Baird Jubilation Ale

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

A muddyamber colored beer with a small tan foamy head. Settles fairly quickly and there's a medium ringlet left behind. There's figs and other dark fruit in the nose. Cinnamon and sweet malt and dark fruit in the tasting. Good, medium bodied beer. Seems to no live up to a higher expectation.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

22oz bottle -

I have to wonder how long this beer sat in the summer time in a hot warehouse while waiting to be distributed to the various locations. What I tasted seemed to be a echo of what could have been a much better beer. Rather flabby and lacking any real direction, the flavors of this beer kind of just lay flat on the palate. Wet paper, light vegetables, canned peaches, and golden raisins seemed to combine to an uninspired aroma. Flavor was light pitted fruit, more wet paper, raw dough and old caramel malts. If it wasn't old (which it seemed to scream it), then it's poorly executed.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

a decent hoppy spiced ale that was enjoyable enough. even a little unique. but in the end the flavors were a bit muddled and the beer lacked focus. i'd drink it again, but wouldn't pay the premium price on another bottle.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

330 ml bottle, vintage 2007, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Hazy brownish orange colour, big and lasting off-white head with a pale orange hue. Fairly strong sweetish aroma with notes of candied fruits (figs, actually), caramel and malts, hints of cinnamon. The flavour has notes of cinnamon and other mild spices, figs, caramel and malts, great sweetness nicely balanced by decent hops in the finish. Some alcoholic warmth, but not dominant. Some wood in the aftertaste. An interesting beer, pleasant to drink.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Sampled on 1/2/2010. This spiced beer pours a medium brown color from a 22oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is figs, malt, dark fruit, and cinnamon. A medium bodied spiced ale. The malts are dark fruit, figs, banana and bread. The hops are earthy and a touch floral. Lively carbonation. Interesting blend of fruit and spices, a nice balance of sweet and spice. A nice winter ale. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Tried April 2009
A gusher that I had to quickly move to the sink so as not to create a mess. A careful pour yields a three-finger thick, lightly tanned head. The beer is a deep cherry-red color that shows a brilliantly clear, red-copper hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells cherry up front, some fig notes and a finish of brandy soaked raisins. A touch spicy as well which seems to accentuate an almost mace like note. Nutty malt notes and a touch of toasty grain becomes noticeable after a bit in the finish.

A bit chewy, with a touch of tartness and only a touch of sweetness. Fruity flavors of fig and a touch of plum are noticeable up front and in the middle. The beer finishes with a spicy note and a nutty toasted malt note as well as a touch of bitterness. This has a bit of cherry and cherry pit like flavors as well as a touch of vanilla flavors here. This has a bit of astringency in the finish that seems to be contributed from the malt and something else that I can't quite place (the fruit perhaps). The body on this brew is not too heavy and not too light, it has a bit of viscous character to it.

I am glad that this was not infected, it was just poorly conditioned. This is a nice brew, one that is definitely enjoyable. This is definitely a fruit dominated beer. I definitely like the fruit contribution here, it surprisingly has a fair amount of cherry character to it, almost more so than recognizable fig flavors.