Full Sail Wassail

Rather disappointing. I was expecting some spicing, but other than a vague spruce overtone, nada. Even as a straight winter warmer, it's mediocre. Not much body or malt, certainly not up to the style.

Maybe I'll mull it.

I usually pick up bombers of all the full sail non-ipa seasonals.

Thats a downer. Leaves more space in the fridge for better beer though!

Since I had three bottles left, I decided to experiment with making it closer to a real wassail. A tea bag of Glühfix, German for 'punch spices', made a difference. Orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. Might try some nutmeg next. Maybe wack up an apple.

Yeah, and get some egg foam in there!

or not. :-/

david_42 said:

Since I had three bottles left, I decided to experiment with making it closer to a real wassail. A tea bag of Glühfix, German for 'punch spices', made a difference. Orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. Might try some nutmeg next. Maybe wack up an apple.

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I will have to send you a bottle of my Ancient Orange & Spice Mead. It's a spin off of JAO but I use coriander for the orange flavor. Makes an awesome wassail, especially warmed up. How close are you to Portland? I will be in Vancouver last week of the month. Happy to hook you up.

I'm about 60 miles south and close to the coast, but thanks for the offer.

david_42 said:

I'm about 60 miles south and close to the coast, but thanks for the offer.

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Love the Oregon coast! Next time yo are coming thru Lakewood (Tacoma) I am only 2 miles off I-5. Let me know. This is one of my regular concoctions. It keeps getting better with each incarnation.

A guy had some of this at a party we went to last night. He knows I brew and asked if I wanted to try it. I didn't know what it was supposed to be while drinking it, but knew I wouldn't care for the whole bottle.

IrregularPulse said:

A guy had some of this at a party we went to last night. He knows I brew and asked if I wanted to try it. I didn't know what it was supposed to be while drinking it, but knew I wouldn't care for the whole bottle.

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Mead is kinda like heffeweisen. You either like it or you don't. I've had some decent heffe but I'm not a big fan. I've had some nastey mead. In either case I'll have a glass just to be polite, but if you're smart you won't ask me my opinion on it.

Full Sail Wassail is not Mead. It's a "tasty winter ale" But I do like mead After some wiki action I see Wassail traditionally is typically a mead so I do understand the confusion.

IrregularPulse said:

Full Sail Wassail is not Mead. It's a "tasty winter ale" But I do like mead After some wiki action I see Wassail traditionally is typically a mead so I do understand the confusion.

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Since it is not a mead I can understand why no one seems to like it. There are some combinations of things that just shouldn't be put together ; hops and spice, grits and anything, Michael Jackson and young boys, the Seattle Seahawks :cross: They do have real pretty label though.


2009 Ancient Orange & Spice Mead. This is a Wassail!

Wassail suffers from being a fusion of several cultures. There are wassails that are beer-based, mead-based and the "it isn't wassail unless it has apples in it"-base. About all they have in common is the drink has alcohol and spices in it and it's served warm. I've also seen mulled wine called wassail.

All I'm certain of is, Full Sail's does not qualify as a wassail under any of those definitions and unlike most winter warmers, it's better cold. Still not great.