Christmas Ale 2007 - Abita Brewing Co.

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

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +25.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

An impressive small-type beer with a lot of hop character and very likable. Begins with a sharp, spicy, citrus hop nose with underlying soft maltiness. Quite Pale Ale-sh. The look is a mainly copper color with some golden hues mixed in. Very well headed with an off-white foamstand and solid retention. Flavors are a bit less hoppy than the nose suggests; but balances against the medium malt sweetness nicely. Textures are quite light, creamy, and very easy to drink. Clean, crisp, and refreshing throughout with a mild minty finish. Seems like a Dortmunder Gold with the hop intensity of Doggie Style Pale Ale. Very nice beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 20:25:34 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is probably the first of many Xmas brews I will be having over the next 3-6 weeks.This poured into a standard pint glass a clear rich bronze with a tight very well retained nearly two finger slight off white head very good clarity just rich looking.Aromas of caramel and toasty malt with a hint of gummy fruitiness a healthy dose of leafy hop rounds out the nose well.More standard on the palate toasty with a hefty caramel base a a nice drying finish with a lingering citric hop presence.A well made amber ale not entirely old school with its nice hoppy finish and it cuts through the cold well.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2007 21:32:01 | More by oberon

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

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

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

Halcyondays

California

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a dark red-brown, with a small, slightly tan head, which leaves a little lacing in my Chimay chalice.

S: Light smell of dark malt, and some spices, maybe cinnamon.

T: Tastes of dark malt, spicy, with a little bit of chocolate. Caramel and a slight floral hop presence are there also.

M: Much lighter than I expected, almost fizzy, doesn't hold the flavour like I thought it would. The character of the beer fades fast.

D: An OK beer, I'll probably try it again next year, with a new recipe, but this year, it was just average.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2007 04:00:09 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: clear amber in color with some orange highlights, sporting a fluffy two finger head that lingered a bit. No lacing shows up on the glass.

Smell: light spiciness is all the nose could pull out of the glass.

Taste: caramel, plums, red apple, and some soft spice are most noticeable on top of the bready malt layer. Bitterness is strong enough to make this interesting.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied brew. Lightly crisp to start but finishes smooth. Very short bready aftertaste.

Drinkability: not a bad beer from the Abita folks as this was enjoyed over the xmas during some get-togethers with friends.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2007 20:03:34 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours bright ruby amber with a one-finger foamy off-white head that descends to a thin lasting cover. Some traces of lacing stick to the glass.

The smell is of citric fruitiness and caramel.

The taste is malt-accented - caramelish - wihth a firm citric hoppy balance. Light touch of cinnamonish spiciness gives it a holiday spiciness. Sweet with a bitterish finish with a slightly warming note.

Medium in body and carbonation, this is smooth and very easy to drink.

A tasty, well-balanced brew. Not quite as hefty/hearty as some other Christmas Ales, it is fitting for a southern Christmas brew. An amber/red ale with a nice hoppy touch.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2007 16:17:34 | More by jwc215

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very dark brown with basically no head. Nose is mildly leafy and earthy, though not very firm. Flavor is leafy and earthy. Smooth and even. Seems to be a touch of vanilla on the back side. Feel is a bit crisp with the carbonation and the liquid is decently smooth. An easy drinker. Can’t really say it has a mass of character or is overly interesting. But it’s nice to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 07:23:10 | More by RblWthACoz

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

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

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.23/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a clean copper, with orange hints, and an off white head. In the aroma, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a sticky sweet maltiness. In the taste, just a hint of cinnamon in a quite watery and bland taste. A smooth, watery mouthfeel and a semi-dry aftertaste, with a hint of cinnamon. Very watery, other than a hint of cinnamon, not much other too get excited about.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2007 22:01:20 | More by OWSLEY069

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.53/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, served in a pint glass.

A - clear, amber color with a small tan head that fell to a ring, leaving a little bit of lacing on the glass.

S - slightly bitter smelling, grassy, earthy aromas.

T - subtle spice taste, hops and malts are pretty well balanced with good, sharp bitterness on the finish.

M - lighter bodied (but not too thin) with good carbonation.

D - goes down very easy and smooth. Carbonation/Burp Factor and decent taste makes having a few of these very easy.

Final Note: This beer is not a over-spiced Christmas Ale by any means. It goes well with most holiday appetizers, meals, and sweet treats/desserts. I will buy this beer again next Christmas.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2007 05:20:05 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Vancer

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Another big out to my man in the “deepsouth” for this brew ina nice trade ~ many thanks!

Poured nicely, with a deep oaken brown with plenty of tan head and lace. Rather nutty aroma with spice and caramel adding to the mix. Quaff was a bit subdued for a Xmas ale, spicy but not enough “ummph” to get it into the right range for an Xmas ale (why is this listed under amber ales??) Maybe because it drinks great as such, and was enjoyable – but she needs more kick for a beer brewed one time year.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 22:50:03 | More by Vancer

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

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Recieved in trade from barefootbrewer thanks for the opportunity.

Pours a clear deep copper color with a thin white head that leaves some lace on the side of the glass. Smell comes through with floral citrusy hops and a bit if biscuit malt. Taste is a good mix of hops and malt. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, not much body here. Overall not a bad beer, very tasty, but could stand a bit more body.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 02:49:47 | More by johnnnniee

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

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

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

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

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

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

guinness33

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice brown colour with hints of amber to it. Head is big and frothy, quick to dissolve and leaves virtually no residue on the glass.

The aroma has a piney hop burst to it, along with some caramel and hints of spice. Simple and nice!

The flavour hits you quickly with the piney hop flavour and there's even a bit of juiciness before moving into a more rugged malt flavour that is cut through nicely with some sweetness from the malt. There is a touch of spice at the finish as well to make for a flavourful, well-rounded beer. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, well carbonated and with a touch of slickness to it.

This is a nice brew overall. I could easily enjoy this one year round, and found it to be much more enjoyable to their "standard" Red Ale that they sometimes brew. Grab a six pack and give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2007 03:51:31 | More by guinness33

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