mkel07 (621), Brisbane, Australia
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 18/20 | Jan 16, 2010 650ml bottle. Teak, mahoganey colour with an even blanket of bone coloured foam that retains well. Aromas of caramel and flowering gardens. Strong and robust with a nutty finish and long smooth aftertaste. Well rounded and satisfying. JustinFromAL (118), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Jan 15, 2010 Bottle. Reddish brown pour with an off white head. Nice lacing as the head dissipates. Sweetness in the aroma, caramel maybe. The extra hops really come out and open the flavor up. Very enjoyable! ksurkin (451), Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Jan 15, 2010 12oz bottle from total wine in norfolk enjoyed on christmas eve. pours a dark, reddish copper, with a thick, creamy, light tan head and solid lacing. aroma is very nice with spicy, piney hops, citrus rinds, and hints of berry with mild caramle malt sweetness and a bit of spearmint. flavor is very tasty as well with a big dose of sprucy/piney hop resins up front with mild tropical fruit, citrus, and soapy hop notes backed by toasted, bready malts and a bit of caramel. palate is medium bodied with solid carbonation and a bitter, fruity finish. overall, a damn nice winter amber. mingo1968 (41), phila, Pennsylvania, USA
| 4.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 | Jan 13, 2010 It poured with a reddish color with a thin stick to the glass head. With the smell of roasted hops and spruce. The taste was smooth with a little spruce and bitter finish.It also had an average carbonation. I don’t know why the call this Santa’s Reserve, because it doesn’t remind me of Christmas. But it is a nice beer. Davros (300), Australia
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Jan 12, 2010 Pours ruby with a large persistent head leaving loads of lacing. Beautiful.
Nose shows lots of hops as expected, with resinous pine and citrus notes. Malt plays a big part as well, with loads of caramel and some toasty notes.
Very similar flavours, with the toasty caramelised malt definitely taking centre stage. Still, there’s a fair bit of hops, with grapefruit and piney resin.
Very creamy and slick, lovely. CampesinoTino (85), Fremont, California, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Jan 12, 2010 Bomber. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one although I knew it wasn’t going to be your standard sweet and spicy holiday ale. Pours a reddish amber with pleasant hop aroma. Tastes more like an IPA/Amber hybrid with a smooth, nutty finish. scoth (311), Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 14/20 | Jan 12, 2010 Pours clear light-chestnut, with a medium beige head, very fine and lasting lacing. Aromas of grass, grapefruit, biscuit, and apricot. Medium body, smooth, creamy, and dry. Mild malt flavors, toast, a hint of pepper, spice, and nuts, then pine resin and grapefruit, a decently bitter finish. Very drinkable. foosnbrews (46), Parker, Colorado, USA
| 3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 5/10 | 3/5 | 11/20 | Jan 8, 2010 Beer poors golden amber with a huge off white head. Aroma is strong in hops which gives a good indication of the beer to come. The beer is reminiscent of an American Red with a strong malt presence and big hop impact. Bitterness is sharp and stong reminiscent of the chinook used in the beer. The palate is somewhat sticky and the load of hops seem to help contribute to this. Overall the beer is OK but not typical of a christmas beer. The chinook and malts present a somewhat strange profile that leaves me with the desire for something "cleaner" to follow.
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