The Bruery Ten Lords A-Leaping Wheat Ale at 10.5% ABV (C$14.85 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 4-Jan-2018)
Appearance: clear deep brown with one fat finger of pillowy beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: orange peel, coriander, nutmeg, liquorice, ginger, toasted wheat, banana, dark fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry warming finish. (3/5)
Well, I guess that officially marks the end of Xmas for me. I usually like to keep things going (i.e. stay off work!) until Old Christmas Day (January 6 – and that story dates from 1752, if you’re interested) but for a bunch of reasons had to return to work early this year. Oh well, at least it’s a damn sight better than last year’s “12 Days” release, which was by far the worst Bruery beer I’ve ever had (and one of the worst 20 I’ve ever had, actually). It’s better than the previous year’s too, while we’re on the subject. The label claims 10 different spices, and yeah, there’s a lot of complexity in there, but it more or less boils down to “standard xmas spices”, and there’s dark fruit and banana behind that. Reminds me of a Dunkel, but it tastes and ends just a little thin. (This, mind you, despite the double digit plus ABV – which, I guess, is one for the plus column.) Ultimately I could’ve gone a bit higher or lower based on personal preferences, and it’s definitely a little busy, but a solid enough brew overall. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
