Christmas Ale
Harvey's 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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7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
(bottle, 27.5cl) Clear, dark amber colour with a short and slightly tanned foamy layer. Slightly leafy dark malty aroma with fruity notes of umeboshi, raisins, as well as caramel and a whiff of booze. Sweet and mildly bitter flavour, full bodied with a soft carbonation. Initially delicately syrupy malty taste with notes of caramel, dried fruits and umeboshi, drying herbal and earthy hops are kicking in the middle part; moderately sweet-bitter finish with a balanced tart and slightly vinous fruity touch and obvious hints of booze. Pleasant. 17.IV.17
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Apr 2017
at 17:58
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Cask at pub opposite brewery in Lewes. I knew they had some problems with the batch this year with the Christmas ale (which apparently justified mental price put on a half pint!!!). The taste was quite odd from cask and was surprised how much it tastes like an off port...not pleasant given this is one of my favourite Christmas beers in bottle form. (9/2/17) ---- Cask at The Victoria, Eastbourne. Trying to right a wrong here. Still and brimming glass of mahogany glory. Very rich and tasty and yet hides it's abv surprisingly well on cask. Yummy. 1.9 to 2.8. (23/12/22) ---- Cask at The Hursts Arms, Eastbourne. It is nice but it is extremely sweet. Kept 2.8.
Tried
from Cask
on 09 Feb 2017
at 12:51
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle from brewery in Lewes. Definitely a beer that must be drunk at the right time I.e at Christmas. It is so full bodied, malty, powerful. Ideal queens speech or Boxing Day beverage replacement for port (or just have both). Bottle from Systembolaget, Östersund (and so very happy to write that it is!!! Go Harvey's!). Similar comments, looks like a dark English ale, sweet and powerful. Re-rated. Down 0.1. Re-rated, bottle from Sweden. Very sweet. It's just a bit extra. Can never tell if I love Harveys Christmas ale or repulsed by it. 3.5 to 3.3 Re-rated on cask at the Lamb, Eastbourne. 3.3 to 3.5. Lovely appearance (24/12/18) Rerated on bottle from brewery. 3.5 to 3.7. Mince pie flavouring.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Feb 2017
at 12:49
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
330ml bottle @ monthly tasting, Chez Sophie, courtesy of Mike. Thanks Mike! Pours deep amber, thin off-white head. Aroma has fruity hints, caramel. Taste is fairly light, caramel, alcohol, ripened fruit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Jan 2017
at 16:01
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle at home. Bought from Inn At Home, Guildford. Floral fruit aroma, but restrained. Chestnut. Traces of an off-white head. Some sweetness, a hint of sourness. Stewed fruits. Medium bodied. Soft, slightly oily. Long finish, although it’s almost just an aftertaste. I’d describe this as laid back. Not as spicy or boozy as I’d expected. Just not sure if that’s a positive or a negative.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Dec 2016
at 15:29
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle: Deep copper coloured, clear, small and slowly diminishing off-white foamy layer; sweet nose of raisins and carame, cookies detectablel, solid herbal-hoppy background; moderate to solid bitter-sweet flavour, medium to full bodied; robust and lingering bitter-sweet finish with returning flavours of dried fruits and caramel and dry herbal hops in the aftertaste. Well made, pleasant Barley Wine
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Dec 2016
at 16:55
7/10
Tried
on 04 Dec 2016
at 20:50
5.9/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Aroma: Fruity sweet with raisins and prunes and spices. Flavour: Dark ripe berries, prunes and brown sugar with christmas spices. Colour: brown with a fading offwhite head.
Tried
on 03 Dec 2016
at 10:03
7.9/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Brilliant clear tawny amber brown colour, small frothy off-white head, disappears quickly, light lacing. Aroma roasted malts, dark fruits, brown sugar, caramel, treacle; taste light heavy sweet and light bitter, malty, raisins, dates, candy sugar, toffee, alcohol, spicy notes; malty sweetbitter aftertaste, quite spicy, warming alcohol; medium to full body, oily to sticky texture, soft carbonation; a round and rich beer with a relatively low abv of 7.5% despite that a real Barley Wine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Nov 2016
at 10:41
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle, 7.5%, courtesy of MiP. Pours slightly hazy copper brown with airy but stable beige head. Clear aroma of malt, caramel and fruit, with touches of cinnamon. Seeetish flavour of caramel malt, with notes of fruit and touches of cinnamon, cloves and hops. Hints of yeast and dust. Gingerbreadlike and dusty aftertaste with spicy and nutty hints. Warming alcohol presence despite only moderately high ABV. A decent beer of this type.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Nov 2016
at 00:37