Papa Noel's Moonlight Reserve
Alameda Brewhouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow this beer looks really interesting. Its a very deep red when held up to the light. Other wise it has a very dark mahogany tone to it.

The smell is amazing. Its an old ale but I am getting that funk like its going to be sour. I really do not get any of that booze from the aging in the barrel at all.

Now for the taste...oh my god...that sourness is not that profound but its there. What I do get is a very sweet tang instead of the boozy malty character...I warmed this up prior to drinking to get the full effect of the brew. To call this an old ale is a farce...this is more or less a aged brew that has completely changed over time. Well done. Amazing. I really cannot state what I taste. There is so much going on. If I was to claim a flavor, I would say a mild sour raisin with a citrusy tang from who knows but there is that sour funk smell that just stands out as a real impact on the flavor. Its there but its nothing like a "sour" beer.

Quite dry but not sticky dry. I would say that it is the average portion of this brew. For an aged beer I was hoping for something more dry.

Overall, this is an outstanding beer if you can get your hands on it. And for a limited beer that cost me 6.20 it was a steal. Well done Alemeda. I really like this beer. Try it out and wow I am amazed by what this ended up tasting like.

The Alameda entry into Portland's Holiday Ale Festival two years running ~ whiskey barrel-aged version of the seasonal Papa Noel's Old Ale. I'm enjoying a 22 oz. bottle at home, one of 150 released at the brewery just a few days ago (the 2010 version, aged one year). Poured to large snifter.

A: Everything you could ask for in hearty winter ale ~ dark pecan shell brown at first glance, a glowing amber resin in the light. A finger or so of creamy ivory layered atop, dense and only sudsy at the fringes. Lots of sheeting lace that breaks apart but holds firmly as a thousand pinpoints. Plenty of tiny carbonation bubbles, small vortex-like streams.

S: Hmmm, not so boozy nor sweet... more a spicy evergreen/pine scent. That wet woodsiness, has some interesting herbal notes, too - grasses and even a nostril-twitching tea. Mellowed a bit as it warmed (served after maybe 10 minutes out of the fridge), complexity built and strength never waned.

T: Like the aroma, I get a woodsy, vaguely musty spice right away - piney and ever-so-slightly tangy. The initial surprise melts away after a few sips, revealing more malty cocoa, a little orange/citrus zest and mincemeat spice. Something a bit minty in there, too? Tart raisin? The oak barrel-aging lends a vinous wood quality, but whatever alcohol flavor I get is less 'whiskey' and more 'pinot noir' - the flavor is definitely sharper, more earthy and dry.

M: Creamy feel, absolutely wonderful. The slightest prickliness from a nearly hidden carbonation, just a little alcoholic warming. Not too heavy or sticky; oddly the lack of thicker, longer-lasting finish is a negative for me - but only a small one.

O: I've always liked the 'standard' Papa Noels that Alameda crafts each winter, so I was excited to try it at the HAFs. Both the draught versions and this graciously-aged bottle version are pleasures to drink. Worth seeking out.

 

Poured from tap at Portland Holiday Ale Festival 2010:

What a fun and funky little holiday ale! This beer is brewed and aged with whiskey soaked French oak staves. This is a stronger, meatier version of the Papa Noel's Olde Ale. Shows lots of toffee, caramel, and raisin on the nose and palate with a subtle sourness and richness from the whiskey and oak. Much better on the palate than the nose.

Finishes nice and clean without too much hop kick. Overall a great winter warmer!