Shepherd Neame

Vintage Christmas Ale '97/'98

ABV 6.7% • Vol 500 ml • bottle • UK • Expensive • Flavour 6
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See also the notes for the 1999 Vintage Christmas Ale

1997
Strong cinnamon nose, very reminiscent of hot cross buns; unusual (but not unpleasant) spicy taste, with noticeable orange zest flavour; drier than the smell suggests. Not bad for the first 1/3 pint, but any more than that is a struggle. Definitely not a session beer, but interesting and commendable nonetheless. Pretty box.

1998
This beer is the 1998 edition of Shepherd Neame's vintage Christmas brew. This review was approached with some trepidation, however, due to the fact that this year it has been flavoured with Grant's Cherry Brandy. We thought our worst fears were confirmed on opening the attractive green-foiled bottle to be hit by an overpowering cherry smell, reminiscent of a kriek. There is also a lot of sherbet and a hint of spice. However, on the palate it is altogether less grim, if not entirely to this reviewer's taste. The spices resolve into cinnamon and possibly cloves, and the cherry aroma softens into a more rounded fruitiness, with a slightly rough-edged mouthfeel due to the alcohol content. The hops also make themselves known on the back of the throat, but they never really look like competing with the fruit and malt flavours. Finish is surprisingly bitter, but the aftertaste is of bitter-sweet cherry, malt and tea, and lingers long enough to make it a little cloyingly unpleasant. Like the 1997 version, it's reasonably interesting but is just too difficult to drink. In its favour, however, it just about avoids the all-too-common Christmas ale trap of trying to achieve a seasonally complex beer by putting way too much crap in it.

OBBD reviewer: Sparks

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Review updated 23 January 1999

Comments

I found it pretty horrible actually - I couldn't even manage half the bottle. Extremely bitter.
Steve Griffiths

The 1998 Vintage is very strange (there are still bottles available around here!), but not altogether unpleasant. I wasn't quite prepared for the strength of the cherry brandy flavour in the beer, but it grew on me. Definitely difficult to drink!
Robin Hidson

I thought this beer was wonderful and virtually emptied the shelves of our local supermarket each time a saw it there! (I didn't want to run out) - but perhaps I'm just a 'Cherry Brandy' freak?
Dawn Bradfield

where may i purchase a bottle of grant's cherry brandy.i live in the u.s.a. in the state of florida
chaznich2@cs.com

Hmm, yes, now I remember why I hadn't tried the 2001 version until now. I really didn't think this worked at all. The cherry brandy totally dominated the taste and I found it disgustingly sickly.
Dave J.

Like Dawn Bradfield, I thought it was excellent. My wife and our friends loved it as well. Would definitely buy it again if they remake it.
Ben H.

I had 25 bottles of this as i fell in love with it!!!!!!!!!!! The susequent Christmas beers have been good but some what of an anti climax!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE BREW IT AGAIN AS I AM RUNNING OUT ONLY A COUOLE OF BOTLES LEFT?
abow

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