Abita Christmas Ale

Brewed by Abita Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Abita Springs, Louisiana USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Bottle is labeled 09/2003. Sour malt and grain smell all over this thing. Moldy grains and moss, rotting wood, etc. Boring and plain, which is probably better than tasting like it smells. Has a red hue.

The 2009, from the tap at Mudvile 9. Pours a dark brown with a medium beige head. Nose of sweet malts. Caramel predominates in th flavor, with the strong malt character lurking around the outskirts. Only a faint sense of bitterness. Medium bodied and relatively smooth. Not too bad.

Deep burgundy color. Very hoppy. Tastes of malt, nutmeg, red wine. Finishes malty and slightly bitter, with hints of spiciness, and toffee.

Bottled. Poured medium-deep amber with a dense, well-retained beige head. The aroma picked up sweet pecan and toffee notes with a bit of vanilla and warm spice accenting.. not all that enticing. The flavor found lightly-salted pecans, caramel, and a touch of vanilla bean at the core, with touches of cinnamon and a hefty dose of odd, sticky, malt-inspired notes around.. finished tacky with the same weird stuff and a bit of cocoa. Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation on the palate.. it just didn’t come together for me.

12 ounce bottle from Beer Run. Pours a clear amber color with a medium frothy tan head. Good head retention. Aroma of spicy hops, caramel and some toastiness. The taste is peppery, spicy hops with toasted malts. Medium bodied. Kinda bland but not bad.

UPDATED: DEC 25, 2011 First rating
Bottle at ekstedt tasting on December 2, 2011
355 ml, marked 5.5%
Clear brown color, small tan head. Sweet malty scent. Malty, grainy, bread taste. A bit flat mouthfeel, medium bitterness that is rather dry.
7/3/6/2/12=3.0

Rerate
355 ml bottle from Systembolaget. Sampled on Dec 25, 2011. Marked 5.5% ABV
Clear dark copper to reddish brown color, medium tan head. Sweet, malty, fudge, roasted scent. Mineral, roasted, butter, dry taste. Dry mineral aftertaste. Moussy mouthfeel, medium bitterness.
7/4/6/3/12=3.2

Tasted from a 12 oz bottle purchased in Fort Collins, Colorado. Pours a dark red/orange appearance with a fairly large red/white head. Sort of hoppy and amber malty head reminiscent of a red ale. Flavor is very much like a spiced red ale- a bit hoppy with amber malts and a touch of spices. Not too great.

2005 bottle. Pours copper with a thin but stubborn off white head. Smells of tarte fruit, malt, vegetal, with some mellow spicey notes. Tastes breaddy with some peppery tastes and an off finish.

Bottle. Light toffee and hay/grass aroma. Dark amber with large tan head. Mildly sweet caramel malt and light grass hops flavor. Decent body. Actually not bad - both for an amber ale as well as one of the better Abita offerings.

Courtesy kiefdog. Pours clear amber with copper hues and thin white head. The aroma is sweet with malts, hints of roasty malts, some graininess and a dash of dates. Interesting. The taste is a little roasty to start then moving into mild notes of apple and faint nutmeg and cinnamon spices.