Christmas Ale
(has 4 batches)
Harvey's Brewery in Lewes, East Sussex, England 🏴
Barley Wine - Barley Winter|
Score
7.09
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Harvey’s Brewery Christmas Ale is a strong dark barley wine is reminiscent of the strong ‘stock ales’ drunk during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and should be treated with respect. Warm the soul with this award-winning beer which embodies the essence of Christmas spirit.
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8.5/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle at home [2007 bottle]... Deep wonderfull scarlet colour ... sour cherrys and raisins caramel malt nose ... sweet syrupy fruit ... figs and dates ... with a touch of sour raisins... 24-12-08 [2007 bottle] bottle at home ... deep copper ... big foam head ... woody sour cherrys ... wow sweet fruity syrupy ... wonderfull mouth feel ... toffee and vanilla ... figs again ... lovely and juicy ... little hop in background ... bottle at home 2007 bottle drunk sept 2011 ... dark copper ... light sour ... raisin and cherry nose ... sweet rich oily fruity body ... big big raisin and cherry .. hint of cherry bakewelll ... soft toffee malts ... nice but past its best id day ... 3.8 Bottle st home... Bbf apr 13 drunk nov 13...voprr btown... Soft wiody tiffee nose... Soft toffee makts... Doft fruits... Soft juicy makts... Soft sweet tiffee.. Sift juicy mslts... Nice sift easy... Nice 4.1 bottle at home ... bbf apr 13 drunk apr 14... dark brown ... thin tan head ... dark berry fruits ... mellow malts ... light oxidisation ... soft fruits .. dark berries ... light sweet fruits
bottle at home bbf Oct 2025... Christmas day 2025 ...Gorgeous red copper ..small tan head ..soft sweet caramel toffee fruit nose ..sweet caramel toffee fruit ..Light metalic mslts .. nice but not the best I've had it ...long soft sweet orange caramel malts 8.0
bottle at home bbf Oct 2025... Christmas day 2025 ...Gorgeous red copper ..small tan head ..soft sweet caramel toffee fruit nose ..sweet caramel toffee fruit ..Light metalic mslts .. nice but not the best I've had it ...long soft sweet orange caramel malts 8.0
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jun 2007
at 11:43
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Undated bottle. Aroma of dark fruit backed by spice and malt. Hazy ripe stone fruit color with a few bubbles for head. Starts with plum. It’s a bit thinnish. The finish is lightly bitter, but the fruit tags along. The main point is the dark fruit notes. Relatively dry, all things considered. Tastey. Not quite so "old" as the Gales bottles, but in that direction. Nostalgia is engendered.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Apr 2007
at 00:01
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
No real head. Dark hazy red body. No aroma. Sweet earthy licorice taste with woody notes. Notes of wild berries. Soft mouthfeel. Dry finish. Good! (0.5pt on cask.)
Tried
from Cask
on 05 Dec 2006
at 10:05
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
(Cask at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 26 Nov) Dark brown colour with tawny notes. Fruity, sweet, vinous nose with notes of syrup and wood. Slightly closed. Fruity, sweet taste with notes of black-currant, prunes, raisins and caramel. Viscous, syrup-like, body. Sweet, but not overwhelming. Very warming and, actually, surprisingly nice.
Tried
from Cask
on 02 Dec 2006
at 16:46
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Kind of a mild barleywine. Aroma has lots of malt and this does have lots of brown sugar in the flavor. This is combined surprisingly, with smoke. Nearly still beer, but the flavor is good and the alcohol is well hidden. Finishes with malt, light fruit, and roast beef.
Tried
on 23 Nov 2006
at 00:54
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Cask gravity at Dover BF 06. Dark reddish brown with beige head. Really quite pleasant if slightly sticky sweet, quite a meaty aroma with lots of orange. Nice dry hop finish and some boiled sweet. Better on the second half pint
Tried
from Cask
on 07 Feb 2006
at 13:28
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Red copper ale with light white head. Faint sweet malt and alcohol aroma. Sweet malt with light nuttyness and slight oxidation. Syrupy body. Had 2 bottles (from Syracuse), one was OK, the other was off. May 2005, Capflu’s BW tasting.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Jan 2006
at 20:16
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle: Poured a clear dark brown color ale with a medium foamy light dark head with average retention. Aroma of sweet malt with some figs and dry raisins. Taste is quite sweet with some slight hints of figs and dry raisins. Body is a bit too thin and watery for my liking. Nice but not as good and complex as the Elizabethan ale from this brewery.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Dec 2005
at 08:41
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 7
Unknown vintage, Santa Claus on the label, listed at 8.1%. On to the rating: Oh god what a nose. Rich fruitcakey alcohol. I just want to sniff this stuff. There’s alot going on. Grassy, almost haylike hops. Lightly carbonated, very nearly flat actually, but enough zip to keep this moving on the palate. Note that the initial head was about one finger, but quickly faded to nothing. The lacing however, is significant. Color was amber tinged blood-red. Flavor surprisingly balanced and medium in strength. A caramelly candy slick front melds into a spicy hop finish, which could honestly use more bitterness. Actually the finish is weirdly semi-sweet and seems empty compared to begining. The aroma raises expectations, the palate doesn’t meet.
Tried
from Can
on 21 Nov 2005
at 21:45
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottled. Black/dark amber colour, mediumsized bubbly head. Plum, malt and hops in aroma along with raisins. Sweet plummy flavour. Very Christmassy feeling over it. A bit bitterness in finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Sep 2005
at 07:51