Felstar Christmas Ale (5.2%)

Formerly brewed at Felstar
Style: Dry Stout
Dunmow, England

Serve in English pint

Bottle @ Chemsford BF06: Dark brown with a light borwn head. Nice light spice and dark cara malts. Choc notes there too. Good.

UPDATED: JUL 20, 2006 Bottle. Its always good to see that there are British Christmas beers out there that actually taste like Christmas, usually its just a variation on there best bitter or something. This is very nice. Tastes like Christmas cake. Raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon, lightly roasty/chocolatey characters. Medium bodied. Very enjoyable.

Bottled - Chelmsford BF. A black coloured beer with a ruby hue and the odd floaty. Thea roma is rich and malty. There is good alcohol notes and some sweet Christmassy raisins. The taste has spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. More Christmas tastes almost like a good caske. Very tasty. I’m suprised the brewery state this is a stout as to me it’s a pretty perfect English Strong or more accurately Winter Warmer.

Bottle @ Chelmsford beer festival, 2006. Sweet, roast malt, herbal. Berry fruit with a touch of spice.

Near black beer with red highlights; thin but rather stable greige head. Ink, laurel and lavender, very aromatic nose, with beautiful, slightly dried hops, lupuline soap and pine resin. Taste is dry, but thin version of the nose; same aromatics. Resin is more obvious in the taste. Balance is to dream of. Retronasal juniper berry. If it weren’t sooo bl**dy British thin, this would be truly superb. Seldom I tasted a beer (omitting the international lagerbrigade for a moment here) where nose and taste accord so perfectly. Big bravo for this. British raters, please, try! Big thanks to Father Xmas MatW.