Harviestoun Mr Sno'balls

Cask: Seasonal - Winter. Also available bottled.

December brings the last of our seasonal beers - biscuity and bitter with a long finish.

A colour of dark copper leads to a nose that is hoppy and spicy, a balanced palate and a long, hoppy finish.

There are both crystal and chocolate malts in this tawny beer - it’s full bodied with a delighful hop character from Challenger and Styrian Goldings.

3.2

172 reviews

Alva, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Community reviews

3.4 RB Odense January tasting. Hazy copper with a lasting white head. Malty aroma with a toffee note, some fruit and citrus. Sweet malty flavour with toffee and a roasted note, some fruity hops and a hint of marmalade

3.6 Bottle from super market. Amber color, white head. Mildly bitter sweet taste wtih citrus, honey, toast, caramel and floral hops. Well-balanced body. Bitter finish with citrus. Exquisite bitter, one of the best I’ve tasted so far.

3.3 Cask in the Cadogan Arms SW3. Middle coloured amber brown bitter with a decent white head. Quite a full flavoured ale, initially malty with some biscuit and some fruity caramel, but then quite a bitter dry finish. Good balance beween bitter and sweet, malt with some hops. Not overly heavy so remains drinkable. An enjoyable pint!

3.8 Bottle from Morrisons, Byker. A dark amber beer with citrus and warming toffee flavours, orange marmalade, red fruit and a bitter-sweet finish.

3.0 4.5% amber colour with a thin head, sweet floral aroma, roast malt and citrus hop taste.

3.6 Bottle (500ml, Morrisons): This one didn’t come across as the strongest beer in the world as far as smell was concerned but that’s not to say it wasn’t a pleasant smell once detected. There was some earthy malts, and perhaps some caramel at the start along with a faint blend of fruits and a hint of citrus. Not a bad smell but far to weak on the nose to fully appreciate. A deep copper amber colour with a foamy, off-white head about a thumbs width tall. This settles to a thick looking lacing after a couple of minutes and remains like that for the rest of the beers life. An unexpected mix of fruits that features some banana, a little citrus, some earthy malts and caramel along with a bit of citrus and some lighter, earthy hops. Quite a good mix of flavours and one that works well together. Definitely medium bodied and fruity with a slightly citrus light tang and acidity. The finish is quite bitter and despite what the bottle says about it being crisp I would class it as a wet beer and definitely one that leaves you wanting more at the end. A nice beer that was well balanced and had a good variety of flavours throw into the mix. Not a classic beer but a welcome addition to their range for December anyway and it is certainly better than most other Christmas beers I have tried.

3.1 500ml bottle. Clear copper amber colour, foam white head and spicy malt aroma. Malty taste, with roasted earthy caramel notes, alongside a slightly lemony citrus bitterness that lingers. OK.

2.6 Bottle, from Aldi. Dark brown colour, no head, mild aroma and a surprisingly gentle flavour for such a dark beer.

2.7 Bottle 0,33l. Pours a dark brown color with no head or lacing. Aroma of chocolate and some floral notes. Chocolate brown with minimal head. Taste of coffee, chocolate and smoke. It is medium bitter.

3.1 Bottle. Mostly clear amber color with a disappearing thin head. Aroma and taste of caramel and fruity hops. Oily feel. Watery.

2.8 Rating #782, bottle brought by Brian to Christmas Brew Tasting 2012. Brown beer with a small beige head. Roasted and spicy aroma with a bit coffee. Flavor has more coffee, caramel, a nice touch of smoke, a bit sweetness and a bit bitterness. Still feels dry in spite of the sweetness. Medium thick palate.

3.4 Pours a clear brown with off white foam leaving mild-medium lace. Aromas of toasted malts, earthy, floral, bread, and a nice faint sweetness. Flavours of roasted malt, earthy, floral, caramel, mild-medium bitterness.

3.2 bottle, Morrisons. Lacking any discernible aroma, but has a soft sweet palate, with good biscuity malt, clean light citrus and a berries and brown sugar finish Not what I expected, but pleasant enough all the same.

3.9 On tap at Geordies byre in Ayr a clean crisp beer with nice malt hop balance lemon and grapefruit prominent with slightly spicy notes smooth drinking slightly bitter finish

3.5 Mogano buona schiuma piuttosto persistente legger maltato un toccocitrico discreto corpo amaro medio leggero biscotto toffe un leggero tostato

3.1 Bottle. Brown with a white foam Aromas are malty with raisins and lemon. Cookie dough with plummy notes. Flavours are sweet malts with brown sugar and raisins with mellow lemon. OK.

3.5 Cask by handpump at Edward G Wylie, Glasgow - clear golden amber, thin off-white head, good lacing, mild fruity hop aroma with a bit of spice, sweet malty, fruity, well balanced, carbonation is quite high

3.2 500ml Bottle.Pours deep golden with a small off-white head.Aroma of lemon, grapefruit, grassy and spicy hops with some malty notes. Flavour is bitter and sweet with some caramel and malt. A dry finish, medium to thin body, average carbonation. Not too bad, but not very festive!

2.9 .33l bottle @ Vihreä Haltiatar Pours dark amber with low head. Aroma is dark malts, sweetnes. Flavor is dark malts, brown sugar, raisin.

3.8 Bottle. Bronze with a small head.. Lovely refreshing fruitiness dominates. Clean and unusual taste. Don’t really see it as a winter beer but its still rather unusual and quite easy to drink.

3.1 Bottle from Aldi 121112 Copper amber, clear, bubbly thin white head Aroma - soft citrus zest, soft toasted malts Taste - Caramel malts, bitter earthy hops, some citrus zest, toasted malts, bitter toffee malts Palate - soft carb, medium body. Finish - bitter toasted malts with a touch of citrus, over toasted bitter long linger Overall - Unusual mix of citrus zest and bitterish toasted malts, over bitter linger

2.8 Bottle, from Morrisons Scunthorpe. Bronze, thin shortlived white head and moderate condition.Gentle floral hoppiness in the nose with a hint of citrus, soft in the mouth with a gentle bitterness and a trace of hops, finish is mostly bitter hops but not excessive

3.6 500ml bottle. Pours dark copper with a medium head. Aroma is lemon and lime hops with a little bread. Taste has toast to start. Lemon and lime finish with a little soapy malt on the aftertaste.

2.2 Fra flaske på Cardinaltreff: da denne kom fra restelageret blir det kanskje urettferdig å beskrive den, men den fremsto som uten særpreg og ganske så uinteressant mens vi ventet på at gildet skulle begynne. Kanskje verdt å prøve fra fat en gang?

3.3 Chestnut brown color. Malty, nutty and earthy. Not bad, but nothing special.

3.8 Aroma is medium strong, fruity, caramel malt also. red/brown to black. Taste has same elements as aroma, crisp, medium body. Interesting nuanced beer. Not basic Christmas beer but ok.

2.5 This beer had no head, seriously! I nearly splashed the stuff out of the glass while pouring trying to get some head on this. The floating chunks also made this beer appear less than appetising. However taste wise it wasn’t bad. As far as novelty xmas beers go, this was one of the better ones.

3.1 Poured a deep red-brown colour with virtually no head. Very faint aroma of roasted grain. Initial taste slightly roasted grain but then with a moderate bitterness, light sweetness and a trace sour. Medium to light body. Long slightly bitter finish. Bit like a light stout and something different to ales or lagers.

3.4 33 cl bottle @ Gastropub Nordic. Rated on 11.12.2010 Aroma is somewhat hoppy with goldings, some citrus and biscuits. Flavour is moderately hopped with sweetish toffee, some caramel, biscuits and citrus. Good, but this could be more rich or hoppy – but then again that would make this an ESB.

3.2 Gift from SJ. Bottle. Some citrus, some chocolate and roast. With a mild hop and spice finish. What’s not to love?