I think it’s high time I get into the Holiday Cheer mode here. Granted, I’ve been reaching for some malty stuff for these colder, late autumn days, but have yet to sit down with a true Winter Warmer and sip on it. What better way to enjoy one of these than on a 70-degree day in December? Gotta love Virginia weather (please send cold air; oh winter, where art thou?).

Anyway, I won’t let global warming put a damper on my season. Instead, I’ll open up a Harvey’s Christmas Ale from Lewes and conjure up some holiday spirit… I guess. Only a couple weeks until Christmas, and where did the time go? Everyone else is quaffing their wintry stuff already, so who am I to go against the grain?

About a finger of head forms atop a beer the color of oxblood leather shoes; a deep burgundy-brown that was hazy and rather festive looking. I’m liking this already.

The nose contained notes of dark fruit and fig, licorice, pine, and what I can only think of as “holiday spice”, such as a kind of clovey nutmeg blend. Smells reminiscent of an English barleywine, with a sweet and fruity side that smells delicious, like Christmas candy in liquid form.

The taste provides a subtle malt profile up front that hints at sweetness but doesn’t come right out and say it. Actually, this beer seems to have changed from the first time I had it a few weeks ago down at Capital Ale House. The balancing hop bitterness is a bit more noticeable this time around, and the fig flavor comes in underneath toward the finish. Still, that sweet licorice and spiciness comes through in the middle, which to me are the characteristics that make this beer what it is. Complexity without overdoing it, and a bit off the beaten path in terms of other winter warmers I’ve tried.

Carbonation doesn’t get in the way at all here, so expect very little. This fits nicely in my opinion, seeing as how the texture has a slightly syrupy quality to it. There is a bit of residual sweetness left on the palate in the aftertaste, but the coating is not very thick.

The alcohol, clocking in at 8.1% by volume, appears to be masked fairly well in the varietal blend of flavors here. As I said, I feel this to be rather identifiable compared to others of its ilk, and I certainly enjoyed this winter warmer for its subtlety and complexity. The mouthfeel makes for an easy sipper, and I kind of wished that I waited until the weather was cold again before enjoying this one.

With any luck, we’ll at least have another cold week here in Richmond before it’s the appropriate time of year for shorts and sandals again. I don’t normally wear either, but you get my drift.