Christmas Ale 2007 - Abita Brewing Co.

BWH3

Pennsylvania

2.17/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Christmas Ale 2007 Abita
Draft Pint

Appearance: Mild clear brown with a big beige head and great retention. This is as goof as this beer will get. I was thrilled by the appearance. (4.5)

Smell: A burnt off putting bitterness without much complexity or other scents to balance it. No sweetness or special holiday spices or unique richness. Smells like a brown ale gone bad. (2.0)

Taste: Same as smell with a dominating ashy flavor and unforgiving bitterness. (2.0)

Mouthfeel: Thin watery fairly still mild brown ale. (2.5)

Drinkability: A disappointing seasonal ale. I would not recommend it or repeat it. (2.0)

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2007 23:13:21 | More by BWH3

Vengeance526

Louisiana

2.58/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Wow, found the notes on this one from 1/18/2008.

Pours a slightly hazy copperish brown color with a very light tan head that shrinks to a small ring and leaves small amounts of lacing.

Lots of piney hops in the aroma. Very earthy.

Taste is again very earthy with a semi strong bitterness imparted by the hops. Beyond this, there's really not much to describe. Doesn't seem to be very balanced.

Mostly medium bodied with medium carbonation. Whenever I drank one, I never felt compelled to have another. It was somewhat of a struggle to finish the sixer. I kept thinking I'd grow more accustomed to the taste but I never did. A friend asked to try a bottle and was equally unimpressed so I'm guessing its not just me. This isn't the worst I've ever had, but I am kinda glad I won't be seeing it around again.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2009 00:30:20 | More by Vengeance526

bmwats

Louisiana

3.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint.

A: Medium brown pour. Medium light carbonation pours into a 1 finger white bubbly head. Settles quickly into a patchy layer of carbonation on surface. Spotty lacing recedes into the body.

S: Malt, hops, and a hint of spice. . . nutmeg, maybe.

T: Fairly hoppy. Malt, and a hint of spice.

M: Hops first then the spice makes a flyby, but a hoppy finish which lingers for the aftertaste.

D: Pretty decent drinkability. Nice flavor, and mild alcohol taste.

Nice flavor, okay atmosphere, non-offensive feel. Overall, worth at least trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2008 06:51:03 | More by bmwats

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Abita- Christmas Ale

A- Nice golden acorn brown with a thick foamy head.
S- Sweet caramel malt with a touch of butter and sweet pine hops.
T- Sweet earthy pine hops blended evenly with a slick caramel malt.
M- Again sweet and buttery with a nice green hop presence.

Overall- Very nice, easy to drink! I was expecting a spicy winter warmer. Tasty and sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 20:29:50 | More by NJpadreFan

treyrab

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass

A: Clear copper/yellow with with 2 finger white head that reduces to a disk. Good amount of carbonation in this one as well.

S: Hmm very macro smelling to my surprise. Tons of cereal grains with a nice hop scent as well.

T: The taste has a very funk taste to is surprisingly. The taste is plain malt, but has a decent hop finish, hallertau perhaps.

M,D: The mouthfeel is pretty decent due to the high carbonation.

Overall, this is a little too macro-ish for me, but I'll try next year's.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2008 02:04:31 | More by treyrab

zeff80

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It may be a winter seasonal but it was quite god in August.

A - It poured out a cloudy, dark amber color with hints of brown. It had a small, foamy, tan head that left small traces of lace.

S - It smelled of grasses and earth tones. Also, a sweet malty nose.

T - It tasted of biscuity sweet malt. There were hints of caramel, toffee and nuts.

M - It was soft and smooth. A light to medium bodied beer.

D - This was surprisingly good, especially considering its age.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2008 15:58:33 | More by zeff80

Pegasus

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazy medium amber in color, with a modest white head, which soon collapses to scattered islands of foam, and thin, patchy lacing on the glass walls.

Aroma: Fairly prominent pine tar hops vie with sweet caramel, bitter cocoa, and earth.

Taste: Opens with rather sharp pine tar hops, followed by dark fruits and bitter apple peel, finishes with a bit of earthiness and sharp, lingering herbal and pine tar hops.

Mouth feel: A bit thin and watery, with slightly zesty carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: While certainly not bad, it is not as balanced and flavorful as previous years were. More maltiness would be quite welcome.

Presentation: Packaged in a short brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown, serverd in a standard pint tap glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 02:59:27 | More by Pegasus

Proteus93

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: A slightly hazy dark reddish-amber... short, white, and creamy head has decent retention, and leaves a sheet behind.

S: Warm, toasted malts, some caramel notes, and just the slightest bit buttery.

T/M/D: Malts come across as a little delayed with not much on the tip of the tongue. A touch of hoppiness, but not enough to really make for a bittering finish. A little on the light and uneventful side, but a tolerable beer. Easy enough to drink... not exactly 'big and festive' as one might think, and there's no spicing or anything in particular that would hint as to why this is a "Christmas Ale," but it's not like that is a style of beer, so it doesn't really have any expectations to live up to and I can't take away from it for that. Better offerings out there, but I probably wouldn't turn it down if offered... maybe.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2008 04:27:26 | More by Proteus93

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Goebbel's in Wichita

Pours caramel with 2+ fingers sand colored head. Above average lacing & head retention

S: Cakey & some caramel

T: Bready, some fruittyness (plums, figs & raisins), dryness & herbal hops up front. Dryness & some caramel, plus a touch of metallic hops as this warms. Finishes with leafy hops nice toffee, brown sugar & slight fruittyness

MF: Medium bodied, with low carbonation, skews malty for the style

Drink alright, looks like a little freshness wouldn't have hurt, but one of the better beers I've had from Abita

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 04:27:34 | More by russpowell

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm drinking this a little late for the season (May, 2008), but the beer was stored in a refrigerator.

Nice pour with a moderate head that leaves spotty lace on the glass. The color is brownish copper and quite clear.

The aroma is attractive with a good initial malt nose that quickly goes over to a fresh floral hop smell.

More dark malts in the flavor than I expected--a little bit of chocolate. I don't detect any problems with the age of the brew. The swallow brings out some wonderful hop bitterness that is very complimentary (read: not too heavy) to the malt base. Good body and carbonation.

I am surprised by the ratings of some of my fellow BA'ers. I think this is an excellent Pale Ale. I would say that it doesn't fit my expectations of the traditional winter offerings, but I find this to be a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2008 22:32:56 | More by smcolw

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A reddish tinge and a bit of initial head. Above average carbonation. Initially yeast and then malt, nutmeg spice and a tad toast in background. Medium mouthfeel,with cloves and a freezing of the mouth in the finish, also a bit of water. Drinkable though marginally unsatisfying.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 03:08:29 | More by northyorksammy

Pencible

Virginia

2.42/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This poured a clear maroon with no head. It immediately smelled pretty bad, like a wet dog, followed by scents of malt and maybe chlorine. It tasted somewhat better, like bland hops mixed with bland malts. It was watery with no carbonation and had a sour aftertaste. Overall this was a clean but unimpressive drink with nothing Christmas (or otherwise enjoyable) about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2008 20:33:12 | More by Pencible

JDV

Texas

3.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a transluscent maroonish copper color with an offwhite, lasting foamy head. Smell is spiced and hopped, and perhaps a bit toasty or nutty. Not a bad aroma, actually. Taste is a bit mild, but balanced between toasty bittersweet malt, hops and perhaps a spiced or nutty flavor, but maybe I'm projecting that. I definitely prefer this to their standard year round beers that I've tried. Pretty decent, very drinkable and far better than the percentage indicates I thought.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2008 21:24:15 | More by JDV

argock

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear pint glass. No freshness date.

A: Ruby-brown hue with thick, foamy off-white 1-2 finger head and lots of lacing after a moderate pour.

S: Faint caramel malts and spicy, earthy hops.

T: Tangy but weak flavor that has a lot of graininess to it that was a turn-off. Earthy hops flavor almost saves it, but the malts are not sweet or strong enough to give it balance.

M: Very thin and overly carbonated to the point that it feels like a macrobrew. Nice spicy aftertastem is a plus though.

D: An average beer that is an okay amber, but one that will appeal to those who like a lighter bodied, spicy hops flavored ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2008 05:49:29 | More by argock

jcdiflorio

West Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown stubby bottle with a twist-off cap.

Clear ruby red color with a thin,creamy light tan head that dissapated quickly no much carbination visable.

Faint aromas,mostly malted with candided carmell,some dark fruitiness,a touch of metallic with notes of citrus.

Malty tastes wiith a burnt bittersweet carmellnes with some nutty tastes. Good clean finish,citrusy with a rind feel at the aftertaste.

Tangy mouthfeel that's a bit on the thin side. Seemed to get better with every taste. Decent beer,not what you would expect from a Christmas beer. Might have made me score the beer a bit lower,was an overall good amber beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2008 03:48:34 | More by jcdiflorio

timbro81

Oklahoma

3.13/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to deepsouth in the Brews 'N' Tunes 3 BIF for the opportunity.

Pours a nice amber with brilliant clarity. Head is a good 1/3 inch head that settles to a fine ring. Smells slightly sweet with some licorice and subtle spicing. Taste is kind of weak. Subtle spicey hops arouse the tongue, not much else really goes on after that. Its a jumble of things with nothing really standing out. Finish is a bit lacking, kind of stale. Not my favorite example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2008 04:26:12 | More by timbro81

barleywinebrewer

New Hampshire

2.93/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

christmas ales are always a tough brew to rate. Spices can be hard to guage for how long they'll last. I don't know when this was originally released but at this point it's a decent looking brew that has become a one note song - cinnamon. Not quite a cinnamon stick but in that vein. I might try it fresh if possible but otherwise would look elsewhere for my holiday ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2008 23:58:31 | More by barleywinebrewer

imaguitargod

Ohio

1.73/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Pours to an extremely small head that dissipates to a microscopic foam that spreads over the top of the surface. Burgundy in color and no where near transparent.

I've had many Christmas Ales and this has all the features of one. I would label this as mediocre X-Mas ale though. The flavors are not all that bold and do not linger at all. Once it hits your taste buds, it is gone. There is one thing that lingers and turbine2475 (see below) nailed it. It's like a residue or film like taste. Good thing I only spend $1.50 on one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 01:20:09 | More by imaguitargod

turbine2475

Texas

2.55/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A - Pours an amber brown with a short lived vanilla head.
S - Earthy malts with a light hop hint. Not very forthcoming.
T - More biterness then the smell let on but finishes rather yeasty.
M - Mild carbonation with a light feel with a bit of left over residue.
D - Different from what I was expecting, but not really in a good way. Was too unbalanced too be one that I would drink agian.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 05:26:48 | More by turbine2475

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The pour created about a finger-and-a-half's worth of thick, deep-tan head with good retention. The nose was hoppier than what I might have once expected from a red ale, but I have noted that trend of late. A swirl of the liquid also released some sweet characteristics. My mouth began to water as a result. The color was beautiful deep orangish-amber with NE-quality clarity. The mouthfeel was medium-to-full with an interesting admixture of sweetness and bitterness on the tongue. It was on the finish that the sweetness won out, but just barely. My, but this was good. I keep finding myself wishing that I had more of some beers and fewer of others. I wish that I had more of this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 13:20:11 | More by woodychandler

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.15/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tried this seasonal during a visit to the small deli inside Habanos in Slidell, La. A 12 oz. bottle poured to a funny little handled mason jar (oddly enough, one touting Bermuda's own 'Dark & Stormy', which ranks among my favorite non-beer drinks...). It was chilled, as seems customary most everywhere in the South.

A: Chestnut brown with a notable ruddiness. Complexion is nearly clear; few rising bubbles. Capped with a rich 1+ finger of tan/light yellow froth, good retention and blotchy sticking lace.

S: Modest dark malt in the nose, a faint chocolate and caramel. Soft, wheaty grain and just enough earthy bittering hops. Hints of sugary molasses and a trace of holiday spice.

T: Has a raw flavor of dark (almost burnt tasting) grain with a drying grassy/medicinal hop bittering. Some nut toastiness and a little cereal grain creep in. Starts bitter and malts never quite redeem it.

M: Carbonation in the mouth is low, but body seems about 'medium' initially. Once the shock of bittering wears off, the mouthfeel is revealed to be thinner/slicker and hardly sticks around in the finish. Winds up being pretty mellow, hence forgettable.

D: Wasn't sure about the style they were aiming for; at first I was judging this as a winter warmer (would have scored worse were that the case). As such, it's a fairly blasé example of a likable style known for bold hop flavor, balanced with malt and easy drinkability. Not a failure for me, but the balance seems off and it's really not all that tasty. I wouldn't turn one away, nor would I seek it out; I suppose that's the epitome of an 'average' score...

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2008 07:41:33 | More by msubulldog25

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

2.55/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Acquired via trade from deepsouth, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish brown color, with a short foamy off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of dark fruit, pale hops with touches of nuts and caramel, but none of which seem very well-blended.

T: The taste starts out malty & bready and then there’s a quick burst of hops bitterness that comes in. As the hops bitterness fades, some sweet flavors of caramel, dark fruit (raisins & berries) and nuts. Although the flavors tend to balance out, there's just something that seems off here. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, slightly filling, decent kick, this beer just didn’t hit it off with me and to be honest, I’m having a hard figuring out why. However, I can say with certainty that I would pass on drinking it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2008 05:44:33 | More by TheManiacalOne

medic25

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass; coppery red color with a short-live tan head. Not a very strong aroma; mostly malt. Taste is well balanced. The malt predominates, but there is a little hoppy bitterness. Goes down fairly easily, if not especially memorable. I'd expected something more along the lines of a winter warmer when I picked up the bottle; it's not an especially Christmasy beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2008 02:51:33 | More by medic25

tapman

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a brown-red, though significantly more red. Perhaps one of the most red beers I've seen outside of framboise or kriek/cherry, strawberry lambics. Head a light tan and poured to two and a half fingers. Promising.

The nose is nothing to boast about. A good amount of crystal malt with perhaps a touch of chocolate malts. I don't believe that there is anything darker than those, however. Hops smell like English hops, bready and not very pungent.

Malt complexity is hidden by an overwhelming taste of crystal malt. Not even any caramel notes, either, just a malt on the very light side of the spectrum, perhaps some red wheat, filtered, left over from their (yuch!) Purple Haze brew. Either way, this doesn't taste like a Christmas, much less a winter brew. Also, bitter hop resin in the aftertaste, which would have been better suited for the main taste, loosing a chance to balance with the malts since the malt character is gone by now. Follow up: After it warmed for a while, I got a slightly larger hint of bready malt and more alcohol flavor. Hops get a little stronger too, but so does the not-great resiny aftertaste.

Average. Bubbly with a medium-light body. A little sticky in the finish.

Eh, I guess its all right. Not horrible, but a little astringent and sticky in the aftertaste, which makes for a beer that does not finish clean and therefore lacks drinkability. If the main flavors were a bit brighter and, dare I say, more present, the aftertaste may not have suffered, but it is what it is and you're better off with a turbo dog or the amber from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2008 02:35:37 | More by tapman

Risser09

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz twist of bottle poured into a pilsner at cellar temp - 2007 bottling

Appearance: This beer is a transparent brown and orange colored brew with a better than 2 inch head. The head is ivory in color. Laceing is spongey and coats the glass. Great retention.

Smell: Hops, malt, spices like cinnamon, brown sugar, earth, milk chocolate. Decent.

Taste: Malt build for this one. Brown sugar is the most distinguishable flavor. The beer is very pedestrian though. Not very complex.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and medium bodied. Moderately bitter hop bite. Alcohol lingers.

Drinkability: This is a decent beer. Not worth trying or revisiting. Not complex, and not very much spice to indicate that it's a Christmas Ale! Okay.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2008 02:21:54 | More by Risser09