Marin Hoppy Holidaze Ale

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Larkspur, California USA

Contrary to the name, not all that hoppy. It was still slightly bitter with a smooth, sweet finish. Delicious egnogg like flavors. The vanilla and nutmeg really come through for a tasty treat. If a beer could taste like eggnog, this is it. I’m buying more.

Happy Holidaze pours to a beautiful caramel color with a creamy slight tan head, and a moderate amount of carbonation. The nose of this beer is truly joyful. Aromas of sweet malt and spicy hops, marry with a melange of spices, such a cinnamon, nutmeg, with a nice underpinning of vanilla. The palate is rich and delicious with lots of sweet, pale, and caramel malt flavors. This is paired with a nice back drop of nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and vanilla flavor. Hoppy Holidaze finishes with more great sweet malty flavors up front, then ends with slightly warming, slightly zesty hop bitter, and melange of spices finish. This is a fantastic spiced ale that really features those wonderful spices used so often during the holiday season. The notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, and vanilla can be found in nose, palate, and finish of this beer, and the use of these spices fills one with a sense of holiday cheer. I was very impressed with this beer, it is akin to drinking a slice of mice meat pie. This beer makes the perfect holiday brew to sip and savor with its sweet maltiness, and slightly warming alcohol burn.

The aroma is lightly spiced with cinammon, nutmeg and aslo holds a mint and juju bees candy aroma. After a couple of sips the inital thought of mine was that this was a heavily spiced ale because i could feel the spice from the inside my throat. Wide varities of flavors interact with the aroma unmasking signs of spice, ginger root, nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon, hazelnut, and only the slightest touch of orange. A nice holiday ale i will sure pick up again.

Medium gold/copper color. Small head. Aroma is fruity, mango and apricot, A medium bodied Christmas ale. Brewed with Pale, wheat, caramel, and Munich malts. Hopped with Magnum and Styrian golding varieties. Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, orange peel and vanilla extract. That said this ale has a slightly sweet maltyness. Hops are evident but not overpowering. There is a definite fruitiness and spiciness to this beer. Orange, grapefruit and nutmeg and cinnamon. The vanilla is not very evident. Smooth taste. Kind of warming. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth/ Aftertaste is slightly bitter, Not much of an alcohol bite at 7.5%. Etched/Painted beer bottle.

Dark gold color with a quickly reducing head. Very interesting aroma of spice and delicate hops. Almost apricot. A unique and beautiful beer.

A very nice beer. Not what I would consider to be a normal winter brew. It does have nice cinnamon and nutmeg flavor that very nice. Overall its a nice ale with good hoppy flavoring. Pooring is carmel brown.

2003 bottle,I have to Thank Flipbrewer for sending this fine brew my way.Good orange/amber color,small white head that left a faint lace behind.Floral hop aroma,malt and light spice and even something that smells like shaving cream.The flavor was very nice,malty and wheaty with a decent citrus side and nicely hopped with the spice being done in a very nice amount.Nicely sweet as well with the spice and hops becoming a little more pronounced as it warms.The after taste is sweet citrus and spice.Very nice brew and a bit under rated IMO.Well worth trying again if i could manage to talk flip out of another some time.

Foggy light amber hue, with no head. Nutmeg mixed with a barleywine that is well hopped is the aroma to me. This is up there for me as far as holiday brews go! Like OSA & Winter Solstice, but more complex and just better in general.