Shiner Holiday Cheer - Spoetzl Brewery

kristenrae8

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'll admit it, the label design influenced me in my choice for a mix n match six pack Saturday. I love cheesy retro design and font. The beer is good and I would buy a full six-pack again.

Appearance: Blushing Caramel color - pours an average head, barely any lacing.

Smell: Southern Holiday: Peaches, Nutmeg, "A brisk 55 degree day" Subtle essence of date or currant.

Taste: It's sweet, not hoppy, it's a gentle beer. This would be a good choice to bring to a holiday party where the crowd is partial to Bud Light or MGD. It's flavorful, but not going to scare anyone away.

Mouthfeel: A little on the thin style, perhaps I've been indulging in too many oatmeal stouts lately.

Overall: The drinkability it high for the newbie, it's be a good introductory beer for those just starting to branch away from the generic flavors of american standards. It's a great Monday after work beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 18:57:51 | More by kristenrae8

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Pours a red-caramel-brown with no head. It is transparent. The smell is delightfully fruity; strong notes of peaches and apricots.
The taste is quite sensual as well, but not something I would enjoy AT ALL if a beer is what I craved. It doesn't have any kind of satisfying beer character. It is a fruit flavoured beer. It should not be considered a dunkelweizen at all even if that is what the base ale is. Shiner doesn't mislabel it as they explicitly state that it is brewed with peaches and pecans. It has a very light character and high carbonation, with ripe fruit really being the dominant character. The aftertaste is a bit odd. Very dry, but not entirely unpleasant. This is a fantastic beverage if you are in the mood for something fruity and not for a traditional beer. I can't say that enough. Good stuff, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 10:57:01 | More by ElCommodoro

ProfessorK

Louisiana

1.85/5  rDev -47.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I would not bother to dis a beer just because I didn't like it but this beer crossed the line by labeling itself as a Dunkelweizen.

I was fortunate enough to live in Germany for three years. I don't claim to be an expert but Dunkelweizen was one of my top three favorite German styles and I tried it everywhere I saw it (including every example in the BJCP). This beer misses the Dunkelweizen mark in every category.

A - The color is a quite lovely ruby hue but the beer is much too clear. Dunkelweizen is traditionally unfiltered with a strong protein haze that is apparent even if you don't swirl the sediment.

S - The peach smell is pretty nice but the beer lacks all of the phenol and ester aromas that make Dunkelweizens mouthwatering.

T - I was looking forward to the peach in this beer and it was nice but a little strong, perhaps because most of the other expected flavors were missing. There is an obvious Munich component to this beer but there is little else that is found in an authentic Dunkelweizen. No banana or clove. Muted esters. No breadiness from the yeast.

M - The mouthfeel is decent but it missing the "heft" of an unfiltered wheat beer.

O - Compared to other American wheat beers and/or fruit beers I find this one to be average but I will be the first to admit that this is not my style. If Spoetzl had marked this beer as Dark American Wheat I still wouldn't like it but I would be forced to give it slightly higher marks. As it stands, the "Old World Dunkelweizen" on the box is an outright lie.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 01:10:45 | More by ProfessorK

zdk9

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Comes out of the bottle a distinctly clear ruby color with a slim sliver of head and no lacing.

S- Punches of peaches! Lots of sweet peach flavor- very ripe, maybe canned, maybe candied peaches

T- Lots of the same peach as the nose. I can get some of the darker nut flavors if I really try, but the sweetness if pretty overwhelming. Still the taste is more balanced than the aroma, for what it's worth. As it warms up there are some more flavors- the bready malt comes out a bit, but accompanying it is some cheap vodka.

M- The sweetness lingers, but it's a rather light beer besides that.

O- Who likes peaches? If you're looking for a peach soda clone this is probably your best bet.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 07:58:31 | More by zdk9

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.08/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a nice clear dark copper color with a slight hint of ruby red. A cream colored head dissipates to an even film. Sticky, watery lacing. The beer smells tremendous, because you can really smell peaches here. Again, peaches dominate, but it's got enough of a caramel malt presence to help, sort of. It's overbearingly sweet, and peachy. The mouthfeel is smooth, perhaps a tad watery. Overall, this is a weird one. It's just too sweet! And peachy! I don't equate peaches with Holiday Cheer in any way, but I do realize this beer is a regional thing. It's fun to have one, but a 6 pack? yikes.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 22:23:26 | More by JuicesFlowing

UnderPressure

South Carolina

2.3/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Extremely clear medium brown beer with a small head that melts to a ring.

The aroma is a balance of sweet malt and tart fruit.

Way too much fruit. And way too sweet. It tastes like I'm drinking a piece of peach candy. I hate the flavor. It doesn't taste like beer.

The mouthfeel is not bad. Medium bodied. But I'm having trouble getting past the flavor.

It sounds weird to say, but everything about this beer was good except the flavor. In fact, I ha to pour it out after I drank about 3/4 of the bottle. And I hate to do that, but there's other way better beer in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 01:44:30 | More by UnderPressure

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

brandon911

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served into a mug.

The beer was pretty transparent with a fairly dark amber color and with a decently thick white, foamy head that dissipated fairly quickly. It smells great, with a lot of peach and apricot right in front with some slight roast apparent and maybe a lil' lemon. The smell doesn't carry over as well to the taste, though it still tastes very good. The fruity smell is not as apparent in the taste as this is dominated mainly by hops, though the beer tastes a little watery. There's nothing special about the mouthfeel. Fairly carbonated and a little two watery and thin. Overall, a decent and refreshing beer!

I often enjoy Shiner Bock because it's pretty cheap and widely available, though I enjoyed this more and could definitely enjoy this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 20:17:09 | More by brandon911

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a glass stein. Copper with almost a finger of head that did not last long. Clear but not quite transparent.
Smells like a candy shop. Lots of peach and a little lemon scent. Not a normal beer smell, but it smelled nice.
The peach taste is there from beginning to end. Malty at first, leading to a watery and mildly bitter end.
Crisp texture, light to medium body and moderate carbonation.
The body should be thicker and the watery taste spoiled it. The peach smell and flavor was worked in really well, but the rest of the beer could not hold itself up.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 20:50:50 | More by Fatehunter

flagmantho

Washington

3.55/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: rich amber-brown hue with a clear body and two fingers of pillowy tan foam. Retention is OK and lace is present but minimal.

Smell: very sweet aroma of brown sugar, peach and nuts. Very wintry. The smell is enticing, like a holiday candle of some sort, but it's not my favorite combination of aromas for a beer.

Taste: sweet but mild flavor, not as cloying as the aroma. Malty nuttiness starts off with the peach growing toward the finish, and finishing off quite bright. Not bad.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a healthy dose of creamy carbonation. It works well for me.

Overall: this is a decent winter beer, if one you've got to be in the mood for. I wouldn't want to drink too many of these, but having one amid some winter warmers would not be amiss.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 18:52:25 | More by flagmantho

harrymel

Washington

2.8/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottled: unk

A: Hazelnut brown with a finger of off-white foam which falls quickly to a torn sheet of the same. Excellent clarity. No lace.
S: Smells of plastic and some astringent malts. Not like.
T: Tastes sweet and like it has pecans. Some brown sugar tones. Taste far exceeds nose here.
M: Creamy. Thin. Absentee finish.
O: Well, it's okay. I would suggest to a novice to craft.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 04:27:19 | More by harrymel

rmcnealy

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served chilled in a traditional pint glass.

Poured a dark copper that was translucent and very filtered. The ivory white head was robust and consistent, fading to a small sudsy layer. First smells are overwhelmingly peach. It definitely has some carbonation to it. I'm not sensing pecans but after the peach fleets there is a slight maltiness. As the beer is consumed, the head is very uneven and looks quite unusual. Appears to be continents drifting apart as seen from the space shuttle (I know.. crazy). It finishes up with a slight cream mouthfeel. This is the first beer in awhile that I actually really don't care for. The tastes are not robust. The taste is overwhelmed by peach. Not sure how peaches even play into the winter holidays. Unfortunately I have 5 left.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 00:54:23 | More by rmcnealy

gopens44

Virginia

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

A - Dark ruby red brown and clear with a thick frothy off white head that settles out to a thin layer of fizz below a smattering of gentle lacing

S - Nutty, a touch fruity and thick malty presence

T - Similar to the nose in that the pecan taste leads the way with a heady pear following before the big malt fun happens. The malt flavor is characterized by primarily a molasses flavor.

M - Highly carbonated with decent body. Aftertaste is a little bitter but plenty sweet.

O - Fun holiday beer that really captures the style while taking a little holiday zig, or zag.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 00:03:22 | More by gopens44

brewyou2

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

OK. I grew up in Oklahoma. I know pecan's. I meditated before drinking this brew to channel the pekarma. Can't find it. I've had 4 of these now on 3 separate occasions, all I taste is fizzy peach. Having said that, this is a fun, tasty sud. I will have several in my seasonal section for later. Kinda want to try this one when it's 85 and dry outside, swinging back and forth on my hammock.

Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 04:34:15 | More by brewyou2

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber to light brown and perfectly clear, great head that lasted a bit and left nice lace.

Smell is very peachy, pungently fruity with a little bit of malt and yeast but no hops.

Taste isn't as good as the smell, it's a bit overly peachy, almost like syrup was added rather than fresh peaches. Tons of caramel malt finish it out.

Body is nice, full but easily drinkable and pretty satisfying.

Interesting but not something I'd drink more than a sixer of during the holidays. Still, it's not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 17:51:29 | More by AlCaponeJunior

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice amber color in appearance. The mouthfeel very exceptional, if all the wheat beers had this we would be big fans. There is a nice hint of peaches in the nose of this beer. This is very nicely noticed in the taste. The taste is very nicely balanced, giving this beer a great taste. We feel this is a nicely brewed beer. Enjoy

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 00:42:35 | More by barleyroad

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.63/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

As a dunkelweizen, I'm not too impressed. After letting the beer warm some out of the fridge, it poured with an average sized light tan head that soon subsided to a few small islands, a ring, and a little lace. Color is a nice, clear, red amber with a couple of bubble trails. Aroma is up front peaches with malt and yeast coming in way below. Flavors about the same as nose and with enough carbonic tang to save it. Body and carbonation are decent. Finish is like flavor with all components lasting to the very end of some good length. A peach beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 01:00:36 | More by drpimento

oberon

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Wow a holiday beer in mid October...it gets earlier every year it seems like.Poured into a weizen glass a deep reddish infused russet color with a thinner pillow-like head atop.Peach and toasted wheat in the nose,not bad but the peach seemed artificial,maybe its not,just seemed so.Alot of peach flavor and there is some of the roasted pecan flavor in there,its smooth and surprisingly rich.A bit of toasted wheat malt to go with the fruity and nuttiy flavors.Not a bad beer,I bought it for my wife and I came out liking it more than her.Again Shiner gives me a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 21:41:31 | More by oberon

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Smells of peaches and very light grains, and is almost tea-like in this aspect; there is little on the nose to remind that this is a beer.

Thankfully, the power of the peach scent is toned down in its translation to the tongue, for although peach flavors are the first to wash over the tastebuds, they quickly give way and melt into nutty grain flavors, with a subtle undercurrent of pecan oils. Caramel flavors can also be pulled from the palate, as well as a light smattering of hops that gives a decent bitterness and helps counter the sugary peaches. The toasted grain/pecan flavors are what lingered the longest on my tongue, providing a nice aftertaste. I did find the brew to be slightly over-carbonated, and such fizziness actually proved distracting when trying to analyze the flavors.

Overall, this is a decently-balanced beer, the peach and pecan flavors mingling nicely with the malts and hops (and not over-poweringly so, which was a real concern when I'd only smelled the brew).

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 20:41:02 | More by jondeelee

warnerry

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Notes from 11/30/2010; best by 2/17/11

Pours a deep reddish brown w/1-2 fingers of light brown head.

Smell is massive peach aroma. It is interesting but a little domineering. Wheat and malt aromas come through as well.

Taste is peach, wheat and malt predominately, though some faint notes of pecan do come through. Interesting flavor combination, actually tastes pretty good.

Mouthfeel is light and clean.

Overall, the peach is a bit much after awhile, but I though this was an unexpectedly interesting, easy drinking holiday brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 22:01:07 | More by warnerry

AMERADJUNCTPROF

Arizona

1.6/5  rDev -54.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

I don't want to write too much, since I have wasted enough time with this beer.

It is an average beer with what tastes like a bad Jolly Rancher dropped in it. I'm not sure if you like fruity beer, but even if you do, this is just not good. I rarely leave a beer in my fridge, they eventually get drunk, but this didn't.

I only kept one because I wanted a friend of mine to taste how bad it was. He didn't mind it that much. I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 23:06:52 | More by AMERADJUNCTPROF

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

rlshep

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Aroma: Nutty, light fruit dark sugar smells. Hard to get much of anything out of this really.

Appearance: Pours huge tan head. Slow to dissipate. Little to no lacing. Deep reddish-orange color. Very clear.

Flavor: Big bite of peach up front. A nice caramel sweetness. Low bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Thinish mouthfeel. Enough sweetness to know there is something there. No alcohol.

Overall: Not bad. Drink this if you like peaches and fruity beers. Would like to see a bigger mouthfeel, maybe some extra alcohol and more complexity. A nice change from the spice bombs I've been seeing this winter. I'm giving extra points for originality.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 00:53:33 | More by rlshep

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

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

From winter brew tasting notes (2010): Dark amber colored with light brown head. The aroma is predominantly peaches and apricots. The taste is naturally heavy on the peaches with some nutty malt, banana bread and caramel flavors also in the mix. A peach flavored Dunkelweizen is not exactly my ideal winter seasonal but the overall flavor is surprisingly smooth and refreshing. Neat vintage label and this beer was a major let down for me - too peachy for a winter. I'd rather stick with the Shiner Bock here.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 19:40:41 | More by CuriousMonk