Skip to main content

Advent Calendar Window 7 - Mary Christmas

Oh Ilkley Brewery, why would you even describe a beer to me as Christmas in a glass? On purchasing Mary Christmas 4.7% I am hit with that odd mixture of emotions; dread and excitement. The two contrasting feelings are based on the same pre-judgements about this beer. It says it is a blonde Christmas beer. It says it has a good dose of American, German and Australian hops. It says it is shoved full of spice. It says it is "Christmas in a  glass." All reasons to be cheerful. All reasons to be set for failure.
 
I have mixed feelings about Ilkley brewery. Drinking in Yorkshire frequently and seeing their beers cross the Pennines means I spot them regularly. There have been some in their core range, particularly the renowned Mary Jane or Joshua Jane, that have been decent but not lived up to excessive hype. Yet other beers, such as the Lotus IPA or The Mayan, show me what a great brewery this is. Whether they are just well marketed remains to be seen. Whether this beer disappoints...
 
"And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far
To seek for a king was their intent
And follow the star wherever it went"

Pouring a very thin and clear light golden shade, the nose here is an interesting mix of confused caramel, fighting nutmeg and lost banana. The taste is... it is Summer and Winter clashing. Let's phrase this another way:
 
Recently I had Emelisse's Smoked Rye IPA for the very first time. I am, as I say repeatedly,  a huge fan of smoked beer. I also love Emelisse's IPAs. And so surely this marriage was made by the angels. Not quite. It was a clash of titans; a battle of great respected forces that didn't find a peace treaty or agreeable ground to join in harmony. Everything worked, but on separate levels, like pouring a delicious Makhani sauce over your roast chicken dinner. Great entities, not a deity.
 
Mary Christmas resembles these analogies. It is good beer and good ideas clashing slightly. I like the pretence of making a spicy Winter affair out of tangy, hoppy paleness. All the ingredients are there for a sublime finish, but the result isn't so palatable. This is fresh with orange peel, grapefruit and sunflower oil hashed together against cloves, fried ginger and maple syrup. It's so close to working in my Christmas beer ideal, but I'm not sure it does.
 
Mary Christmas is definitely an intriguing and commendable different approach to Christmas drinking, whilst retaining the festive characteristics. I'd like to see it again, but it is certainly one to divide opinions.
 
Purchased at Beer Ritz (by mail) September 2013

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Pubs of Stalybridge Part One: The Stalybridge Seven.

And a touch more ...  Rififi Nightclub - once the town's cinema - has stood empty and unused for four and a half years This is the continuation of my posts of regular pub crawls to try and get myself in more pubs and discover more. Whilst I grew up in an old hamlet that most were quick to distance themselves from, my address clearly stated that we belonged to Stalybridge. However distant the town centre felt I was a Stalybridger, a Stalybridgian, a Stalyian: you know I don’t think I’ve ever heard us given a name before. I’m going with Stalyian. After a few moves around the country and through various relationships, I didn’t expect to find myself still local to the town in 2017. Whilst my address hasn’t stated Stalybridge for 3 years, I still spend plenty of time in the town – not least as it houses my “local.” To many in the north-west, it is famous for its nickname of Staly Vegas , that came about (as far as I’m aware) through its late Nighties-through-to-N...

WHEN CELEBRITIES DIE - THE INFINITY OF PUBS

    Recently I was stood outside Huddersfield Railway Station waiting for my Replacement Bus Service. I was eating much needed food from a nearby fast food outlet and contemplating my next move. Other match-goers had gone home but I had over 50 minutes to wait for my bus. We’d already been to a few of our post-match regular spots and so I was contemplating somewhere new or different to pass the time now.   I stood in St George’s Square, behind the statue of Harold Wilson, and pondered where I should waste my next hour. And pondered and pondered. After deliberation that ate into much of my allotted time, I walked down to the familiar setting of The Sportsman, realising that there wasn’t anywhere different to go at all.   But whilst I deliberated, I cast my eye over the currently scaffold-covered George hotel opposite the station; a place I had been in once with my Dad. It’s downstairs public bar had stood as a firm and available option to match-goers fo...

Ten Reasons Why I Hate Brewdog

There was a time when I thought beer was subjective, when I believed it was there to be interpreted and commented on from a personal perspective. I used to form my own opinions about beer, pubs and breweries and sometimes I’d even write them in this little blog. Brewdog were no exception; I was happy to praise them when they did right and criticise when I felt they were wrong. Of course I now have seen that I was wrong to do this. You see, it’s not about opinions or personal preferences; it’s about following the crowd, doing what’s cool and avoiding controversy. At present it’s not cool to like Brewdog. Despite the fact that I still really enjoy their beers and bars, people keep telling me why I should hate them. You probably already do, as you are well “in” on what’s hot and what’s not. I wasn’t aware of this, the e-mail never landed in my inbox, but not wanting to fall out of the loop I’ve presented a list of reasons why we should all hate Brewdog so I can fit in with this g...