Country of Origin: United States
Price comparison: Priced about the same as or only slightly more than the average national domestics.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 7.5%
Cute bottle/label? 22 ounce brown glass; green label with a nice holiday tableau painted thereon. I have also had this on tap countless times; it's not local as such, but fairly close to home nonetheless.
Appearance: Dark clear amber with thick tan head and lingering laciness on the glass.
Scent: I never have this ale without being reminded of pancakes and maple syrup. Malt is strongly present, as is a rich sweetness that could be interpreted as anything from caramel to ice cream. This tasting was the first time I ever had it from a bottle and it has a bit more hoppiness (like flowers) to the aroma than it does when served from the tap.
Flavor: Predominantly hops, some malt in the background. Surprisingly unlike its aroma, it tastes and feels like drinking British-style bitter. The alcohol is virtually unnoticeable in the flavor, but make no mistake, it's present.
Impressions: "Prelude" is sort of a gray area. It supposedly refers to the time period from right before Thanksgiving through Christmas, and I personally never heard of it, though I grew up in New England, until I first had this seasonal ale in a local pub. Presumably, it's not so much a specific time as it is a season that seems almost - but not quite - to be set entirely by commercialism. When you start seeing the first Christmas ads in the newspaper, hit the pubs; they'll be rolling out the Prelude shortly.
I used to know it was "prelude" when the pub got this beer on tap, but now that I don't drink at the pub as much, I tend to think of "prelude" as the time my Christmas tree goes up to the time I get up the energy to pull it down.
I like the sort of festive feeling I get drinking this beer, but I'm never sure how much of that emotion comes from the actual flavor of the beer and how much is derived from that incomparable atmosphere of near-holiday that it evokes - a combination of memory and anticipation that is universal, no matter what winter holiday, festival, or gift-exchange-for-no-good-reason that you choose to celebrate.
Will I buy this beer again? I had, as I mentioned, never purchased this in a bottle before. Now that I know it's available, yes, I'll get it again. It's seasonal, but its got a sufficient sugar content that it would probably cellar well for a year or so. And yes, it does reappear every year. It's a perfectly acceptable bitter and the cute wintery-looking label make this a good "pressure's off" informal drink to have after the more uptight of your holiday guests have departed.
Rating:
3½ out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: November 25, 2003
