Winter Warmers are generally malty, with low hop bitterness.  They range in color from reddish brown to black.  American versions of the Winter Warmer tend to contain a greater hop presence than English versions.  They almost always have a higher alcohol content than your Average American Macro Lager, with their alcohol content generally falling between 5.5 and 8%.  The fact that some contain spices and some don't, causes beers in this style to vary greatly from one another.