3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
500ml bottle
7.0% ABV
Atrium on Bay LCBO Outlet (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
November 29, 2012
The beer pours a translucent candy cane red colour with a thin white head. The aroma is caramel, grains, and spices. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavour is sweet caramel malt, dry spicy bitter finish. A decent Christmas Ale.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottle shared with Seb in London. Pours clear copper with a fine, creamy, off-white head. Sweet, malty nose, hints of semi-ripe fruits, toffee, alcohol. Medium sweet flavor with some dried fruits, dry toffee, bread, light banana. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Mild warmth on the finish, modest fruit notes, lightly toasted bread, subtle alcohol, and a bit of light, leafy bitterness. It’s a very simple ESA, but pretty easy to drink.
3.5 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Present from Rhonda. A proper Christmas ale, and it’s called "Christmas Ale"! Lots of fruitcake and alcohol and marzipan and nuts and malt. Yes, lots of yummy malt. Easy drinking, yet a beer to savour and enjoy. Good ’un. Shame they don’t keep it live.
4.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 19/20
Very nice, good Hartley taste. Nice fruity taste good strong after taste. Reccomrnded for a true drinker.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
bottle. Pours amber, little head. Aroma of fruity malts. Taste is sweet malts, some grassy hops, warming alcohol. Decent but nothing special.
2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Lighter than I expected when poured from bottle (bottle was brown rather than clear). Was quite a lot of carbonation. Nice flavour, the alcohol is quite noticeable- I think this is what gives it the depth of flavour it has.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
500ml bottle. Clear copper body, medium white head with good retention and plenty of lacing. Aroma of malt, herbs, booze, a touch of toffee. Taste of roasted malt, nuts, bitter herbal hops, bozzy aftertaste. A full body, plenty of carbonation and a fairly long bitter finish.
2.5 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 8/20
The depth of this ale probably comes from the high alcohol content. Dark amber colour, slightly fruit nose, some fudgy treacle and a hint of vanilla, with orange pekoe tea? Finishes a clean hoppy bitterness.
2.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
500 ml bottle from LCBO, served cool in a tulip glass.
App.: Clear copper with a thin white head.
Aroma: Strong, sweet, fruity, crunchy malts, dark dried fruits, plums, figs, raisins, sweet and a bit boozy, caramel/toffee/treacle, brown sugar, all malt, all the way.
Palate: Medium+ body, moderate, refined effervescence.
Flav.: Intensely sweet, very malty, lots of dark dried fruits, a bit of a severe hop note, a bit boozy (not in a good way, really), caramel/toffee/treacle notes, a bit of brown sugar; somewhat sweet with so-so bitterness and a sweet, malty, fruity, harshly boozy finish.
Not quite Merry Christmas. Maybe...Not-unpleasant Christmas.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Aroma: The smell has distinct hoppy, grassy notes., but also some bread, grain and sweetness.
Appearance: The beer has a copper toned amber color, an off-white head that leaves some lacing., and has curtains.
Taste: The taste is initially sweet and malty, sweet newly baked bread, oat cereals with brown sugar and syrup, oranges and garden fruits, a nice round bitterness as the finale.
Palate: Medium low carbonation, lively small bubbles, a good body, smooth and nice texture. A dry finish.
Overall: Shepherd Neame continues to deliver good Christmas Ales.
Note: Serving type: bottle Reviewed 2010-12-22.
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