Beer O'Clock: Re-Gifted

I've had this beer before.

One of the biggest lies that I've told to my best friend's mom—she was kind of like a second mom to me—was that I loved her fruit cake, which she always gave to me at Christmas. I'd always accept her gift with an enthusiastic "Thank you!" before I took it home and offered it to my parents.

Often, it would stick around our house, untouched, for months, before I finally gathered the courage to throw it out.

It wasn't until nearly 30 years later that I finally broke down and told Monica that I didn't, in fact, like fruitcake of any sort and that I had been re-gifting her present to me or tossing it out. I told her that the mere fact that she thought of me over the holidays for all those years was a gift in of itself.

That comment bought her forgiveness.

I'm not a fan of raisins, currants, or dates, and I'll only eat figs if they're mixed into a fruit bar, though I don't seem to mind any of those flavours in a beer. So when my good friends at Spearhead sent me yet again another wonderful care package of various brews, and I saw that one of the cans was festively decorated for the upcoming holidays, I thought I should try that beer first.

I've had this beer before.

Re-Gifted Strong Beer (6% ABV, 35 IBUs)
Spearhead Brewing Company
Kingston ON

Appearance: a clear, reddish-brown that is a tad paler than a scotch ale, with a foamy, pale-beige head that settles to a fine lace. Small pearls cling to the inside of the glass at first pour but dissipate to a fine effervescence.

Nose: dried fruit and a hint of cinnamon.

Palate: raisins, figs, dates, and spices lead, followed by warm malts and a slight nip of hops in the finish.

Overall impression: I have a surprisingly good memory for flavours and can often imagine these flavours, merely by thinking of whatever it is that I want in my mouth. With Spearhead, there is a certain flavour profile that I expect from their beer. There is a maltiness with a bit of dried fruit in many of their ales, and I expected no less from this brown ale. But when I swirled my first sip in my mouth, something told me that I have had this ale before.

And I have: on further inspection of the can and the card that accompanied my care package, I learned that Re-Gifted is a small-batch version of their Moroccan Brown, which had disappeared from their regular lineup.

They've re-gifted their ale.

But this is one dried-fruit ale that I, myself, won't re-gift. I've missed the Moroccan Brown and this was a welcome surprise. It's a brown ale that has a boost of fruit and spice, and is perfect for the holiday season.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺

Because Re-Gifted is a small-batch release, I expect it won't stick around for long. You can order it directly from the brewery and have it delivered for a modest fee (minimum purchase is required).