Gales Christmas Ale

Formerly brewed at Gales
Style: English Strong Ale
Horndean, England

From a 2003 vintage bottle. Poured a deep red and ruddy brown color. This has some more bubbles that some other Gales I have had before. Just a trace of a white head. Aroma of sour apples and cherries. There are also hints of anise and prunes. The taste is dried prunes and a little bit of lemons. Also a little bit of spice in the finish. Another interesting brew from Gales.

Aroma is alcohol, caramel, honey, dried fruit, almost like a watery barleywine. Body is ruby, frothy cream head. Taste has a tartness to it, cherries, plums, caramel. Has a weird tartness to it.

Bottle. Hazy amber with no head. Very sweet malt aroma with some vanilla, holiday spice, and orange. Fruitcake flavor with brandy and malt backing. Medium body with a lingering grape flavor.

The beer is quite carbonated and pours a slightly hazy amber orange color. It is topped by a light amber tan head. The aroma is slightly acidic with hints of cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg. The aroma reminds me of cherries, though not overwhelmingly so. The aroma is quite nice with no one component being dominant, each note is only subtly recognizable, but makes up a complete whole. The taste of the beer is lightly tart with hints of sherry. The spicing is barely perceptible, perhaps it is most noticeable in the finish by a hint of astringency from the nutmeg. It has a full malty mouthfeel to it, but the malts are certainly aged in flavor. This is actually a nice beer, it is nicely subtly spiced with a hint of tartness and a bit of saltiness too.

Bottle. Hazy Amber color with a small white head. Spicy light cherry cinnamon aroma and a malty taste with a hint of hops. Medium body and a light bitter finish.

Bad and expencive beer. Half of it went down the drain. Has an odd burnt/smoked and wrong aroma and flavor.

Monstrous fluff of a head, deep brown hue that is barley visible through. Smells like a abbey dubel or belgian ale. For the last week or so i been craving a belgian beer and this comes pretty damn close to tasting like one. Flavor is sweet and tart of mostly fruits and dash of spices. Unripe pear and banana upfront on the tastebuds. At the back of the tongue on the way down a spice of mint and pepper. A little pricey for only a 9.3 oz bottle.

Dark amber color with no head. Dark cherry aroma. Very reminicent of a kriek. The cherry taste is more bitter and thin than a kriek would be, but is still quite nice. You can tell there is some alcohol present. Tasty fine!