Great Lakes Christmas Ale

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

light aroma of ginger, cinnamon, & clove, notes of this in flavor as well; orange-copper in color; medium sweetness. Higher alcohol content than average beer. If you love spiced beers, this is a fairly good one!

Bottle from Santa. Pours a clear amber with just a touch of whitish head. A general spiciness is apparent on the nose, with the ginger being the most detectable. The combonation of aromas from the spices doesn’t seem to mesh well. The taste is decent enough, with the spice combining well over a nice malt base. The 7.5% is well-hidden. A decent spiced ale, but not much more.

This is a fantastic spiced beer. It smells like Christmas, with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a fairly well hidden alcohol. As the temperature warms, it opens up with a spice explosion in your mouth. The alcohol is warming but smooth behind all the spice, and the finish is clean with a faint hint of alcohol and a continually subtle reminder of all the great spices.

NorCal December 07 - What are the chances that I get two bad bottles of beer from these guys back to back. I had the Nosferatu during the fall, and now this beer during the Winter. Ugh, it was barely drinkable. On one hand, if you love ginger and ginger beer, then you will LOVE this beer. If you don’t like your beers to taste like ginger cough syrup, stay away. The beer pours out a clear, copper/burnt orange color with a nice one-finger thick head. The only aroma I get from this beer is ginger. Imagine grating fresh ginger and taking a whif...that’s exactly what you get here. Taste is the exact same way, but there is a bit of honey character which made me think of honey/ginger cough drops or cough syrup. Normally I dig Great Lakes brews, but this is horrible. It’s possible that I got a bottle with a bit of age on it. I don’t know. If I ever get another bottle, I will re-rate.

Draft at Mitchell’s Fish Market, Mt. Lebanon location. Pours a clear amber body with a small tan head. Subtle, malty aroma that features some cinnamon and hints of ginger. Medium-bodied and kinda crisp. Nothing extraordinary taste-wise. The usual malty caramel flavors start things off. Finishes with some slightly drying hoppiness. A touch of cinnamon throughout. A solid session beer.

Free sample... sweet! Pours a brown amber color. Nose is somewhat spicy adn malty. Taste is sweet, spicy, malty, finish is sticky lasting and warming. Actually a pretty nice beer.

Another great beer from Great Lakes. Although I seem to like their specialty beers a lot more than the regulars.

bottle - Copper color, medium size white head that disipates quickly. Little lacing. Nice aroma. You get a hint of cinnamon. There was some spices in the flavor, but overall it was a little underwhelming. Good drinkable beer, but I was expecting more based on the other Great Lakes beer I’ve tried. Didn’t really like the way it finished. Worthly of a try during the holidays just to be festive.