Christmas Ale
Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy Winter|
Score
6.86
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This traditional Scotch Ale is rich and malty with notes of caramel and a warm finish. Certain to make any occasion festive, or at least a bit more bearable. Enjoy with the company of friends and family.
Note: This is different from the 5.5% abv Christmas Ale that was previous brewed. The recipe was completely revamped in 2017.
Note: This is different from the 5.5% abv Christmas Ale that was previous brewed. The recipe was completely revamped in 2017.
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7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
A gift from friend PB, thanks man! Aromas are caramel, dark malt, a little bit of toast. Flavors are somewhat similar to nose, add in a little fruit and some metallic. Good balance between bitter, sweet and carbonation. Decent but not great.
Tried
on 02 Jan 2023
at 04:14
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
bottle - sampled years ago, forgot about - tried again. Solid Winter/Scotch ale - good flavor.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Dec 2022
at 23:03
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle/Fest. A- Holiday spice, malty, caramel. A- Dark red color, clear liquid, beige head. T- Lager malt, spice, caramel. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, malty finish. O- This felt more like a bock than a scotch ale, didn''t love the pre 2017 version and this felt about as basic.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Dec 2022
at 19:59
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Straightforward scotch ale, with a massive caramel front mixed laced with brown sugar, dried date, and a little cocoa, followed by a gentle back end of toasted pumpernickel and the slightest bit of bitterness. Indulgent, but tasty.
Tried
on 16 Dec 2021
at 04:50
6/10
Tried
on 03 Dec 2021
at 23:15
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 ounce bottle from Total Wine Greenfield, 11/7/21. Clear dark amber, medium fizzy tan head, good retention. Aroma of toffee and cherry. Taste is toffee, cherry, anise, molasses, vanilla. Full bodied, decent balance, warming. Very nice. Apparently a new recipe since I last ticked it, and it fits the season well. Except it’s the 60s… in Wisconsin… in November.. .and I’m sitting outside.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Nov 2021
at 05:06
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Backlog. Amber brown pour. The aroma is of caramel malt and a little earthiness. The flavor is sweet and caramel rich, but not too sweet as mild hops keep it in check. It’s a robust, malty brew that’s quite nice.
Tried
on 24 Mar 2021
at 22:42
5.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Bottled 10/20. Poured into a Tripel Karmeliet glass to celebrate the fact that RateBeer _still_ claims one should drink a Scotch Ale from a Thistle. The things Americans reckon. I wonder if that's gunna be the theme here? Dark brown with a cm of loose pale beige head. Aroma is of mildly spiced toffee and some bread. A bit more than medium bodied, medium low carbonation. Sweet with more plain caramel than malt flavour. Gentle spiced bitterness tries to reel it in but never quite does. Lacks depth, presence and structure but there are some pleasant nuances in the attempt at a finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2020
at 13:04
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours clear reddish mahogany, small beige head, decent lacing. Aroma is malty, caramel, toffee, roast, coffee grounds, hints of earth, figs, wet dog. Flavor is medium sweet, light bitter, malty. Medium body.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2020
at 00:17
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Sediment-laden deep orange-brown body, thin off-white to beige head. Toasty, leafy, modestly sweet nose. Medium-bodied, chewy, with balanced sweetness and leathery tannins. Notes of dark berries, brown sugar, toast, and a leafy/woody bitterness. IIRC, the previous recipe lacked this depth and heft. Nothing earth-shattering here, but just a good, solid, warming beer for the season.
Tried
on 25 Nov 2020
at 21:27