Christmas Ale
Gales in Horndean, Hampshire, England 🏴
Strong Ale Winter Out of Production|
Score
6.55
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andyhwcinc (2108) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 15 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
2001 vintage. I enjoyed this at Delilah’s 12th annual Winter Beer Tasting in Chicago, IL. From what I remember this was partially sour with an interesting malt/spice profile. Was rather average, especially for the vintage.
jtclockwork (20061) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 15 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7
I drank this one fresh when it was still delicious. Amber pour. Strong nose of candied sugar, malt, toffee and caramel molasses. Taste is similar. Strong body. Rated 4/11/03
BMan1113VR (8090) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 17 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
2003 bottle. Pours with a small, off-white head covering an amber body with lots of particles. Some lacing from the head. Aroma of port, fruits, some spiceyness, and lots of oxidized hops. Taste is oxidized, sour, over the hill with lingering bitter rasins. Too old, but I was expecting it, eventhough I bought it from a Whole Foods on the day that I drank it.
Ibrew2or3 (10819) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 18 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Picked up this 2001 vintage at Ledger’s in Berkeley. The cork opened with a whisper and a rush of red wine aromas. It pours a murky brackish brown and no head. The aroma is big with red wine, sweet caramel candy, light dark fruitiness and more red wine notes. The beer seems thin and watery and brings in the flavors noticed in the nose. Nice, red wine, creamy caramel candy, dates, prunes, hint of olive and faint toffee. If the body wasn’t so thin this would be really nice.
bhensonb (22605) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 18 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
No date on the bottle. I’ve had it for about 2 years. Aroma of dark fruit. Kind of an off prune aroma. Hazy ruby amber color with floaters. No real head. Starts a bit vinous, a bit thin, a bit caramel. Finishes a bit pruny, with hop. It develops some other fruity characteristics with passage of time. Tends towards puckerish. Perhaps a bit woody. It doesn’t get better than this, unless Fullers gets into a retro mode.
fiulijn (28382) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
So these nice guys at New Beers Distributors (New York) covered the production year with a price tag…
Never mind; Vintage 2001, 5+ years old, classic Gale’s corked bottle
The cork is of very good quality, well preserved, and with a very nice aroma of fruity malt; pours a cloudy amber color; there is still some carbonation but not much head retention.
The room is pervaded by the strong aroma: malt, sweet, raisins, spices… in line with a Christmas pudding, but more elegant than other beers.
Probably the age has cut down the sugars, the body has a good structure but it’s not too sticky; the dominant flavor is caramel, with malt and raisins, a bit woody, and fruity; the alcohol is warming the mouth, another sign of age. The final shows an increasing bitterness, with caramel and a light oaky sourness.
Beatifully aged; complex; pleasant.
maniac (11822) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 19 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Sampled at the Richmond Beer Industry Gathering 2006. Bottles 2001-2003. Clear amber body with no head. Sweet spice and caramel aroma. Dry clove flavor, with some vinegar in the background. 2002 Bottle had noticable butter to the aroma and flavor, possibly an off bottle?
JK (8181) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 19 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 7
2002. I’m not sure what to think of this. Reminds me of an English barleywine. The beer is still. There is lots of sourness which I believe is from the oak aging. Some balsamic vinegar, a little fruit. The alcohol is well hidden. The only flaw is the very thin palate.
NotABeerProfessor (3575) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 20 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
Pours a hazy amber, with no head and minimal carbonation, typical of the Gales ales. Rich fruitcake aroma, with hints of almonds and vanilla too. A touch of hay-ey hops. Almost still, slick palate. Almost cloying, with a heavy twang in the finish. Slight vinous plummy character in the middle. A sipper, and a slow one at that, it just wasn’t terribly inviting.
oh6gdx (51139) reviewed Christmas Ale from Gales 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottled (2002). Amberish red colour, minor head. Extremely wineish nose with sweet grapes and a bit of alcohol. Flavour was plummy and spicy, a bit sticky palate. Very pleasant Christmas beer. Thanks to Beer Hunter’s in Pori for this one!