12 Beers of X-Mas: Pickled Santa

So while I tasted the beer for last night, I didn’t get around to posting my review. I’m sorry Santa, I didn’t mean to be naughty. I was just busy worrying about other things.

From the Ridgeway Brewery comes Pickled Santa, a Christmas beer commissioned by Shelton Brothers “exclusively for distribution in the United States” (from the bottle). Note that this isn’t the Pickled Santa produced by the Hop Back Brewery despite the similar label art.

The beer pours a amber-tinted gold that is quite clear. The off-white head is creamy and lasting. The aroma is light and dry, with some caramel malt notes and noticeable spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. The flavor is intensely spicy: wintergreen and coriander, with some cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper. The body is full but not overpowering, with a comfortable thickness. Some lingering sweetness balances the spice and alcohol warming. This is a straightforward strong, spiced, English winter beer. Well executed, but I just can’t get that excited about it. The spices don’t make me really want another one, at least at the moment.

+Pickled Santa

RateBeer: 3.7 (4-6-8-4-15)

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