Additional notes 06/24/14

Golden hazed body with an initial high head that drops off to give zero lace and not much retention.

12 oz single from the mixed pack.

Unusually for me the specific cinnamon and nutmeg notes are quite perceptible in the nose. Quite strong.

Tastes are a little more muddy for me, with those spice elements still in place, but in any manner that has them more muddled and less discernible.

Slightly slick, not as clean as it might be, the wit element is largely lost for me amongst what I would call the ‘ flavorings’.

I generally prefer a dark malt to give me the festive spirit, so there is something about this beer that feels ‘off the mark’ when it come a to dealing with a Christmass beer, sure the spices are there, but I want more body and a bigger lunch than 5.8 can deliver in this case.

I suppose there may be some food pairing motivation from the brewer, but that would have to be a question for them.

Original notes 02/02/13

2 bottles in the mixed winter 12 pack. ‘Limited release’.

I only buy this for the Old Fezziwig, but have no aversion to trying something new. This year it’s White Christmas.

A pretty standard mid orange pour with some decent haze.

Head is OK, but frankly a little disappointing in terms of the retention and lace.

Nose is a bit of a muddy citrus and not much else.

Tastes are based in some citrus, but to be honest have a really significant spicy element. It says cinnamon, nutmeg and orange, but for me the cinammon is dominant and it begings to feel a touch like Big Red chewing gum – not good.

It has all the characteristics that one would expect in a beer of this type, but it’s just not all that balanced. Too aggressive in terms of spice for me. I need more orange and less of a burn. A shame.