Grand River Jubilation Spiced Ale

On Tap at Volo
Appearance :Clear, sunny amber with medium, fine, creamy top. 3+
Nose :Strong aromatic nose- fruity front, spices (nutmeg, clove among others) as well citric hops. Belgian styled Christmas themed bouquet.
Flavor/Palate : Clean , semi-full bodied. Citric front that was well blended with hop bitterness. Smooth solid support of malt base. This is well brewed ale, alcohol seamlessly flows. Spicy finish, pepper, vanilla, clove. Detail oriented formula. Solid , solid brew.

Draught. At Volo. Poured bright clear amber with a large lasting foamy-creamy beige head. Pungent sweet and spicy aroma - caramel malt, Christmas cake spice, strong underlying floral hop bitterness - this reminded me a lot of their pumpkin beer, just less ... pumpkin, and way spicier. The taste delivered much of the same, very pungent and fresh, quite sweet, a bit "Belgian" in the yeast character, a hint of wheat, but mostly a long pungent bitter dry spice/floral finish is what I remember. The mouthfeel is slick, very astringent, sweet up-front and long and dry in the extended linger .... excellent effort, a good light (seven percent? really?!!!!) winter quaff.

On tap at Victory Cafe. Golden yellow body with a good frothy white head. Spice in aroma comes to your nose from across the table but I can not place precisely what it is - nutmeg? Pleasant spice throughout the flavour, sweet pale malt finishes dry after sweet fruit in the middle. Mouth becomes acclimatised to the spice after a bit allowing fruit and pale malt emerge a bit more. Occasional floral herbal hints. Average to medium palate. Surprisingly refreshing and drinkable, alcohol is almost not there at all. Very nice.

At Volo. Very much like their and others’ pumpkin ale. Clove city, some other spice but this was liquid cloves. Light almost transparent with thin white head. The alcohol was there. Drying finish, C hops in abundance. Overall fine try.

Aroma is malt and treacle, hazy copper, tiny white head. Lovely malt taste,spicy, pit fruiot. Medium bodied, very well balanced, blessed mouth feel, great for the winter season. Terrific!