Sweetwater Festive Ale - SweetWater Brewing Company

Buebie

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtasy of gford217

Poured from a 2008, wax dipped swing top bottle. It sure was hard getting this to open.

Poured into a pub glass, darker in color with little light penetration. Some mild glowing reds when held to light. I almost want to say its a brownish black in color. The head is an off white, about 1 1/2 inches. Leaving plenty of thick sticky webbed lace. A nice cap of retention hangs around.

Aroma is like baking spices, figs, dark fruit and it really smells like a
1996 bottle of Anchor christmas ale that I recently had. Theres a faint wiff of westeshier (sp) in there.

The taste is laced with spices, and more of the worstechier flavors, as well as dark fruits and figs. Some chalky overtone,s with a woody dust like taste. Just a hint of pine into the finish. Crisp, light and thin mouthfeel with plenty of carbonation.
A lingering warmth after the swallow. Its abv is very well hidden in aroma and taste, only just that slight warmth kick after the swallow and into the linger.

Its a solid brew, but nothing extravegant, like the fancy wax dipped swingtop might have suggested.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2009 20:53:55 | More by Buebie

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pilsner glass. Reviewed December 2010.

A: Generous head atop an ostensibly molasses-black body. In decent lighting, the beer is translucent and a drop-dead gorgeous wine-dark red.

S: Coffee and beets(?). Spices and maybe some alcohol.

T: Sweetish and spiced (mace?), moderately vegetal malts. An odd, roasted flavour reminds me of burnt cake. The aftertaste is bland, but reminiscent of a porter (excepting the spice).

M: Moderately thick/substantial, but nothing to write home about.

D: Very drinkable, and the ABV is hidden convincingly. Still, something about it is not quite to my taste -- though all my friends love it. I can't recommend it, but I wouldn't steer you away.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 22:35:28 | More by AgentMunky

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

33.8oz. waxed fliptop bottle shared by Thirstybird and served in my Allagash 25cl chalice. 2006 vintage. Poured the color of cola with some highlights around the base - half inch off-white head quickly dissipates into nothing. Nose is a little sour, malty and some booze. Taste is malty, roasty, watery and sour dark fruit (plums, prunes, raisins). Mouthfeel is medium-light with an even background effervescence. Something was a little off on this one - definitely some oxidation here. I'd have to say that this beer was a little beyond its prime.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 16:52:18 | More by Jwale73

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2004 batch

Pours an opaque black with a thin brown head, no lace. Smells fruity and roasted malt. Lots of spice, nutmeg, clove and allspice. Roasted coffee finish and aftertaste.

Not great. Kind of like Anchor Christmas gone wrong. Too much spice. Lackluster.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2005 04:13:51 | More by ViveLaChouffe

Westsidethreat

California

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a vigours oatmeal colored semi tight head. Beer appears to be the color of coffee. The way the foam sits on top when first poured it almost appears to be a cappucino.

S: Combination of dried strawberries and wet hay. Allspice hints on the nose with an essence of walnuts with an earthen sensibility.

T: Cinnamon flavors at the back of the mouth, citrus on the sides and grapejuice on the tip. After a few sips while it warms notes of strawberries dipped in chocolate emerge. Lots of nutmeg and nutty flavors.

M: Full and round.

D: Ultimately a bit too overspiced. By the end of the huge bottle, it had become a bit too much.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2006 19:33:04 | More by Westsidethreat

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with hints of ruby, medium off-white head that lasts well into the glass, and good lacing. Aroma is somewhat weak, but what it there is a pleasant mix of malty sweet, dark fruit, some choclate and spices. Flavor is good and somewhat spicy, but fades too quickly because body is too thin and watery. The main drawback to this beer is the stale, bitter finish that leaves a licorice aftertaste. Not a terrible Holiday Brew, but there are better

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2006 02:42:25 | More by kimcgolf

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Dogfish Head pint glass.
This pours MUCH darker than I had expected. This beer is a very dark brown with some ruby highlights around the edges. There was a slight 1/4 inch head that quickly disappeared.
There's some spice coming through in the nose but I can't put my finger on just what it is. I'm getting a nutmeg and licorice smell from it.
Taste is similar to the nose. It is good tasting and quite different from your ordinary winter warmer.
The mouthfeel is of medium feel with a decent amount of carbonation. It is somewhat coating in the mouth which takes away from the drinkability slightly.
This is a good beer for this 15 degree night. A solid offering that I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2007 01:21:39 | More by FtownThrowDown

bassmantin

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Please note, I am drinking this beer out of a bottle because I am at the ATL airport. But I still want to put my two cents in.

No comments on the appearance or smell. The taste is very full and thick. Lots of sticky sweet malts. Decently biting hops to give it some punch, but nothing extreme. Leaves a sticky taste in the back of you throat, which I do not particularly enjoy.

Overall, I would not have this one again. It's a little too much malt and hop and not enough delicate balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 03:30:13 | More by bassmantin

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I bought this one from a liquor store in Winston-Salem during Sexual Chocolate weekend. I'm now drinking it.

A: Dark brown with no light passing. The huge 1.5 finger head died down within an hour or so (yep, that's right). HUGE!

S: Spice bomb for sure. Brown sugar, winter ale spice.

T: Like a brown ale around Christmas season. Dark fruit and lots of spice.

M: Not too thick, carbonation.... enough! The lacing was ridiculous.

O: Not my thing. If you're really into Winter Warmers, look elsewhere...

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 03:49:21 | More by Chaney

KajII

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Best served in a Lager glass]

The pour was a murky dark brown with an average sized (1-2 finger) head that was not around for long and only having fair lacing.

The aroma was very mild of a toasted chocolate malt a very mild resin hop and a sweet doughy yeast with notes of allspice, cinnamon, toffee and dark fruit.

The taste was moderately sweet and malty with a hint of toffee and some fruit at first then had the strong effect of spices take hold with a nice note of dark fruit and an alcohol warming sensation at the end. The flavor lasted only a short time while the taste of the dark fruit faded into the background of the spices.

Mouthfeel was just a smidgen below medium in body and a tad watery in texture with a weak carbonation.

Overall a Winter Ale with a nice dose of spices and a superb maltiness. A very drinkable brew even with the noticeably strong alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 17:10:22 | More by KajII

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.23/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2008 12 oz from the great trader from Utah... Wasatch! I've been looking forward to trying this one for a looong time... poured into my Chimay goblet.

1/4" head dies back very quickly.. the brew looks like an American porter... very very dark.. highlites only when held to the brightest light.

Aroma is dark fruits.. dark dried fruits.... some burnt sugars.. dark cherries and prunes with some caramel and rummy raisins.

Flavor has all the above elements with some subtle (maybe imaginary) spiciness.. orange peel?, cardamom?, cinnamon?! again it's more fruity than anything else and has a fair amount of dark caramel maltiness to it.. This is a "Winter Warmer" that I actually can stomach.... I never care for the overspiced versions (think Anchor).. but even then, this is IMO, only okay.. too much of nothing.. just a descent beer that never goes anywhere... The body may be the best element... smooth and fairly thick with a lite yet ever present small bubble carbonation... Edit: Tooo sweet as it warms.. and the waves of spice really come out killing the drinkability.... I'm trying... but... too much of everything equals too much of nothing and is surprisingly just average.

Thanks John for the try.... Honestly Thanks!! I've thought about trying to trade for the big bottles of these before and am very happy that I've been dissuaded.. I'll try to do you right soon. :-)

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 08:32:41 | More by JohnGalt1

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

($1.99 12oz. 2007 Bottle @ Total Wine in Kennesaw, GA).

Appearance: Pours a clear dark brown body with ruby-hued edges and a wispy, white head.

Smell: Aroma charged with spices, mostly allspice, but there's some mace and cinnamon in there as well.

Taste: Mild roasted maltiness and burnt toast flavor with a faint hint of chocolate. A spicy-sweet fruitiness kicks in, as does the allspice zing. Finishes dry with a light lingering spiciness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: It's alright, but I dare say one's enough for me per year!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2007 03:24:28 | More by ChainGangGuy

PhillyStyle

Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on-tap in a pint glass at Pub 71 (Atlanta, GA):

The beer appeared a deep brown with red hints around the edges when held up to light. It had a tan-ish color head, no retention, no lacing to speak of.

Not much of an aroma, slight malt, that was about it.

The taste is decent, a nice roasted malt taste, with some hints of something sweet and some other spices, none really to strong to mention.

Beer has medium to light body, carbonation level was decent. It was smooth and drinkability is average, I could have another or not. Leaves malty bitter aftertaste. I think the next time that I visited the establishment, I went with something else.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2009 18:54:05 | More by PhillyStyle

sweemzander

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a very dark burnt sienna color. Some good tan froth and lace.

(S)- A rich raisin and almond spice to it. Simple, but nice.

(T)- A spicy raisin and nut combo (walnut?)

(M)- A good carbonation level. A solid rich balance too without being too strong.

(D)- Overall, a solid little winter warmer. Not the best, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 14:28:10 | More by sweemzander

SilentSabre

Georgia

3.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Aside from this being a bit darker than I would have expected, everything else I was dead-on about. It poured a very dense dark chocolate brown through which light could hardly pass. No head. The smell was hoppier than I care for, which I predicted it would be. A bit of malt present, which is what I enjoy, but plenty of hops. No thanks. The taste was the same as the smell. A greater presence of hops than malt. Mouthfeel is very nice, however. There's little carbonation and it's very smooth and easy to drink. This has a very very slight heaviness to it. Or rather, what I think I'm trying to say is that there is a consistency here that seems a bit thicker than one might expect. Not like syrup, but certainly more dense than water. Overall, I probably will never buy this again. It certainly isn't terrible, but it certainly isn't for me either. I really didn't care for it that much, but it sure does have a smooth finish, and at 8.6%, it'll do the trick in a hurry!!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2005 03:19:51 | More by SilentSabre

unclejimbay

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Scott for this 2010 Holiday gift to the JamMin Shack!

Dark coffee in color with respectable head and cap.
Strange aroma. Spicy, Jagermeister?, liquor? Licorice? Mace? Medicinal? Strange indeed, unpleasant but unique.
Tastes like a dark winter warmer, porter like with a dash of spice and cinnamon/pepper heat.
Medium body and body, spicy finish.

Tastes better as you warm up to it, just not my type of beer.
Share-able? Yes
Will I ever buy it? Nope.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 00:24:19 | More by unclejimbay

Schwarzwald

Tennessee

3.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Aromas are sweet smelling with lots of richness of fall fruits and winter fruits. I was very excited to try this and it has left me a little bit "wanting more". For such a beautiful bottle and display it had to be great. A perfect winter holiday ale with so much to offer... well... not really. Some spiciness and good mouth feel, but needs more depth. Has a funky bitter (not in a good way) aftertaste.

Not my favorite, but a good bet if nothing else is there for holiday beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 21:02:28 | More by Schwarzwald

Zorro

California

3.05/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Massive 33 Oz bottle received from LuckySevens82 and BIF33 - Team Spring.

Vintage 2005 Bottle # 804 of 7200. Hard wax dipped flip top bottle.

Exceptionally dark brown beer that is very close to black. Only thing that makes it not black is the small amount of light that can be passed through the edges. Near no head just a tan ring around the edges of the glass.

Smell is a bit sour with lemon and ginger and something like the smell of Coke a cola. Bit of alcohol and pepper in the scent.

Taste is mildly sweet and sour with a good chocolate and coffee taste with some spices added. Decent bitterness kicks in after a while. Something tastes off here. Mouthfeel is OK.

Not my favorite beer here. Just seems off. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2006 22:26:23 | More by Zorro

CWiggins

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I purchased this big-ass bottle (33.8oz) from Bruisin' Ales in Asheville around Christmas '08. (Sweetwater brews aren't available in the Durham area, but they can be found in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.

It pours a very dark brown with a rich, thick, deep tan head that lasted for some time. Aromas of bright cherry, caramel, dark chocolate, and alcohol are noted. The flavor is bright indeed, with sweet, dark fruit dominating the front and middle of the profile. The finish is a bit hoppy, and a slight coffee essence lingers here and during the aftertaste. It's certainly more malty than I expected.

It's a nice beverage, although it's not like any winter warmer I've ever had. Very interesting and worth trying again.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 01:18:49 | More by CWiggins

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of Mr_Kimchee: Poured a dark black color beer with a medium off-white foamy head with average retention. Aroma of dry roasted malt with some faint spices. Taste is dominated by roasted malt with a very dry finish. I could not detect very much spice presence overall though and was surprised by the fact that this is classified as spiced beer since I honestly though it was a porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2006 16:41:57 | More by Phyl21ca

atsprings

North Carolina

2.9/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Flying Saucer Raleigh on Dec. 3 served in a standard pint glass and reviewed from notes. The beer was served a dark brown that showed ruby highlights when held to light and sported a barely there disappearing head. The aroma was sweet malts and a hint of spice. The taste is slight sweet malts and alcohol, not much there. The beer is somewhat heavy a bit overly sweet. This one is tolerable, but a huge disappointment.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2009 09:45:49 | More by atsprings

JBIII

Georgia

2.9/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Overall, this beer just did not do anything to stand out from the numerous other Winter Warmer/Winter Ale. This beer was overly sweet/malty and the hop profile was average.

With a beer as malty and heavy as this one, it should have been better balanced by a more robust, yet subtle and complex hop profile to enhance the spice profiles of the beer.

Try it, but don't buy it. There are better Winter Ales out there, such as Jubilation's Avery.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2010 14:23:25 | More by JBIII

drabmuh

Maryland

2.9/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer is too thick, too sweet, cloying and doesn't really go anywhere. Oh well, never again.

Beer is dark brown and clear with a thin off white head, no lacing low carbonation, looks like beer.

Aroma is malty sweet, like syrup. Aroma does not excite me too much.

Beer is THICK, sweet like syrup and hard to swallow. Almost no other flavors other than syrup. I didn't really like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 20:48:39 | More by drabmuh

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -26%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a discraft great lakes open mug. Dark, nice head, aroma is spicey, lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, allspice, hint of vanilla and fruit.

Flavor taste a bit too much like cheap pumpkin pie, too much spice and kinda sweet. It's not doing it for me, maybe some extra roast and I would be happier. There is a lot of good, just seems to be missing a few key components.

I would like to try next years festive fresh, maybe the 6 months did not do this one well.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 06:30:08 | More by olympuszymurgus

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.65/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle poured into a La Chouffe tulip. Cola brown body with a wisp of a head that quickly shrinks to a ring of bubbles and a patchy skim of foam. Spots of lacing here and there.

Aromas at first seem to be limited to nutty malts with a hint of cocoa. As it warms, a tangy dark fruit presence comes into play. Plenty of fruity flavor as well; not quite puckering, but on the verge of sour. Tart orange and grape in particular are notable. These and a fairly potent citric bitterness team up to drown out any of the rich 'winter warmer' qualities that appear to be lingering underneath. Burnt brown sugar sweetness doesn't seem to mesh with anything. Light notes of cocoa and toffee fight through the tanginess, but are swatted down.

Overall impression: Sweetwater is perhaps my favorite regional brewery, but this is an awkward-tasting brew that misses the mark. Can't recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 20:26:26 | More by PDXHops