Great Lakes Brewing Co. "Christmas Ale"
Great Lakes Brewing Co.
“Christmas Ale”
Cleveland, OH
From The Brewery
Style: Holiday Ale
Family Status: The yuletide merrymaker
Availability: November–December
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 30
GRAVITY: 17˚P
Review
Appearance: It pours a copper red, with a thin white head, that doesn’t stay for too long, but is brought back with a swirl of the glass.
Smell: Sweet malt and the spice combo of cinnamon and nutmeg, along with a faint linger hops.
Taste: A tasty winter beer – it tastes like Christmas. Big “holiday spice” – cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, with sweetness of honey and malts. A bit of esters and heat; warms nicely. Still maintains being a solid, balanced beer without being overboard on the spices.
Mouthfeel: Big, thick and creamy – coats the whole thing.
Drinkability:High for the ABV – very seasonally high, as in I would not want one in July, in which an Imperial Russian Stout is never out of the question. This beer is perfect execution
Notes: This beer tastes like Christmas – period. Dangerously drinkable; especially at a holiday party. I really love honey in and of it’s self; especially in beers, especially when stylistically applicable, but also when it is used to push the boundaries of ABV. Even if the FG says all of the honey ferments out, I still detect lingering sweetness, which comes through nicely here.
