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Description:
Winter Coat Season – A strong ale brewed with generous amounts of rich malt, coupled with a taint of cinnamon and mace to keep you warm and toasted all winter long We Double Dog Dare You (Description provided by company)
Brewer:
Beer Style:
ABV:
8.60% ABV
Availability Frequency:
Winter
Containers Available:
bottle
draft
Locations Where Available:
Southeast
New York
Illinois
Ohio
Texas
Store/Serve Temperature:
45-54 degrees F
Comments
For the rest of us
I look forward to Sweetwater's Festive Ale every winter season. It pours a dark brown with a hint of ruby. A frothy head tops it off. It doesn’t have a big bouquet, just a bit of sweetness and spices. Flavors are much more intense than the aroma would have you believe: brown sugar, raisin, a little bit of hop in the finish (very little. There’s almost no bitterness here). Medium carbonation and a full body make this beer one you’d be happy to receive as a gift this holiday.
You Can't Refuse A Double-Dog Dare!
The Festive Ale pours a deep, dark brown - even held up to the light - it's dark through and through. A surprisingly small amount of head but it is nice and creamy, as you would expect. The smell of this beer just screams "holidays" - the primary scents are of cinnamon and mace (mace is similar to nutmeg, but a bit more subtle), with a little maltiness and sweetness as well. The beer drinks very easily - taste is nicely balanced with the dark maltiness upfront and the spices more towards the end, without the bitterness you may expect from the relatively high ABV. Finish is also very clean for such a complex beer. Feels very good in the mouth - slightly syrup like - with the relatively low carbonation. This is a good holiday beer, if you can find it.