Santa's Swallie
Inveralmond in Perth, Perth and Kinross, Scotland 🏴
Bitter - Ordinary / Best Bitter Winter|
Score
5.98
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Santa's Swallie is a fine example of the tradition of brewing Christmas beers that was once prevalent in the UK and is still very popular in other northern European countries. The word 'Yule' is derived from 'ale' as beer was used to celebrate the winter solstice throughout the years.
Available during December, Santa’s Swallie, is a dark copper coloured Christmas ale, traditionally hopped with Fuggles and a hint of seasonal nutmeg and cinnamon.
Available during December, Santa’s Swallie, is a dark copper coloured Christmas ale, traditionally hopped with Fuggles and a hint of seasonal nutmeg and cinnamon.
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6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask at Blackfriars, Aberdeen. It pours clear amber, with a thick white head. The nose is spice, cinnamon bun and brown bread. The taste is toasted malt, cereal, lime, brown bread, spice, dough and cinnamon bun, with a dry finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. Not bad.
Tried
from Cask
on 01 Jan 2012
at 04:30
4.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Cask @ Castle Tavern, Inverness 271211
Appearance - Golden amber, clear, thin white head.
Aroma of cinnamon, sweet light malts, no hops.
Taste - sweet light malts, fair amount of cinnamon and christmas spices, no hops (obliterated by spices), 1-dimensional taste, rather mushy, boring.
Palate - Soft carb, spice, sweet, glycerine-like bit gloopy sweetish golden malts. Finish rapid and dull.
Overall - This doesn’t really work - they can do better than this. I’d skip this for one of their other beers.
Appearance - Golden amber, clear, thin white head.
Aroma of cinnamon, sweet light malts, no hops.
Taste - sweet light malts, fair amount of cinnamon and christmas spices, no hops (obliterated by spices), 1-dimensional taste, rather mushy, boring.
Palate - Soft carb, spice, sweet, glycerine-like bit gloopy sweetish golden malts. Finish rapid and dull.
Overall - This doesn’t really work - they can do better than this. I’d skip this for one of their other beers.
Tried
from Cask
on 29 Dec 2011
at 07:09
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
0.5l bottle @ Baran. A crystal clear amber orange beer with a nice everlasting and heavy lacing just off-white head. Aroma is mild with some caramel and light spicy, but lots and lots of nutmeg! Mild oily mouthfeel and a average to soft carbonation level. Ginger tones in the flavor but also a strange almost licorice touch before the nutmeg kicks in and overwhelms the whole beer. Continues with cinnamon and a really low bitterness towards the ending. Really light drinkable and a good mild Christmas beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Dec 2011
at 02:04
6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
50cl bottle. Pours an amber colour with a nice sized head. Without even lifting the glass, the Christmas spices are obvious. On closer inspection, the nutmeg is the obvious spice, it’s so obvious that it’s hard to get much of the malt behind though you somehow know it’s there. The taste is more of the same. The palate is initially interesting but really it’s a one-dimensional nutmeg thing. Overall, this amount of nutmeg probably has some health benefits but I couldn’t see me having another.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Oct 2011
at 06:18
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
500 ml bottle. This beer poured a copper color with a medium sized off-white head. Aroma had spice notes, cinnamon, touch of nutmeg, caramel malts. Was an okay brew, but a bit too much like some of their other brews I’ve had in the last few days.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jan 2011
at 15:18