Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Canton, Oh. - Winking Lizard Tavern - on tap. Dark copper pour with a faint white head. Aroma of gumballs and cherries. Sweet flavor with white grapes. hint of cinnamon, and a back end of cherries. A bit too sweet for my liking - just this side of cloying. Clean, even, smooth mouthfeel.

Pours a reddish amber color with a flat off white head. Aroma is of a lot of spices, cinnamon and ginger. Flavor is also very spicy and malty cinnamon really comes through with what seems like is some clove.

Bottle. Pours a clear medium amber with one finger tan head and zero lacing. Nose is malt, spice and honey. Taste is caramel malt and mild cinnamon with a hint of bitter hops in the finish. Mouth feel is medium. Not as spicy as I thought it would be which is a good thing, but probably has to do with the age more than the beer.

2007 was an off year for this seasonal. The bottle pours an amber color. The aroma is full of cinnamon and honey.Thce flavor is smooth and malty with a touch of cinnamon spice and honey and it sticks to the mouth for the finish. This bottle is about 8 months old and I must say it has aged well. When it was released 10/07 it was not as lively and complex as previous batches. This bottle however seems to have improved. Hope the 2008 batch gets back on track and is their best yet!

pours a amber brown with mild head, smooth malt vanilla spice aroma, initial spice front with mild finish, light malt background, dry finish to after taste.

Bottle from Canals, I am starting to like this company great lakes. They don’t make anything that blows my mind like Three Floyds but they seem to make every thing good and I can appreciate that. Reddish brown pour with a aroma of spice and sweetness.Flavor was spice and alcohol that was blended pretty well together with a cinnamon finish.

Bottle from Brandon - thanks! I havent had one of these beers in a long time, and like a dumb shit I didnt buy any Anchor christmas this year... Oh well.. Pours out a light brown color with absolutely no head. Smell was fruity and full of cinnamon and spices. Taste was smooth and not over powering with sweetness, just a nice easy to drink spiced winter ale. Interestingly something that you could drink alot of, even with the relatively high ABV. Good stuff.

12 oz. bottle. Another good beer from Great Lakes. Aroma was nice, perfumy and spicy. I didn’t taste the honey until late, but the spices and cinnamon are present throughout. More red than copper color, with minimal head. Not as good as Troegs Mad Elf, but still worth the money.