Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale

Brewed by Shepherd Neame
Style: English Strong Ale
Faversham, England

Bottle. Lovely amber glow. Fruit, spices, sweet malt. The spices largely balance the sweetness. It might be that it is cheating to add the crystallised fruit instead of letting the yeast and hops do the trick, but this works quite well.

It poured a dark golden liquid with a medium sized white foam. It had an odd smell of sawdust, wood, nuts and what I think is nutmeg. Fairly smooth mouthfeel with just a bit of stingyness. Dry with a ligth body and low bitterness. Watery taste of caramell, malt and butter with an alcoholic finnish. Just as with Fullers this one had to much butter. I ended up pouring it out.

Bottle dated 2009. Vegetal aroma with a lot of metal. The same effect can be achieved by putting your head into a dirty dishwasher. Don’t know why the aroma simply didn’t appeal to me: I rather liked the taste, which was sweet and toasty like an overdone muffin, and the finish which was satisfyingly bitter.

Dark golden color with a lasting offwhite head. Good lacing. Aroma: fruity, hay, straw, malt. Taste: much bitter hops, fruity, a little warming alc. Ok beer.

Bottle. Spicy aroma of hops, wood, herbs and wine. Clear amber colour with small beige head. Nice bitter hops flavour with some liquorice and caramel. Dry finish.

Bottle @ SuperBest, Odense. Pours clear amber with a small creamy white head and lacings. Sweet toffee, caramel, berries and pudding. Medium and smooth palate. Ends dry. Fairly drinkable.

Bottle (from Alko, Vaasa). Amber colour, mediumsized beige head, some lace. Aroma is grass, wood, some mild herbal notes as well as mild yeast and fruits as well. Flavour is rather herbal and spicy along with quite bitter hops. A rather wellbalanced and nice brew. Not too much Christmas in this though...
Earlier Rating: 12/30/2008 Total Score: 3.7
Bottled. Reddish amber colour with mediumsized creamy white head. Also quite lasting, giving some lace. Aroma is fruity, hoppy with some slight caramelly hints. Flavour is much the same, in a rather nice balance. As it got warmer it got some slight rouches of alcohol.
Earlier Rating: 12/1/2007 Total Score: 3.2
Bottle. Amber colourm, mediumsized white head. Aroma is quite typical Shepherd Nameish, yeasty and hoppy. Flavour is dry hoppy along with some grassyness. A bit soapish notes too. Quite oily palate.

500ml bottle. Small white thick head which transforms to lacy surface quickly. Clean amber color. Very mild aroma, almost non existent... maybe a little bit hops and citrus. Palate is semi thick, nice tickling carbonation. Flavour is spicy with ginger, citrus and hops. End is sour and some alcohol there also. This beer would be much better with actual aroma.