Gordon X-Mas Ale

Brewed by John Martin (Scottish & Newcastle)
Style: English Strong Ale
Genval, Belgium

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Bottled, alc. 8,8 % (BB 05/2005)
Ruby brown color, nice brownish head. and lots of lace. Fruity aroma with raisins and plums, even a bit roasted. Starts with attacking hops then full to medium body gives plum sweetness. Then finishes with alcoholic kick. Aftertaste is warming and slightly bittersweet. Interesting and complex but a bit unbalanced.

Bottle, bought @ Kolding Vinhandel.
[Vintage 2006]
My 300th Belgian beer!!
Poured in my Trappist glass. A clear dark raisin-brown colour with a steady, creamy off-white head on top. Medium lacing. Aroma has slight roasted caramel, Belgian sugars and slight port. Nice, well-rounded mouthfeel. Flavour is sweet with a definite malty presence, bread, biscuit, caramel and burnt tones. Finish is relatively vinious with a peppery bitterness at the far end. Very warming sensation, really soothing a sore throat, I have.

3rd October 2007
Warning! Early amateur rating! Dark brown beer. Riach and frothy ale. Malty tones, a little worcester sauce. Long very dry malt finish. Just a mild bitterness.

Ruby with a lasting off-white head. Aroma of caramel and brown sugar. Sweet caramel and burnt sugar flavour with herbal notes

very beautiful clear red with a thick solid light brown head. must be filtered, but i must admit it looks super nice. mild fruity sawdusty hoppy aroma, red berries seem to dominate. flavor is red berries, cherry, wood? (is it aged??), caramel, malt, very faint "american" style hops like flavor (not sure what it is), also lots of sweetness and dark fruits. faint spices, alc sensed as a spice, strange metallic tinge to the flavor that i don’t like, but overall tasty and intersting.

1. Bottle at the Metropolitan Centre, Bury 24/11/2001 Mid brown coloured and strong in alcohol with a honey sweet flavour. Smooth on the palate. 2. On Tap at the Borough Arms, Crewe 17/04/2005 Mid brown coloured and strong in alcohol. Spicy and fruity cherry aromas. Warming slightly dry malt finish.

Bottle. Creamy off-white good mostly lasting head. Amberbrown colour. Moderate malty aroma. Nice balanced sweet/bitter flavor. Long finiosh. Oily palate.

Bottle from a small shop on the south side of the south plaza where the buses come and go in Bruges. West of the red monstrosity. Pours really dark brown/black with a very foamy/cllingy beige/tan head. Mildly xmas spice aromas. Full body. Lots of flavor. Dark roasted malt and mixed spice. Creates a strong herb/spice sensation in the mouth. It’s a heavy beer. Not a great beer, but a very sturdy and acceptable beer. Lots of caramel. Lots of flavor -repeated.

Aroma has porto, roasted malt and coffee. Full bodied. Caramel, coffee, apple, some roasted malt and dark chocolate in the flavor. Thick and loads of flavor. Long bitter chocolate finish.

Bottled: Clear ruby red coloured. Off white lasting head. Malty aroma with yeasty notes. Malt, liquorice, hops, herbs and alcahol in the flavour. Has a heavy bitterness in the end. Quite nice x-mas beer.