Skip to main content

Advent Calendar Windows Twelve and Thirteen

Tonight's blog covers Windows 12 and 13 as I was once again too engaged to have my Advent beers last night.
Window 12 has the heading "Christmas Cracker" and involves two beers with that name, of the same strength, from two breweries I've no experience of prior; Wood Brewery and Teignworthy Brewery. I imagined before tonight that they were two who were simply marketing savvy and released a festive ale knowing that people like myself would snap them up, regardless who made them. Nevertheless, I'm ready to be impressed.
First is Wood Brewerys' Christmas Cracker 6%. There is a sweet, sticky, syrupy scent to it. The taste represents this, with plenty of maple syrup, bonfire lollies, black jack sweets and liquorice. How many times am I going to use the word pleasant this month? Let me check my thesaurus; it’s agreeable. A little thin, a little loosely carbonated, and probably needs a slight hop kick to control those darker hits. But pleasant, I mean…agreeable. Unfortunately by the end it’s taking on a cough medicine quality as there’s nothing to relieve you from treacle after treacle hit. More bonfire night than Christmas Eve, but enjoy it.
Next was Teignworthy Brewery's Christmas Cracker 6%. Well this isn’t doing a right lot. It’s flat and thin. Flat and thin. It has that appetising aroma of freshly applied white spirit to new paint. Maybe a kinder phrase would be to say that it has a strong brandy like quality that its strength probably suggests. The fact is the taste doesn’t have nearly the same impact. Even turps would have been a better surprise. It’s simply too thin and too loosely carbonated. Hang on *scrolls up* yes, just like I described the Wood’s. But much worse for it. There’s a bit of a decent hop flavour wrapped around a shortbread malt centre and a slight alcohol burn to finish. But overall, I’ve not enjoyed this.
Enjoy with: this year's X Factor winner James Arthur, because X Factor is about good marketing when Christmas number one truly matters and they wouldn't be as interesting any other time of the year.
Window 13 was a beer I was greatly looking forward to, the Gouden Carolus Christmas 10.5%. Despite being something of an institution, this is my first experience into it. Yes, I remember how good their Classic was, though it has been a few years, and have a couple of Cuvee Van de Keizer's stored away for ageing, but this is my first Christmas meet.
Wow. I mean straightaway this is a beer. It’s so thick, dark and has a prominent head that doesn’t fade into bubbles whilst watching them. It’s an incredible floral, candy like nose with… it’s parma violets. This smells exactly like parma violets. No further explanations needed. The taste is a much more complex affair. I’m getting the parma violets type taste and TIZER, the word I was looking for is TIZER. You remember Tizer? Refresh your ‘ead and all that? Tizer! But not in a derogatory way. Tizer, parma violets, yes this beer’s initial flavours wouldn’t go amidst at a 7-year-old’s birthday party, but they soon make way for more sullen characteristics. Plums, sherry, dried fruit, sherry, brandy soaked mincemeat, sherry, port wine, sherry and a final taste of Santa’s favourite sherry. This is Santa’s dream. Forget the candy canes, the mince pies and the sherry; why not have everything rolled into a single glass. Simply outstanding. This. Is. Christmas.
Enjoy with: The Nightmare Before Christmas, the best thing about this time of year.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE STATE OF CASK part 2: The Cask Consumers

In what has become one of the most written about subjects amongst beer communicators for a long while I am going to follow on with my own thoughts about cask beer. Yet these ideas are formulated from potential posts I've been writing the odd paragraph about for around 18 months but never managed to construct into something relevant.  I have much to say on the subject; so much so that rather than making this into one enormous read I've split it into three sections regarding the current trends and effects on cask beer as I see it.  Today I look at the problem with consumer's and the immunity of one Timothy Taylor's Landlord. Part 1 can be read here . On the first Saturday morning of June 2016 I travelled to Stockport Beer Festival with my Aunt Marie and Uncle David; famously more traditional beer drinkers. They enjoy a day out in Stockport as, coming from Dewsbury way, they don’t actually see much beer from my side of the Pennines, incl...
16 comments
Read more

National Winter Ales Festival 2013 - A Reasonable Farewell

Perhaps if this had been three years ago I would really have lamented the loss of the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester . Not only has it long been held in my home city, but it was also my first ever beer festival, signifying a special place in my heart. That first visit was in 2006 and the event was then held in a co–operative building near Victoria station. At the time, my young ale loving mind was rather gobsmacked by the wondrous multi roomed, multi floored experience as barrels and casks of the good stuff stood waiting for me to try at no more than 90p for a generous half pint. Breweries and beer styles I had never heard of were present. It was also where I had my first taste of rauchbier, an encounter I have never regretted. I paid £3 to enter that day as a non CAMRA member. The organisations members that did travel with me on the occasion entered the festival for free (so they say, I’m inclined to believe they paid at least £1.) “They’re not a money making ...
20 comments
Read more

Beer is Available in Supermarkets

Thanks to @Adam_G_Manning for the photo and everyone else who offered to help on Twitter   This beer blog has become a near eternal snake of content but at least I’m distinctly aware of it. First comes the repeated speeches every time a brewery sells up to a large multinational. Then comes the turn of brouhaha because a supermarket has changed its range of beers. It must be that time of year and I still feel as impassioned to comment.  It was, once again, the major retailer T esco who increased their range two and a half weeks ago - this time with additions including North Brew Co and Magic Rock - for the second time in 6 months. I felt the need to make comment about the bewildering excitement then, just as I did in 2016 with the arrival of Dale's Pale and Pinner . This time there has been further furore, both from people that see the positives and negatives, aided by successful marketing tactics that has led to an awful lot of commentary.  Late to...
1 comment
Read more