Dundee Festive Ale - Genesee Brewing Co. / Dundee Brewing Co.

LennyV

New York

3.35/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Growler purchased at halftime pours a mahogany color into my la fin du monde tulip. Small head no lacing.

Smells of light malt

Taste's spicy sweet but not very complex, sorta boring for a winter warmer.

Feels watery in my mouth not enough carbonation.

Not one of my favorites I may have to give this one another try maybe i got the bottom of the keg.

Serving type: growler

01-17-2009 01:51:58 | More by LennyV

Mullinger1980

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

05-11-2013 11:10:00 | More by Mullinger1980

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +28.2%

05-10-2013 12:21:52 | More by pcsnyder

DmanGTR

New York

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

01-29-2013 03:52:34 | More by DmanGTR

chefduff2

New York

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

01-05-2013 21:25:40 | More by chefduff2

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Gulden Draak tulip glass.

Appearance- A murky reddish brown with a small amount of white head that dissipates to a small layer on the surface. No real lacing.

Smell- I get lots of sweet ripe fruit and a small amount of bready malt.

Taste- Front of the tounge gets a bitterness followed by the ripe fruit and quickly washed away with a bitter finish.

Mouthfeel- Light and highly carbonated. Definitly on the watery side.

Overall- This beer lacks in a lot of aspects, but it just good enough tasting that I wouldnt pass it up if offered one. That being said, I definitly would never seek one out either.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 23:40:07 | More by BrownAleMale

cliff1066

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

12-16-2012 06:10:55 | More by cliff1066

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours a hazy copper color with an orange hue, small creamy white head with good retention

S- the first thing that jumps out is the aroma of banana nut bread, strawberry-banana nectar, yeasty and bready with notes of coriander, a bit buttery, and just a trace of hops and booze. Quite complex.

T- fruity and bready yeast, some notes of caramel and toast, cinnamon and nutmeg, finishes slightly bitter and some-what dry. There are many flavors but nothing overpowers.

M- medium body, med-light carbonation, slightly creamy finish.

O- this one was all over the place in flavor, but they surprisingly all meshed very well, making it very drinkable. I was surprised by this one and wish I would have bought more than one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:42:00 | More by Treyliff

JALIEN

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

11-25-2012 23:09:56 | More by JALIEN

BryanK

New York

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

08-13-2012 02:25:24 | More by BryanK

Shasty

3/5  rDev -14.5%

07-30-2012 18:13:56 | More by Shasty

metter98

New York

3.48/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear reddish amber in color and has a high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high dense beige head that gradually died down and consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: The smell is quite fruity and also has notes of spices and some hints of sweetness.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of fruity yeast with notes of spices and some sweetness. Hints of orange peel seem to stand out in particular.
M: It feels medium-bodied, smooth and a bit creamy on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation. No warming from the alcohol is noticeable.
O: This beer isn’t really that good of a sipper because it’s lighter in body compared to others in the style and doesn’t provide alcohol warming. On the other hand, it’s rather easy to drink if you are looking for something that is fruity and malty.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 02:28:10 | More by metter98

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hand-me-down six-pack of Dundee Festive Ale; which is to say, I didn't pay anything for it.

Poured into a pint a coppery color with a faded head that was once an inch in height. Looks pretty still now with the occasional rising bubble and the thin ring of foam around the top. 2.0

Smells like toasted malts, cinnamon, clove, and grassy hops. I wouldn't call the nose weak, but perhaps not very interesting. A generic winter warmer smell. 3.0

The taste is pretty crisp with a good bitter finish. The spices, surprisingly, aren't overwhelming. And, there's only just enough sweetness in the brew to not overpower the properly-toasted grains and the hop presence. The hop presence isn't much, but it rounds out the beer with medium bitterness and herbal/vegetal notes. The cinnamon (and maybe nutmeg) do their part to make this ale 'festive' enough and keep it interesting. This isn't a 'wower' by any means, but it's a solid stab at a Christmas beer by Genesee Brewing. 4.0

There's a dusty spice presence in the body that cakes in the back of the mouth with bitterness. The beer isn't particularly above or below medium in heft, but the carbonation that had been hiding and surfaced in the mouthfeel is a nice treat, after all. 3.5

I expected way worse, so I come away with a decent six-pack that I'm going to drink quickly before I lose that March holiday spirit. I'm assuming the purchaser didn't pay much for the pleasure, which makes this all the more recommedable. Personally, I could go either way. I don't NEED to have this again, but would enjoy it next year if it comes cheap (especially, as cheap as this!). Happy Holidays/First Day of Spring! 3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 01:00:27 | More by thecheapies

deonreds

New York

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%

03-18-2012 05:22:47 | More by deonreds

RepMichigan

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

01-29-2012 22:46:58 | More by RepMichigan

EvanWilliams

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

01-29-2012 02:01:48 | More by EvanWilliams

bluesplit63

Connecticut

2/5  rDev -43%

01-26-2012 16:17:35 | More by bluesplit63

TrojanWheels

California

4.5/5  rDev +28.2%

01-19-2012 18:04:48 | More by TrojanWheels

rayj212

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -14.5%

01-19-2012 02:11:39 | More by rayj212

yesyouam

New York

3.48/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dundee Festive Ale is a very clear, sparkling, amber ale with a huge, pillowy, off white head. It leaves a bunch of festive lacing on the glass. It has just a very slight whiff of soft malt and medicinal herbs. The soft, creamy medium body has a dry, slightly silty finish. There's some fruity malt that's a touch sweet, a little bit of spice and a touch of bitterness. Everything's pretty subdued. It almost seems a little salty. That reminds me of Genny Bock. It's not really exciting, but it goes down just fine.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 14:48:23 | More by yesyouam

Punkyg0608

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

12-28-2011 03:11:13 | More by Punkyg0608

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Orangey copper, bright and clear with streams of big bubbles rising to the small off-white head. Mediocre for retention & just barely okay for lace.

S: More balanced than I expected. Soft and rounded nutmeg and allspice about even with earthy cinnamon. But all soft overall. Some malty sweetness & hints of bread crust. Not really getting any orange peel. Nor any hops.

T: Opens with malt sweetness. Then spices – all rounded, balanced, and blended nicely with each other and the beer. Next some richer bread crust malts push in. Base malt backbone is rather insubstantial, but adequate. I never get any orange peel, just a vague fruity something. Soft grassy & herbal hops come in way at the end for balance.

M: Less than average body with fairly standard US carbonation. Feels just a tad thin and coarse. Some sweetness at first, but it goes semi-dry with a spice note. Could stand to be smoother and softer, but it is decent.

D: Not special, but certainly very good for the price point. Drinkable enough. A nice balance of malts, spice, and hops. Sort of a richly malty and spiced ESB. Another solid and reasonable offering from one of the lesser celebrated “gateway” breweries.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 06:01:49 | More by SickGnar

jsisko01

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a dark amber color with an inch thick, off-white head. Has nice lacing.

Smell - The smell is very feint.. but I detect cinnamon, coriander, and some other spices I can't point out.

Taste - Lots of spices. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, coriander, light caramel flavor, and clove. Has a very bitter finish and somewhat of an alcohol bite.

Mouthfeel - Thick in body with high carbonation.

Overall - I love Dundee and this is a pretty good winter warmer. Better than others I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 07:08:34 | More by jsisko01

zimm421

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint glass. Appears a nice amber color and is very clear. The head is tan and looks nice at first, but quickly disappears and leaves absolutely no lacing.

Nose is spicy and malty. Not too strong, but there is a hint of alcohol in the nose. Taste is very interesting. Everything works together well and blends together nicely. Sweet up front and then the spiciness comes through. There's even a hint of orange towards the end.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied. Goes down nicely. Overall, a good brew. Better than expected, and this is nice on a cold winter evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 00:54:11 | More by zimm421

TucsonTom

Arizona

1.9/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

I agree with those who don't find much holiday spice in either the smell or the taste. For me, this beer had characteristics more in line with an Octoberfest style than a Winter Warmer. My review scores reflect how I feel it fits as a Winter Warmer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 21:38:29 | More by TucsonTom