Ale Mary - RCH Brewery

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16.9oz brown bottle. No date.
This bottle-conditioned winter ale pours an orange-tinted amber with a bubbly off-white head, which dissipates to a thin constant rim and coating.
A wonderful smell of fruit cup and spices is capped with a whiff of dark rum.
The full malt body provides flavors reminiscent of fruitcake, caramel, berries and honey.
A citrusy hop bitterness and light metallic bite mingle nicely with a peppery spiciness and taste of cloves.
A mild background flavor of spiced rum w/ a touch of butter, conjure up thoughts of hot toddies on cold winter's night. I’m really enjoying this brew on a cold summer’s eve.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2004 02:42:30 | More by BeerResearcher

LJWalker

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

12-14-2012 05:22:38 | More by LJWalker

sneaks2210

New York

3.5/5  rDev -10%

11-17-2012 17:09:34 | More by sneaks2210

harpus

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

07-24-2012 13:19:37 | More by harpus

murraymj

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -10%

06-30-2012 23:29:55 | More by murraymj

metter98

New York

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy caramel in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that died down rather quickly, but left lacing down the sides of the glass, a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass and a thin layer of bubbles with some foamy patches floating on the surface.
S: There are aromas of fruity yeast in the nose—apples seem to stand out in particular.
T: The initial taste has flavors of fruity malts while the remainder and finish is dominated by ginger with some hints of cloves.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. No alcohol warming is noticeable.
O: This beer is quite unlike any other beers in the style but it is interesting and relatively easy to drink. The bottle conditioning makes this taste similar to a cask beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 05:21:15 | More by metter98

Caterwaul

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

11-22-2011 14:38:47 | More by Caterwaul

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +2.8%

11-16-2011 03:22:52 | More by ElGallo

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.85/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Initially there was an encouraging fresh sugary smell when opened and it poured an appealing crystal brown colour with orangish highlights. Big one inch plus thick head. Starts out citrically fizzy and fairly sharp, almost with almosty champagnish acidity before thickening up and developing a degree of sappiness.
But then things get ugly as the beer takes on root beer/cola quality before being dominated by a cacophony of sharp spicy cinnamon and clove flavours which are just plain downright unpleasant. It may be well made but that didn't stop it from the indignity of the drain pour. Hope the fish liked it.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 21:23:38 | More by Zimbo

FanofHefe

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Deep amber colored body, slightly hazy, with a bit of an orange tint. Big, dense, two finger light tan head that leaves some nice lacing.

The first word describing the aroma is spicy. Not an unexpected feature of a winter warmer. Starts very much like a hefeweisen/witbier with some coriander in the mix here as well. Some dark fruit lingers in the background.

Nice blend of flavors that follow the aroma. The spiciness is not overwhelming and combines with some plum and raisin on the fruity side. The coriander seems to merge with some clove and a bit of sweet maltiness.

Thin mouthfeel. This was recommended and I'm glad. Will be happy to revisit this in the winter months.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 00:37:47 | More by FanofHefe

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber with a very large, lasting head and lots of lacing.
Nose shows lots of spices, I'd take a guess at ginger, coriander, cinnamon and cloves. Underneath is lots of sweet malt and hints of brandy and raisins.
The spices transfer through stongly as flavours, but unfortunately not much of the malt does. Prominent grainy notes, alcohol and astringency detract from the experience.
Carbonation could be higher and the body feels watery.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 02:04:43 | More by CrazyDavros

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Mary's head has been more than restored atop the hazy amber liquid and it sticks and sticks

Smell: The aroma is somewhat cakey, with hints of plums, clove and cinnamon

Taste: Opens with a cakey base, on top of which is layered plum and raisin flavors, then spices (clove, cinnamon and ginger) and, finally, some earthy hops; after the swallow, all of these flavors merge together, adding an herbal element on the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A nicely constructed Winter Warmer but rather filling indeed

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2010 03:09:14 | More by brentk56

OctaviusIII

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: Caramel, unfiltered brown, moderate cream head that stays.
S: Sweet, floral, hints of... not sure what. Not quite caramel, not quite vanilla.
T: Smooth, sweet at front, bitter aftertaste. Sweetness is light, with a sort of like angelfood cake quality to it. Bitter is hard, mostly due to the sudden absence of the sweet. Very subtle, very easy - it doesn't assault you. There's a spice in the middle - heavy with ginger, light in others that I can't place - that belongs in a pastry.
M: Smooth. Quite smooth. It's thicker, but definitely not chewy.
D: Excellent. The bitter is it begging to be consumed quickly.

Overall, I enjoy this beer. It's a well-balanced example of its type. I recommend.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 17:55:44 | More by OctaviusIII

Stunner97

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance- cloudy and murky orange red color and thick thick white head that dissipates slowly, looks like alot going on here on this one just from the looks

Smell- spice and alot of citrus, and what i describe as the belgian style yeast, smell reminds me of swedish fish lol, but really a very citrusy sweet smell

Taste- definite orange and citrus flavor on this this one, more yeast and belgian dominated then i expected, a slight clove and spice, nothing over whelming but definitely easy drinking

Mouthfeel- light crisp refreshing with a moderate carbonation

Drinkability- overall very drinkable, very light and refreshing, almost would make a very nice summer ale as it seems to be very light and thirst quenching, A beer worth giving a shot considering I got mine for a good deal and it may not be the freshest its still pretty refreshing, those this beer was nothing like i would have guessed it was a good beer worth trying

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2009 07:35:26 | More by Stunner97

Lexluthor33

New York

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy orange with a bubbly lace and a small head.
The aroma of spices,cloves with citrus hints and fruit tones. Some alcohol was also picked up,but it was mild.

The taste started with a cinnamon/spices taste that followed by very light malts and subtle hops. A cask ale taste. Ginger,coriander and some fruits were also a part of this beer's taste. It was a little tart.

The feel was light body,low carbonation with mild bitterness.A spicy feel and a watery feel to the finish that had sour notes.

Notes: This was really different and interesting. It got better as it warmed up and had the cask ale vibe to it. Good for winter and a good choice for early spring too.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 03:49:11 | More by Lexluthor33

ABOWMan

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a huge head of fine lacy bubbles. Lots of lacing on the glass. The color is light amber with pleanty of deep hue.

The aroma is a nice mild malt with no roasted notes.

The flavor is a nice blend of mild malt sweetness with some hop bitterness. It's certainly not heavy, but rather a very drinkable ale with pleanty of flavor for glass after glass enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 21:59:30 | More by ABOWMan

clayrock81

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into pint glass for a dull orange, hazy brownish color with a two-finger white head that slowly disipated and left some lace. A tart smell mostly, with apples, pears, apple cider even dominating but mixed with some lighter fruit and some sweet malt like caramel. A lighter-bodied beer but still packs a punch. Great smoothness as the beer as that tart fruit taste but evenly mixed with sweet malts (maybe bread - beer is tad chewey) so you have both a sweet and sour taste, and it is perked up, especially on the backbite, with nice spicing (clove, cinnamon, pepper). The low ABV along with the spices give it that nice Winter Warmer pick-up on the end, but this is a mild and great tasting beer as it goes over the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2009 14:34:54 | More by clayrock81

Gmann

New York

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden brown color with a pillowy off-white head that left a wall of lacing as it dissipated. The aroma is sweet and tart, light coriander and ginger goes along with a floral/tropical fruit. The taste is of a sweet bready malt, some honey and brown sugar, and a kick of grassy/spicy hops. There is a light spicy sweetness, probably the coriander and ginger. The brew has a moderate body with soft carbonation which gives a smooth feel, finishes well balanced between sweet and bitter with just a subtle spice. A nice subtle winter warmer. Main focus is the bready malt with hints of hops and spice.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2009 01:14:37 | More by Gmann

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a yellowish color and a cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, long-lasting head and very good lacing.

S: A very subtle smell of roasted malt, hops, maybe a little spice.

T: Tasted of roasted malt up front and bitter (but not too bitter) hops going down. Slightly spiced. A solid taste.

M: Nice amount of carbonation and a very dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: On the whole this is one of the more drinkable winter warmers I've tried in awhile. A well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 13:35:39 | More by avalon07

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an effervescent amber with 3+ fingers of cream colored head. Hazes a bit at the bottom of the bottle, good head retention & lacing

S: Oakyness & some dark fruit as this warmed

T: Oakyness, slight grapefruit hops, plums & leafy hops up front. Herbal hops & brown sugar as this warms, along with dates & a touch of cinnamon. Finishes with dark fruits & leafy hops & slight warming booze

MF: Medium bodied with minimal carbonation & good balance

Drinks easy, an alright take on the style

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 22:38:58 | More by russpowell

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy medium amber color with modest off-white creamy head.

Smell is very odd, with some strange sour fruit notes.

Taste is enjoyable. Starts out swwet but a firm bitterness quickly takes over. Some spiciness also noted.

Strong taste retention with a long lingering bitterness at the end.

Easy to drink. Very different from other winter warmers, but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2008 23:09:19 | More by tgbljb

etenbus

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Raised Catholic, I couldn't pass up an ale named Ale Mary. Bought this at Royal Beers in Overland Park, KS. Served in my favorite Fuller's Imperial Pint glass at around 45 degrees.

The ale pours a reddish-orange with substantial head, which reduced down to 1/4 inch after a few minutes.

The first whiff was all ginger. After that I get some black pepper, cinnamon, and some fruit, mainly apples and dark fruits.

The taste has the hallmarks of a true ginger beer, but with more complexity. The other spices shine on the taste like a good winter warmer ale should. There is not much of a hop footprint here at all; only on the follow through does the bitterness peak through the spicy haze.

The mouthfeel is well done. It's slightly fluffy, alive like a cask ale would be. The carbonation is soft, not harsh, which allows the variety of flavors to come out and play.

Overall, one of the better and more unique winter beers I've tried. And it's not an Imperial anything and is only 6%, so I can drink this without worrying about the harsh alcohol smack of the strong beers that everyone is now cranking out. An honourable beer to a queen who lost her mind in a difficult time.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2008 06:29:34 | More by etenbus

geexploitation

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very reddish amber color -- so red that it's almost red-gold instead of -amber -- with a lacy off-white head. The nose is sumptuous and rich, with huge ginger and coriander notes that scream juicy fruits. No hop or malt aroma, it's all spice. On the palate, spicy coriander and ginger comes up first, before the cloves assert themselves. Things smooth out a bit for the mid-palate, with some orangey esters at the forefront, before morphing into a spicy-bitter finish. Mouthfeel is rich but light with those juicy flavors. Very full carbonation contributes to the full feeling. Overall, this is an excellent beer, but not all that malty or warming. It might actually be best in a transitional season between summer and colder weather, as it's actually pretty light and the coriander reminds of a witbier. Regardless, it's a tasty beverage.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2007 05:14:09 | More by geexploitation

matylight

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: pours a light reddish orange; cloudy; frothy 1/4" white head
S: hints of clove. slightly perfumy and floral. i can definately pick up some sour notes but it's not as robust as a flanders.
T: clove washes over the tongue. apples, bananas, and light citrus notes can be detected in the background somewhere. alcohol isn't very noticable. occasionally it seems as if i come across a faint smokiness behind everything but my mind could be playing tricks on me with that one. the bitterness is restrained...the hops seem mostly grassy and are placed well behind the clove.
M: light to medium in body with low carbonation.
D: the cloves are so stand out i can't see myself enjoying more than one of these in a night but it certainly is a very interesting beer. perhaps a little more conditioning time might make all these flavors come together better.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2007 03:17:09 | More by matylight

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Billed as the CAMRA 2001 Gold Medal Winner. The beer certainly proves to be characterful, flavorful, clean, and a well formed recipe. Starts off with a deep golden / copper color with off-white head retention that stayed with me throughout; modestly carbonated for a creamy feel. Aromas are very malty / fruity sweet and heavily spiced. Follows up with decent earthy, grassy notes and a malty fermented note. (Actually smells a lot like Dr. Pepper) Tastes very sharp and sweet up front with deep, ripe fruits (red apples, appricots, plumbs, grapes, and figs) along with a rich, bready / biscuity maltiness and a medium caramel sweetness. Earthy, grassy hops add flavor and bitterness. Added spices combine well with the hops for depth and pepperyness. The flavors fade mid-way through, allowing for terrific ease in drinking, although taking on a mild baking-soda flavor. Feels full, but not rich; thins out and simplifies late, without watering. Finishes with a fruit sweetness, hop lingering bitterness and a hint of nutmeg and ginger. Quite a tasty beer-- done the English way.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2007 03:03:55 | More by BEERchitect