CooperSmiths Jingle Ale

Brewed by CooperSmiths Pub & Brewing
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

The Jingle Ale poured a cloudy copper with a big white head with thin bubbles. There were lots of small particulates floating in mid-beer, similar to the Bell's Amber Ale. It had a nice, big spicy nose. I noticed cinnamon and nutmeg as well as other spices that I couldn't put my finger on. I tasted some sweet malt and slight citrus up front with a spicy finish. A very nice drinking holiday brew that I look forward to every year!

Tasted at Sean and Ryan’s PP party. Bottle looks older with a worn and torn label. Great aroma like a gingerbread cookie. Ginger, cinamon, cloves are all in full force. There are some floaties in the bottle, which look like spices. Maybe they are.. Cloudy amber color. Flavor is more blandish.

Bottle shared at Sean and Ryan’s tasting with the Pizza Port locals and many others. Apparently this one had 2+ years of age on it. Serious gingerbread cookie aroma with lots of ginger spice that makes this totally suitable for the Holiday Season, although we’re in May by now. Hazy amber color that pours quite still. More ginger and citrus in the flavor that ends with clove and malts. A bit thin on the palate.

Some serious carbonation in this one! The head is massive and overpowering and continues to grow; creamy, off-white, and mostly lasting with some nice lace. Body is mostly clear with sparkling carbonation and a deep amber color. Nose is dominated by the numerous spices, especially the nutmeg, ginger, and clove, with some noticable pumpkin pie notes and gingersnap cookies. Similar flavor with spices being dominant but a lot going on. Some tastes I get stewed apples with cinnamon, some I get gingersnap cookies, and some I get pumpkin pie with clove and nutmeg; other notes of brown sugar, light toasted notes, and faint orange peel with a nearly moderate bitterness, mostly from the spicing. Palate is decent with a mmedium body, a lively carbonation, and a creamy but watery mouthfeel. Finishes lightly dry and moderate length with some pumpkin and brown sugar with some light notes of stewed apples and orange peel. Actually liked this one more than I thought I would; I figured the spices would be too dominant but actually they created quite a unique beer. This probably would have been better with some more supporting malt notes or as a stronger strength beer but even still a fairly easy drinking beer. Assuming you like a big baking spice presence in your beer, this one is a great holiday easy drinker.

Bottle. Pours clear dark brown with a large, creamy, off-white head, lasting with excellent lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, caramel, nutty), light hop (grass), average yeast (dough) with notes of cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, pear, and apple. Medium bodied, gritty texture, lively carbonation, and a chalky finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness.

Had this on-tap at the brewery. The beer poured a medium, clear amber color with a tiny, mostly diminishing head. The aroma was dominated by the seasonal spices you would expect to find: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove; as well as sweet notes of honey, caramel and a light toasted grain aroma. The flavor started moderately sweet with an average-length, moderately bitter finish. The palate was watery and thin with lively carbonation. I liked that the balance of holiday spices in this beer was a little different than the other ones I’ve had—heavier in the cinnamon and lighter on some of the headier aromatics. A nice winter brew.

2003: Medium amber and mostly clear with a huge, lofty head that lasted a long time. Huge bouquet of spices wafted up the noggin ... dry cinnamon, sweet nutmeg, hot ginger, and aromatic clove. Smooth and meaty mouthfeel. Carbonation was a little prickly at times. With time, texture seemed to lighten up a bit. Malts were sweet (molasses, brown sugar) and toasted -- big and noticeable at first, but it slowly shifted to the back seat. Hops were somewhat grassy, sharpish and slightly bitter. Spices were a little hot and peppery, curbing the sweetness and drying out the finish. Surprisingly drinkable. 2005, aged a couple of months: Nicely balanced, mellow, and easy to drink. Sweet cinnamon, light clove, orange, and light nutmeg. A little yeasty, too.

750ml bottle. Murky orange and brown with grainy floaties under a huge large-bubbled head. Nose of cardamom, gingerbread, cayenne pepper and some other musty-soapy spices. Thick and soft mouthfeel, some subdued spiced apple and pear flavors, with a apple and maple finish. Ringo is right about this resembling a cider.