Stone/Nøgne Ø/Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Escondido, California USA

Agreed for a few months. A really great spiced great. Full of punch and a really great holiday beer. Just in time for fall. Overall the complexity of the spices, including lots of nutmeg and juniper were very crisp. Nice brew.

Bottle. [thank you, joergen]
Looks exceptionally oily as its poured. A lovely chestnut brown with a fine, creamy, off-white head that stays for quite some time. Nice spicy aroma. Light peppermint, hazelnuts, chestnuts, holly, caramel, light roasted and a touch of vanilla. Lowish carbonation, impressive oily mouthfeel. Flavour is lovely. Ginger, hazel, chestnuts, roasted malts, chocolate, vinous, coriander, thyme, pine, juniper. Really wonderfully balanced spiced ale with just the right amount of sweetness at first and bitterness in the finish. Really lovely.

Bottled sample via and shared with oakbluff. Chestnut in colour with moderate carbonation. Aromas of nutmeg, ginger, juniper, menthol, cinnamon, and pale malts. Gummy-like thickness balances out the spice notes in the mouth with more ginger and juniper, sage honey, wintergreen, and spicy malted rye. Hides its abv very well. No one spice seems to dominate the brew, which gives it a great complexity. Great brew

Pours chestnut brown with minimal head but some tight lacing. Nose- nuts, strong spice. Taste- miriad of spice- all meld together for a tasty concoction. The rye plays well with the various spices- ginger etc. Sweet malt with a strong nut flavour. Finish is clean by and large, with only some spice aftertaste and slight hop presence.

12 oz bottle Stone batch. Murky mahogany body with a nice, dense beige head. Aroma of sweet malt, some roast, lots of spices and a bit herbal as well. Flavor is sweet malt, some caramel, tea, candy sugar, spices like sage, juniper and ginger with a hint of acid. Really nice body with a lot of distinct and balanced flavors. This beer has a rich flavor with a long and slightly warm alcoholic finish. Lots of things going on here.

330 ml bottle at benk!, Sandnes. Room temperature. Pours clear deep red w/frothy tanned film. Aroma of dades, alcohol,, vanilla and spices. Taste is initially heavy sweet and bitter, but it quickly fades giving way to more faint alcohol, caramel and spices (juniper, cardemom..) in the finish. Medium to full bodied, the texture is syrupy. Lively carbonation, but smooth to drink. Recommended.

Location: Had this brew on tap at the Blind Tiger in late fall/early winter of ’08

Overall Impression: I’ve got this down as a pretty good beer. Not a lot of notes here, just the score. I’d like to re-rate this one at some point to give a more thorough opinion and rating.

Bottle. This is one of the best beers I have had from Stone. Odd it took me so long to rate it. Nose is very candi sugar and root. Flavor is more root, chocolate, tea, strong tannin, rice and holiday spice. Dark brown-red color. Very smooth, very relaxing.