Still catching up on my holiday beer reviews, tonight it’s Full Sail Wassail. This is a local classic,  brewed since 1988. It’s 6.5% alcohol by volume. They have the number "12" on the label… is this the 12th year bottling Wassail?

Appearance: Orange-brown with red highlights. Tan head, soapy bubbles.

Smell: Spicy, malty. Spice is (I think) from the hops. A little blackstrap, burnt sugar, a little lactic sourness.

Taste: Old strong ale; leathery dark malt, a bit bitter/astringent but more from caramelized sugar. Some alcohol heat, hops are clean and spicy.

Mouthfeel: Nice and medium-thick. Not chewy, more smooth. Tiny bit of tang.

Overall, a good spicy winter warmer that reminds me of an old ale. And old ales are "beer comfort food." Well, maybe not really, but they kind of seem that way to me.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 86 out of 100 with 96% of reviewers reporting approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.56 out of 5 and is in the 87th percentile.