Young's Christmas Pudding Ale
Eagle Brewery

Young's Christmas Pudding AleYoung's Christmas Pudding Ale
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From:
Eagle Brewery
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Brown Ale
ABV:
4.3%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 11.98%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
12
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 26, 2014
Added:
Jan 04, 2003
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by lacqueredmouse:
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

4.48/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Lightly cloudy, opalescent red-brown, with a chunky thick head of yellow bubbles. Lacing is crafted by the gods, so amazing. Looks very, very tasty indeed.

Notes of kirsch and plasticene on the nose. Fruit, acidity and brandy, with light herbal notes. Wonderful.

Oh, what a sweet, smooth, and delectable palate. Redolent of creamy desserts, just like Christmas pudding with vanilla custard. Creamy and sweet, you can taste the ice-cream melting over the warmed, soaked pudding. Mouthfeel is wonderful, slick and creamy. There's a light, crisp herbal character over the top, which just serves to accentuate the creaminess underneath.

Young's just keeps rising in my opinion. This is a truly wonderful special occasion beer, creamy, delicious and unique. Just wonderful.
Apr 13, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by Griffith from Connecticut

Feb 26, 2014
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

2.98/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This 5.5% brown bottled beer is a Winter Warmer, not an English Brown Ale! Best before 30th Sep 2009, it was reviewed and drank on 2nd Oct, two days late.

Poured into a vase shaped pint glass (Old Speckled Hen badged). Slightly chilled, as asked for on the label.

A good foaming off-cream coloured head sat on top of a dark amber, light brown body. The beer was clear, no hint of a cloudiness or haze. The head sadly fell away to a thin covering very quickly.

The smell was low key for a Christmas Pudding, even when it warmed the beer gave off very little, some plums and raisins just about came into play.

Pleasant more than exciting taste, again not much Christmas Pudding to be found, the 5.5% alcohol doesn't come through with any great authority either. A weak spicey feel as the beer warmed, cloves and cinnamon perhaps?

Not what I was expecting, but overal, not bad at all.
Oct 01, 2009
Photo of laituegonflable
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia

4.57/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours a pleasant red-tinged amber colour with very slow bead feeding a nice but drowning beige head. Very yummy lacing, makes a waterfall effect down the sides when tilted. Nice.

What an interesting, fascinating aroma. It's very sweet with a kind of cinnamon-caramel smell and hints of vanilla. Has a kind of rubber character on there too, but it's not unwelcome, mainly because it's not too dominant. Fascinating nose - very sweet, very pleasant. Loses half a mark only because it smells nothing like beer should.

Oh my god. I can't believe that tastes the same as it smells. In fact I can't believe how that tastes, it's incredible. A strong pavlova character with a slight cinnamon flavour without the spice factor. Vanilla, caramel, lightly toasted crême brulée, it's all there, begging me to dance with it, saying 'come to me, take me here, bend me over backwards and fondle me'. This is a multiple orgasm of a beer. It has the highs and lows of a Stravinsky concerto and the smooth, velvety texture of rubbing your hand along the hide of a cow after a very heavy rainstorm. In a word, exquisite. A slight, very slight hint of herbal hops at the very end of the palate reminds you that this ambrosia is beer. This is drinkable as anything and just so fascinating and unique. A top quality drop.
Apr 15, 2009
Photo of thepeter
Reviewed by thepeter from England

3.67/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A - Pours a nice dark reddish brown with a thick creamy head that turns to a thin layer by the second sip.

S - Raisins, dates, Bit of Rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and those Toffee glazed mixed nuts that you can't stop eating and try to rationalize that it is okay to finish them because it is small tin and there are only a couple handfuls left until you find yourself pouring the crumbs that remain into your mouth and then you remember that this is a beer review and you should stop writing about putting nuts in your mouth.

T - Much Hoppier than I would have guessed. Still a bit of the Rum Raisin spicy flavor, but heavier on the Nutmeg, roasted nuts, baked bread, Hops and a bit of metal. The aftertaste gives a slight alcohol warmth and a nuttiness that comes from the brown outer coating to the nut that I eat but know some discard.

M & D - Smooth, well carbonated, I could drink another but won't go out of my way. It is making me burp quite a bit and am not sure if this is due to carbonation or it being my first of the day or maybe I'm just gassy to begin with.

Definitely worth a try!
Nov 21, 2008
Photo of wl0307
Reviewed by wl0307 from England

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is the first Bedford-brewed Young's X'mas Pudding Ale for me. It came in a decently-presented tube-box along with its own brand-etched, straight pint glass, purchased at the Tesco's supermarket at just 1.50quid~~ X'mas Sale it was. 5.5%abv., BB 31/08/2008, served slightly chilled, just as what’s instructed on the beer label.

A: pours an elegant reddish brown hue, coming with a slowly retreating light beige froth and quite decent, mild carbonation.
S: lots of dried berry-fruits, coconut shaving, hints of Chinese melon-cake and pineapple-cake, creamy nougat & toffee-ish malts... all mixed together; a swirl gives rise to a light but surprising kick of dark rum and the initially submerged, orangey hoppiness. Overall, the sweet edge is a bit overpowering for my preference, but at least the mixture is not like a REAL X’mas pudding, that it’s softer and not as alcoholic...
T: I can’t exactly describe the first swallow, for it’s unique – it’s like coconut-chocolate-date cake followed by small bits of nuts and melted caramel, leading on to a real X’mas-pudding-like aftertaste WITHOUT the cloying sweetness, while mild earthy hop bitterness and nuts develop at the back... The finish is quietly warming, not at all sweet, with a healthy input of tartness.
M&D: the carbonation is not too high, just moderate, and the balance b/w malts and fruits retains throughout the drink. After several sips, when my nose doesn’t react too strongly to the sweet note, I find it a rather enjoyable malty brew (quite like a Brown Ale, yeah). Not a X'mas Pudding lover myself, this ale should go very well with dried fruits and nuts, IMO.
Dec 31, 2007
Photo of foles
Reviewed by foles from Australia

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tried this interesting piece of work at the Youngs Dog & Bull pub, Croydon, served in a Youngs ale glass.

It poured a dark ruby colour with a little head that fell to a faint whisp rather quickly. The taste started of a little confusing - rather like a dark fruity / raisin christmas pudding actually, with elements of alcohol (its 5.5%), and slight bittersweetness. As I got half way and it perhaps warmed up a bit, an increasing coconut taste came through. This was quite a nice transformation. Have to be the right mood to drink this one as it is obviously a bit sweet!
Dec 18, 2007
Photo of Daredevil
Reviewed by Daredevil from Switzerland

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
this seems to be the "real X-mas Ale" of Young's ... the taste is buttery with predominant raisins, actually a liquid Christmas Pudding is probably the best description ... not something for everyday but a nice brew, to be served with some blue cheese (Stilton) or a créme brûlée ....
Jan 30, 2006
Photo of mdagnew
Reviewed by mdagnew from Northern Ireland

4.32/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500ml bottle bought from Sainsbury's...

Poured a dark amber / brown colour... Creamy tan head pours big and foamy. Fades to nice thin layer...

Aroma - Strong toffee and nutmeg, some nuttiness, dark fruit (raisins), syrupy, nice maltiness...

Taste – Sweet maltiness, toffee, nutty, raisins, slight metallic notes initially, nice bitterness afterwards...

Feel - Quite smooth with a little sharpness. Medium carbonation...

Overall - An excellent ale... highly recommended....
Dec 06, 2005
Photo of GreenCard
Reviewed by GreenCard from Maryland

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Best before 19.05.05...

Appearance: dark reddish-brown, great clarity, medium cap of tan foam that flattens to a creamy layer, lace fragments

Aroma: malt, raisins, almonds, hint of dried cherries, coconut?!, vanilla, alcohol, yeast

Flavor: initially a bready sweetness, then a big bloom of nutmeg and coconut, leather, almond extract, hazelnuts, sharp rummy bitterness, finishes quite dry with a lingering macaroon aftertaste and a residual bitterness

Mouthfeel: full body, pert carbonation, slight warming sensation

Other comments: I'm not quite sure what to make of this one. The coconut aroma and flavor threw me a bit, but I guess that fits its name. However, I can't get over the feeling that this is just a "normal" beer spiked with a few extracts.
Dec 05, 2004
Photo of cypressbob
Reviewed by cypressbob from Northern Ireland

4.14/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
500ml brown bottle, usual youngs shape, embossed

Pours with a dark amber body, almost brown with hints of ruby, slight fomay head, pretty poor retention, some lacing

Smell, whoa, spice overload....lots of clove, very bready, christmas pudding coming off, custard, raisins

Taste, immediate bready spicyness, smooth and buttery mouthfeel, warming alcohol, some hints of brandy and mulled wine

A really great christmas warmer, spicy and the perfect beer for a cold winter night or combined with any christmas dessert
Dec 03, 2004
Photo of Mark
Reviewed by Mark from California

4.07/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
This is dessert in a bottle! Tasted like an Almond Fruit Cake. I bought this limited offering at the Young's Brewery Tap. It came in a canister accompanied by a Young's logo pint glass!
Deep amber and very clear body was topped by a thinning head leaving surprisingly little or no lace. Aroma of fruit and pastry wafted out of the glass. Mouthfeel was rich, full, and decadent. An ale to be sipped slowly on a cold dark winter night.
Jan 04, 2003
Young's Christmas Pudding Ale from Eagle Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 12 ratings