The penultimate beer on my 2005 advent calendar was Ruby Red from the St. Peter’s Brewery in Suffolk. I’d been looking forward to this 4.3% ABV red ale, which, like all of the beers from St. Peter’s, comes in a distinctive flask-shaped oval bottle, so I was somewhat disappointed by the intense bitterness of the first few mouthfuls. However, I think this was mostly due to the effects of the Mexican dinner laced with Encona sauces that I’d scoffed a few minutes previously. Further into the bottle, the “subtle malt undertones and spicy aroma” became more apparent, and overall I really enjoyed this beer – I’ll definitely be trying some of the others from the range.