Stoudts Holiday Reserve

From a keg at Zeno’s, it was simply called Stoudt’s Reserve Lager, and I think it’s the 2001 or 2002 vintage of this beer (or these beers). Color was glowing and clear honey amber, nose was lightly spicy and plenty hoppy, fruity pineapple and lemon scented hops with honey and light cedar wood. Flavor was similar, honey, melon and pineapple hop flavors, lightly prickly on the tongue, light anise (or something similar) noticed. Good stuff. Like a spiced IPA.

On tap (3/20/04). Poured a medium amber in color. Malty and light spicey aromas and tastes. Dry finish. Nothing special about this one.

I purchased this 750 bottle at the brewery in November 2003, but the vintage date is not printed on the label. Pure, clear copper/ruby; no head except for a small, undiminishing halo of foam. Malty aroma with undertones of baked fruit, cocoa, and blue caracoa!?! Flavors are toasty and tart, pearish, pumpernickel and pecan. I also detect notes of balsamic vinegar and rosemary. Aftertaste of weak mocha java and hay. The smooth mouthfeel is marred by a thinnish or cidery quality.

11/23/03: bottle/2002 Edition
red-brown body. sweet/sour malt nose. sweet malt flavors with other evidence of fruit and spice. slight hop presence which is more noticeable towards the finish.

Winter 2002-2003. Putting the words "Winter or Holiday" in a beer's title implies that you cannot have any preconcieved ideas about what you'll find inside. The spicy notes hinted at in the aroma fail to make it to the front as a flavor, leaving it as just a good ale. Needs a little more complexity but otherwise is a good smooth malty brew with a dry finish.

Deep amber concoction smelling little except watery fruits minimal frothed. Slightly spicy and extremely dry on the finish, very flat and mostly unspiring. I just wish these came in smaller bottles no way I want 765ml of this, decent ale at best, nothing worthy of a second attempt.

Bottle. A small sized tan head that was creamy and contained fine-large sized bubbles that mostly diminished. The body was carbonated with a brownish hue. The nose was malty, caramel and some spice notes. The flavor of this beer was sweet and malty with a slight aftertaste that did not linger. The mouthfeel was smooth and this was a medium-full bodied beer with fair amounts of lacing on the sides of my glass.

This bottled brew poured a medium sized head of light brown colored fine to large sized mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a softly carbonated brown colored semi-transpatrent body and a good lace. The aroma was mild with malty notes and the mouthfeel was smooth with a tingly feeling to it. The flavor wa mild with onoy a little brown beer flavor and some spice to it. All-inall a decent enough of a brew not bad not great.