Originally published in What’s Brewing January 2004
Origin: Horsham, Sussex, England (now brewed in a filtered bottled or cask version only by the owning brewery, Bath Ales, Bristol, England)
ABV: 5 per cent
Buy from local supermarkets and outlets, Bath Ales (0117 952 7580, www.bathales.com)
Bath Ales Festivity
Festivity, originated by northeast Somerset micro Bath Ales, is one of the most pleasant and welcome of seasonal specials even if, like me, you have rather a bah-humbug attitude to the festive season. In bottled form, it has a short but eventful history. It began as the winter special in the regular draught range from Bath Ales, a micro operating from a steam-driven brewery at Webbs Heath on Bristol’s eastern edge. This success of this beer culminated in a best in class and overall runner up award at the Winter Beer Festival in 2002.
The brewery decided to capitalise on this by launching a bottled version, but faced capacity constraints so decided to contract brew. After a brief stint at Hopback, Festivity went to Brakspear, but with a number of other homeless former inhabitants of Henley it’s now ended up at Hepworths of Horsham. Normally I gripe about a label that doesn’t show the true origin of a beer, but given the many changes I’m inclined to be forgiving in this case.
Festivity describes itself as a “rum porter” though, despite some early experiments with essences, the slight rumminess of its character is derived from quite conventional ingredients: Maris Otter pale malt, crystal, chocolate and wheat malts, roasted barley, and Challenger and Bramling Cross hops. The recipe is the same as the draught version except for the yeast, with enough strength and robust flavour to stand up well to bottling. Though certainly a porter in British terms, it’s quite like one of the new unpasteurised and top fermented Dutch autumn bock beers: dark, malty, fruity and slightly acidic.
It pours a rich dark brown with a ruby tinge and a lovely soft, creamy fawn coloured head. There’s a very smooth aroma combining figgy fruitiness with a slight touch of vanilla and cream, with some leathery, roasty and iron-like mineral tones. The palate is rich but very soft and drinkable, with juicy and plummy fruit, refreshing dark marmalade flavours, a little salt, a porter-like roast quality and a hint of rumminess.
The beer turns quite dry on the swallow, with a remarkably long and complex finish: roasty, smokey notes blend with rich malt and black coffee flavours, a slow developing but never over-assertive hoppiness, and some late very smoky, ashy flavours. Overall it has a beautiful balance of strong, distinctive flavours and drinkability.
Try also Ballard’s Wassail, Hogs Back Wobble in a Bottle, Dolle Brouwers Stille Nacht (Belgium), Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody’s Christmas Ale
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/bath-festivity/13241/
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