Abita Christmas Ale

Brewed by Abita Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Covington, Louisiana USA

Bottle thanks to unclemike. Pours a dark mahogany color with a light brown head of medium size. The aroma is full of caramel, hops and some spices. The flavors is nice; a semi-bitter hop bite, some rich caramel malts, candies, and a bit of spices. Maybe a gingerbread cookie in there. Not bad.

This is a rather nice Christmas ale. I’ve thus far liked all the Christmas ales I’ve had. A nice dark chocolatey flavor with a sweet aroma--smells of cinnamon and chocolate. You’ll like this. Check it out.

12oz bottle. Less than pleasant aroma of hay and dry dog food. That combination really reminded me of Christmas in an ’away in a manger’ sort of way. Poured a clear reddish orange color. The head was two fingers high and off white. It reduced over a minute or two to a thin film and left a bit of lace behind on the glass. Light to medium bodied and dry. The flavor wasn’t any better than the aroma; dry dog food, bitter grains, and unsalted whole wheat pretzel. Merry Christmas!

Bottle. Sweet dusty nose with evident sticky malt, brown sugar, fruitcake, figgy pudding. Deep dark amber pour with a brown-infused beige head. Very dry, bitter taste, woody and earthy with toast and lots of hard nuts. Crackers and slippery malt, medium-full body, crisp initial carbonation. Remains dry and earthy - would have been a solid brown ale in the regular rotation. Enjoyed it. Much better than previous seasons, it appears.

I have tried this several times, ending with the 2006 release. I usually love an amber ale, but there is a taste I can’t pin down in this that really turns me off, maybe a spice.

Bottle from Pizza Port Carlsbad. Color is reddish amber with a short O-ring of head. The nose is a sweetened version of caramel malt and a blend of assorted nuts. The flavor is a mellow dosage of malt in the style of caramel and toffee yet very subdued into a nut brown ale style. Overall a decent ale with no major highlights and I have no plans to revisit.

2007 bottle poured an amber in color with a quickly falling light tan head. aroma has hops, lightly roasted malt, and faint spice. mouth feel is thin with medium carbonation. flavor has some drying resinous hops, light malt, faint roast, and spice. flavor just seems a little washed out and hopped perhaps a bit much for a Christmas ale. almost like pouring some ipa into a Christmas ale. the hops flavor is thankfully good as the underlying brew is somewhat ho-hum.

Pour is a dark brown with a avaerage white head. Aroma is nuts,caramel, hoppy and chocolate so far so good. Flavor is weaker with mostly bready malts being the key flavor. Its an alright amber but not somthing i would call a x-mas ale. If you are going to make an x-mas ale spice it up a notch.