Double Barrel Christmas Ale

Bottle. Dark amber with a bare coat of beige head. Aroma of plums, pears, caramel, hints of spice. Taste is sweet and spicy with white pepper, cloves, nutmeg, ginger. Very obvious alcohol and surprisingly thin mouthfeel - it’s just a little creamy. Dried fruits, plums and pears are there but mostly compete rather than mesh with vinous and spirit notes. Lots of punchy spices and some bitterness and oaky dryness in a boozy finish. A bit further down the glass as it warmed or I got used to the alcohol the fruit and the brandy and wood worked better together. More complex but not better than ordinary Christmas Ale. If I had another bottle I’d leave it a year - there’s plenty of spice and maybe the other flavours will mellow and meld.