Abita Christmas Ale (5/10)

Abita Brewing Company of Abita Springs, Louisiana, makes this Christmas Ale.  It’s a dark ale brewed for the holidays.  The recipe reportedly changes annually.  The beer is available November through December.

It pours a dark brown color, about like a slightly watered down cola.

The head is beige and relatively coarse, and leaves behind quite a bit of spotty, stringy lacing in the glass.

The aroma is mildly hoppy, with a hint of pine to it.  I get some malt and maybe a bit of nutmeg there.

The flavor matches the aroma.  It’s mildly hoppy, hoppier than I’d care for in a Christmas Ale but not nearly as hoppy as Revolution Fistmas or Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve Ale.  There is a strong malt color, as you’d expect for the color.  There’s something else here, too.  I can’t tell if it’s ginger or nutmeg, or maybe both.  It’s subtle.  The “holiday” flavor I look for in a Christmas Ale just isn’t here.

Beer Advocate, with only 25 ratings, gives it a 74 or “okay”.  Rate Beer gives it only a 32.  If you average out those ratings, you’ll get mine: 5 out of 10.  That puts it in the “more or less as appealing as a Budweiser” level.

Flavor Profile:
Sweet, Malty, Dry, or Bitter:  Bitter
Spice Level:  Very Low
Hops Level:  Medium
Dominant Flavors:  Hops, Malt
ABV: 5.5%
IBU:  Unknown, but estimate around 24-28
My Rating: 5/10