Christian Moerlein Christkindl Winter Warmer - Christian Moerlein Brewing Company

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark copper liquid that pours with a fluffy head with nice retention. Plenty of lacing as the fluid level goes down. Aromas of pine, spices and apricot. Tastes of spice and citrus with some smoky caramel notes. This is a perfect quiet-night-by-the-fire beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 00:40:24 | More by keeganfrank

JustinAniello

Connecticut

2.83/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Poured nut brown with a one finger head. Dissipates to a nice lacing that sticks to the sides.

S - Light malt and spice aromas, a little bit of an odd smell in there, almost like silly putty.

T - Tastes much like it smells, mostly sweet malts and spice. Still, there is something off in it, like a plastic, though not as bad as the smell. Light hop bitterness in the background as well.

M - Light body with medium carbonation, decent for the style. Sticks to your mouth as well.

O - Not a bad beer, but something is just off with the flavor and aroma. If that oddity was gone, this would probably be pretty good. Would certainly not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 01:38:01 | More by JustinAniello

Tilley4

Tennessee

3.13/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice deep reddish appearance with a good head atop... Very rich looking....

Load of caramel malts... Almost like a Red Ale or something... This is very malt heavy with very little in the way of winter spices... Hmmm...

Lots of caramel maltiness here with a slight fruitiness on the finish... Perhaps cherry? Whatever it's just ok... Not nearly as deep and malty and spicy as I was hoping...

An average Winter Warmer really... Its loaded with malts and its pretty sweet but sort of weird on the finish...

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 00:07:34 | More by Tilley4

Brent

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Christian Moerlein has been putting out some quite good products of late, and I had high expectations for this winter warmer to let fly some creativity, as in the Northern Liberties. I was let down to find very little beyond a basic malt-centric ale, with some caramel and toffee, but not much else of interest.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 15:14:36 | More by Brent

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle. My first beer from this brewery.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is grass and some toffee, not really what I was expecting in this beer but not too bad. The flavor is similar, with a few differences. I get a lot of toffee and caramel malt, along with some grassy hops. The flavor is pretty sweet overall. For a beer dubbed "winter warmer," I was expecting some sort of spicing in the beer which I don't get. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. OK, but not very complex and not too exciting.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 02:33:51 | More by Mora2000

hosehead83

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a standard pint glass.
Amber/copper in color, with a rather short, off-white head of foam.
Aroma-Sweet, toasted malt
Taste-Toasted malt, spices, cinnamon, honey, some citrus zest. A bit unbalanced and rather flat. Overall, an average winter warmer considering all the competition.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 14:53:54 | More by hosehead83

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter on 12/8/10

Thanks to CruisaC

Fairly clear with copper, rust & thin plum hues. Poured a thin head of foam which dissipated in a brief amount of time, retreating to a collar & a skim across the top. Swirling helps temporarily but never holds. Small specks of lace.

Malts are at the heart of the aroma with a showing of baked cinnamon bread. Hints of dark fruit on the peripheries. Earthy, nay even grassy, hop overtones. The spice notes are well-centered. Very faint suggestion of yeast.

Hop & spice flavors turn the tables on those of malt. A hoppy kick leads off & is to be had throughout, albeit to a lesser degree. Spices are worked in; just the right amount. Bready malts are solid but well-seated, offering a nip of toastiness.

Wow, carbonation is high; it's almost like I was being attacked with the first sip. Surprising since the head was so thin. An aggressive swirl brought forth audible effervescence. Medium-full body save for a watery feel around the edges. Finishes with hints of hops & spice.

Christkindl starts to come together after it warms a good deal, opens up & the carbonation is reduced. Easy drinking; a nice winter warmer that isn't heavy on the booze.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 03:04:51 | More by Ryan011235

bamadog

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review is from notes taken on 12/5/2010 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a bold and brilliant orange/coppery color; starts with no head, just a thin skim and ring around the surface; body has great clarity and shows pretty strong carbonation; only a spot or 2 of lacing is left holding on to the sides of the glass.

Smell: An interesting blend of dry, toasty grains, sweet caramel malts and just a very faint hint of chocolate and winter warmer spiciness. Really nothing special here, and it comes across as very average.

Taste: Really matches to the nose to a "T" -- lots of the toasty graininess and sweet maltiness that have just a touch of caramel and chocolate; a bit of a spicy ho[p presence lingers in the back, but it's really the sweeter malts that own the aftertaste; really, not much of a winter warmer, but it tastes alright -- more reminiscent of some dortmunders that I've had.

Mouthfeel: Body is just a little lighter than medium and the carbonation is quite present and prickly, just shy of sharp; body is a little slick and there's a thin, semi-dry sticky coating left on the roof of the mouth; belly is actually left a little warm, which I find slightly odd as the ABV isn't too high.

Drinkability: Overall it's not bad, but not really a winter warmer IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 02:02:39 | More by bamadog

cincibrew

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance is a clear amber color, what starts as a fluffy head dissipates to a thin lacing, (unfortunately pretty standard of Moerlein). Smells somewhat malty and spicy, very inviting. Taste is right on for what I want in a winter beer, spicy and sweet. Finishes with almost a pretzel like aftertaste. Mouthfeel is great, perfect amount of carbonation to leave your tongue wanting more. Drinkability, all day long son.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 12:59:11 | More by cincibrew

alleykatking

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle. Thanks to Lukafer for sharing this one...review from notes.

A- Pours a clear amber brown color. Two finger off white head rises and takes a short while to die down. Nice streaky lacing all over the glass.

S- Not much going on per say. Sweet caramel malts in the front end blend with some light spicing. Nutmeg, and light clove is what I pick up on the most. Pretty much cut and dry in the aroma department.

T- Nice bready malts in the front of this. Lightly toasted to boot as it warms up I can taste more of. Light nutmeg and the like (spices) in the middle. Light hopping in the background make this one a little more complex than in the nose. Nothing over the top but still a little muted to be on par with most winter warmers.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Bready malts left on the palate with some light sweet alcohol flavor in the aftertaste. Flavors blended well but still a little on the weak side.

D- This has good drinkability for fact that this beer has muted flavor. I did enjoy what I had and I think if this was a little fresher I would have enjoyed it a little bit more. Will look for next season and rereview and change if score changes.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 01:36:40 | More by alleykatking

mynie

Indiana

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Traded for this at DLD. Pleased to see that it's a warmer in the warming sense, meaning that it's all boozy and shit. And, well, it's kinda a little chilly out tonight, and it's not like this beer is getting any fresher, so let's try and warm ourselves up.

Pours pretty. Maybe a little light and ambery for the style, but it's a pretty shade of dark orange and it's capped with a really nice, large rocky head.

Smells like nuts and caramel. If I didn't know better I'd say this was a middle of the road brown ale. Not at all what I expect from a warmer, though not bad. And as it warms it gets a little more toasty and alcoholic.

Tastes dangerously smooth. Very sweet caramel starts like off, getting gradually sweet until it tastes like a honey soaked biscuit and then it ends on a medium-stength node of spice and alcoholic yeast.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 03:41:16 | More by mynie

hayesez

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to FtownThrowDown for stuffing this one into a recent trade.

Poured into a Rose-Hulman pint glass. A rich caramel colored beer with a one inch bubbly head. This quickly retreated to a 3-D scattered frothy cap over the top of the brew. The surface looks remarkably similar to the moon bars my mom used to make. A clear beer that shines a bright amber when held up to the light. Very little lacing left throughout the drink.

Has a spicy and malty smell to it. Caramel is present as well as a tiny bit of citrusy sweetness. Perhaps a touch of apple in there too.

The taste on this guy caught me a little off guard. A very medium body with low carbonation and not a lot of bite (alcohol or bitterness) on the end. A very malty brew that covers the sweet caramel taste that is buried deep down. A bit of nuttiness, but I'm not tracking down the spiciness I detected in the smell. Finishes with that touch of apple that was present in the nose.

A fairly drinkable beer, although the finish left a bit to be desired. A very nice looking beer the sure went down smoothly!

Consumed: 3/7/2010

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 04:41:39 | More by hayesez

BeerVikingSailor

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes, 12 oz bottle poured into tulip, sixer holiday gift from old friend Mike in Cincy! Thanks, dude!

Had collected quite a number of Christmas / winter warmer style beers over the holidays, and took lots of review notes....

Overall I really liked this one, very easy drinking, make me reminince a bit as I used to get Christian Moerlein beer in my area a lot years ago, but not now for some reason!

Appearance is good, nice clear ruby brown, small head and some lacing, not bad....

Smell is very sweetly malty up front, small bit of spices lingering, not overwhelming at all, nice rep. of this style....

Taste is great, goes down easy, not too heavy like many winter warmers....bready toasted malt and just a background of hops and spices....taste is more complex upon letting this beer warm a little...nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel is good also, carbonation is spot on, clean and crisp, could consume more than one of these at a setting easily...wish I had more!

Overall, a nice holiday beer from yet another Ohio beer, with storied history from the brewery!
Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 16:08:40 | More by BeerVikingSailor

beerman207

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice dark reddish brown into the glass and leaves a huge head that leads to a beautiful lace on the glass. Impressive.

S: Smell is honey, nutmeg, clover, and some faint citrus.

T: The taste has some sweet bitterness along with honey and some spiciness in the backend.

M: Smooth and creamy. Very good.

D: I would have to say this is in the top 3 for winter warmers. Another fantastic offering from Moerlein. I still think that 12 dogs of xmas is my favorite thus far and that beer doesn't show as well as it should in the ratings here.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2009 02:11:03 | More by beerman207

Infamous7100

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours an amber color into my snifter. About a one finger head.
S: Very malty, some spice and a hint of chocolate. The hops and alcohol are hidden well.
T: Everything blends perfectly. The sweet malts and hops play off each other perfectly and allow the spice and chocolate to come through. Little to no boozy flavor or alcohol burn that is associated with this style of beer.
M: Medium carbonation, not too heavy.
D: Outstanding. Generally this style of beer is a one and done and something to savor. This beer is certainly something to savor, but you could have a few easily.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2009 22:25:02 | More by Infamous7100

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, bright but deep amber body with a modest, off-white head. Tis' the season!

Smell: Malts display moderate scents of toasted bread and nuts while the hops give off some earthy, spicy notes.

Taste: Pale malts with some toasty, biscuity, and even nutty hints and a relatively light sweetness. Faint hint of fruitiness. Earthy, spicy hops impart no more than a light bitterness. It effectively finishes crisp and dry with a bit of those spicy hops riding out into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: It's all kinds of okay! This one makes for simple, easy drinking for wintertime or really any time of the year.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2009 05:15:08 | More by ChainGangGuy

brewmudgeon

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

christian moerlein christkindle winter warmer

4 clear amber brown, leaves ring and jagged lace.
4 very malty smell, caramel, bocklike
4 malt-forward toasted caramel taste, somewhat tangy, maybe some dark fruits (touch of aleness in what otherwise seems like a nice bock?) enough bitterness, some of it from hops, to clean up the finish but there is a lingering pleasant toastiness.
4 solid medium to medium-full body
4 a better bock than most actual bocks i've had. a bockale? maybe in between bock and amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 19:18:33 | More by brewmudgeon

bluejacket74

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle purchased at either Party Source or Jungle Jim's, I forget which place I bought this at. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a reddish/amber color with a half inch off-white head. Head retention is average, lacing is good. It smells like toasted malt, brown sugar, and a bit of ginger. The taste is spicy, it tastes like ginger, nutmeg, toasted malt, brown sugar and some earthy hops. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's oily and slick, and also has decent carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's smooth and easy to drink. I think it's a pretty decent winter warmer, I'd definitely buy this again in the future. It's another good all-around Christian Moerlein brew!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 00:41:00 | More by bluejacket74

mobyfann

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Paid $19.99 for a case at Jungle Jim's...

The beer pours a bubbly amber colored base with a 1/2" white head, excellent head retention and nice lacing effects on the glass. The aroma is a well-blended mix of sweet caramel malts, floral hops and a touch cardamom.

The taste is very smooth and tasty. Hops are noticeable first with a rebound in lemons and anise with a sweet and malty finish, excellent combination. Very smooth in the mouth and at any abv it's a clear winner of a brew.

Final Thought: This beer rocks the house, even four months after it was picked up last fall. Also, the best CM brew known to date with OTR and Hefeweizen at a close second.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 00:14:25 | More by mobyfann

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle. Pours a darker amber color. Thin off-white head trickles down to a thin ring almost immediately.

Pretty clean aroma, a bit of toasty malt with some caramel. A faint hint of chocolate in the background. A bit of floral and earthy hops finish things off.

A bit of caramel malt up front, with a hint of chocolate. Nice balance of earthy hop bitterness. Very simple. Perhaps a bit of citrusy bitterness in the end.

Just a slight hint of warming. Medium body, ample carbonation. Pretty simple all over. One of the better ones from Moerlein.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 14:36:20 | More by Bierguy5

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up this bottle on my last trip to Ohio. I really did not care for it the first couple times I tried it, but I had better results this time. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 12/18/2008.

The pour was decent. A rich dark amber color was evident right away. Rich looking color but with only a small, token head of lace on top that really did not do much to excite me in any way. Little in the way of side glass lacing as well.

The aroma was rich though. Very nice caramel malt profile wit hints of bready touches and a nice overall profile to it. Intresting flavor as the smooth malt character took the center stage here and really showed off quite well. Decent sweetness to it with really no alcohol in it what so ever.

Overall a decent winter beer with a rich malty flavor and a smooth, easy drinkability. I would have no trouble trying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 01:33:24 | More by mikesgroove

BlackBearForge

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep clear coppery amber with a nice off white head fading quickly leaving creamy lacing around the edges.

The aroma was quite strong initially, strong malts and citrus, caramel and vanilla.

Taste is quite a bit more hoppy and bitter than I expected. A big bready butterscotch malt fills the mouth with the strong hop bitter finish with hints of spicing as well with a bit of alcohol warmth as well. I'm expecting even better as it warms!

Mouthfeel is medium, slick and smooth, quite oily with a moderate amount of carbonation.

A very good beer, hoppier than expected, kinda reminds me of Celebration in that respect for a Winter offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2008 00:40:39 | More by BlackBearForge

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber in color with a nice inch of frothy head. Head quickly recedes to a ring around the top of the glass. Smell is spice and malty. There is a definite "winter" scent in this beer. Almost a mint and pine smell. Smells refreshing. Taste is more hops than I was expecting. This is a good beer. Nice crisp mouthfeel. Just may be my favorite offering from Moerlein.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2008 00:28:48 | More by FtownThrowDown

tayner

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, no date

Crystal clear dark amber/maple syrup color with a off white foam head that holds up well for a long time and laces good.

smells of sweet malt and floral hops.

From the smell i expected a hop hit at the beginning which i did not get. I got sweet malt, caramel maybe, and almost a nutmeg quality to it. It has a mid palate and finish of peppery hoppiness that cuts through the sweetness with ease.

Feels crisp and clean in my mouth without feeling watery.

It seems a little warming, but not making me sweat like some winter warmers do here in Arizona, so that is a plus for me. I think i could knock back a few of these in a sitting before i would get weighed down. This is a very nice winter warmer, light on the spice flavor (not overly done like alot of them), but not light on taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2008 01:11:48 | More by tayner

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A fairly standard, yet solid winter warmer. Pours a medium brown color with ruby highlights. Allows a large froathy head to rise above the glass, and hangs on for nice lacing. The maltiness dominates the brew, landing somewhere between Bock complex toasted malts and an Amber caramel sweetness. Throw in some Brown Ale nuttiness and hint of cocoa and this beer begins to show some good, complex flavors. Spicy, pine-ey hops give the beer a fresh, minty quality and well as a crisp, resin taste that keeps the malts from becoming over-bearing. Medium weighted, but bigger on flavor. The beer is not likely to have any additional spices --just letting the hops do it all. Finishes with a balanced note of toasted malts and refreshing hops. Truely what is expected from the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2007 14:02:56 | More by BEERchitect