Abita Christmas Ale

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

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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05: Deep copper; mostly clear; thinnish head. Medium body. Quite a bit of toast throughout. A little sweet corn follows in the finish. Subtle aromas of wood and smoke and spice. Cracker-like, whole grain characteristics build over time. Grassy-herbal bitterness in the aftertaste. Some off-flavors of cardboard, and it’s a little flat-flavored, if that makes any sense.

2002 - Almost a sour note in the aroma. Nothing very exciting about the body other than the fact that the spices, malt, and hops are all out of balance. Not a beer I would recommend.

Tap and in bottles at Sunset Grill late 2008. Sparse beige head runs away quickly from this ordinary amber-looking beer. Clear, with bits of cooked veggies, cardboard and hints of brown sugar making themselves known in the nose. What this has to do with christmas or any special occasion is anyones guess, as this, after trying some and then pouring the rest out, is a poorly lagered/brewed amber ale that dosent seem to even be brewed to the quality of their normal amber lager. Bland, flawed and with almost no trace of hops are anything else interesting.

12oz bottle shared courtesy of weeare138. Poured a medium amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas and tastes of caramel and just all around earthy. I really didn’t get too much out of this one and wrote down all around bland. Thinner body.

UPDATED: JUL 19, 2008 Why did Abita feel they had to brew an IPA? There’s too many of those kinds of beer on the shelves. I’m a malt head and I’m proud of it. I don’t hate hops, but I can’t stand it when a beer is just over-hopped to the point of it being undrinkable.

Bottle: Poured an amber color with reddish tint, head was a light white. Aroma is malty at best. Taste is sour and malt, very unbalanced. This was a very bad Christmas beer, hopefully I purchased a one of bottle or its a recipe they shouldn’t try again.

Bottle. Pours brown, clear color with a small, frothy brownish head. Lacing is moderate. Aromas of brown sugar, molasses, and butterscotch. Palate is medium body, creamy texture, lively carbonation, and a long finish. Tastes of a strange combination of weird sugar, sours, and a strange aftertaste. You cannot drink this beer without making a very funny face.

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.

Deep dark brown coloured body with a thin tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, caramalised sugars and a tiny bit of spices, perhaps. Medium-bodied; Roasted maltiness tucked in with some sugars noticeable. Aftertaste shows no hops, no spices and just a little alcohol - not very good. Overall, worth trying, because it’s a seasonal, but not really one worth buying a six pack of! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Chevy Chase Wine & Liquors in Washington, D.C.

strong flavor, but nothing works to well overall. its a harsh toasty malty taste that falls flat towards the end. hops a nice bite but is nothing too special. drinkable but not special