RCH Ale Mary

Brewed by RCH
Style: English Strong Ale
Weston-super-Mare, England

One of my all-time favorite "Holiday beers." I found out today that Pimiento is the same thing as Allspice, which made me a little sad as I was really beieving for a long time it had little red peppers in it...

Amber colour with large (1"), steady head. Very nice and interesting aroma; cloves, honey and fruit. Very spicey taste, cloves, nutmeg and ginger prominent. Bitter finish, creamy mouthfeel. A challenge to the taste buds, but excellent nontheless.

red-orange colour, big creamy head with a beautiful lace, raisins and honey aroma, alcohol notes, smooth, bitter with a long dry apple finish - very complex and simply beautiful !

I had this beer on Christmas. Excellent example of English brewing. Completely unique but well within the style. Fruit/spice was mellowed by the rich malt sweetness and an unbelieveable yeasty/hoppy finish. If you mixed Old Peculier with Hen’s Tooth you might get this.

Amber color with a large head. Interesting aroma of cloves and alcohol. Outstanding tastes of ginger, cinnamon and cloves on top of a medium malt base. Drinking this in May is probably not the right thing to do, but I can assure you I’ll be drinking this come wintertime!

I had no knowledge of this beer while shopping at Ledgers in Berkeley. The reason I picked it up was simply to try a new ale. Well I VERY glad I did because this was a fanastic brew and it came at the perfect time (a cold October evening). The aroma is astounding. Strong notes of cloves, buttered rum (think a Tom & Jerry mix), cinnamon, raisins, and ginger. Appearance is amber in color, slightly cloudy with a nice off-white two finger thick head. Mouthfeel was a bit overcarbonated for my liking. Flavors were fantastic with clear cut tastes like cloves, raisins, sweet caramel malts, cinnamon, and various other spices keeping it interesting. Quite the unassuming bottle and label, but don’t be fooled. What’s inside is every bit as interesting a beer you will find for Christmas. So why not celebrate the Holidays now. Do your self a favor. Get this beer.

Bottle 500ml from Waitrose, Christchurch. This ale has a fine aroma that sits somewhere between rum and a homemade sloe gin. It pours a deep copper colour with a medium off-white head. The taste has a touch of raw Christmas cake mixture to it - reminds me of being a kid and licking out the mixing bowl. There is more to it, though, much more. Flavours of rum and dark fruits come through with hints of spices. This ale is not too heavy and I could go for a good few sessions on this one, especially around Christmastime. In summary, a lovely warming winter festive ale.

500 ml bottle, Habersham Beverage Warehouse, Savannah, Ga. Pours a orangish copper with a thick, frothy off-white head and thick lacing left on the glass. Spicy, nutmeg-like aroma - very fresh. Flavor has some spicy elements to it as well. Pick up a bit of cinammon and nutmneg with a trace of spearmint. God overall bitter flavor with a nutty undertone. Palate is thick and creamy. Really enjoyed this one - could see spending a loing night in an English pub nursing several of these.