Great Lakes Christmas Ale

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

12oz bottle, best by date is unreadable but it’s a 2009 bottling. Cinnamon and ginger, easily 2 of my least favorite additions to malt and hops. Cinnamon is all I smell and candied ginger is all I taste. While not nearly as overspiced (IMO) as many Christmas beers, it could still benefit from a lighter spice addition.

when meade meets beer. tastes strongly of honey with malty background. sweet almost. drinkable. not a hopheads beer

Draft at a local restaurant. Reddish amber with a standard head. Big candy caramel aroma. Initially this comes across all caramel, but then some subtle spiciness works it’s way in eventually -- almost a cinnamon thing. Mellow and drinkable. (#3762, 12/5/2009)

On tap somewhere. Pours deep amber brown with a a rocky off white head. Aroma is very malty, mostly caramel and some sweet breadiness. Some very pronounced spices of cinnamon and ginger. Flavor is strongly spiced from start to finish, tons of ginger and cinnamon with a cake sweetness, sort of like ginger snaps. Not much of a hop presence, picking up mostly malt, sugars and spices. Medium body and a sharp carbonation. A bit too spicy for me in a christmas ale

Bottle into shaker at Sushi Rock. I really have to start asking to pour the beers myself because my waitress poured it flat as a board, wee womp. The aroma and taste was like a watered down version of Rogue Mogul Madness with less carbonation.

On tap at Sterling Tavern in Buffalo. Reddish pour with a white head. Very spicy, and it has a boozy feel to it. It’s a real "warmer"....kinda warms you when it’s going down. It’s hard to really describe this beer - not really hoppy or malty....just a nice warmer beer....spicy, very holiday taste...it was good, but not my favorite Great Lakes beer.

Enjoyed on tap and in bottles in a pub glass. The beer pours a fully dark amber color, with a small white head. Carbonation level is medium to slightly low, just about perfect. Aromas of cinnamon, holiday pie spices, and malt character come through in the nose, inviting the drinker to take a lusty sip. The palate has a strong malt note up front, followed by prevalent notes of the aforementioned spices. The finish has a slight fruity character that adds additional complexity, while maintaining a level of not-much-greater than background subtlety. Overall, a holiday classic that I look forward to each year.

I was given this beer in exchange for changing a girls oil and let me tell you it was totally worth it. this beer smells phenomenal, it looks awesome. The taste is fantastic. Spicy but well blended so its not overpowering yet still very strong. Awesome beer