Great Lakes Christmas Ale

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

Second x-mas beer of the evening. I like this one. The color is nice (copper) and the bubbles are large and numerous. I found the aroma lite but you could detect some spice (ginger?), honey, and sweetness. The flavor was sweet and malty at first but moved on to some more subtle complexities (though very lite) with honey influences and spicyness. Good mouth feel. Sweet and hoppy finish combine. A good christmas beverage.

Bottle. Pours a nice moderate, rolling head, but light retention and no lacing. Very nice clear copper color. Little nose, esp for a spiced ale, but some sharp spicy notes that may be more hops than spice. Hot on the tongue then a nice malty finish, followed by more alcohol heat. I would guess this as being higher in alcohol. Maybe the ginger used adds some heat. Nice trace of cinnamon late. Improves with time. Nice winter warmer, almost too warming.

Amber/orange color with an initial whiteish head that had some good lacing. MMMM ginger bread cookie, like a girl scout cookie with cinamon sprinkled all over it. Smooth feeling beer. Nutmeg, ginger bread, cinamon, some sugary sweetness. Very tasty. This is a perfect beer for opening presents on Chirstmas morning. HO HO HO!

2003 Nice light amber orange with little or no head. Ginger perfumy nose with toffee and black tea(earl grey). Med weight w/sweet throughout adn lingering finish. Earl grey, light sparkle and toffee/carmel on the palate. Not bad but a bit past it’s prime.

Beautiful clear ruby amber with a thick off-white head. Aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon, nice. Taste is not quite as good as the aroma but adds a solid dose of spices like ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg wrapped up in some vicks cough syrup. Also some dark fruit, caramel, brown sugar and toasty malts. Medium body and very smooth with subtle carbonation. Good head retention. Nice brew.

Pours deep yellow. Slight tan head. Nose is fruity. Ginger. Flavor is of Belgian candi sugar. Bitter mouthfeel. Strong lingering finish.

on tap, would like to try a bottle of this great beer. Great lakes does it again.

Very lovely red-amber color. Big head leaves little spots of lace. Nose is spicy--cinnamon mostly with hints of ginger and nutmeg--with just a bit of hops and some fruity notes as well. Medium bodied and full-flavored with gently assertive carbonation. Slightly fruity with some caramel notes with a strange spicy sort of (very mildly) soapy note. One of the best spiced beers I’ve ever had.