Abita Christmas Ale

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

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Look forward to this years brew, last years was good, nice and malty, with a underlying hop floral essence.

12 oz that has a shiny silver label, I assume this is the 2007 version. Medium-sized and lasting head on this uncloudy, dark copper-brown beer. Aroma is spicy wood and slight cocoa. Flavor is unsweetened cocoa, toasted nut, dried wood, fruity and piney hops, and some unidentified dry-earthy herb-spice(s). The hops combine with the subtle spice to give a nice bitter-fruit, deep woody finish to this beer. Palate is almost medium bodied, smooth and dry. Haven’t had the previous versions, but this year’s is unique and flavorful.

2008 recipe. Perhaps due to the popularity of Jocamo IPA, this years Christmas Ale offering from Abita appears to be based on a modified recipe of Jocamo. Its a similar deep red/amber color with a medium sized tan head. Nose is of caramel and rich malts. Taste is malty with a slight hint of nuts. Where it differers from the IPA is that the hops are dialed way back in this one by comparison. The flavor of the hops begins to peek through in the finish, leaving a nicely bitter sweet aftertaste.

12oz bottle poured into a wine glass. Clear mahogany color with some red hues and a decent beige head. Slightly spicy nose, with caramel malt, faint piney hops, oranges and ginger. Pleasant malty flavors, with lots of spices (ginger, allspice. clove), some dried fruits and nuts, candied citrus peels and medium bitterness (with some medicinal notes). Medium bodied, pretty balanced, satisfying and quite wholesome. Nice.

Very meh. Pours a nice dark color, and the malty backbone and mouthfeel are good, but the spices are quite lacking. There is some kind of spice that's trying to assert itself, but it never breaks through. No discernible nutmeg, cinnamon, etc., as you might expect from a Christmas ale. Decidedly average. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Amber, clear, good head. There’s some malt there, but a also a surprising amount of nut flavors - such as pecans or with a bit of pecan shell.

A pretty beer with a clear amber brown pour and a tall creamy off white head. The aroma is spice, roasted nuts, citrus, and piney hops. Medium bodied, low carbonation. Slightly sweet, good spice, toasted malt, and a nice low key bitterness. Feels smooth and well rounded on the finish. A nice Christmas Ale with the spices in check, not just another ginger - cinnamon - orange rind bomb.

Found this one at Binny’s in St. Charles, Illinois. Nice ruby red, clear pour with a medium tan head. A sweet nose with some spiciness, follows into the taste, balanced with a sharp, hoppy finish. Pretty good. I am enjoying this season of Christmas brews.

2006..Pours with a great head!...and the lacing is swell...very nice people-pleasing taste!...light brown...some sweet subtle aromas!...is a nice simply made brew! ..again...simple beer can be great beer!

Fresh 2009 batch, 12oz bottle into a pint glass. The pour is a neat red brown with a one-finger off-white head that shrinks but sticks around. The aroma is fresh citrus hops with some chocolate back there somewhere. The flavor is aged hops, some chocolate, and a lot of nuttiness with a hint of salty Chinese food in there (not really sure how else to describe this). Medium body, medium carbonation.