Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale

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

Bottled 50cl. It pours a beautiful amber beer with nicely remaining tanned head. A lot of amazing tiny bubbles rising fast from the bottom of the glass. It looks like a snowstorm. Earthy hops, berries, caramel and marmite in the aromas - A strong and full nose with hints of melon and wild strawberries. The taste is wonderfully smooth. Hints of hay, melon, bread, caramel and cinnamon. Earthy hops. Medium to full bodied. Decently spicy with Christstollen-like elements. Berries. Nice lacing. Good balance, quite hoppy. The finish is strong with hints of melon... Nice fruity, flowery elements balanced by cinnamon. A pleasant surprise. Rerate: Not quite that good actually....

Spicy and complex beer. Fruity and nutty character. Roasted malt. Wintery caramel sweet with herbal touch. Appealing dark orange color. Medium and enjoyable carbonation. Lightly dry and hoppy bitter aftertaste.

500ml bottle from Caskj & Glass in Tonbridge. Pasteurised I guess as no mention on BCA. Very attractive winter scene on label of oast house in snow. Amber, thin beige head. Plenty of the promised crystallised citrus fruits. Its better than the 2007, less heavy, more of the crystallised fruit. Some Xmas cake spice. More of a Belgian tripel but without the yeast. Malts are more toffeeish. Faint Sheps yeast aroma. Crystallised clementines, satsuma and mandarins. Toasty aroma. Some pasteurisation evident on the candy sugar empty malts. Alcohol is never evident. REally drinkable. Lovely fruit and strong hop presence on finish. Yep one to have again
Earlier Rating: 12/27/2007 Total Score: 3.6
500ml bottle at King’s Head, Wye. Copper no head. Some yeast, lots of citrus on the aroma. Lots of hops for a Sheps beer. Bit of fine carbonation, some toffee flavour in mouth. Rich, Xmas cake aroma, then orangey citrus and heavy hit of hops. Another decent Sheps Christmas beer.

bought in lucerne switzerland in the drinks of the world shop at railwaystation reddish glowing copper with a rather quickly dissapearing head smells malty and hoppy and some dried fruit tasts malty hoppy and fruity and some caramel aftertaste has some good bitterness but fruityness too i like it a beerwho has both in it fruityness

Appearance: copper color. Great head, dense, very lasting and some rocky. Good adherence to glass. Pretty. Aroma: to caramel malts; intensive floral-hoppy and fruit’s smells like apples, peache, quince and nuts. Roast sugar, butter and old rum’s reminiscences. Flavor: ephemeral candy malt start, that progress to a ripe and slightly-dry fruitiness similar to stone-peaches, peel-red apple, and candy-orange. Enough nutty. Other reminiscences like butterscotch and toasty almonds. Medium dry-hoppy, floral and very lasting. Some sweet-herbal final touch comparable to camomile. Palate: medium body and slight oily texture. Medium carbonated. For my, a very pleasant beer. Nice lasting hoppyness, fruitiness and nutty taste. Balanced in sweetness, dryness and alcoholic-degree.

courtesy of oh6gdx - clear and bright dark amber colour, little stable and slightly beige foam; fair aroma of berries, caramel and herbs; good malt body, some sweetness and a respectable bitterness; very long malty and fruity fiish - very tasty

Bottle, from Co-op in Mablethorpe. Copper gold, lasting fluffy white head and moderate condition. Good initial peppery hop resin with a developing toffee, caramel and vanilla woodiness in the nose, Full and soft in the mouth with a solid spirity vanilla earthiness, some bitter orange notes and a gentle malty sweetness, lingering hop bitterness and spirity retronasal alcohol in the finish.

This ale poured a nice copper colour with soapy looking white head. To the nose there are scents of hopps, citrus, a little juniper and caramel. First taste is smooth and full of nice flavour such as caramel, hopps, spice and juniper. Finish is malty with good solid hopp flavour. Not too bitter. The palate is hopps and caramel, spice. Very good.