Christmas Ale 2013 | Abita Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Abita Brewing Co.
Louisiana, United States
abita.com
Style: American Brown Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by EgadBananas on 10-25-2013
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 158 | Reviews: 27
Reviews by mattsdenney:
More User Reviews:
3.92/5 rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance: 1/3 inch head, clear, dark brownish-orange in color, moderate carbonation
Smell: piney hops, toffee, and chocolate
Taste: milk chocolate, cocoa, pine, and slight toffee
Mouthfeel: sweetish start with a bitter end, light bodied with moderate carbonation
Overall: A nice cocoa and toffee beer that is complemented nicely by the addition of hops. More complex than most Abita Christmas offerings and probably the best one of this series that I have had. I can drink a six of this.
493 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance: 1/3 inch head, clear, dark brownish-orange in color, moderate carbonation
Smell: piney hops, toffee, and chocolate
Taste: milk chocolate, cocoa, pine, and slight toffee
Mouthfeel: sweetish start with a bitter end, light bodied with moderate carbonation
Overall: A nice cocoa and toffee beer that is complemented nicely by the addition of hops. More complex than most Abita Christmas offerings and probably the best one of this series that I have had. I can drink a six of this.
493 characters
3.08/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Thank you shan8454 for this one in trade!
Appearance: Brown with an off white thin head. No lacing on the glass.
Smell: Malts and nutty.
Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of malts and nuts, some hops as well.
Overall: Nothing special, typical brown ale, but it was good.
325 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Thank you shan8454 for this one in trade!
Appearance: Brown with an off white thin head. No lacing on the glass.
Smell: Malts and nutty.
Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of malts and nuts, some hops as well.
Overall: Nothing special, typical brown ale, but it was good.
325 characters
3.77/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appears deep murky amber brown hue in the body with a light khaki tan head forming tight bubbled head dwindles into some speckled sparse lacing. Aroma has a pleasant hop profile, spicy garlic/onion hints I'm thinking Summit hops right away, it also has a rolling breadiness in the malt department but the hops really jump out of the glass. It's got the same flavor with the spicy hop flavor a bit subdued but definitely offers up vegetal notes of garlic/onion tones with a simple biscuit bready malt profile makes for a nice hoppy session Christmas ale. It transitions with some cocoa notes and pine needles to make for an interesting earthy bready chocolate Xmas ale in my glass. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied ample even flowing carbonation nothing to complain about. Overall I'm glad I tried it unique hoppy Christmas ale is welcome in an ever growing market of honey spiced infused amber high alcohol beers this is a bit against the grain in a good way.
962 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appears deep murky amber brown hue in the body with a light khaki tan head forming tight bubbled head dwindles into some speckled sparse lacing. Aroma has a pleasant hop profile, spicy garlic/onion hints I'm thinking Summit hops right away, it also has a rolling breadiness in the malt department but the hops really jump out of the glass. It's got the same flavor with the spicy hop flavor a bit subdued but definitely offers up vegetal notes of garlic/onion tones with a simple biscuit bready malt profile makes for a nice hoppy session Christmas ale. It transitions with some cocoa notes and pine needles to make for an interesting earthy bready chocolate Xmas ale in my glass. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied ample even flowing carbonation nothing to complain about. Overall I'm glad I tried it unique hoppy Christmas ale is welcome in an ever growing market of honey spiced infused amber high alcohol beers this is a bit against the grain in a good way.
962 characters
3.5/5 rDev +8.7%
12 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass
Appearance: Pours a pretty, cloudy, dark, mahogany color with a quarter of a finger of white head that quickly dissolved into a thin lacing of foam that completely covered the top of the beer.
Aroma: Toasty, roasty, malty and bready. Notes of freshly baked dark bread, black pepper, clover and hops. Some notes of caramel and toffee too. Very nice.
Taste: Hoppier than the aroma lets on, considering how malt forward the aromas are. Very floral hops up front, flowed by some black pepper, caramel-like sweetness and some toasted malt, but the predominate flavor is hops, which isn’t my cup of tea. Or glass of beer.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with some pretty good carbonation. With an ABV of 5.5%, there is no alcohol on the palate.
Overall: This is a pretty good beer, but maybe a touch too hoppy for my taste. Hop heads should like this though. Regardless, I look forward to the 2014 batch, as according to Abita, each year’s batch of Christmas Ale is different as the recipe changes. Maybe next year’s brew will be more to my liking.
1,098 characters
12 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass
Appearance: Pours a pretty, cloudy, dark, mahogany color with a quarter of a finger of white head that quickly dissolved into a thin lacing of foam that completely covered the top of the beer.
Aroma: Toasty, roasty, malty and bready. Notes of freshly baked dark bread, black pepper, clover and hops. Some notes of caramel and toffee too. Very nice.
Taste: Hoppier than the aroma lets on, considering how malt forward the aromas are. Very floral hops up front, flowed by some black pepper, caramel-like sweetness and some toasted malt, but the predominate flavor is hops, which isn’t my cup of tea. Or glass of beer.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with some pretty good carbonation. With an ABV of 5.5%, there is no alcohol on the palate.
Overall: This is a pretty good beer, but maybe a touch too hoppy for my taste. Hop heads should like this though. Regardless, I look forward to the 2014 batch, as according to Abita, each year’s batch of Christmas Ale is different as the recipe changes. Maybe next year’s brew will be more to my liking.
1,098 characters
Christmas Ale 2013 from Abita Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.22 out of
5 with
158 ratings
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