Dundee Festive Ale

Brewed by High Falls Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Rochester, New York USA

Jacksonville, Fl. - Total Wines - 12 oz bottle. Dark orangeish amber pour with a light, but silky white head. Rich aroma - pick up some caramel notes, licorice and Carbona carpet cleaner. Licorice, toffee, and some Christmas spices in the flavor. Finish throws in a little maple syrup. Moutheel is rich and somewhat thick. Good winter warmer.

I sniff the bottle as I pop the cap and my nose is greeted by such overwhelming pepper as to make me sneeze! Pour is a beautiful, deep vermillion under a creamy, holding, sandy head. Roasted grains join the aroma with the aforementioned peppery hops and a lick of citrus and processed cheese. Intriguing spiced flavor profile with cinnamon, nutmeg and a bit more pepper over a fruity base of oranges. Sour, nutty notes in the aftertaste. Overall I’m impressed.

<font size=-4>Single 12 oz. from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/carpen Food Market , Carpentersville, Illinois 60110</font>

THOUGHTS: Bettern than I expected but not a great beer. Nice flavor but a little watery. Some sort of spice was in the flavor but not overdone. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, medium red with a huge, off-white head that mostly lasted and left fair lacing. The aroma was light to moderate caramel malt, light hops and moderate yeast. It was also a little musty with some sort of spice and fruit that I couldn’t put a finger on. The initial flavor was light to moderate sweetness, while the finish was moderate to heavy sweetness and light to moderate bitterness with an average duration. The body was light to medium and seemed like watered-down syrup with fizzy carbonation and a light metallic finish.

Bottle from Frugal McDugal in Nashville. Pours translucent copper with a pillowy beige head that diminshes to a wisp. Aroma of pumpkin pie spices, malt, and a hint of vanilla. Initial flavor of caramel and maple, with a mild spices of cinnamon and nutmeg following. The mild bitter finish clashes with the spices to make it somewhat unpleasant, which lingers. This needs more body, sweetness, and malt backbone. Very unbalanced. However, it is a tad better as it warms. How about spending more time on the beer and less time on the label?

JW Dundee’s Festive Ale pours an shiny coppery-amber color with a large, fluffy, nearly biege head. Aroma is sweet, malty, and sticky with notes of caramel, apples/fruit, and a hint of vanilla. The flavor is sweet and malty as well with just a hint of cinammon? spice. Slightly dry as it moves into the finish. There is also a lingering mild and spicy bitterness. This beer has a moderate level of carbonation, a medium body, and is smooth on the palate. As it warms, more of the spice comes out and it becomes a little thinner on the palate. The Festive Ale is a good seasonal beer overall and is probably one of JW Dundee’s better offerings 12 oz bottle, $.50/bottle (on sale) at Jungle Jim’s.

Malty, spicy aroma. Flavor is also malty with caramel and a complex mixture of spices and sharp hops. Better than I expected from High Falls. They must be trying to improve their reputation and brand image. Good for them. An enjoyable and inexpensive find late in the season. Extra point for the 6.3% abv. A special deal at $4.99 for a six pack at Total Wine.

Overall a good beer. One of the best offerings from High Falls. I can only find it in short supply, even for a seasonal.

The 12 ounce bottle poured a crystal clear ruby red beverage with an off-white foamy head that was mostly diminishing and left good lacing on the glass. The aroma had a nice malt-centric balance with caramel being the main contributor. The body was medium-full with lively, full carbonation and a slightly sharp texture. The flavor starts off lightly sweet which quickly fades giving way to a light bitterness which lasts through the medium-long finish.