipates. Initial aroma is little, with a slight nose of booze and malt. A touch of refined whiskey, even. That’s fine – a decent start.

Initial mouth feel is phenomenal – this is a balanced ale, uncharacteristic of many winter brews I’ve sampled. I noted hints of toffee and a bit of coffee (hey, that rhymed) with a gently-hopped character that compliments the soft malt base quite nicely. However, something is off.

Something is missing. It’s just…unremarkable. Balanced as it is, which is a nice trait, the beer is set up for perfect success without any one particular distinguishing characteristic. And that’s the problem.

You see, it’s missing some of the ‘fun’ that I often look forward to in winter seasonal beers. I didn’t expect this – not from Odell. It’s too well-behaved.

I like to evaluate beers within their own individual style. Even if I don’t particularly enjoy that style, it’s easy enough to give it a fair judgment. I hate shrimp, but I know when I’m eating good shrimp. Make sense?

Well, I don’t hate the winter beer genre – that’s not my point – but I’m certainly judging Isolation Ale against the other winter brews I’ve had, and I’m choosing to be generous and judge it against some interesting browns as well. It’s not that the beer doesn’t exactly fit into any particular category – it’s that it simply fails to be anything outstanding in ANY category.

Okay, so what is the beer good for? You might enjoy this beer as a dessert. Seriously. It’s a bit on the sweet side. It’s well-balanced and mild-mannered. It’s also probably good for cooking – try marinating a steak in it. Or, perhaps, if you’re not a fan of traditional spicy winter brews, give this one a shot. It’s drastically different.

How does Isolation Ale break down?

• Originality within style (17): I’m not sure I should be giving as many points for this – perhaps I’m in a generous mood. This one is substantially different from most winter ales – goes its own way. The idea is nice, but the result is a bit boring.
• Nose (13): Not much, honestly. A good swirl will release some dark malts, some booze, and a hint of whiskey.
• Mouthfeel (18): Definite points here, as Isolation Ale is a full-palate experience. Balanced; a bit complex. Just in the wrong ways.
• Character (12): It’s just…boring. I’m not going to make suggestions or anything, but there could be more of everything in this beer (the malt, the hops, the overtones) that would substantially boost its chances.
• Overall Quality (18): Another well-brewed beer by Odell in attractive packaging – it just falls a bit short in some other ares. But one can’t argue about the quality. A seasonal, this one comes in the standard issue 12oz brown bottle. You can probably find it on tap in select locations.
• Total (78): I suppose I can kind of see where this one is trying to go – unfortunately it just doesn’t quite make the grade. Points for originality and ease of enjoyment for less adventurous beer drinkers.

Beer: Odell Isolation Ale
ABV: 6%
Brewer: Odell Brewing Company – Fort Collins, Colorado
Availability: Year-round, 70% of the country.
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba (twitter: @jamesonhuckaba)

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