Great Lakes Christmas Ale

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

Looks brown/gold. Appropriately, the aroma is very "christmasy"! Smells nice, like ginger, malty, sweet, maybe a touch of orange, cinnamon. The ginger, along with a good deal of spice become very strong in the flavour- too strong. Its also malty with a bit of caramel. Palate is not exactly smooth- I’d probably describe it as grainy.

Pours a light bronze with a loose ephemeral white head and a few streams of bubbles. Smells like, well, christmas. Cinnamon is strongest, with some ginger (which I couldn’t figure out until taking a sip) and some light caramel malty sweetness and yeast. The mouth feel is a little sharp from the CO2 though slightly more viscous/slippery than water. The flavor is utterly dominated by cinnamon and ginger secondarily. There’s also some peppery flowery hoppy notes and a definite underlying sweetness--close to cloying for the style of the beer, though not in a malty brandywine sort of way. I gave this beer the slight benefit of the doubt because after getting it home I noted the Jan 19, 2006 best by date... but it was in the walk in cooler at the packie, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this beer doesn’t taste any better when fresh. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t auwful. I could imagine this as a nice substitution for other liquids in the batter for a fruit cake!

12oz - Jan 27, 2006 - (stuffed in my box on the way out the door of jsquire’s apartment) Aroma is snappy with spice. Cinnamon and ginger as advertised. Transparent dark brown with small head and good lacing. Flavor is thankfully more balanced with malt than the aroma. The spices are still there but not overpowering. Palate is sticky. Good hoilday brew, but not something I would seek out again.

Copper pour, small white head. Notes of honey and ginger along with some cake and bitter spiced nuts in the flavor. A great Christmas Ale.

Has a faint cinnamon aroma to it. Decent amber color, with little head. Nice cinnamon flavor to it. Has a decent body, and pretty good carbonation. Overall, it’s not too bad, it definitely fits in with Christmas.

Barrel Draught from the jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 29/09/2005 Golden coloured with some alcohol present. Spicy aroma. Crisp malt finish.

Bottle, dated 1/24/06 (BB?). Medium orange pour with a short cap of white head and some nice lacing ensued. Nose was heavily spiced with ginger and cinnamon... backed by some sweet toffee maltage. Flavor followed the aroma well, and had a spiced up Vienna feel to it. Alcohol was more and more pervasive as this warmed. Mouthfeel was slightly grainy, and light-medium bodied. Not bad.

"Oh well another average spiced beer. Poured a orange/coper color, average head with okay lacing. Aroma was of caramel malts cinnamon ginger and some other spice. Flavor was the same but had an off aftertaste. "