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Score
9184
OVERALLStyle
Serve in Shaker, Tulip

bottling
unknown

on tap
unknown

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unknown

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RATINGS: 21   MEAN: 3.71/5.0   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.64   SEASONAL: Winter   EST. CALORIES: 171   ABV: 5.7%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Just before the holiday season, the fresh crop of hops are harvested available to the brewer. To celebrate the new harvest we brewed a holiday ale with an enormous kettle addition of freshly harvested American hops. This robust red ale has been dry hopped as well to finish a thoroughly intense hop presence form the initial burst of aroma through the lingering bitter finish. Hop lovers will enjoy this special brew available only during the holiday season. OG 15.5, Alc. 5.7, IBU 56


highest score

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
ElGaucho (2032) - Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA - JUL 2, 2005
Hoppy aroma with fruit and some malty molasses that makes it not quite ideal. Still a nice aroma. Very nice hazy amber/copper body with very small particalia. Off white to light tan head. Hoppy and bitter flavor; tastes like it smells. Very good. Not sure why this is billed as a holiday beer. I didn’t taste any of the spices that are added to the typical holiday beer. Glad I didn’t wait until December to drink this. Palate is a little disorganized. Molasses, tannins, dark chocolate and some dust. A little odd that I found this in late June at Whole Foods, Redwood City.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
loweredsixth (946) - Clovis, California, USA - JAN 26, 2005
Crystal clear mahogonay color with a small off-white head. The aroma was really nice...citrus (grapefruit and lemon,) slight earthy character and some woody tones. The flavor was very similar to the aroma...quite hoppy bitter aftertaste (this thing is definitely a west coast IPA.) Slightly thick, crisp feel with a semi-dry finish. Very nice!

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
flutetokill (522) - Fresno, California, USA - JAN 26, 2005
Clear amber color with a small beige head. Nice grapefruit and floral hops aroma. Very strong citrus and floral hops flavors with a touch of honey. Medium thick feel with a crisp dry hops finish. Very good!

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
bhensonb (8954) - Woodland, California, USA - FEB 3, 2007
It’s still 2004 (or at least the bottle says the hops are). Time warp. Really nice piney hop aroma. Ruby coppery color, a bit like Pete’s Wicked (current 2007 version). LIghe beige head that sticks. Light lacing. Starts with piney evergreen, some malty sweetness dances around the edge, and then the hops kick that stuff right out of the mouth. It’s hop. Hard to believe it’s only 56 IBU. It’s really, really good. The mouthfeel is medium, and the finish is tangy, piney bitter. It may get better than this, but not often. The preservative quality of hops could not be better proved. Two or three years old and pasteurized. It’s fresh.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 14/20
AleDrinker (1090) - Sunnyvale, California, USA - JAN 31, 2005
This was an excellent west coast IPA. Pours copper with with fine medium head. Aroma is of hops citrusy and floral. Aroma also had lots of malt to balance. This was a nice full bodied IPA with a real nice thick and smooth mouthfeel. Plenty of bitterness present. Aftertaste is bitter and sticks. Very good.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
HopheadHans (803) - Bay Area, California, USA - DEC 24, 2005
Handpump at the The Englander. Now this is an IPA. Hoppy aromas, of fruit, flowers. The flavor is very intense (maybe due to lack of any carbonation), again of fruit, and it finishes with this typical bitterness. The beer pours a little darker than most IPAs, and it is medium-bodied. This is obviously the 2005 edition by the way.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
rmussman (1511) - California, USA - MAR 3, 2007
Another nice winter brew. Seems like im finally finding the good ones after the holidays. Pour is nice and carbonated. Leaves a nice head. Appearance is dark brown. Mouthfeel is smooth. Slightly bitter but nothing to frown about. Flavor is full of hops and perfect for the holidays.

3.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
hayduke (2926) - Eureka, California, USA - JUN 19, 2007
From a 22 oz bomber this poured a nice orange to red color with a fat head that was a light yellow, and left good lacing. Big nose of pine hops, and light malts make this simple but enjoyable. Good mouthfeel. Flavor shows some citrus and the finish is nicely bitter. Like everyone else I am not sure where the 2004 date comes from as this seemed fresh to me. Nice brew, and very easy to drink.

3.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 17/20
jazz88 (2465) - San Francisco, California, USA - DEC 29, 2004
Bottle. A dark reddish-orange color with an off-white head. An intense hop aroma that could have led me to believe this was a double IPA. Full bodied with a big hop flavor and bitter finish.

3.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
grant (842) - Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA - MAY 11, 2005
Full aroma rife with chunky, viscous maltiness and a sticky, fruity hoppiness. Still quite a hoppy nose for being perhaps a few months past its optimal date. Reminds me in the nose a lot of Drake’s IPA (a good thing). Flavor is quite sweet with a lot of body for a sub-6% beer, but not too much. Flavor proves to be not quite as bold as the aroma, but still good. Very floral and with a quite assertive but comfortable bitter edge. Quite tasty stuff! I’ll be looking for some others from this brewery. Only flaw is that it’s just a touch too sweet.


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