-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Heavy Seas Yule Tide (2013)
Heavy Seas Beer
- From:
- Heavy Seas Beer
- Maryland, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Red Ale
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.83 | pDev: 14.1%
- Reviews:
- 24
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 31, 2017
- Added:
- Nov 14, 2013
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 17
Aged for 6 weeks in Jamaican Rum barrels, this Imperial Red offers a full malt body dominated by toast, chocolate, and caramel notes. Rum barrel aging imparts a rich buttery rum character along with oaken vanilla notes. Ginger offsets the overall sweetness by adding its own drying zing.
28 IBU
28 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia
3.85/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
"Heavy Seas'ons greetings! As a special thank you to our beer drinking public and supporters of our Uncharted Waters, we offer this malty Imperial Red, spiced with Ginger, and aged in Jamaican Rum barrels. 'Mon'! Yule Tide is sure to warm you up on a cold winter's evening. You could pair this with your mother's fruit cake, but everyone would laugh at you." Brewed in the style of an American Red Ale with Ginger added, aged in Rum Barrels. As part of the Uncharted Waters series, this recipe was deliberately changed in the years to come, making this beer a one-off release. Available in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.
Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a snifter glass.
(Appearance) Very strong gusher upon opening; pours a pale brown head of a foamy frothed consistency over a cloudy medium brown body with assertive carbonation. Retention is good and lacing is light and spotty. 3.75
(Smell) Rich, caramelized malt notes with buttery, toffee undertones, accentuated by rummy barrel aging and fermented fruit syrups. Ginger is subtle but noticeable. Potency is moderate. 3.75
(Taste) The flavor largely follows the aroma of this beer, with toasted and caramelized malts, dark fruit sugars and toffee richness. The ginger does a nice job of brightening up the body, with more spicy perk present than flavor. Gentle rum finish really does well by the body and contributes well to this beer overall without being overly pronounced or harsh. Finishes lightly viscous and resinous. 4
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, moderately viscous, lightly chewy, medium dry. Carbonation is medium, generating a medium frothiness and a moderately crisp finish. Body is medium+ for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is nearly even sweet to spicy and bitter compounds. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters. 3.75
(Overall) Really quite nice and holds up nicely- the rum and ginger come together in a unique spin that feels rather festive in flavor, spicy and bright with flavor. One of Heavy Seas' better Uncharted Waters offerings, although this vintage is a very specific recipe and has changed since 2013. 3.75
Heavy Seas Beer's
Yule Tide 2013
3.85/5.00
Jan 31, 2017Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a snifter glass.
(Appearance) Very strong gusher upon opening; pours a pale brown head of a foamy frothed consistency over a cloudy medium brown body with assertive carbonation. Retention is good and lacing is light and spotty. 3.75
(Smell) Rich, caramelized malt notes with buttery, toffee undertones, accentuated by rummy barrel aging and fermented fruit syrups. Ginger is subtle but noticeable. Potency is moderate. 3.75
(Taste) The flavor largely follows the aroma of this beer, with toasted and caramelized malts, dark fruit sugars and toffee richness. The ginger does a nice job of brightening up the body, with more spicy perk present than flavor. Gentle rum finish really does well by the body and contributes well to this beer overall without being overly pronounced or harsh. Finishes lightly viscous and resinous. 4
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, moderately viscous, lightly chewy, medium dry. Carbonation is medium, generating a medium frothiness and a moderately crisp finish. Body is medium+ for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is nearly even sweet to spicy and bitter compounds. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters. 3.75
(Overall) Really quite nice and holds up nicely- the rum and ginger come together in a unique spin that feels rather festive in flavor, spicy and bright with flavor. One of Heavy Seas' better Uncharted Waters offerings, although this vintage is a very specific recipe and has changed since 2013. 3.75
Heavy Seas Beer's
Yule Tide 2013
3.85/5.00
Reviewed by RickS95 from Indiana
3.64/5 rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.64/5 rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown pour with lighter undertones of red. It looks rich and festive. The head is a disappointment as it never grows into much and dies before you know it. What bubbles do form are a light tan in color and fairly uniform in smallness. When swirled, there is a tiny spotting of lace left behind.
Very malty nose, and you can pick up the ginger and an earthy wood note to it. Could just be the ginger, but the scent resembles brown sugar and possibly spicy oatmeal cookies. No hop presence whatsoever.
There's plenty of flavor, but most of it comes from the ginger. I'm sensing some nutmeg as well, though it could be the wood that's coming through. Lots of spices come forward, probably a bit too much for some. There's kind of a scotch ale vibe to it.
Very malty and a bit on the spicy side. It's full bodied, but the high alcohol never really presents itself. Due to the spices, it's not really a smooth beer, but it's full of flavor. That said, it's not too dry and never burns and each swallow leaves you with just a spiciness to it that the next sips enhances.
Not an exceptional beer, but it's clearly a winter beer. Some aren't going to like it because of the spices, but it's never bitter and hides its ABV well. Overally, it's a good beer and being a seasonal, not really something you'll grow tired of.
Feb 15, 2015Very malty nose, and you can pick up the ginger and an earthy wood note to it. Could just be the ginger, but the scent resembles brown sugar and possibly spicy oatmeal cookies. No hop presence whatsoever.
There's plenty of flavor, but most of it comes from the ginger. I'm sensing some nutmeg as well, though it could be the wood that's coming through. Lots of spices come forward, probably a bit too much for some. There's kind of a scotch ale vibe to it.
Very malty and a bit on the spicy side. It's full bodied, but the high alcohol never really presents itself. Due to the spices, it's not really a smooth beer, but it's full of flavor. That said, it's not too dry and never burns and each swallow leaves you with just a spiciness to it that the next sips enhances.
Not an exceptional beer, but it's clearly a winter beer. Some aren't going to like it because of the spices, but it's never bitter and hides its ABV well. Overally, it's a good beer and being a seasonal, not really something you'll grow tired of.
Reviewed by Jeffreysan from Virginia
4.98/5 rDev +30%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.98/5 rDev +30%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
22 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass
Appearance: Pours a beautiful, deep, dark, mahogany color, topped with an eighth of a finger of white head that lasted for a long time, and completely covered the top of the beer.
Aroma: Very aromatic! Strong, boozy aromas of rum, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, floral hops and some malt. But more than anything, I get rum and brown sugar, caramel and vanilla. Due to the aging in rum barrels, and the high ABV, there’s some alcohol in the nose as well.
Taste: Wow! Very interesting and complex. Strong flavors of beer up front, along with toasted malt, black pepper, and some strong, floral hops, followed by some brown sugar-like sweetness and finished by some really strong, boozy rum flavors. I also get some oak and vanilla. Delicious!
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied to slightly chewy, and with a little more carbonation that I was expecting. With an ABV of 9.0%, and with the aging in rum barrels, there is quite a bit of alcohol on the palate, imparting a pleasant warmth in the mouth.
Overall: This is another remarkable beer from Heavy Seas! Very complex in flavor. I’m getting two bottle so this at least next year, one to drink right away, and one or two to age. Delicious!
Jan 26, 2015Appearance: Pours a beautiful, deep, dark, mahogany color, topped with an eighth of a finger of white head that lasted for a long time, and completely covered the top of the beer.
Aroma: Very aromatic! Strong, boozy aromas of rum, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, floral hops and some malt. But more than anything, I get rum and brown sugar, caramel and vanilla. Due to the aging in rum barrels, and the high ABV, there’s some alcohol in the nose as well.
Taste: Wow! Very interesting and complex. Strong flavors of beer up front, along with toasted malt, black pepper, and some strong, floral hops, followed by some brown sugar-like sweetness and finished by some really strong, boozy rum flavors. I also get some oak and vanilla. Delicious!
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied to slightly chewy, and with a little more carbonation that I was expecting. With an ABV of 9.0%, and with the aging in rum barrels, there is quite a bit of alcohol on the palate, imparting a pleasant warmth in the mouth.
Overall: This is another remarkable beer from Heavy Seas! Very complex in flavor. I’m getting two bottle so this at least next year, one to drink right away, and one or two to age. Delicious!
Reviewed by Jack_Malts from Virginia
4.1/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
4.1/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Loses points on mouthfeel, a bit more watery than I expected. Pours dark reddish brown with one finger tan head. Smells like ginger, rum, tart dark fruits. Taste follows, big ginger and nice fruitiness. Rum and wood astringency. Pretty good, I like it but I wonder what it would've tasted like fresh? Would recommend
Dec 18, 2014
Heavy Seas Yule Tide (2013) from Heavy Seas Beer
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
125 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!