Beer of the Weekend #308: Pickled Santa
My original plan for tonight and tomorrow was to try the last two Elf series beers from the Ridgeway Brewery: Criminally Bad Elf and Insanely Bad Elf. (Being “Criminally Bad” is, I think, better than being “Insanely Bad,” which was why I was going to have them in that order.) However, I could not find them at John’s so I decided to nab two other Ridgeway holiday/seasonal offerings.
The beer tonight is Pickled Santa, brewed by Ridgeway Brewing of South Stoke, England.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is a cryptic batch code printed on the label but no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy light rust/amber. The label says “ruddy chestnut” but I think chestnut is a little darker. A lousy pour yielded a lousy head (not the beer’s fault), but I got a half finger of white head which dissipated quickly to leave a very thin lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Caramel, warm chestnuts, nutmeg, honey, dark fruit (mostly plum and cherry), sweet fruit (like green apple), pale malts, toffee, and a little cinnamon spice. I do not get too much spice, but that is fine. Overall it is pretty sweet.
Taste: I really do not know where to start. My first sip was full of spice, but it faded quickly as my taste buds adjusted. The mouthfeel is much like soda, which is very off-putting and does not allow the flavors to truly emerge. However, the chestnut, nutmeg, and cherry do come through, and a little grassy hop spice makes a short appearance after the beer has warmed significantly.
Drinkability: I do not really feel this one. It is neither a winter warmer or spiced beer, but it is another experience.
Fun facts about Pickled Santa:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Winter Warmer” and the importer website calls it “English Ale/Bitter, Gruit/Spiced Beer, Winter/Holiday Beer.”
-Price: $5.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF. The label suggests, “Serve chilled or at ambient temperature to suit your palate.”
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends general dessert, poultry, and game meat. No pickles?
-This Ridgeway beer features a different label sans brewer signed nerdiness. Instead there is this:
I see how it is. They ship the okay stuff here and drink the good stuff themselves.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
The beer tonight is Pickled Santa, brewed by Ridgeway Brewing of South Stoke, England.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is a cryptic batch code printed on the label but no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy light rust/amber. The label says “ruddy chestnut” but I think chestnut is a little darker. A lousy pour yielded a lousy head (not the beer’s fault), but I got a half finger of white head which dissipated quickly to leave a very thin lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Caramel, warm chestnuts, nutmeg, honey, dark fruit (mostly plum and cherry), sweet fruit (like green apple), pale malts, toffee, and a little cinnamon spice. I do not get too much spice, but that is fine. Overall it is pretty sweet.
Taste: I really do not know where to start. My first sip was full of spice, but it faded quickly as my taste buds adjusted. The mouthfeel is much like soda, which is very off-putting and does not allow the flavors to truly emerge. However, the chestnut, nutmeg, and cherry do come through, and a little grassy hop spice makes a short appearance after the beer has warmed significantly.
Drinkability: I do not really feel this one. It is neither a winter warmer or spiced beer, but it is another experience.
Fun facts about Pickled Santa:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Winter Warmer” and the importer website calls it “English Ale/Bitter, Gruit/Spiced Beer, Winter/Holiday Beer.”
-Price: $5.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF. The label suggests, “Serve chilled or at ambient temperature to suit your palate.”
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends general dessert, poultry, and game meat. No pickles?
-This Ridgeway beer features a different label sans brewer signed nerdiness. Instead there is this:
Brewed and Bottled for Shelton Brothers Importers by BEER COUNTER, Ltd. — Oxfordshire, England — Exclusively for distribution in the United States.
I see how it is. They ship the okay stuff here and drink the good stuff themselves.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
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