Bah Humbug - Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.55/5  rDev +28.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This ale is a beautiful coppery amber, generates a decent head. Aroma is strong and malty with a nice nip to it and a hint of spice. Flavor is rich and malty, with spicy sub-tones and just a whisper of molasses. It goes down very smoothly and pleasantly. There is no thinness in the taste or texture - this is a rich winter ale. Besides, you have to love the name!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2007 04:54:10 | More by Cyberkedi

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wychwood's Bah Humbug! pours a beautiful pint! It's clear, deep mahogany body reveals chestnut and orange highlights within; and its frothy tan head holds quite well and leaves remarkable lace.

The Wychwood yeast is apparent in the nose, lending it a bit of a mineral aspect along with some lightly roasted malt, notes of dark caramel, and a bit of dark fruit.

It's medium bodied and silky smooth across the palate with a fine, restrained carbonation.

The yeast appears again in the flavor, lending it a bit of iron, and perhaps some woodiness, as well as dark-skinned fruitiness (plum/prune, raisin, but there's also some apple and pear, and even some tangerine). The caramel appears darker, almost burnt, and more like hard-candy than anything soft and gooey. A soft, dull roastiness (perhaps from a bit of very highly kilned chocolate malt) acts as the mattress in this bed of flavors (the yeasty fruitiness is, of course, the colorful silk sheet on top); and beneath that is a solid base of dry bitterness. It finishes dry with a quick-passing note of darkly caramelish malt infused with a berry-like fruitiness. That immediately fades to become more like a bitter-skinned dark fruit, and then just as quick as it began only a lingering bitterness is left.

As a huge fan of English ales I found this quite remarkable. In fact, I loved it! I think I might pass out to find a pint of it, cask-conditioned, in London during the holidays.... but I digress. It should be enjoyed at or near cellar temperature, in the proper glassware (an Imperial pint), and with the right frame of mind. Beautifully done! A real gem.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2006 01:17:22 | More by NeroFiddled

jwc215

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours amber with nice color and clarity. The thin head becomes a lasting patch.

Wintry spices - cinnamon, nutmeg - roasted grains with a touch of caramel. Dark fruitiness.

The taste is of sweet roasted grains, floral, fruity (apple and cherry). An underlying hop bitterness balances out the sweetness in the finish. Just a touch of warming alcohol comes through - just enough. Long, dry bittersweet finish.

It has a nice, smooth yet crisp texture. It does thin a bit to bring it to medium bodied, when it should be fuller. But, it does hold up enough to make it enjoyable.

Complex and tasty while being easy to drink for the style. It's not the heaviest or most "warming", but a great choice for a more drinkable, "sessionable" winter ale. A very good example of an English-style winter ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2006 18:49:54 | More by jwc215

dstc

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours murky brown with a light tan head, good retention. Thin lacing.

Nice spiced malt nose. Smells sweet and of caramel sugars.

Taste is of sweet malts with undertones of hops which leave a very slight bitter aftertaste.

Medium to full bodied in the mouth.

Very nice winter brew, will have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 18:20:15 | More by dstc

Offa

California

4.4/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a characterful, full-bodied ale, fruity and caramelly, with a fairly full body and well-rounded character.

Deep red-brown, it has a large, dense tan head that dissipates slowly and leaves a sizeable foamy top plus some thin lacing.

The aroma is a rich, malty caramel with yeasty bread and a sweet, mild earthiness along with caramel, tangy fruitiness.

The taste is largely as above with a mild hoppy bite and a fruity finish. It's lighter than some winter warmes in body yet still pretty solid and has an engaging liveliness.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 22:52:32 | More by Offa

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours an inviting dark-brown / toffee color out of a tall bottle... Smell is wonderful - full of spices... cinnamon, toffee, and vanilla... Such an explosion of flavors in the aroma... high hopes for the taste, which doesn't dissapoint... Much different than some other winter warmers I've sampled... this one is easily the best one I've had so far... The cinnamon and vanilla-spice flavor is so rich - this is an awesome brew.... definitely worth the $4.00 for the 16.9 oz bottle... too bad I can't find it in a six-pack... Doesn't have that oily flavor that some other winter warmers have, which I really appreciate... Mouthfeel is great, but with such an explosion of flavors, I wouldn't want to down more than one or two of these in a single setting... Although I love the spicey- graham cracker taste... Superb beer... Definitely worth a try, and certainly recommended...

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2007 00:46:23 | More by dsa7783

KALIKGOLD

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured this one into an over sized wine glass. the color was a nice brownish amber. The head was thin and tan with little lacing. The carbonation is nice. Had a malty smell with figs, brown sugar and mild spice. Great mouthfeel easy to drink, too easy. I love this beer, too bad its a winter seasonal. I would drink it all the time.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2005 06:36:47 | More by KALIKGOLD

Traquairlover

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1 pint, 0.9 fl oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Served at cellar temp or close thereto.

A = Murky dark amber liquid, much less clarity than expected, quite hazy, a nice half inch slightly orange tan head comprised of foam and small bubbles, decent retention. Light lacing.

S = Slight hints of buttered pancakes with pure maple syrup, warm cinnamon bun, violets, very interesting smells which definitely trigger mouthwatering. A good sign.

T&D = Man, this one does not let you down. Your mouth starts watering on the smell, and this definitely tries to quench your thirst. It is thick and sweet, the maple syrup covered buttered pancakes metaphor present for the smell is still appropriate. But the pancake batter included cinnamon, vanilla, sugar and nutmeg, too. I cannot tell if this beer had spices added as winter beers often do or if this is just a superior taste coming from the malts themselves. I don't care either. To the extent there are spice flavors, they are very mild, not the main focus, but always present serving to highlight the body and complexity of the beer. I could happily drink this all Winter in front of a nice fire.

M = Medium, heavy body, thick, meaty mouthfeel, very good coating, frothy carbonation like drinking a highly frothed coffee drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 02:27:39 | More by Traquairlover

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.3/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My bottle is brown,,,Love the label..Poured dark copper/red with a creamy 2" off-white head. Very good lacing & okay head retention

Smell: Fruitty almost slight hefe bubblegum smell that fades as it warms?

Taste: fruitty, sweet & quinching for its abv! Some alcohol notes. Slight cinnamon notes & some fig/plum notes.

MF: Smooth/creamy, very good carbonation! Well balanced

Pretty drinkable, easily the best thing I've had from this brewery since i lived 25 miles from it! Will certainally seek this out again

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2006 04:41:05 | More by russpowell

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Can't go wrong with Wychwood as far as I'm concerned, and this is no exception!

Pours with a large billowy head, medium size bubbles and quickly dissapating. Very nice colour, red/organge and crystal clear. Thinnish lacings from the red-tinged foam.

Alot of toffee in the aroma. Smells quite sweet, as was expected, and the cinnamon is definately there. Possibly some maple or other sweet syrup gives it a real festive sweet smell.

Immediate cream soda-like taste, not a bad thing, but it's certainly quite sweet in a non-fruit sort of way. That nice light, sweet malt that marks all of Wychwood's brews is there, great that they were able to balance it with the other spices. Call me crazy but there's a bit of an eggnog taste to it! The cinnamon, maybe nutmeg and certainly some vanilla combined with perfect, creamy body. Despite all those lovely sweet flavours, there is still a good bit of alcohol there to warm me up on this freezin' winter night after trecking home through the snow on this Friday night.

As already mentioned, this is a nice creamy beer, surprising for the appearance to me. Good ale carbonation, no complaints there. Great winter beer all around, love it.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 01:39:58 | More by CanuckRover

edbeered

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from a bottle, this pours a clear reddish brown color, with a small white head and minimal lacing on the glass. The smell is slightly sweet. The taste is sweet, with cherry and plum flavors predominating, with a hint of vanilla. I don't detect much hop presence, as seems typical with winter warmers.The flavors blend together smoothly and the mouthfeel is rich and satisfying. This is a nice solid English Christmas Ale. Now if only I could get it on draft or on cask.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 04:02:17 | More by edbeered

Methodd

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle poured into a mug.
Good amount of head. Slight off white.

Appearance: Nice clean amber. Very inviting. Looks warming.

Smell: Cinnamon, alspice. Reminds me of spice cake.

Taste: Cinnamon, vanilla, alspice. The smell gives away the tatse.

Mouthfeel: Smooth. Maybe not quite enough carbonation but close.

Drinkability: I want to go outside and get cold so I can come inside and drink this.

Greate beer, great taste. The lable and the name suits the brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2009 06:33:21 | More by Methodd

Skidz

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out hazy amber-brown and sits a deep caramel brown in the glass with a large, light tan head. Fades to a ring of foam around the glass, few lacings strech up the glass.

Smells sweet and doughy with loads of caramel and light toffee up front. Hints of apple and pear thrown around. Malts definately dominate, rich, toasty and mouthwatering.

Malts hurl themselves at you from the start, lobbing out hunks of toasted grain, caramel and mild nuttiness. Slight specks of raisins, accompanied with overripened apples. Bitterness slowly trots in, providing some light grassy flavors. Still, it's all malts all the way into the mildly bitter finish.

Rich, smooth and creamy in the mouth with soft and low-level carbonation. Medium-full in body.

This is just an all-around, easy drinking beer...nothing wrong with that.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2005 02:23:44 | More by Skidz

barefootbrewer

Mississippi

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a hazy brown color with a big rocky tan head that quickly fell. The aroma is sweet and has strong caramel notes. The taste is malty and full of caramel/Belgian candy flavors. The hops are subtle in the background – this is a malty brew. The mouthfeel is quite full and works well. Overall, I wasn’t expecting to be this surprised by another Christmas Ale – but I am!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2007 00:32:48 | More by barefootbrewer

aychbomb

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance:amber, slight haze, big dence head that quickly dissipates leaving light lace.
Smell: sweet malt, vanilla, fruity. vey mild hops.
taste: sweet malt, vanilla, dried fruit, cream soda. medium hop flavour.
Mouthfeel: low carbonation, moderatly creamy, slightly dry finish.
drinkability: overall a good brew, pitty it's only seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 18:43:18 | More by aychbomb

mshallah

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Dark amber to light brown that's just a bit hazy. Small head drops to a persistent ring.

S-Very fruity and sweet with a hop spice. Smells like a well balanced ESB. Slight sulfur aroma rounds out the nose.

T-Fruity sweet and hoppy with the hops peaking in the late middle and a sweet, lingering finish. Luckily the hops build with every sip to keep the beer from becoming too sweet. Flavor profile and balance are exceptional.

M-Smooth and creamy.

Great English Christmas ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2008 14:04:08 | More by mshallah

caddybuyer

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Cloudy opaque reddish amber with a creamy offwhite head and delicate lacing

S-Sweet, malts, spice (cinnamon, vanilla) and a waft of citrus like sourness.

T-Malts predominate here, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon, balanced off by a bit of hops. A bit on the sweet side, but not much, and not cloying. The spice takes a backside, but is always there, as it should be in a Christmas beer. This is a tasty winter brew with a classic English feel, and I like it a lot.

M-Moderate carbonation, medium chewy mouthfeel, but overall good for the style.

D-Very drinkable example of a winter warmer. I will definately go back for more.

Re-review....

If you like Winter Warmers and you like the English style, this is one of the best combinations of the two. This is not the best warmer by any means, but there is something about it so comforting, so appealing, and so damn drinkable that I went back to my local distributor and bought out the rest they had in stock.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 00:07:03 | More by caddybuyer

AEK

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml brown bottle poured into a Hobgoblin pint pot

A. Deep copper with a soft White foamy head.

S. Chocolatey, dried cherries and roasted malt.

T. Cinnamon, chocolate, raisins and a hint of clove.

M. Medium bodied.

D. A delicious dark mid winter ale to sip during the short winter days and/or long winter evenings.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 15:41:33 | More by AEK

enki

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A great Christmasy beer: Pours out a nice burnt orange color. Medium head that collapses down to a light foam around the edges of the glass.

The smell wasn't overwhelming, so I was surprised by how complex the flavor was; caramel, vanilla, and some kind of spice I can't put my finger on. The alcohol flavor came out soon after, but wasn't cloying or overwhelming compared to some 6% beers, and actually complemented the other flavors. Fruity (CARAMEL APPLES!) flavor followed, with a nutty aftertaste.

Mouthfeel was a little light for such a malty, thick beer, but matched fairly well anyway.

This is definitely NOT a session beer, but something to be savored in front of a fire. I have tasted quite a few winter beers, and this is currently my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2007 03:04:18 | More by enki

Zorro

California

4.05/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark shade of amber, more of a reddish brown really. Rocky off white head.

Smell is quite good, very fruity with a touch of brown sugar and spices mostly cinnamon and orange riding on the alcohol fumes. Scent is a bit sweet smelling.

Taste is a little sweet and salty? Mild and fruity this has a smoky bitter tang in the finish that is quite good. Spice is mostly a jumble of Christmas potpourri with only vanilla standing out to be identified and maybe cinnamon. This is a tasty sweeter British ale.

Mouthfeel is good.

This is a tasty British ale that I will buy again. I can't help but notice that this is bottled in brown glass that protects the beer and not clear that does nothing to protect the beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2005 04:15:24 | More by Zorro

EskimoDave

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The bottle filled my glass with a pale copper, which in turn filled my nose with cinnamon, dry fruits, butterscotch, and caramel. The taste is very similar. Hints of cinnamon, dry fruits, creamy butterscotch (diactyl? whatever, it works) caramel, and vanilla. Bah Humbug has an even finish, smooth, good presence in the mouth. Only downside for me is a touch too much CO2.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2010 19:03:19 | More by EskimoDave

Gehrig

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful hazy brown with cider-orange highlights, with a nice patch of amaretto froth. Ample lacing and fine duration--in addition to one of the best labels I've seen in some time, a great caricature of Scrooge holding a candle--make this an excellent appearance. Subtle smells of raspberry, lightly toasted malt, and some spice should be more pronounced for a Warmer.

Nice flavor, well malted, sweet and sour taste with some hazelnut toffee. Typically Wychwood, Bah Humbug has a clean taste and a smooth texture, rich but not quite robust enough for me. This could use a bit more spice for my tastes--a healthy dollop of cinnamon, some ginger perhaps. It's good but too straightforward.

Delicious and eminently drinkable, this is a fine Warmer, one I'd like to see improved but one I'll try again. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 19:59:11 | More by Gehrig

dionisio

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I wasn't really interested in a winter warmer, but since I have it in the house and it's April 1, I figured I better drink it soon. But then I tasted it. Leave it to Wychwood to always make a good beer. I find they excel at making complex tasting beers that are perfectly balanced. This one tastes a lot like Twizzlers, but it's also bitter, and somehow there's no clashing at all. The flavor evolves in the mouth in a perfectly logical fashion.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2009 00:04:32 | More by dionisio

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice amber color with a sparse coating of head and a slight cloudyness. Nose is interesting. Buttery toffee, brown sugary, with a moderate fruityness. I think the diacetyl is working with this brew. Flavor is much more roasty and raisiney. Almost like some raisin bread. There is just a light touch of hoppy bitter on the finish. No spice. Feel is moderate with a light moderate carbonation. This is definately a nice brew. Everything works well together. I like this for a winter warmer. Might be the best from the brewery I have had.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2005 01:54:41 | More by kmpitz2

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was pleasantly surprised to find this under the tree... I had it Christmas afternoon.

Bottle is encrypted with "5 CEH 13:06", whatever that means?

A: Redish-copper, off-white head, not much retention, but nice lace.

S: English floral/citrousy hops and sweet, caramel malt.

T: Bready malt, a little fruity from the yeast, raisins, plums, slight citrous hop flavour (Goldings?), a little butter and caramel. If it wasn't balanced towards the bitter side, it might be reminiscent of plum pudding!

M: Moderate body is a little creamy, carbonation is moderately high.

D: Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2005 00:09:59 | More by Derek