Winter Warmer was the very first seasonal to come out of Boston-based Harpoon Brewery. This was way back in 1988, long before most Americans had any concept of a seasonally brewed beer, or for that matter, any beer that wasn’t a lager. Lucky for us, Harpoon has survived while many of that early era didn’t, and its brewers have kept this cold-weather spiced ale in rotation even as they’ve added six more seasonals to their repertoire.

The recipe for Winter Warmer has been tweaked more than once over its 23-year history, and opinions diverge on whether that’s a good or a bad thing. This year’s batch – sold from November to January – clocks in at 5.9% ABV and 22 IBUs, with a base of caramel and pale malts and hops added primarily for bittering.

When poured into a taster-sized tulip from a 12-oz. bottle, the ale gives a formidably sturdy head of beige that clings to the edges for a respectable amount of time, and even returns momentarily when agitated. It pours a gorgeous ruddy amber that’s completely filtered, and the carbonation is sprightly, if a little light. Lacing appears in large persistent gobs; the glass will tell the beer’s story.

A hint of alcohol pulls apart velvety curtains of bread dough, cinnamon and nutmeg on the aroma. As for the flavor, it’s a richly spiced pumpkin pie from start to finish. Medium-bodied, it is appropriate to pair not just with desserts like autumn pie or vanilla-bean ice cream but dishes like duck l’orange and savory-sweet soft cheeses. It’s easier to find in bottles, but can be captured in kegs at select bars.

Everyone loves a story about a craft fanatic’s first aha! moment and Harpoon Winter Warmer provided me with mine: it was the first beer I ever fell in love with as a Boston-area college student in the early ‘90s. Because it wasn’t sold outside New England for years after I graduated, my younger brother used to smuggle six-packs on the plane when he’d come home for vacations from Boston U. and knock bottles against the phone to tease me during semesters. My greatest joy was discovering it in Delaware in 2003, and my love affair with Harpoon Winter Warmer (and craft beer in general) has continued to this day. It’s seven o’clock in the morning as I write this, with a full day at an office job ahead of me, but as it turns out, this isn’t just beer to pair with dessert or duck, it’s a mighty fine beer to wake up to on a cold morning like today.