Thunder Canyon Ornament Ale

Brewed by Thunder Canyon Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Tucson, Arizona USA

Smells more like Christmas than any other Christmas beer I’ve ever had. That is because it is LOADED with spices, almost to the point of being overwhelming. The high sweetness seems to balance out the spice a bit.

Draft at Papago Brewing in Scottsdale, AZ. Slightly hazy orange-brown color with a thin off white head. Smelled of allspice, cinnamon, and candy cane. Flavor was similar to the aroma; apple, cinnamon, orange, and allspice. Spicy, spicy, spicy.

On tap at TCB - Pours a clear amber color with a small off white head. Has a big cinnamon aroma. Can’t smell anything else. Flavor is also big cinnamon and spice. Light to medium body. The spices hang on the palate. A decent seasonal.

Tap at brewery. Cinnamon aroma doninates this brew. Dark amber body with tan head. Flavor is all cinnamon and maybe to much of a malt presence little heavy on the palate. In line with most holiday brews. Glad thay just tapped it at the brewery everytime I was at Papago last year this beer went fast and was out.

Wow, this has to be a prototype for what a low alcohol Holiday beer should be. Lots of spices in the flavor and aroma, especially high in cinnamon. The beer was a nice brown color. Low in alcohol but big in flavor. Even though it has a lot of spice it is well balanced and you can drink glass after glass.

Sampled at the Brewpub
This beer sits in my glass a brilliantly clear, orangish tinged, amber colored brew. It is topped by a wispy pale tan colored head. The aroma is quite pronounced and redolent of baking spices. Cinnamon takes the lead role here, in fact the aroma reminds me of an atomic fireball jaw-breaker; the cinnamon pretty much drowns out any other aromatic notes.

The beer is lightly sweet, but more importantly the cinnamon is again the single largest flavor contributor. This makes this beer quite reminiscent of a cinnamon candy. Underneath are faint hints of malt (perhaps some caramel), maybe just a light dusting of herbal hops, along with a light bitterness in the finish. Despite the heavy handed cinnamon notes, I am actually enjoying this; it is an easily quaffable brew and I find that I am somewhat partial to the flavor.

Semi-dark reddish-brown color. Pleasant floral spicy nutmeg aroma. Light body, fairly smooth mouthfeel. Not an overbearing seasonal, a little too much on the nutmeg and ginger. Expected a more creamy flavor more body and balance. It does leave me a dry and wintery feeling though.

Draught @ Papago - Release 2004 The beer fresh from the tap a deep amber color with a creamy head that is modest in size and light tan in color, the lace a thick and clinging sheet that weld itself to the glass. The nose is cinnamon and nutmeg, coriander and sweet malt, quite a sweet treat for the nose. Start is sweet and thick with malt, the top middling in feel. Finish is mildly acidic and the personable in their spiciness, decent dry aftertaste and a nice change of pace.