Maritime Pacific Jolly Roger Christmas Ale - Maritime Pacific Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Swampy dark orange-caramel, on average. The beer at the bottom of the glass leans more toward orangish tawny and, as the eye travels upward, the color gradually darkens to dark caramel-brown just below the head. The whole is almost imperceptably infused with a reddish tint. Fabulous. The head is small and is golden caramel in color. It makes up for a lack of size by being densely creamy and by slathering the glass with a thick, opaque blanket of lace.

Unfortunately, there's a lack of power in the nose. Here's hoping that it asserts itself (avast ye scurvy dogs!) as it warms. I can appreciate butterscotchy malt, cherries macerated in cherry brandy and a wee whiff of hops. There are no real spices, at least to my nose. Not bad, just too weak.

The flavor is much better than the nose suggested it would be. My first impression is of a mega-malty DIPA with a Yuletide flair. For all I know, that's what the Maritime folks were shooting for. The malt backbone is massive and brings to mind thick slabs of heavily toasted dark bread soaked in melted caramels. Second in line is the same cherry brandy flavor that I appreciated in the nose. It's a bit cough syrup-like, but not so much that it's off-putting.

While I can tell that hops are present, they don't contribute much to the flavor. There's an underlying earthy-herbal character, as well as a bitterness that increases progressively within each mouthful that lets me know that my friends the hops are hiding just below the surface. A little more (or a lot more) hoppiness would improve things substantially.

The mouthfeel is noticeably thickening with warming and is morphing from medium to full as I reach the middle of the second glass. The carbonation is also finding its groove, going from 'too much' to 'just right'.

Jolly Roger Christmas Ale is a swashbuckler of a winter warmer (I was amazed to discover that it's available in April; on-tap no less). I've had better, but that fact doesn't diminish this beer one iota. It doesn't quite fire on all cylinders for me, but it's still an excellent sipper that is deepening, and improving, as it warms.

The 8.0% ABV is beginning to scimitar my ass, so I'll end this thing while I can still type. A big Thank You to the right honorable RoyalT for this growler and the two that preceded it. If I can manage to find the bottom tonight, I will not have had a finer 192 consecutive ounces of beer in my entire life.

Serving type: growler

04-29-2005 23:32:30 | More by BuckeyeNation

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.04/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle of the 2011 vintage (courtesy of Libbey) pours a caramel color with a pretty nice beige head. Lacing is awesome.

Nose is oxidized caramel with some hazel-nuttiness and maybe some brown sugar. Light touch of plum pudding adds a nice fruity touch.

The velvety smoothness comes to mind first, very impressive. It manages to be sweet but not sticky with some toast and toffee to go along with a mild floral hop bitterness. It has some sherry notes usually found in a nice, aged barleywine. I like how it straddles the line between sweet and toasty, never really leaning one way or the other. Fun beer, Id put at least a few of these away each year come wintertime. This would be a great beer to quaff after a long day on the slopes.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 01:56:22 | More by twiggamortis420

scootpolute

Washington

4.91/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

P: 12 oz bottle poured into a cone pint glass.

A: Deep brownish garnet color with a good clarity, light tan lace adorns the top ... a product of densely frothed head.

S: Sweet and earthy with a big hand of caramel, candied fruit and mineral. Hops are soft in the aroma with a leafy character.

M: Nice flush full body, smooth and crisp in the mouth. Malt character is very broad with a bitter-sweet start and a chocolaty finish with hints of lightly roasted coffee. Alcohol warms quite well. Fruity of the dark ripened variety, fig or prune in the mix? Hop bitterness cuts through the malt and leaves a trail of flavor that gets lost before the after taste. A triple fold of alcohol spiciness, heavy leftover hops and the mild chocolaty finish rush for the finish line. Pleasant and complex after taste.

O: Always a winter beer fav....Bottom line, drink this one with care...This has been only beer where after a mere 6 pk, I found myself the next morning face down, next to the fridge and late for work...so take caution, this one can get you in the 'woo-woo!!'

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 00:44:32 | More by scootpolute

Braz

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle chilled.
Pours a deep bronze color with one finger of frothy white head that slowly subsides to edge of glass. Fairly clear.
Pronounced smells of alcohol with a subtle fruitiness. Orange perhaps.
Heavy flavor of malty sweetness with medium bitterness. Toffee and an orange liqueor flavor with spiced hops. Has an almost wine flavor to it, some grapefruit too.
Medium bodied with a nice texture and lively carbonation. Has a long lingering bitter finish. Strong alcohol warming effect.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 15:13:21 | More by Braz

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a rich red amber with a very thin head and slight lacing. Malt, dark fruit and hop aroma. Very malty with spice, some caramel. Finishes dry and oaky with some hop bite. Has the dry malt flavor that reminds me of Mad River's barley wine. Unusual. The finish bitterness is not well balanced, but otherwise interesting and fun to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 03:27:41 | More by LiquidAmber

dirtylou

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz single, leftover from the 2011 batch. Ballard beer.

appearance: served in an oversized snifter, lovely body really - ruby, garnet, brown, light foamy beige head

smell: earthy, pale malts, toasted nut

taste: A slightly above average winter warmer - vanilla, booze, nuts, creme, caramel, toasted malt, herbal hops. Improved with age, but the cheapest 2010 bombers i have seen are an ASTRONOMICAL $8.99 at ballard market - Are you serious?

mouthfeel: mild bitterness, creamy medium-light body

overall: good, not great

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 01:30:17 | More by dirtylou

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap the Parkway tavern the other night. They had both the 2011 and 2010 version on tap, but I believe had run out of the 2011. I would have gone with the 2010 version given a choice anyway...

The beer pours a slightly dark, copper amber color with good head retention and considerable lacing. On the nose, this really comes across as a hoppy barleywine, as there is a huge presence of sweet malt, pine and dry citrus. On the palate, it's just more of the same, with the massive malt backbone more than compensated for by the huge blast of hoppy bitterness. In combination, I get something of a caramel, butterscotch, toffee and candyapple flavor that marries well with the considerable hoppy bitterness. The 2010 version wasn't quite as raw as this beer sometimes is when fresh, and I found this beer to be quite smooth and surprisingly drinkable for it's abv. and huge flavor profile.

Not the sort of beer I'd want to drink any other time or any other place than in the NW during winter. However, drinking this beer in Tacoma in December is just an absolute treat, but one I'll probably have to wait another year for to sample again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 20:23:03 | More by johnmichaelsen

snaotheus

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

Pours a cloudy dark amber with almost no head. Little carbonation. Slow. Smell is very nice...malty and spicy. Smells like Christmas.

Taste is sweet and caramelly with pleasant spices. Very malty.

Mouthfeel is thick and a little sticky. Overall, I'm pretty impressed. It's nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 05:39:44 | More by snaotheus

Docer

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (3.5)
- Very lightly cloudy brown. Finger and a half of light tan head.. settled to some lace, and a very thin solid layer above the brew. Overall somewhat average.

Smell: (3.0)
- Light caramel, and bready malt. Somewhat sweet, and has a deep rich earthiness.. light spice. Overall light in scent, and seems silky sweet.

Taste: (3.5)
- Sweet caramel malt, light spice, and molasses.. brown sugar and grassy herbal hop. Hops are not big, though this seems to be an aged bottle. It is rather smooth, sweet, and overall decent.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)
- This beer kind of shines here.. it is medium bodied, lightly carbonated which seems perfect for its creamy smooth body. Little chewy and cloying. Overall an easy drinker.

Overall: (3.5)
- It's a solid beer, and I wonder what a fresh 2011 release would taste like. Perhaps more bitter and hoppy. But this cellared number seems nice and smooth.. and certainly has some nice character in its malt and spice.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 04:51:18 | More by Docer

doughanson78

Washington

2.8/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Darker amber color with red highlights when held to the light. A half finger slightly off white head with so-so retention and good lacing.

S: Very light nose. Bready, yeasty, malty. Slight spice notes. Touch of alcohol.

T: Caramel and biscuits upfront. Toasted toffee and malts in the middle. Nuttiness in the finish along with a slight floral/piney hop character. Very boozy (like hairspray) from middle to finish.

M: Light body. High carbonation. A touch sticky and syrupy. Alcohol sting on back of tongue and throat.

O: Not impressed one bit. Was looking forward to a local brew and shouldn't have grabbed this. Don't know if I'll finish it or not.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 03:12:06 | More by doughanson78

nsabo

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Smells like salt water taffy. From the first sip, the booze ain't hiding from nobody. Usually this overt booziness tastes harsh, but it's pleasant here. Medium creamy mouth, like it's been whipped but is still runny. A little piney, some vanilla and toffee, all the while accompanied by booze. I don't get much, if any, spices.
I feel like I've written a fairly average sounding review without meaning to. There's nothing particularly outstanding about this beer, but it impresses me with each sip.
Here in Washington, it's a few bucks more than most winter warmers, but it's also the best one around.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 04:56:51 | More by nsabo

glid02

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle received via trade with barleywinefiend – thanks!

Pours a slightly hazy dark copper color with a one-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of muted pale and caramel malts with very slight hints of toastiness. Also present are earthy and leafy hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Slightly dry caramel malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by moderate amounts of leafy and lightly herbal hops. Midway through the sip the flavor profile dries out further with mild amounts of toasted malts. The toasted malts and leafy hops carry through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. I finished my glass without a problem however I’m not sure about another.

Overall this seemed like a run of the mill amber ale with hints of darker malts. Not a bad beer but not worth seeking out either.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 19:50:00 | More by glid02

harrymel

Washington

1.45/5  rDev -62.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

$2 for 12oz bottle @ Rocket Market in Spokane, WA
Poured to NB tulip.

A: Pours amber and thick. Little/no visible head or lacing despite hard pour.

S: Pine, copper and aluminum. This is horrid and not making me want to drink it.

F: Sweet, alcoholic, not much here. Lightly bitter, hint of crystal malt in background. Boring.

M: Slicks the tongue with fine, low carbonation.

D: This recipe should be tossed out of the lexicon for what is normally a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 16:18:04 | More by harrymel

Bookseeb

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First had this on tap, but grading from a bottle. Appearance is a dark ruby amber color with a thin head and nill lace. Smell has a rich malt dark fruit aroma with a little alchohol lingering. Taste has again very rich malts and fruits with a nice balance of hops with a little alchohol in the background. Mouthfeel is heavy with good carbonation. A nice heavy Christmas ale that is satisfying to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 01:00:49 | More by Bookseeb

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single bottle picked up to give it a try. Poured into a pint glass. Dark orange color. Lots of carbonation noted, with some lacing. Smell had a lots of hops to it. Taste was also hoppy, with a bit of citrus also. Mouthfeel was somewhat bitter. Did not realize the abv was that high. Too hoppy for a winter warmer for my liking. Would be a good choice, though, for IPA lovers.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 08:25:43 | More by morebeergood

RedBrewer83

Oregon

3.15/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip...

A: Pours a dark amber hue with a very small one finger head that fell very quickly to a thin ring around the glass.

S: Boozy molasses and caramel malt slightly grassy hop profile. Not all that balanced...

T: Big mouth of boozy malt upfront, caramel and molasses with dry grassy hops on the finish. Slightly bready on the finish as well.

M: Smooth medium body with nice carbonation, a bit creamy with lingering bitterness.

D: The lingering bready bitterness keep it from being overly drinkable. To be honest, not a big fan of this one. Certainly wouldn't go out of my way to find it...

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 23:00:27 | More by RedBrewer83

ChrisPro

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. summer 2010 release, thanks to northwestmark, served in a snifter

A - Pours a burnt umber that took head forever to form, but once it showed up, it didn't go away. Great lacing and a little bubble eggshell head.

S - Aroma of caramel, honey and fig

T - little sweet molasses and caramel, and then a beautiful slightly dry roasted chestnut finish. My mind may be playing tricks on me, but this is a great sweet/dry nutty finish. Little weird estery flavor that lingers, though.

M - Drinks pretty full-bodied with very sharp carbonation, which was unexpected. A little oily, but doesn't really take away from it for the style.

D - A bit hot right now. At 8%, you really taste the booze as it leaves a little burning in the cheeks and back of the throat after the finish. Sitting in front of a fire, I'd love this, but I think this could really benefit from age. Great for the style and I regret not cellaring some of this when I lived in Seattle.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 22:06:08 | More by ChrisPro

grittybrews

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a dark toffee brown with traces of orange into a tulip with a finger of fluffy eggshell head. Sweet caramel malt aroma with just a hint of citrus hops.

Moderate carbonation and a smooth, slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Very sweet up front with lots of brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee. Finish balances the sweetness somewhat with some grapefruit and spicy hop notes.

On the sweet side, but still an easy sipper with a gently warming alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 04:37:10 | More by grittybrews

dragonWhale

New York

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Ahhh, every year I await you, you saucy devil, for your return from the high seas! Every year, you come back with a bounty worthy of a pillow made of spun alpaca pubic hair!
A bountiful reddish brown with big malty sexiness. Caramel and toffee, some chocolate and brown sugar, a bit of earthiness. It is erotic and filling. The malt slides down easily with a coaxing bitterness. Hop aroma and flavor is minimal, allowing the big malts to play their games with my tongue. Always sexy, never boring.
One of the finest winter ales Washington has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 09:00:07 | More by dragonWhale

olmatty

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance-Pours a crystalline deep ruby brown beer with a pillowy beige head.

Smell-Light amber malts, a hint of honey sweetness and a touch of spice.

Taste-A low aroma does nothing to announce the HUGE flavor hidden within. Big, honey and biscuit malts with a substantial sherry wine presence, similar to some barleywines. Hops contribute perfumey and spicy layers to the flavor.

Mouthfeel-Quite thick bodied, with a significant amount of residual sugar.

Drinkability-High ABV limits drinkability, but the deliciousness boosts it too. Brilliantly huge.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 05:48:53 | More by olmatty

Flightoficarus

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving type - Bottle

A - Pours a rich, mahogany hue, with a large, 2-3 finger tan head with good head retention and lacing.

S - Smell is of of toffee, pine, oranges, some spices (that I can't quite put my finger on) and some caramel.

T - Taste is of rich, bready toffee-malts, with a moderate pine/coffee bitterness, and hints of orange peel. A bit boozy on the finish, but within reason of course.

M - Mouthfeel is full-bodied, with moderate carbonation, and a creamy texture overall.

D - A bit too strong/heavy to session, but definitely above sipper status. The drinkability here is just right for the style.

Overall - A very solid winter warmer, which I must say, is hitting the spot perfectly after, fittingly enough, a snowy day! Good thing this stuff is local, I'll probably be having a bit more of it while it's around.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 08:28:16 | More by Flightoficarus

enki

British Columbia (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle that was stored in the fridge for a year (purchased xmas 2009 from McHales taphouse in Bellingham).

I am a bit surprised by some of the lower reviews for this beer.

Poured out coppery and obviously thick from the bottle. A bit of lacing but nothing out of the ordinary. Some sediment on the bottom of the bottle.

Smells like hops, spices, caramel, and a hint of wood. Tastes much the same, with a thick (but not cloying) mouthfeel, plenty of maltiness, and some oaky flavors in the background. This is a very well executed Xmas ale. Hops are strong, but not overbearing, and are well balanced with the malty, caramely flavor.

I just couldn't wait for Xmas :)

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 22:20:57 | More by enki

goodbyeohio

Oregon

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

im sick of wine so let's have a beer. it pours like a porter, bubbles are wispy and anemic. smells like sourdough gingerbread, if such a thing were to exist. the taste is something quite special, evoking a primal flavor of fermentation.. something that harkens back to some early memories of stronger esb-style beers. chocolate flavors without being chocolatey, roast flavors without being overly ashy.. y'know.

it's drinkable, and somewhat of an anomaly for the typical pacnw beers that i encounter from day-to-day. when i stop and think about it, this beer caught me off guard with its lack of hops, booze, and stars-and-stripes attitude.

i would recommend it, if for nothing more than a history lesson to other northwesterners.. to let them know that there's more than just what we normally see out there in the beer world.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 07:23:02 | More by goodbyeohio

hawks10

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to ScreamForMe for this one...

12oz. bottle poured into FFF's pint glass...

Slightly hazy bright bronze color with a thin one finger tan head that dissipates rather quickly leaving a little lacing...

Smells of sweet bready malt and not much else, slight spice but pretty one dimensional...

Taste is much of the same, sweet malt up front, a slight bitterness peeks out followed by a little spice. For some reason I just find it kind of boring...

Mouthfeel is typical winter/christmas ale, chewy from the abundant malt, warming and nice. Could definitely have one of these after Christmas dinner...

Drinkability is decent, but with the somewhat boring nose/taste I couldn't see myself drinking more than one...

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 03:36:01 | More by hawks10

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to googzoid10 for this, cheers Greg!

Pours an effervescent caramel with a pinky of tan head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Slight breadyness & dark fruit

T: Cakeyness, toffee, honey, leafy & herbal hops & brown sugar up front. Woody hops & dark fruit (figs mostly & a little cherry ) dominate as this warms, plus oaky dryness & more brown sugar. Finishes dry with brown sugar, & leafy hops

MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation, plus good balance

Pretty drinkable, ABV is well hidden, not bad, not mind blowing either

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 23:24:26 | More by russpowell