Great Lakes Christmas Ale

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

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Clear, amber golden with a dense, off-white head. Fruity and lightly spicy nose. Medium body with fairly sweet fruit, some spices - perhaps a hint of ginger? The finish is dry with some bitterness. Interesting. 290607

12oz. bottle. Wife bought this one for me. Had a fruity and mild spice aroma. Amber body with beige head. Flavor was refreshing concidering most of these my palate seems to say to spicey. Fruity flavor and mild spice in the bacground for flavor. Mild spice bite on palate, good brew.

Bottle. Average creamy beige head that mostly lasted. Good display of lacework. Clear flat looking body with an amber color. Aroma of caramel, toasted malt, floral and herbs notes with a hint of spice, citrus and fruit. Medium bodied with an average carbonation. A blend of light sweet, bitter and acidic flavor. Somewhat star anis and light bitter finish.

Unique. Spicy. Oddly enough, goes very good with warm banana bread. Carbonated, slight citrus, mainly spices though. A nice holiday beer.

The Dan Journal #13. Tasted May 2006. 12oz bottle. Clear with an amber hue. Tinge of white head. Slight candy aroma. Cinnamon and ginger. Cloves and a slight smokiness. Same in the flavor, but add a citrus effervescence. Strong fruit cake flavor. Spiced and tasty. Cookies and fudge. Ginger and clove. Good!

Bottle from jsquire. Amber/orange in color. Aroma of various christmas spices. Sticky with slick syrupy body. The finish is sweet with cinnimon notes throughout. Good beer.

Rated 10/22/06: 2006 edition, hit the shelves late October. I missed this one last year, when I finally went looking it was already off the shelves. That being said I grabbed a single as soon as I spotted it, having heard mixed reviews I wanted to try one before I parted with $10 for a sixer. All in all this is a pleasant spicy warmer of a brew, I did expect something a little thicker and more powerful. Aroma is mild and well balanced with honey and clover mixed with a nice touch of ginger, not powerful but very mellow. Color is a dark copper with an amber-red hue, nice big head that dissipates leaving lots of lacing. Light on the palate with a cool dry finish the mouthfeel isn’t as heavy as I wanted but it works. Flavor is medium bodied with an initial burst of honey leading way to the subtle spices. Malty and spicy it’s definately not overdone as can happen all to easily with this style. Good Drink, plan on taking some home to the family for the holiday.

This is the best seasonal winter ale out there. It is tough to make a beer with this high ABV (7.5%) taste this good. With its excellent cinnamon finish, this ale is ideal for a warm Christmas party with friends and family. The honey and ginger come through at first and then, as the beer warms your stomach, you taste the beautiful cinnamon finish. Goes great with most any food; burgers, steak, and ribs especially. This beer will help you forget it’s cold outside and make you really appreciate the holiday season.