Howe Sound Brewing _ Christmas / Winter Specialty Spiced Beer at 5.5% ABV | 18 IBU (C$11.35 at NLC Stavanger, 1 l, no bottle date or best before, acquired 31-Oct-2016, reviewed 17-Nov-2016)
Appearance: clear medium amber with a thin beige head that retains poorly, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: cinnamon, nutmeg, toffee, cloves, molasses, brown sugar, dark fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter, mild astringent. (6/10) Medium body tending thin, lively to moderate carbonation, nutty and astringent finish ending watery. (3/5)
The spice blend for this might be intended to be “Christmas” or “winter” but is in fact reminiscent of any number of typical pumpkin ales – which, I guess, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not a particularly interesting thing. It definitely tastes as sweet as it smells, with relatively little bitterness in the middle. The body tends thinnish, though, so the astringency in the finish tends to be a bit sharp. I think I’d like this more with a bit more body and a bit less spice. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
