Sweetwater Festive Ale

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

Date: December 10, 1998
Mode: Draft
Source: Wild Wing Cafe, Marietta
Vintage: 1998
Appearance: dark brown
Aroma: slighty spicy malt aroma
Flavor: light spiced malt flavor

Date: December 04, 2003
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 1998
spice still in the foreground with the malt taking the backseat, everything is mellowed nicely

Date: December 11, 2003
Source: Wild Wing, Marietta
Vintage: 1998
thin and still spicy, low carbonation, very little wax left on the seal

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: ** /4

Date: November 14, 2000
Mode: Draft
Source: Taco Mac, Sandy Springs
Vintage: 2000
Appearance: dark
Aroma: slight raspberry aroma, whispy head
Flavor: spicy malt flavor, hjnt of spice based bitterness

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: ** /4

Date: November 22, 2001
Mode: Bottle
Source: Sherlocks, GA
Vintage: 2001
Appearance: dark ruby, thin tan head
Aroma: christmas spice aroma
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of spice character through a long finish

Date: December 11, 2003
Source: Wild Wing, Marietta
Vintage: 2001
thin body with very subdued spices to the point of a spicy/bitter finish

Date: May 05, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2001
Aroma: sweet piney and spruce aroma with a chocolate background
Flavor: lots of the chocolate flavor, still a very strong spice character after all these years

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Score: ** /4

Date: November 26, 2002
Mode: Bottle
Source: Bullock’s
Vintage: 2002
Appearance: dark ruby, frothy tan head that quickly subsides
Aroma: malt aroma with light spices and fresh hops
Flavor: malty flavor, hoppy, spicy, well balanced between the malt, spices, and hops, little to no bitterness
Overall: getting better each year

Date: December 11, 2003
Vintage: 2002
good body with a great balance between the malts and the subdued spices,

Date: November 02, 2006
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2002
still strong spice in the aroma but subdued in the flavor

Date: May 05, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2002
Aroma: dark caramel aroma with subdued spices
Flavor: lots of chocolate and caramel flavor, the spices are just a nice balance

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Score: ** /4

Date: November 10, 2003
Mode: Bottle
Source: Bullock’s
Vintage: 2003
Appearance: dark ruby, frothy tan head that quickly subsides
Aroma: dark malt aroma with lots of nutmeg and other spices
Flavor: rich malt flavor with an abundance of spices, no real hop character, this year is all about the malt and spices, should age well

Date: November 29, 2003
Mode: draft
Source: summits
Vintage: 2003
malt richness comes through on draft with the spices taking a backseat but ever present

Date: December 08, 2005
Vintage: 2003
Words: vertical
spice and malt in perfect balance, bitterness is all from the spices,

Date: November 02, 2006
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 2003
great balance between the light spice and rich chocolate malt,

Date: May 05, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2003
Aroma: light spice aroma with the dark caramel and chocolate malts
Body: thin body
Flavor: nice spices but the chocolate malt is nice

Date: December 16, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2003
Aroma: sweet dark caramel aroma is in good balance with the spices
Flavor: flavor has dried out completely leaving dry chocolate and caramel with lots of spices and nothing to balance it

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Score: *** /4

Date: November 26, 2004
Mode: Bottle
Source: Bullock’s
Vintage: 2004
Appearance: dark ruby, frothy tan head that quickly subsides
Aroma: sweet spicy malt aroma with lite touches of cinamon and allspice
Flavor: rich malt flavor balanced by a nice blend of spices where no one spice stands out, each year it gets better as the spices are tuned and turned down

Date: December 08, 2005
Vintage: 2004
Body: good creamy body
Flavor: good sweet chocolate flavor with a great spice character
Overall: perfect age for this vintage

Date: May 05, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2004
Aroma: sweet milk chocolate aroma with light spices
Flavor: lots of chocolate and rich dark caramel malt flavor, the spices are very subdued and takes a back seat, nice mild cinamon

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Score: *** /4

Date: November 02, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Harry’s
Vintage: 2005
Appearance: muddy dark brown, headless
Aroma: sweet spicy aroma with cinamon and nutmeg
Flavor: big rich spicy malt flavor, nice chocolate, ton of overwhelming spice character that gets a bit bitter with warmth, better with a chill, will be very nice with some age

Date: November 12, 2005
Mode: draft
Source: marietta pizza
Vintage: 2005
Score: ii to iii
Appearance: clear dark ruby red, thin tan head
Aroma: rich chocolate malt aroma with a touch of sweet carmel and a hint of spices
Flavor: big spiced malt flavor, good balance between some sweetness and the bittering effect of the spices, the sweet and spice interplay intensifies and improves as it warms

Date: May 05, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2005
Aroma: sweet spicy aroma with a bit of dark caramel
Body: thin body
Flavor: nice chocolate flavor balanced with the spices, a bit too much biterness from the spices

Date: December 03, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 2005
Aroma: still lots of the spice and spruce in the aroma
Overall: picking up a growing tartness that is out of place and takes over from the spices

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *** /4

Date: October 18, 2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: clear dark brown, whispy tan head
Aroma: spiced chocolate malt aroma with nice cinamon and ginger
Body: big body
Flavor: rich spicy malt flavor with strong nutmeg and other spices well balanced with the slightly sweet chocolate malt

Date: October 26, 2006
Mode: bottle
Vintage: 2006
the rich chocolate is the star of the show with the spices playing supporting roles, festive continues to improve every year

Date: November 24, 2006
Mode: draft
Source: taco mac
Vintage: 2006
solid lace, spices come on stronger in the draft version with the chocolate taking a back seat

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *** /4

Date: November 07, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta
Vintage: 2007
Appearance: black, fine beige head, speckles of lace
Aroma: slightly sweet rich chocolate aroma with an array of spices including allspice and nutmeg with a touch of cinamon
Flavor: rich chocolate malt flavor, lots of spicy character is in good balance with the rich malt, just a touch of sweetness brings out the chocolate and helps it balance the spices

Date: November 11, 2007
Mode: draft
Source: taco mac woodstock
Vintage: 2007
Score: 3.5 to 3.6
Aroma: spices a lot stronger in the aroma on draft but that could be the extra coldness
Flavor: light fruity tartness showing in the flavor, a bit more sweetness on draft makes the chocolate malt all the richer leaving the spices playing a supporting role

Date: October 31, 2008
Mode: draft
Source: taco mac crabapple
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: sweet cinamon and allspice still strong in the aroma but the dark malts are catching up
Flavor: sweet chocolate and dark caramel flavor still in the lead with the spices holding their own
Overall: still more agressive than the 2008 in a side by side comparision, mellowing nicely

Date: December 03, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 2007
Appearance: gusher
Aroma: light funk in the aroma
Flavor: sweet caramel flavor, still spicy with mostly just the cinnamon left, light funk

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *** /4

Date: October 31, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Taco Mac, Crabapple
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: clear dark ruby red, fine beige head, streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet dark caramel aroma is out front with the spices in the background, cinamon continues to be the dominant spice
Flavor: good balance from the start with the chocolate malt flavor matched by the blend of spices, no dominant spice in the flavor
Overall: more subdued than the 2007 in a side by side comparison, continues the trend of getting less agressive each year, a rich spiced chocolate porter

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *** /4

Date: November 16, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Summits - Woodstock
Vintage: 2009
Appearance: opaque dark brown, fine beige head, drippy sheets of lace
Aroma: sweet chocolate aroma, touch of roast, light spicyness
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, touch of caramel sweetness, light spicyness, light roasty bitterness follows the faint spicyness, a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg shows upon warming
Overall: dumbed down this year to the point that the spices are almost a distant memory

Date: November 29, 2009
Mode: draft
Source: brick store
Vintage: 2009
spicyness coming through a bit stronger but still quite mild compared to the past,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ** /4

Extra cheers to Kimchee for sharing this one! Dark burgundy-brown colour. Smokey nose with brown sugar and a slight cherry note. Lightish body is perilous. Smoke, spices, molasses...but silky and balanced. A different breed, but I liked it a lot.

(draft) Clear mahogany with small off-white head. Aroma is very spiced (nutmeg/clove). Taste is the same, plus some earthy/floral/grapefruit bitterness in the finish. Medium body.

From the Bottle at Dr Bill’s Tasting Falling Rock Tap House, Denver 10/10/2008 񢉓 Vintage) Floral and rich malt aromas. Amber red coloured and strong in alcohol with a little dryness in a crisp bourbon finish.

1 liter, flip top bottle dipped in red wax (first time I’ve seen a waxed flip top bottle). Poured a dark brown color with an averaged sized white head. Aromas of spices, dark fruits, and caramel. Tastes of spices, caramel, and chocolate. Alcohol content hidden (never would have guessed it was over 8%).

(1 liter bottle, 2005 vintage, #578, courtesy of TChrome) Pours a dark brown body with a moderate beige head. Aroma of cocoa, alcohol, dark fruits, ginger, and pear. Flavor of malt, some dark fruits, and spices.

2003 Sampled on 11/4/03, (8,4,8,4,15): Pours a rich dark brown with a thick light tan head. Aroma is nicely spiced with ginger, chocolate, sea salt and orange peel. Pleasantly crisp and complex with plenty of malt to back it up. This is probably my favorite Sweetwater beer. This year's version seems a tad better than last year's and should improve with age. 2002 Sampled on 3/18/03,(7/4/8/4/15) 3.8 total: Deep murky brown with a creamy head. Aroma is sweet and smokey with some spice. Interesting complex body with hints of ginger, nutmeg, and lots of malt. Good hop balance. Body is slightly over-carbonated, but still smooth. This is a very unique beer with a faint, yet warm chocolatey finish.

Bottle... This beer rocks!...The aroma is heavily malty and spicy. Notes of maple syrup, dark fruit, milk chocolate, alcohol, nutmeg and cinnamon. A great, sparkling clear mahogany beer. Creamy off-white head with decent lacing. Mostly diminishing. Malty and sticky sweet with burst of nutmeg, alcohol and cinnamon up front. Well-balanced on the backside with light bitterness, milk chocolate and more spice. Medium-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Lively carbonation. Lengthy, lightly bitter-sweet, spicy finish. World class winter warmer!