7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
I thought I might have had this before, but I decided to go ahead and grab it when I was making the mix and match sixer. I'm surprised I rated it so low, perhaps they've been doing something different with this beer, fixing their techniques, because I thought this came across as a pretty decent red ale. At least better than the 3.1 I gave it before. I like the nice bready toasted malts, the leafy tobacco-ish hops, the light bitter semi-balanced finish, semidry overall profile. I'm good with it. Original rating: Chestnut orange huge, modest head and lacing. Restrained nose of caramel and fruitcake, with a touch of orange rind. There seems to be something herbal or floral in there too. Balanced and somewhat Britishy, somewhere in the vicinity of an ESB, with an herbal hop and light caramel fruity malts. Lightish finish. A little too fizzy. To say its boring and uninspired might be a bit harsh but not far off the mark.
Tried
on 18 Jan 2009
at 20:37
5.6/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle on 12/10/2008 at the James River Homebrew Club December Meeting in a blind tasting. Clear light amber body with a small frothy tan head. Sweet malty aroma with some caramel and floral earthy hops. Earthy caramel flavor with light floral hops. Medium light body with moderate carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Jan 2009
at 18:23
4.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 4
Tap and in bottles at Sunset Grill late 2008. Sparse beige head runs away quickly from this ordinary amber-looking beer. Clear, with bits of cooked veggies, cardboard and hints of brown sugar making themselves known in the nose. What this has to do with christmas or any special occasion is anyones guess, as this, after trying some and then pouring the rest out, is a poorly lagered/brewed amber ale that dosent seem to even be brewed to the quality of their normal amber lager. Bland, flawed and with almost no trace of hops are anything else interesting.
Tried
from Draft
on 23 Dec 2008
at 10:46
4.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Bottle. Pours a brown with coppery highlights and a smallish and bubbly tan head. Aromas are of spice and wet cardboard... on second approach the cardboard is gone and replaced with toffee-like malt. Flavor is highly spiced with mixed water and toffee malt... and comes off as artificial and sugary and watered down. I could do without another of these, thanks.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Nov 2008
at 21:12
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Pour is a dark brown with a avaerage white head. Aroma is nuts,caramel, hoppy and chocolate so far so good. Flavor is weaker with mostly bready malts being the key flavor. Its an alright amber but not somthing i would call a x-mas ale. If you are going to make an x-mas ale spice it up a notch.
Tried
on 18 Apr 2008
at 18:44
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
bottle - Pours slightly hazy amber with a thin head. It smells of malt and a touch of spice. The flavor is mostly sweet with mild spice and some light hops that lead to an easy going dry finish. It’s alright, but generally unremarkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Mar 2008
at 22:37
4.5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 5
Bottle. Pours a cloudy dark amber color wtih a medium frothy off white head. The aroma is malt with a nuts and caramel. Decent lacing on the glass. The taste is roasted malt and brown sugar. Not too much going on with this one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Mar 2008
at 00:54
6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 6
Typical amber ale aroma, with something spicey besides, perhaps a bit of vanilla. Reddish copper color with a white head that rose and fell. Medium to full in body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is caramel, nutty, clove?, definitely spice things. The finish is fairly dry, and there is enough spice to balance any residual sweets. Not a lot of hop bitter. Decent drink, but not a typical highly flavored winter beast.
Tried
on 25 Jan 2008
at 21:59
5.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
12oz bottle-pours a foamy to rocky tan head and amber color. Aroma is medium malt-some sweet (English) nutty, secondary citrus hops. Taste is medium malt-some sweet (English) nutty/some chocolate, secondary earthy/metallic hops. Occasional. OK/mild carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jan 2008
at 22:13
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Medium amber and thin. The aroma is light diacetyl and some toast. Taste is toasty with some cascade toasty notes.
Tried
on 07 Dec 2007
at 23:35