United Nations of Beer

Old Fezziwig ale

by Dominic Perry
(Beer Delegate, MD, USA)

Old Fezziwig ale (6% ABV)
Samuel Adams Brewing, MA, USA

Ah, Old Fezziwig, a Christmas favorite for me; brewed by the Samuel Adams brewery and only sold in the winter seasonal case. The beer is named after the little known character in Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol.

Much like the character in the story, this is a happy-go-lucky beer with lots to go around. From when you first open the bottle you can tell this is a beer with lots of flavor.

The smell of oranges, ginger and spice hit you in the face the minute the top is removed from the bottle. Take a couple sniffs of this beer (believe me you will) and you'll pick up some of the toffee and chocolate malt that went into the beer. This is a beer that screams Christmas time.

It pours a dark reddish brown with minimal head, but the rich complex smell remains.

The first taste is of heavy spice – if you don't like ginger, this beer is not for you.

The ginger flavor mellows out to some of the sweet chocolate and toffee malts. The beer finishes with a nice citrus taste.

What you smell is what you get from this beer and that's a compliment. After enjoying it, you're left with a pleasant orange taste in your mouth.

If the beer has any faults it would be its light body. For such a flavorful beer with decent alcohol content (6% ABV) it has a surprisingly light body feel to it. I'm able to overlook this flaw, because I think the beer taste so good.

For whatever reason, Sam Adams only sells this beer in its Winter Seasonal pack, however, this one beer alone makes the case worth buying. The fact that you get several other fantastic beers in the case makes it even better.

If you see the seasonal pack, I highly recommend picking it up and trying the Old Fezziwig ale.