Father Christmas Highland Ale - The Olde Burnside Brewing Company

Thads324

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.7%

01-08-2013 21:16:30 | More by Thads324

Atomicskis5

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

04-11-2013 00:59:59 | More by Atomicskis5

thegerm87

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

03-16-2013 03:11:17 | More by thegerm87

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Served in a snifter, a garnet-brown liquid, hazy, with a thin cap of beige bubbles on top; minimal retention and lacing. Muted aroma of caramel, nutty, woody, touch of brown sugar and cocoa. Taste was fairly mild, caramel malts, brown sugar, light fruity esters, hints of cocoa cobwebs, and smoked wood. I find some beers of this style to be bland and flavorless, and others to be overblown and even sickeningly sweet. This one was at a pretty solid mid-ground, though overall not very interesting. Medium body, perhaps thin for the style, but easily drinkable; soft carbonation, and ABV fairly well-hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 06:05:41 | More by Rifugium

davey101

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-21-2012 05:40:18 | More by davey101

Casterbridge

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-20-2012 12:55:13 | More by Casterbridge

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-20-2012 01:59:03 | More by rolltide8425

yeti123

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

12-04-2012 02:46:45 | More by yeti123

jrfehon33

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-02-2012 23:10:24 | More by jrfehon33

raythealeman

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

04-05-2012 01:14:16 | More by raythealeman

chrispoint

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -34.6%

02-18-2012 09:02:32 | More by chrispoint

jfcaa193

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -21.5%

01-30-2012 02:10:41 | More by jfcaa193

HopsHopenstein

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.7%

01-01-2012 19:26:45 | More by HopsHopenstein

wowbagger

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found this while traveling for the holidays. Decent head. Pours dull brown with reddish notes. Smells of yeast and cherries. Sharp flavor, but mild hops and malt. Sweet but only just, which balances well. Aftertaste is bready.

Overall, very pleased with this one. I would recommend it to anyone who can find some.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 17:39:52 | More by wowbagger

Pahn

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 liter swing top bottle into Duvel tulip. It's Christmas Eve, may as well start into this giant Father Christmas Highland Ale from my hometown brewery.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 2 inch frothy offwhite head that dissipates steadily and lacelessly. Pours a hazy red orange, and leaves small streaks and spots of lacing.

Smell: Butterscotch and caramel at first. Very rich and dessert like. Soon, a strong cherry cordial note emerges (it's not like cherry, or chocolate, or chocolate covered cherry, but the full on, syrupy flavor of eating a cherry cordial). The cherry cordial and caramel sort of vie for prominence. Faint sourdough aroma present underneath.

Unique and inviting.

Taste: Like the nose, but with a watery and sour Euro-lager-like tang, with cherry cordial in the middle and caramel in the crisp finish. Takes some getting used to, but after a few sips, I'm on board.

The two main players in the flavor and aroma remain prominent... in fact, this beer doesn't change much from start to finish. Alcohol is completely masked. Some toasted bread flavor is there under the fruit and caramel. It's good, and well balanced, but a bit bland.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. At times creamy, at times watery. High side of moderate carbonation. Crisp, semi-dry finish.

Overall: This is an interesting beer. Despite being decidedly less complex than the better Scotch ales of the world, the flavors here aren't something you often find in a beer. Nor is anything really out of place.

Father Christmas Highland Ale is a good one for celebrating. It doesn't have the character to stand up to the kind of "sit there, drink, think," kind of drinking that I often do, but it would be perfect for getting merry in the company of friends. Hidden alcohol, pleasant taste, giant bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 02:21:33 | More by Pahn

layapandora

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-22-2011 20:52:19 | More by layapandora

newenglandontap

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-21-2011 21:41:20 | More by newenglandontap

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big swing top poured into a tulip.

pours a nice dark ruby red with a small white head with no lacing. Nose is sweet, a bit fruity like cherry.

Taste is pretty dry and fruity but not over the top. Mouthfeel is pretty crisp and sharp and smooth. Overall very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 00:40:19 | More by kingcrowing

Arenbeer

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big Purple Bottle into a Snifter Glass

A- Pours a extremely dark reddish brown with a super thin tan head that doesn't bother leaving any lacing as it leaves the glass.

S- Real sweet toffee, figs, and a nice vanilla, wood and malt base.

T- Woah! Almost has a sour flavor to it. Maybe from the age!?! Real sweet fruits with a nice dark crystal malt body and a slight burnt flavor in there. Pretty decent, held up nice for being summer!

M- medium body with low carbonation and a nice bitter dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 22:05:04 | More by Arenbeer

BrewMasterG

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep brown, with garnet hues. Crystal clear when lit with bright light.

Smell: Sweet figs and dates bathed in a wonderfully malty abyss.

Taste: See above. The only thing that detracts from the great flavor is the sticky-sweet viscosity. Mounds of dark crystal malt with very little roasty astringency. Alcohol is very sneaky as I can taste none of the 9+ ABV. Be careful!

Mouthfeel: Thick and sweet. This is most definately a full-flavored sipper. Some dryness would be greatly appreciated. Then again, we can't all be Belgians.

Serving type: 22oz swing-top bottle purchased refrigerated on 01/07/2010

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 23:18:42 | More by BrewMasterG

Durge

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to the auspices of the Ohoove reserves, we regarded this cloudy dark ruby-brown colored holiday brew with a big off-white head and minimal lacing. The aroma brings a decided sour mash with a huge vinegar punch by my nose. Something like fruit fermenting perhaps. Not necessarily that alluring but kind of fun. The flavor mellows a bit from the aroma (thankfully) but maintains that musky quality with plenty of malt to help balance this unique brew. There's a deep smokey mango hidden in here with near citrus hop highlights. As it warms further you pick up many intricacies including some chocolate and it mellows really nicely. Pretty full bodied and smooth with modest carbonation. I find it drinkable enough for the style, better than a sipper if you are OK with this vinegar deal going on here. It was a neat experience and I would look forward to another one by next Christmas!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 19:31:32 | More by Durge

MaxBrews

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased the .9 liter blue cobalt swing-top bottle.

Pours a very ark brown at the verge of being black. Has a creamy tan two finger head that dissipates quickly into a bubbly thin ring of tan lacing. Sticks to glass. A nice swirly sensation in my NON-etched snifter.

The aroma is very strong and smells primarily of toffee, vanilla bean and alcohol.

Taste is very similar however is much fruiter then the aroma would suggest Hints of pear and prune. Its very strong on the vanilla bean and not much alcohol in the taste. Though it has the warming feeling that a high alcohol beer has. Hops and a cereal maltiness come out as it warms

Very smooth and creamy in the mouth,very little carbonation. Also a very sweet beer. Low bitterness.

This is a good christmas beer to share with friends, but the taste is subject to personal taste and may not suite all tastes. A whole bottle for a single person though is quite a task. A good fireplace sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2009 04:48:14 | More by MaxBrews

bgjohnston

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

It's back for Fall 2009... and it is so nice to see it in my glass again.

I couldn't resist reviewing it this time around, even though I have lost a few reviews on this site lately, as it is not only back, but as good as ever.

Pours a dark caramel color with a big, foamy brown head. The head dies down quickly, but at least a little of it stays around for most of the pour. Smell is sweet, mildly spicy, and a bit of fruitiness.

Taste is an intense delivery on the promise. Sweet, with a roasted flavor, a caramel flavor that goes on forever, and the quick little bite of a hoppy bitter finish. There is no hint of alcohol whatsover, and the finish is dry enough to leave you ready for the next sip, whether it is the 2nd or the last.

Very easy to drink a lot of this. A really wonderful seasonal beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 22:52:18 | More by bgjohnston

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.18/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a cool looking blue glass 1 liter swing-top bottle into a tulip-shaped Duvel glass. No freshness date spotted.

A: Poured a medium amber brown with crimson highlights and a bit of sediment floating about in it. A one and a half finger head of off-white foam reduced to a fine lace within moments and left a soapy set of legs behind it.

S: Smells faintly sweet and malty, with a bit of roasted malt and some spicy, bitter citrus notes.

T: Taste is a little tart (checking the bottle for freshness wasn't far from my mind) with subtle hints of toasted caramel malt and a bit of cinnamon spiciness. There's a faint, bitter hop flavor coming through the rich orange peel (as I'll call it here) flavor. Interesting, but this one might have turned, even though it got better as it warmed.

M: Mouthfeel is thin-medium bodied and slightly puckeringly sweet for a wee heavy.

D: Truth be told, maybe a third of this went into my glass, and it was sort of a bear to get through it all. Malt, spice and some citrus notes are there, but something was amiss with this wee heavy, and there was no strong, warming alcohol or heavy malted notes to tip off the style.

Okay, so maybe this was a bad bottle. I've heard mixed reviews over this brew, and even some reports that it's no longer made, which makes me question the validity of the currency of this bottle. I'd like to think a fresher one might have presented more defined and enjoyable flavors, but this was almost a flush before it warmed a bit!

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 07:41:21 | More by Gambrinus1184

BWMKappaSig

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1 liter blue swing-top bottle.

Appearance: Very deep brown with a light tan head that pours thick and goes down to a thin ring.

Smell: Butter, sugar, and a slight roasted note dominate the nose.

Taste: Immensely smooth malt flavor that speaks nothing of its 10%+ alcohol content. Not quite as peaty as most scotch ales, the earthiness is pleasant but subtle. A little bit of a dark chocolate note and roasted taste come in as the beer opens up.

Mouthfeel: Smoother than a glass of chocolate milk.

Drinkability: If it weren't for the warm cheeks, I'd have no indication this was a 10% beer. Tastes far smoother than it smells, and is a thoroughly enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 22:48:07 | More by BWMKappaSig