Santa's Claws - ABV: 4.5%
Santa's Claws is a nicely coloured, clear ruby bitter from Beartown Brewery in Congleton.
Congleton's knickname of "Beartown" came from an infamous incident in its history. One of the most senior positions after being granted Borough status in 1272 was that of the 'Bear Warden', whose job was to oversee the bear baiting that took place in the town.
Story has it that sometime around 1632, the serving Bear Warden had insufficient funds to purchase a bear, so rather than face the wrath of local merrymakers, he bought a bear using money that had been put aside to buy a new Bible for the town hall.
A bear, a Cheshire wheatsheaf and an ale cask now feature on both the borough coat of arms and the brewery's logo, with the brewery now supporting Animal Asia Foundation's Moon Bear Rescue.
The beer had a thick creamy head that sadly lasted only a few minutes and the first impressions on the nose were warm and spicy (mainly cloves and nutmeg), with a slight hint of malt.
The flavour is nice and warming too, with initial maltiness giving way to a dry, hoppy finish with lingering spice, which seems to be a general theme to these seasonal beers.
Although the flavour is nice, I found this beer to be a tad too gassy for my liking, so not a session ale for me, albeit very tasty.
Verdict: 3/5
Congleton's knickname of "Beartown" came from an infamous incident in its history. One of the most senior positions after being granted Borough status in 1272 was that of the 'Bear Warden', whose job was to oversee the bear baiting that took place in the town.
Story has it that sometime around 1632, the serving Bear Warden had insufficient funds to purchase a bear, so rather than face the wrath of local merrymakers, he bought a bear using money that had been put aside to buy a new Bible for the town hall.
A bear, a Cheshire wheatsheaf and an ale cask now feature on both the borough coat of arms and the brewery's logo, with the brewery now supporting Animal Asia Foundation's Moon Bear Rescue.
The beer had a thick creamy head that sadly lasted only a few minutes and the first impressions on the nose were warm and spicy (mainly cloves and nutmeg), with a slight hint of malt.
The flavour is nice and warming too, with initial maltiness giving way to a dry, hoppy finish with lingering spice, which seems to be a general theme to these seasonal beers.
Although the flavour is nice, I found this beer to be a tad too gassy for my liking, so not a session ale for me, albeit very tasty.
Verdict: 3/5