Sweetwater Festive Ale

Brewed by Sweetwater Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Tap at the Marriott bar in Alpharetta. Very reminiscent of Anchor’s OSA. Many of the winter spices that you’d expect in a Christmas brew. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and a little fruitcake. A little light in the mouth, but there is an earthiness which gives it a bit of balance with the other spices. Can’t tell that this is over 8%. Nice, but I’d like a few more spices to set it over the top.

Bottle, 2006, Nose of cinnamon and caramel; slightly hazy brown with a small beige head; flavor is spicy and fruity with herbal notes.

(2006 bottle shared with irishboy.)light brown with red highlights.foamy light brown head that left some lacing.aroma is roasted malts,earth,and pie crust.flavor is much of the same with a bit of "root beer" type finish.

2006 release served in a tumbler. Pours a deep mahogany into the glass. 1-finger thick light brown head with a nose of dark malts and dried fruits. Flavors of roasted malts, subtle dark fruits and some subdued spices. Alcohol is concealed very well. Not a bad winter ale. Not great, but not bad.

Thanks to unclemattie for the bottle. Pours mahogany/brown with a medium head. A little lacing A very odd aroma. Is that mace like I see in the commercial description? I really don’t know. What is mace? Too say the least, it tastes different. It’s sweet malts and that unknown spice. A little cinnamon. Not much hops. My credo is ’variety’. In other words, different, and this beer fits the bill.

Pours a dark browjn with hints of ruby, medium off-white head that lasts well into the glass, and good lacing. Aroma is somewhat weak, but what it there is a pleasant mix of malty sweet, dark fruit, some choclate and spices. Flavor is good and somewhat spicy, but fades too quickly because body is too thin and watery. The main drawback to this beer is the stale, bitter finish that leaves a licorice aftertaste. Not a terrible Holiday Brew, but there are better.

2006 Release, Sampled November 2006
As I pour this the stream of beer shows a brilliantly clear, chocolate brown color. It sits in my glass an opaque, dark brown, almost black color and is topped by a frothy, fairly large bubbled, initially a finger and a half thick, creamed amber colored head. The aroma is quite fruity with a sweetness that rides throughout. The fruit notes remind me of cherries, raisins, berries, and something like burnt figs. In fact the more I dig into the aroma the more I get notes reminiscent of burnt, concentrated fruit; not only burnt figs, but burnt raisins and burnt prune notes as well. There is a definite dark malt note here as well, something I associate with concentrated malty Imperial Stouts, something that is not quite chocolate.

The taste is not quite as sweet as the aroma would suggest, but it is definitely quite fruity tasting. Notes of prunes and figs are quite prominent here, and this definitely has the savory quality that these two dried fruits exhibit. The finish shows a touch of burnt grain with both a touch of acidity and a light coffee like roast character. There is an interesting spiciness here in the finish as well, it reminds me of a very soft, quite smooth nutmeg note; I also get spicy notes of ginger, a hint of cardamom, and maybe even some cinnamon. There are quite a few prominent flavors here that I can’t quite put into words; there is almost a smoky quality here, definitely something savory, perhaps something like chocolate, and of course some other things I can’t quite put into words.

This beer has a lightness to it that belies the fullness of the body. It has a medium heft to it, and just starts to stick to the palate, yet it is quite quaffable still; it might even be too quaffable as a touch more meatiness might be just what this needs. This is an interesting beer, it definitely fits the bill as a Winter seasonal.

12oz bottle via trade with CaptainCougar. 2006. Aroma: Lots of malt with some raisiny and caramel notes. Spices aren’t ’in your face’, but are quite pleasant. The mace comes through stronger than the cinnamon. Appearance: Pours a dark, rich looking brown color. Head was light beige, full and foamy with nice retention. Fair lacing. Flavor: Rich and sweet maltiness with caramel, dark fruits, and a light coffee note. Spices don’t come through that strong. Just a light tingle right before the finish. A bit of earthiness into the finish, as well. Palate: Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Light alcohol warming in back of mouth. Overall: A nice beer for a cold night.