I know that the multitudes of you who read this homebrewing and beer blog of mine have been eagerly awaiting the promised post about all the Christmas and winter themed beers I bought back in November and December to drink and write about. I took careful notes of each and soon found that drinking a thick, high alcohol, spiced beer every other day or so got tired fast, and so it drug out longer than expected, and then I didn't care to write about them. But I promised! And I found a use for a little journal my mother-in-law gave to me for my birthday! So now I'm going to write this thing and post it so you all can gain from the beer drinking pain I endured. The Dude Abides.
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| The first beers I bought for this tasting experience, about 2/3 of the total beers I tried. |
I'll try to be as detailed yet brief as possible in each description. I have a picture of each beer poured into a clear glass and taken with its bottle. Most but not all bottles listed the ABV of the brew, and my wife Lauren tasted many but not all, giving her impression of the sudsy quaff.
Let the Christmas Parade of Beers begin! (Presented in chronological order of consumption.)
Beer: Bell's Christmas Ale ABV ??%
Label Message: "From our fields to your holiday. A malt driven ale, made with 100% Michigan grown two-row barley malt and a mix of Michigan and Northwest Pacific hops. A bit of cheer from the north country, sure to make any occasion festive."
Notes: Good spicy aroma with a coppery color and head, and the foam lasted a while. The taste was smooth and not too sharp. I think this was bottle conditioned as there was yeast in suspension. It had medium body with a decently sharp aftertaste that complemented and did not overwhelm the foretaste. Bell's knows what it's doing with this seasonal batch.
Lauren says: "Mmmm... I like it a lot! Reminds me of Christmas and celebration. A lively, happy celebration in my mouth."
Beer: Breckenridge Christmas Ale ABV 7.4%
Label Message: none
Notes: Deep amber/coppery color. Good head formation that lasted a while. The aroma was spiced and even and not too overpowering. It had a smooth body with a spicy taste that was sharp but not biting. A quality brew from a good company.
Lauren says: "Smells like chocoaltey-syrupy good. Tastes like ginger, hardly bitter, and smooth."
Beer: Anderson Valley Winer Solstice Seasonal Ale ABV 6.9%
Label Message: Brilliantly clear dark copper color with a dense tan head. Caramelized malty and spicy aromas redolent of cinnamon, allspice, black currant, and black licorice. Pleasantly creamy, with a silky body, sweet caramel flavor, hints of seasonal spices and a clean, malty finish.
Notes: Good head formation but it dissipated quickly. Spices not strong in aroma. Good amber color. Smooth subtle flavor, kind of sweet, but not overly memorable. Wasn't the best, and I don't have a history with this craft brewer, so can't remark on it as an example of their regular beers.
Lauren says: "Nutmeg; don't like it. Too bitter, there's a zing to it. This is for more of a sophisticated palate."
Beer: Southern Tier 2XMAS ABV 8.0%
Label Message: Ale brewed with figs, orange peels and spices. 2 varieties of hops and 4 types of malts.
Notes: Good head formation but lower head retention. Amber/copper in color with a strong spiced and fruity aroma. Smooth flavor with slight spiciness at the end. Overall a good beer from this solid craft brewer. I liked it!
Lauren says: "Smells like cranberry, like strawberry, something fresh. Figgy, like beer-pink/magenta. Fruity taste."
Beer: Rogue Ales Santa's Private Reserve ABV ??%
Label Message: None.
Notes: Poured out a strong head that was long-lasting. The spiciness pleasantly complemented the hoppiness in the taste. The aroma wasn't too strong and nicely subtle. It had good amber color and was not overly filtered, which is a plus to me. Its finish was reminiscent of Dead Guy, one of my go-to craft beer ales, also from Rogue. I'm not that familiar with their brews outside of Dead Guy, and this was a pleasant surprise that Rogue Ales knows what it's doing outside of it's basic beer.
Lauren says: "Smells like Great Lakes Christmas Ale! Like (GL) Christmas Ale with a bigger bite and fiercer sting. Greater depth of flavor. Like GLCA on crack."
Beer: Bison Brewing Organic Gingerbread Ale ABV 6.0%
Label Message: None.
Notes: This one had a good aroma, but the flavor was weak and the body barely could be called medium. This was my first true disappointment in this testing. I think they were attempting a porter, but the flavor and body were too weak truly be called a porter. Better luck next brew, Bison Brewing.
Lauren says: She didn't want to try this one.
Beer: Abita Christmas Ale ABV ??%
Label Message: Each year at the Abita Brewery we craft a special dark ale for the holiday season. Each year the recipe changes so that Abita Christmas Ale is always the perfect gift.
Notes: This brew had a nice dark color and good foam formation. It tasted typically "beer-y" but nothing of it really stood out, and I don't consider it heavy enough for a winter beer. A couple years ago I bought a 12-pack sampler of Abita, having never had any of their beers before, and I wasn't wowed by anything of there's. They make adequate beer, but nothing truly outstanding.
Lauren says: "I smell flowers, especially roses. Foamy, but beer is smooth with lighter body. Refreshing, summery." [Ed.: Not exactly an appropriate description for a Christmas-time beer.]
Beer: Great Divide Hibernation Ale ABV 8.7%
Label Message: Hibernation Ale has been our celebrated winter tradition since 1995. This robust, dry-hopped ale has a malty richness balanced with a complex hop profile and hearty, warming character.
Notes: As can be seen in the above photo, this one also had good head formation (also due to my pouring as I was trying to get decent head without under- or overdoing it). The aroma was light in spice and not too strong. However, this was overall an unmemorable beer (as that's the end of my notes) and I was disappointed with it. I've had and heard of good things from Great Divide, but this will not be one of those.
Lauren says: "Smells like that other one, like vanilla. Yuck, don't like that one [Hibernation Ale], tastes like cigar, like light roast coffee." Editor's note: A friend had brought over a bomber of Dragon's milk the previous weekend to share while hanging out during an afternoon of brewing. We tried it and Lauren took a sip of my sample, so that's to what she's referring here.
Beer: The Brew Kettle Winter Warmer Spiced Christmas Ale ABV 8.0%
Label Message: Tis the Seasonal! A spiced Holiday ale brewed with cinnamon, ginger, orange & lemon peel and a sleigh load of honey.
Notes: This one had a nice amber/copper color and a strong aroma I couldn't quite place. It's flavor was sharp but not outstanding. I don't remember hating it, just that it wasn't impressive.
Lauren says: "I'm not gonna... that's like leather." [She only smelled it.]
Beer: Tröegs The Mad Elf Ale ABV 11%
Label Message: none
Notes: There's a little history with this brew. I made the majority and first of my purchases for this project from Sav-On Tobacco and Beverage in Mentor and a bottle of this was on display when I was there buying, but wasn't for sale yet. I was told their shipment of it would arrive that Thursday and I could come back for a tasting that night. I don't live too close to Mentor just to drive out there for one bottle of beer, so I asked a coworker who does live out there to pick one up for me. It took him two weeks to secure a bottle for me, as well as one for himself, which he drank as soon as he got home and told me all about it the next day. So this beer had a build up and didn't exactly live up to what I was led to expect.
It had a deep amber color with a head that formed nicely but dissipated quickly. Being quite alcoholic the ethanol smell competed with the spice in the overall aroma. The flavor, however, was quite pervasive and enjoyable if not quite as good as I was led to believe. I liked it, but could've done without the buildup.
Lauren says: Did not try this one.
Beer: Weyerbacher Winter Ale ABV 5.6%
Label Message: none
Notes: A nice dark color and good head formation greeted me when pouring it into a clear glass. The spiced aroma was pleasant and expected for a holiday brew. However, the flavor was simple, not interesting or complex, and the body was watery. Another thumbs down, unfortunately.
Lauren says: Did not try this one.
Beer: Columbus Brewing Company Winter Warmer ABV ??%
Label Message: Holiday Ale Brewed with Spices
Notes: Good! I enjoyed this one but the best I can say of it was that it reminded of the hometown pride Great Lakes Christmas Ale. At this point I was getting tired of drinking all these holiday beers and didn't put much effort into tasting and noting this beer. This one wasn't a disappointment, just came along when I discovered that there can be too much of a good thing.
Lauren says: Did not try it.
Beer: Lakefront Brewery Holiday Spice Lager Beer ABV ??%
Label Message: Brewed with honey, oranges, cinnamon, nutmeg & <something>
Notes: This one had good head formation and retention with a nice coppery amber color. It had a light, lager-y aroma with an obvious spiciness that was a bit sharp. The flavor was overloaded with spice, like it was trying to hard. Overall I wasn't impressed. It tasted desperate and unsure of itself. No subtlety. Wasn't a fan, and wouldn't pick it up again.
Lauren says: "Honey smell, but tastes very alcohol-y and reminds me of sake. I like the spices, though." [Ed. note: Lauren does not care for sake.]
Beer: Anchor Brewing 2012 Merry Christmas Happy New Year ABV 5.5%
Label Message: (On the neck) This is the thirty-eighth "Our Special Ale" from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only from early November to mid-January. The Ale's recipe is different every year, as is the tree on the label, but the intent with which we offer is remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, tree have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its season, appears born anew. [Ed. I didn't take a good enough picture of the neck label but found it online. Yay internet!]
Notes: I found this one at the local Dave's Marketplace sometime in February and picked it up to add it to the list of beers to taste. It was a nice dark color with good head formation that took a while to dissipate. It's aroma was subtle as was it's flavor. I suspect the bottle may have been a little old and maybe had sat on the shelf for a while, but these types of beers usually can withstand that. I liked it even though it didn't really stand out. I'll keep an eye out for 2013's batch.
Lauren says: Did not try it.
Beer: Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale ABV 8.3%
Label Message: none
Notes: I saved this one for last, before tasting the local Great Lakes Christmas Ale because I've heard good things. At this point I had really slowed down on my drinking of these beers because I was getting sick of them, frankly. But this did not disappoint!
With a nice copper/amber color and good aroma, I enjoyed every drop of this and will definitely be picking up more this winter. The body was solid without being heavy and the flavor complemented all of this to make a quality beer and a great one to keep until the end. I generally like Thirsty Dog's brews and this one did not disappoint.
Lauren says: "I like it! It's really good. Tastes like [GLBC] Christmas Ale without being overpowering. Some [previous winter themed beers] were super piney. This is a nice, mild taste that is Christmastime. Not over- or understated."
Beer: Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale ABV 7.5%
Label Message: This is a long one. On the neck: "Oh Christmas beer, Oh Christmas beer, spiced with cinnamon, ginger, honey and yuletide cheer... Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, recycle it to make nutrient-rich mulch for plant growth. (Okay, it doesn't really rhyme, but it's pretty important to us.)" And on the main label: "Our full-bodied, spirited ale is as festive as the season. It's copper color and flavorful taste are a combination of cinnamon, giner, and honey, so we ask you 'savor the flavor, responsibly'. This beer is traditionally brewed from all natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast, and water. No chemicals or preservatives are used."
Notes: It's July 3 as I write this. I bought two six-packs this winter and have been nursing them all year, but haven't bothered to drink and note a bottle until now. I generally like GLBC Christmas Ale, but tonight's bottle wasn't as great as they usually are. The head formation could have been better and it dissipated fast. The head formation could have been due to a too gentle of pour. But the copper color was as good as ever, and the sweet, spiced aroma was matched only by the sweet, spiced flavor and full body that wasn't too heavy. People have asked me how I can drink this beer in the summer. I ask them, how can you not? It's delicious, perfectly stated, and always a treat. For those who live outside the distribution region you have no idea what you're missing, but you might have your own favorite local craft beers.
Lauren says: Lauren wasn't around to comment on this, but I knew she generally likes GBLC Christmas Ale.
And that's that. Seven months after I started the project I meant to finish by January 6 I finally complete it. Lesson learned: never have too much of one style of beer in a short period. This is one of the reasons I brew 1-gal batches, and it's a good way to be. I don't know if I'll get to brew a winter beer this year. I've got another IPA recipe with grains and hops ready to go, Lauren wants to brew a milk stout which we'll do in August, and for the fall I want to do two pumpkin beers, the porter again but with the spices tuned down and the pumpkin tuned up, and a brown ale with pumpkin and brown sugar.
I've tasted other first-time-for-me beers since finishing this project and plan to make entries for them. I also purchased the Sam Adams Hopology IPA sampler pack, two bottles of six varieties of beers all hopped up IPA-style. I've drank each of them once now without taking too close attention to them so the first taste wasn't drowned out by too deep of thinking about them, and when I drink the second bottle of them I'll take notes and have Lauren taste and smell the to get her take.
What's your favorite beer theme?
Until then friends, happy brewing!
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