Shiner Holiday Cheer - Spoetzl Brewery

lanechaffin

Texas

5/5  rDev +42.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

If you're from Texas, or you have a special place for Hill Country peaches and Texas pecans, and Shiner, you're gonna love this beer. It pours out dark amber, has a wonderful peach aroma and just the right amount of bitterness. I like it better than the Hefe Shiner makes, but its kind of like that the first time you drink it you know you're getting something different, and something good. Like the hefe, it is fairly high ABV, you wouldn't really know it though as smooth as it goes down. Who said they could only drink two of these in a session, lmao.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 00:05:38 | More by lanechaffin

rjr8

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +36.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer looks absolutely delicious. A nice darker beer with red hues very appetizing to me.

It smells heavily of peaches and is just very unique to me, its a lovely fruity flavor which I feel is very well suited to a Christmas ale. It's a very nice change from the usual (though delicious) culprits (nutmeg, cherries, cinnamon, ect) that are in Christmas ales.

The taste is a tad too fruity for me, it is very delicious though (this comin from a guy who loathes peaches). I like my Christmas ales with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and while I love the aroma I wish I could taste a little more of these spices.

Mouthfeel is excellent, very smooth.

Even though its not a traditional Christmas ale (in my eyes) it is a very unique and delicious change. Add some cinnamon/cardamom and nutmeg and this guy would be perfect.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 21:58:31 | More by rjr8

rexbock

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +32.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured thicker than anticipated, which was a welcome revelation compared to previous renditions of SHC.
S - The creamy brown sugar, caramel, and peachy notes can knock your socks off if you're not careful. Very forward with smell, but doesn't overwhelm.
T - Such a wonderful departure from the previous version of SHC. Mild, but thick warm-your-fireplace-and-get-those-chesnuts-roasting start. I was so much caught off guard by the new flavor that I had to have another to assure myself I wasn't dreaming. Sweet, peachy, dessert notes to start with a wooden, nutty finish thanks to the pecan.
M - Deceivingly smooth and complex. I cannot attribute the carbonation to my pour, the bottling, or coincidence, but the lightness of it was surprising.
O - I was monumentally surprised at the changes in SHC for '11. It was a delight. It was impressive and will replace all other cozy, holiday beverages in my household.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:13:30 | More by rexbock

OverToad

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bought a case of this at the Sam's in Grapevine, TX.

I thought at first after reading the label I might be turned off by peaches. I don't know if it's the batch I bought or not, but I can't really detect any peaches in it or it could be just a great balance that I can't detect it.

It pours a great color of a deep red.

Smell is very good which reminds me of Shiner.

Taste is very good. I like this brew best out of all the Shiner beers. Very crisp with spices.

I knocked out two of these right off the bat. Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2008 00:20:40 | More by OverToad

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A dunkelweizen brewed with fresh Texas peaches and pecans...interesting. Pours a brilliantly clear ruby color with a thin light beige head that fades pretty rapidly. It's a decent looking beer, but nothing too special.

The aroma on this beer is absolutely wonderful. The peaches really shine through and smell fresh and bright. A bit of nutty maltiness is detectable, but not sure I can actually pick out any pecan aroma.

Mmmmm, delicious. Nutty sweet malts come out to play a bit more in the flavor with the peaches still being highly prominent. Pecan flavor is definitely noticeable if you are looking for it. Tangy, sweet, tart and crisp are all good descriptors here.

This is a love it or hate it kind of beer. I am not a huge Shiner fan, but I really dig this beer. They really stepped out of their comfort zone with this one, and I could not be happier they did so. An odd choice for a holiday beer? Yes. But is it delicious? Hell yea, damn near chuggable. I freaking went through over a case of this and hope they release it again next year. Important to note that it does not age well, as it really loses the peachy brightness of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 13:59:57 | More by twiggamortis420

beeragent

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a glass from a 12oz bottle.

A - The beer pours a deep amber, forming a good 1 inch head, leaving light spots of lace that slide down the glass.

S - Strong peach aroma dominates the nose. Detection of anything else is minimal.

T - Strong taste of peach up front, followed by a hint of wheat malt, and a very noticeable nutty finish in the flavor. Highly enjoyable!

M - Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel and good carbonation.

D - Great flavor, low alcohol, and smooth drinkability makes this a very holiday sessionable ale. With that said, its almost impossible to view this as a dunkelweizen. I dont see many traits of a dunkelweizen in this beer, and IMO should be considered a fruit beer. Highly drinkable and delicious!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 01:45:04 | More by beeragent

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.43/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The ratings given above are of the most recent tasting

Review of 12-4-2002
AP: 4.0, AR: 4.5, F: 4.5, MF: 4.0, OA: 4.5

I think they changed the recipe since 2009 because I really like this tasting (and I didn't like this beer when I had it in 2009).

The aroma is very fruity (definitely some ripe peaches) and some wheaty malt goodness.

Appearance has changed. This is now a shade lighter than Shiner Bock (rather than darker back in 2009).

Flavor is fantastic. Yes, there are peaches (ripe juicy ones) and pecans, but there is also some faint spiciness, and some heffeweizen-ish twang. Rich and sweet but not overly so. Pecan and peaches are noticeable in the finish. Not much hops but maybe a smidgen of cloves and cinnamon.

Mouthfeel is much improved. Smooth and NOT over carbonated (as it was back in 2009).

Overall, this is one of the best beers I have had from Shiner in some time. I don't know what they did to the recipe (or if the 2009 tasting was from a bad batch), but I like this beer in 2021! This beer should get the "Most Improved" award for sure.

Review of 12-6-2009
AP: 4.0, AR 3.5, F 3.0, MF 2.0 OA 2.5
This is a strange beer. I've liked Shiner's winter seasonals in the past, and I generally like fruit beers, but this one doesn't quite work for me.

Pretty mahogany brown brew with little head. Clear, a shade darker than Shiner Bock.

Aroma is faint, maybe some peaches. The flavor to me is sorta confused, and is further thrown off by the excessive carbonation. Maybe there is twinge of peaches (more in the aftertaste though), roasted malt. The bottle says there are pecans in it, but I can't taste them. Maybe a little bit of spice in there somewhere.

I don't know. This beer seemed to need a little more something, maybe a tiny bit sweeter...

Ok, as I drink more of it, it gets better. Maybe the carbonation is fading off as I drink more. But really they should have gone for more of a creamy mouthfeel than the highly carbed one.

Probably too harsh on this. It's a good value for the price, but I guess I've been spoiled by Shiners other recent offerings like Commemorator.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2009 07:25:50 | More by jmbranum

frognot

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a dark amber body with a medium head.

Smell: The aroma is a strong combination of mostly peach with a small amount of roasted pecans.

Taste: Sweet bready taste with a light peach flavor (was expecting a fruitier taste from the aroma) and equal nutty flavor. It's just really nice balance with just a whiff of hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Very drinkable by itself or with a meal (especially chicken or pork).

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 18:35:27 | More by frognot

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I bought a single bottle of this from Woodman's in North Aurora, IL for $1.50 in Fall 2010.

A beer that will pair excellent with fruitcake if you like fruitcake. Holiday Cheer pours a dark brown with a fruit scent, peaches are the most obvious. It drinks rather smooth as you get a semi-mild taste of different fruits ending in an ever so slight spice. Out of all the beers I've tried to date, this has to be my favorite. The only way to improve this to a 10 of 10 is by adding a slight more texture and taste to it. Definetly a must try if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 05:11:17 | More by Lemke10

KodyBrannon

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I have bought this beer for the two holiday seasons. It is a very solid beer and another quality seasonal from Shiner. While it falls into line with the Dunkel's I have had, there is just somthing a little extra with it that I would recomend. If your a fan of shiner then you will probably love it, if you don't care for shiner, then you may could go either way. That tends to be the opinions I hear.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 18:33:28 | More by KodyBrannon

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - a robust pour into the Sam Adams curvy glass yields a nice two finger manila head atop a clear, dark amber beer. Crests and lattices of lace form as the head drops back to a thick cover.

Aroma - peaches for sure, fruity but not excessively sweet.

Taste - a base malty sweetness, built upon by the sweetness of the peaches. I wouldn't really think peaches and pecans would ever go together, but they work well here. The light tannic character of the pecan offsets the fruit sugars enough to prevent this from being quickly brushed off as just another fruit/veg beer. The peaches are at the fore of the taste, the pecans showing up on the swallow towards the back of the tongue. The swallow allows the tannins to join with whatever hops are there for some balancing bitterness, but I'm thinking pecans not hops at this point. The finish is still a remaining trail of peach, a certain dryness and a bit of roast from the nuts. Unusally tasty.

Mouthfeel - crisp, medium to a touch light in body. Some smoothness, all playing well to accentuate the flavor IMO.

Drinkability - maybe it's just a fad, but I'm digging this beer and contemplating a few more sixers to share around the family and 'hood. Kudos to HawkinMI for alerting me to these babies over in NKY.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2008 05:06:35 | More by brewdlyhooked13

grs8313

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: 12oz twist top bottle with no best by or bottling date. To me From Shine. This beer pours a dark red with a tan head that reaches about one inch then starts to recede.

Smell: Peaches, and tons of them, apricots, plums, alcohol, and malts. Possibly the best smelling beer I have ever had.

Taste: Malts, peaches and slight alcohol notes.

Mouthfeel: Carbonated, but not overly so, warmth from the alcohol. The mouth is left feeling clean.

Drinkability: Extremely drinkable, the best wheat beer I have ever had. This is also the best Shiner beer I have ever had. A great job and an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 22:10:36 | More by grs8313

hosehead83

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a standard pint glass
Dark copper in color with a big, creamy head of foam
Aroma-Wow! A bit unexpected, but a pleasant surprise of fresh peaches, wheat, and spices
Taste-Fresh peaches, dark malts and wheat, subtle roasted pecans that just balance out the sweetness of the peaches. Nicely balanced, as a little peach essence goes a long way , but this brew seems to get it right. Flavor is not cloying, but rather refreshing and very drinkable. A very interesting and tasty offering-Certainly worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2009 17:32:11 | More by hosehead83

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear brown with gold and ruby tones under the light. It's aroma begins with molasses followed by hints of fruit and roast. The flavor is complex and well balanced with molasses, nut, fruit, and toast notes with maple in the finish. It has a medium mouthfeel and is quite drinkable. Spoetzl Shiner Holiday Cheer is a very good beer, complex and balanced and is a great match for hard sourdough pretzels. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 01:08:18 | More by B967ierhunter177

hophunter

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance- dark caramel color, clear. light head with tight bubbles that didn't last to the end.

smell- peaches and hops right at the beginning. not so much on the pecan but still detectable later.

taste- nice warm balance between the peaches and the hops. I thought with the upfront aroma of fruit, it would be too overpowering, but it's perfect.

mouthfeel- light and crisp, not too bubbly.

drinkability- this is a great beer for any season and a nice session.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 21:19:44 | More by hophunter

capt_rob934

4.3/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(11/11/2011) Poured into a Sam Adam's Perfect Pint Glass. Thin white head fading quickly from the glass.

A: Beautiful aroma of peach, pecan, and caramel

C: Light brown color, very wintery looking

Sip: Peachy combined with pecan initially, light wheat flavor comes through in the end for a clean and refreshing finish

OV: Great winter warmer with a very fun profile. Full bodied and very warm.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 05:13:17 | More by capt_rob934

hiikeeba

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours up a dark brown with amber highlights, with a thin tan head

S - Aroma is all peach, with a bit of nuttiness in the background

T - Slightly nutty at the start. Finishes with peach flavor. But all flavors are subtle.

M - Feels a bit thin, but highly carbonated.

D - This is a great beer. Yeah, I'll be drinking this all season long.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 22:53:44 | More by hiikeeba

DCon

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought Beer from Stadium Liquor.

Appearance: Cloudy, Orange

Smell: Cheddar Cheese, Peach, and Nut were all evident

Taste: Strong peach flavor, also could taste the pecan/walnut

Mouthfeel: After sitting on my pallet for a while, hit many different taste buds I didn't think possible. Awesome

Drinkability: Great beer to show your woman or friends who need something different. Definitely a great beer from Shiner, TX!

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 21:09:48 | More by DCon

aeminter

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The color is a nice deep amber with great initial effervescence and three fingers worth of foamy tan head. It's surprisingly clear for the style, but has some ok lacing.

Smells like fresh peaches with hints of bubblegum and vanilla.

Medium mouthfeel and smooth with a malty sweetness in the front and some balancing hop bitterness in the back. There is some bite from the carbonation and a little punch from the alcohol. I can't really decide if the flavor is to style or not, but it is pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 07:11:10 | More by aeminter

Frosty80

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Color: pours golden brown and sits a clear, deep amber with a thick head and good lacing

Smell: fresh peaches dominate with sweet strawberry shortcake and pecans in tow

Taste: aroma translates well onto palate with the addition of a slight bitterness and bready malt. finish is balanced, somewhat dry and lightly bitter

Mouthfeel: medium body with medium carbonation

Notes: love this one-of-a-kind ideal holiday brew

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 03:12:51 | More by Frosty80

angelmonster

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a 1/2 inch off white head.Beer is dark brown with minimal lacing through out.

Very nice smell of sweet peaches and some malts afterwards. Wish I could get this beer as an air freshener.

Tastes of roasted malts, peach and some hops at finish.A bit of metallic taste towards end. Not your typical dunkelweizen.

Mouth feel is light with a smooth finish. Mid to high carbonation and a slight bitter after taste.

Drink ability is great. Overall good seasonal beer, another solid product from shiner, one of my favorite winter seasonal beers even though its not your typical winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 06:51:31 | More by angelmonster

GordonQuid

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams "bubble' glass.

Dark Hefe-copper with a foamy one inch head thats sustains with a nice lace.

Smells of ripe peaches, spicey saaz and roasted nuts.

Taste is a smooth fruity peach and roasted almond blended with a noble saaz and flowery lemon grass.

Smooth and satisfying medium bodied offering. Excellent holiday brew!

Holiday cheer indeed...

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2009 23:20:11 | More by GordonQuid

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bought this in a carnivores in Oakmont for 2.50. I didn't expect them to get it in since it's January and I figured holiday beer seasons over but I found this on the shelf!

A - Ruby red orange with decent head.
S - soft Peachy smell with nut backbone. Also some spices to the nose.
T - mmm great peach taste with little hop bite. Very interesting for a holiday beer.
M - Light bodied and delicious
D - I would love to drink a sixer of this and could easily drink a few in one sitting.

Overall I am glad to get my hands on this beer for the ABV it's both smooth and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 05:15:38 | More by DrDemento456

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Nice color of ruby hued golden ale
I really enjoy the nose on this one,peaches dominate with some trace roasty malt & pecan.
Nice peachy ale flavors with the maltiness in the background & a lingering roasty pecan finish. Not at all overbearing on any of the flavors & I love the peach flavors!
Nice light mouth feel here, nothing over the top or under done. Very approuchable beer on this account.
One of, no deffinitley my favorite of the holiday ales & very good price point to boot.
Drink up for it will be gone soon!

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 00:13:54 | More by welldigger888

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This poured out as a clear reddish brown color with an off white head on top. The retention is thin and there isn't any lacing. The smell of the beer to me was really impressive. I poured out and was overwhelmed by the peach in it. The smell is sweet like candy and won't appeal to most beer lovers out there. The taste is also sweet, again with peaches I wish the nuts came out a little more. The mouthfeel is very drinkable and easy going. Not bitter at all or cloying. Overall despite it's "artificial" aromas and flavors that it more than likely has... it's still a really good tasting beer in my opinion. I would prefer it if it wasn't artificial at all and all natural but either way I enjoy this beer. I feel it's a bit too clear to be a traditional Dunkelweizen as well. All in all I would drink this beer again though.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 04:23:23 | More by Knapp85