Brewery: Harvey's
Style: Barley Wine
ABV: 7.5%
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Colour: Dark red ruby colour with a tuft of off-white one finger head, much like Santa's hat.
Aroma: Plums, cherries, brandy, figs, leathery notes, a strong wiff of alcohol comes through in the background.
Taste: Sweet and sour, with a bitter backtaste. Flavours of raisins, plums, figs, spices, brandy, whisky comes through. Its gives off a strong aftertaste, not a drink to down in a hurry, but light enough not to be too heavy and cloying. Due to the strength of the beer, its gives a warming effect after a time.
Verdict: A true winter warmer of the old school, the brewery have excelled themselves here with what is effectively a liquid Christmas pudding. The flavours are well balanced, while it's rather fruity, the hoppy bitterness helps offset it and remind the drinker that this is a beer after all; and the sweetness is present without being too forceful. Its strong ABV gives an almost liquer like effect, fooling the drinker it believing they are sampling a spirit. It is easy to see why this beer has been brewed since 1972, a true Christmas classic.
Rating: 9/10
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