Christmas is on the horizon already and now it’s the perfect time to decide what beers to sample over the festive period. There’s so many options on the shelves whether it’s a chocolate flavoured stout or a moreish creamy pale ale. There’s tons of options out there though and plenty of good ones you could gift this Christmas! This is where we can help you to find those awesome wintery flavoured beers to get you into the festive spirit. 

The first beer to be introduced to you all is White Christmas, a seasonal great from West Yorkshire’s Saltaire Brewery. 

Brief History on Saltaire Brewery 

The story began in 2003 when Tony Gartland, (owner and founder) and Derek Todd met at a Brewlab course in Newcastle and compiled their brewing expertises together. As this partnership grew the launch of Saltaire Brewery officially commenced in 2006. 

As 2007 hit, the flagship beer Saltaire Blonde proved to be a huge hit for pubs across the UK and as the demand increased, further expansion in the team and equipment at the brewery took place. From a small start making Saltaire a gemstone of Yorkshire the brewery is now producing more than five million pints of beer a year. 

As we look to where the brewery is today, the future is strong. Adapting the brewery to not only brew cask ale but also introduce their core range into bottles. 

This has provided a wonderful experience where the public can enjoy Saltaire’s beers in the comfort of their own home. 

The Tasting of White Christmas By Luke and Chris

The Cask Connoisseur has now gone one step further by bringing detailed beer and whisky reviews to people across the world through their own Youtube channel. This article is the first Winter Beer that Luke and Chris sampled as part of The Cask Connoisseurs Christmas special. You can see the full YouTube Review here: Saltaire White Christmas Review.

• Colour – White Christmas turned out to be an exceptionally blonde coloured beer when poured. The interesting point about the style of this beer is how different it is to most other winter themed beers, with how light it was, it might not make you think of Christmas. 
• Aroma – On the nose there was a welcoming amount of Citrus spiralling out of the glass which was not overpowering. In most cases when drinking beer that has a citrus burst it might make you think it’s going to be a sweet fruity drink. 
• Taste – The first mouthful of any drink always takes the pallet on an organo-leptic  journey of flavour and texture that your brain interprets. The first flavour that springs to mind is the amount of fruit which rests on the pallet, especially those tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. However, on the second sip the beer flavour does change and becomes more rewarding and reminds you of an indulging bitter with a creamy head. Tasting beer is an important step of enjoying beer, it’s not about just drinking beer but tasting it! 
• Aftertaste – The ultimate finish of White Christmas brought a refreshing IPA finish and would be one beer that Chris said he would “enjoy sampling whilst sitting in front of the Christmas Tree”. Also, the beer delivers a true meaning of Christmas as it would be perfect to match with your Christmas Dinner or even a pork bap loaded with stuffing. 

The Official Tasting Notes 

• Colour – A lightly coloured pale ale. 
• Aroma – Pleasantly hopped beer with a fruity fragrance on the end of the nose. 
• Taste – A fruity infused beer with orange peel and coriander which brings out those festive flavours which are much enjoyed at Christmas. 
• Aftertaste – A sensationally beer that has that outstanding festive twist to bring out this awesome winter beer. 

An interesting point to make about White Christmas is the colour as when you look at it from the glass you instantly may think it’s not dark enough, but it’s the flavour that delivers that winter warmer feeling. It’s perfect to enjoy and indulge whilst sitting next to the fireplace on a cold dark evening. 

Both Luke and Chris certainly recommend this beer and it’s something they are both really looking forward to enjoying again over the Christmas period. It should be noted though, that they’ll be drinking responsibly over the Christmas period.

It’s a pleasure that The Cask Connoisseur was given this incredible beer to review from Saltaire Brewery and overall this post shows that White Christmas is a perfect pint. Definitely one for the Christmas period.

Happy Christmas to all! Stay tuned for our next Christmas article, going live shortly!