Sly Fox Christmas Ale

Have had this fresh and with almost a year on it. Surprising for the style it ages well. Aroma is crazy. Cinnamon, pie. Taste is much like pie, sweet and spice. Nice.

From a bottle poured brown with a lot of head. Nice malty flavor with a lasting spicy finish.

Bottle, pours an amber body with a tan yellow head. Very spicy, nutmeg, cinnamon and all spice. A hint of sugar but a relatively thin body.

Nothing like a little Christmas in May. Sugars, some cinnamon, fruity, spices in the aroma. Sugars not as potent in the flavor, peppermint coming through. Probably would be even better if I’d enjoyed it in the winter.

2008 bottle. Pours a cloudy brown with a small light tan head. Aroma is quite spicy--allspice, pepper, clove, ginger, gingerbread, Flavor is less potent in terms of spices with a light malty, allspice finish. Not as frightening as I thought it was going to be (considering the age!), actually somewhat decent. 7/4/7/4/14 (3.6/5)

Bottle, 2008. Aroma smells like christmas and all the spices, brown sugar, and basic caramel malt. Flavor is a bit more malty and less spicy, but about the same. Again, definitely Christmas-y, good for what it is, just doesn’t get me going beer-wise...

Definitely spicy. The nose is ginger, cinammon, brown sugar. The appearance is very nice, a red/chestnut brown color, stong cream colored head. The flavor is ginger, nutmeg, cinammon, brown sugar, matls, caramel. Sort of a chestnut flavor as it warms. Certainly enjoyable. Nice thick, creamy mouthfeel. The finish has a bite from the spices added, and maybe a slight hop presence. Nice flavor left on the palate though. Decent overall. This is vaguely like the Stone/mikkeler/JP Holiday ale in many respects. Just not quite nearly as good.

Nice cherry nose. Dark reddish color with a nice white head. Nice level of sweetness with good balance of flavors for a beer of this type.