My fantastically generous friend Matty sent me a couple of local beers just before Christmas to help me get through these Tier 4 woes. Today’s review is from Somerset based Cotleigh Brewery, a small, local brewery that’s been kicking about since 1979. They also do a lot to support the Owl and Hawk Trust. This is their Christmas special brew that they recommended serving at room temperature or slightly chilled – so that’s what I’ve done!

Pours a copper red with a quickly dissipating white head. A really gorgeous nose on this ale. An aroma of chocolate mixed with dried fruits like raisins or dates. Reminds you of a Christmas pudding almost. Flavour wise there is a nice bitter chocolate throughout with a dash of the coffee maltiness mixed in. Very smooth drinking overall and having it at a tad warmer temperature lets those flavours express themselves better.

A quick note on the bottle art: Certainly festive enough for a Christmas brew! Water colour pencil style but the look in the eyes of the reindeer is slightly disconcerting. Perhaps it’s found its way into the brewery for a tipple…

This is a fine example of real ale in the UK. The aroma on this beer is fantastic and incredibly inviting. I feel the flavour hasn’t got the same level of complexity as the nose but it’s what you want from a winter warmer. This is exactly the kind of beer that has me craving a village pub with a fire. Hopefully I’ll be able to make my way back down to Somerset soon to have a pint of this with Matty!

Score: 7.5/10

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Additional Information:

• Hops: Not Available
• Malt: Not Available
• IBU: Not Available
• ABV: 5.0%
• Gluten Free: No
• Vegan: No