Filed under: Guest Ales | Tags: batemans brewery, celtic fc, christmas ale, criterion, rosey nosey, villareal fc, winter ale, winter warmer
The Criterion 10/12/2008
Today found the authors of this blog chained to work and working late: one stuck in a lab and one behind a desk. The glorious winter day unappreciated by either of us but for the occasional glance out the nearest window. One of us waited on rodents while the other sifted through three years of amateur landscape photography. Before long, the sun had disappeared and the photo-sifter realised he’d not yet left the house and the day was over. He sighed and filed a few more pictures, wrote a few bits and pieces and munched on the odd peanut M&M. A glance at the web told him his co-author – the one with the rats – was finally finishing work, 4 1/2 hours after sundown.
Rarely has a pint been more necessary.
The question raised: fancy thai and a pint?
Yes and yes.
We decided to meet at The Criterion, though with a get-out clause should the available guest ales be underwhelming. The rodent-herding-neuroscientist scouted the beers and reported back to the easily-distracted-oversleeping-wannabe-writer-wine-snob. The guest beers were both Christmas ales and of good provenance. The Criterion it would be, then.
I – the easily-distracted-oversleeping-wannabe-writer-wine-snob – arrived to find Alex – the rodent-herding-neuroscientist – nosing a dark amber pint filled almost to spilling point. He tried to find space among the legion of Celtic fans watching the 2-0 win over Villareal. I asked which he’d chosen: Rosey Nosey, from the Batemans Brewery.
I’ll be honest. I love Christmas in part because good brewers turn out some absolutely cracking ales to celebrate. Dark, spicy, nutty brews with high ABV and a slightly sweet more-ishness that gets the blood flowing back to the limbs numbed with cold. Winter warmers indeed. So I ordered a pint of the same and waited for a table to clear.
Unlike the first post here, we weren’t full of greasy food. We were ravenous. Does beer taste better when you’re hungry? Perhaps. That’s more Alex’s territory than mine though.
Richard - The pint shows a nice burnt amber colour, though holding it up to the light gives off a bit more red.
Roasted walnuts on the nose with a touch of spice and cocoa powder, along with a hint of sawdust.
The palate follows through from the nose – a wonderful nuttiness; walnuts and pecans with some dusty nutmeg, cloves and allspice lingering on the edges. Rich but very clean. The hoppiness keeps everything tight and refreshing. Not quite as unctuous as some winter warmers, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes the classic Christmas ales can be too gooey and sweet, hoping to shove all the richness, hedonism and indulgence of the holiday season into a single pint. Which often winds up being all one can handle of them. This is different, perfectly suited for a second or third helping. Lovely purity on the finish. Might have to go for another tomorrow.
****1/2
Alex - If, like me, you’ve ever left a glass of coke for too long, and the ice has melted to give your once dark soda a dilute reddish-brown, then you’ll no doubt be able to imagine the colour of this beer. As far as real ales go, this one pours with slightly more head than usual, but it’s by no means a ‘Marge Simpson’ of a beer. The nose is unbelieveably subtle, and I commend Richard for being able to get anything out of it besides the bog-standard malt and hops you’d expect from any old pint. This was my opinion after my first sip, as well, though I changed my mind after the second. A very delicate, light beer – particularly when compared to some other winter ales – the palate reminded me of spice cake, with hints of allspice coming through from start to finish. The hops carry a little fruit with them, perhaps black cherry. Everything about this beer leaves you wondering why they chose to make it a Christmas ale? I, for one, could not only drink these all night – I’d drink them all season. I’ll dock a point for not being bold enough in the palate, giving us a very pleasing 4/5.
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I actually quite want to try this beer! Sounds good to me!!
Comment by AC Gaughen December 12, 2008 @ 9:16 pm