IndianaRed (1553), Boise, Idaho, USA Dec 4, 2004 Bottle Pours a nice rich clear mahogany, with very little head and just enough off white ring to maintain fine lacing. A good malty aroma includes apples, cinamon, caramel. Slight alcohol as well. A woody, malty flavor that hides the ABV quite well. Flavors are fairly subtle, nothing really reaches out and grabs ya. Mild, easy, and soft. Not much carbonation, and a slightly chalky feel at teh end. Easy on the hops and not much bitter on the aftertaste. Nice seasonal from the PNW. Thanks to a non-RB friend for this reccomendation. jah noth (1015), Rochester, New York, USA Nov 27, 2004 Rich malty aroma. Slight head on the pour that disappears. Beautiful crimson in color. Sweet cherry malt flavor with a twinge of alcohol. I taste a swirl of malts, but not the typical adjuncts of a Christmas ale. Nice brew, but watch out. Pigfoot (2226), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Nov 18, 2004 Brazen crimson color, nearly bronze, slight haze, with a thin coating of beige foam above.
Lovely aromatics, dark fruits, cherries, sherry, a bit of plums and port, hoppy, rich and warm. Very inviting, and I can’t wait to taste her! (him?)
Snappy, brisk, fully flavorful entry on the palate, comes crashing in the door loaded with flavor, abundantly hoppy, juicy, spicy flavors...spiced with what, exactly, I don’t know. Junipers? Cloves? Cinnamon?
Big, fresh, sparkling flavor, fruity, dynamic, ...sings with the sort of zest I enjoy in many a delicious Belgian ale. Bright, vibrant, and very tasty. Yum, yum, yum, I say it three times, so it must be true
This is a winter brew with real cohones! 5000 (2409), Hardened Liver, Washington, USA Nov 11, 2004 Bottle pours ruby, large frothy off-white colored head, fine lacing, with soft carbonation.   Sweet biscuity aroma, malts, with slightly fruity hop flair.   Malty, semi-sweet, with a somewhat syrupy butterscotch/caramel flavor (much like a doppelbock).   Good body, medium mouthfeel.   The 9% ABV is certainly there, but quite smooth.   Light finish, slightly warming, semi-sweet, candyish, malty, with a very minor hop note.   Much smoother and lighter (for the same ABV) as compared to earlier years.   A PNW Favorite!
bb (2905), Martinez, California, USA Jul 30, 2004 Updated: Nov 29, 2006Draft. Dark ruby color with a small white head. Spice and malt aroma. An almost creamy mouthfeel. Xmas spices with some opange peel and sweet malt/toffee flavors. There’s a spicey hop underlying everything, but it’s just a tad too sweet with the malt BückDich (4778), McCall, Idaho, USA Jul 6, 2004 Ruby bronze, light head & lacing. The aroma is sweet with some alcohol, maple, Muscat grapes, French toast. Complex! The flavor is up front with sweet grapes & licorice. Finishes medium bodied and with more alcohol feel. duff (5474), Surrey, Greater London, England Jun 24, 2004 Tap@The Jolly Roger. Pretty malty. Lots of nutty, toffee, raisiny sort of flavour, a bit spicey. Good off-dry hoppy finish, fairly assertive, not too bad. Murphy (1759), Fort Collins, Colorado, USA Feb 14, 2004 Spicy as hell. Decent body. Some sweet caramel notes, but a domination by ethanol. This may put you off, but this beer is dangerous. A very appropriate winter beer, I'm going to go pound this.
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