Name: Christmas Ale
Brewer: The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co. (Philippines)
Style: Strong Bitter
ABV: 6%
Review Year: 2021
Christmas Ale is an English Pale Ale brewed by Tony Sindayen of The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co. (Antipolo City, Philippines) just in time for the Holiday festivities.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Strong Bitter (11C) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Pours clear deep amber; medium off-white head with fair retention. The nose immediately presented a well-balanced profile of hops and malts with moderately high citrus, berry, and caramel. A musty hint was noted initially but was negligible as the other aromas came through. Medium-bodied; moderate carbonation. We noted moderate flavors of citrus, pine, and berry alongside a moderately low caramel and bready malt backbone. Both perceived bitterness and sweetness were below medium and balanced; aftertaste lingered with caramel/toffee and slight pine impressions.
THE VERDICT
This Christmas Ale by The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co. is a very drinkable beer that showcased hops and malts in a balanced manner. The hops were characterful, giving life to this beer; the malt flavors were reminiscent of classic English-style ales enjoyed in pubs. However, we think less of the musty aroma could further improve this beer. Lastly, a crucial aspect of this style is for bitterness to be noticeable without being dominating; this holds true for this beer.
Overall, it is a very good Strong Bitter or “English Pale Ale” to be enjoyed in quantity for the festivities this Holiday season.
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The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co.
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