Wreck The Halls - Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

Tiernan

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This delightfully hoppy and well balanced beer has some really nice fruity notes to it for a holiday brew. I can definitely taste and smell hints of tart cranberry and nutmeg in this. It's very crisp for a winter warmer, very fresh hop flavor leaving my mouth with a great clean feeling.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:32:17 | More by Tiernan

MadScientist

New York

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: A medium copper with excellent clarity. A nice head stand of creamy off-white bubble, about a finger high that slowly settle.

S: A moderately-strong hop aroma of citrus with moderate grassy notes from dry hopping. The malt aroma is pretty clean and the esters are low.

T: Like candied citrus hops. Lots of hops flavor and moderately-strong hops bitterness but with lots of balance and none of that harshness from trying to get as much hops bitterness as possible. There is a light caramel malt flavor with a light malt sweetness. The balance is bitter, the finish is dry and the aftertaste is a bit of pine needles and a light lingering bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with moderately-strong carbonation. It is moderately creamy with a light alcohol warmth .

O: A balanced and easy to drink IPA, at least for a hop head. Balance is the most stricking feature of this beer as the hops flavor and bitterness are clearly there but thier not harsh. My favorite time of beer, it's also nice to know you're getting a freshly brewed IPA

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 00:20:01 | More by MadScientist

shand

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint.

This is being reviewed nearly three months after the best-by date. I received it for free, so it's still worth a try. It pours out a very hazy orange color with a small head. The aroma is still hop-dominated, which isn't quite what I was expecting from an "aged" IPA/Winter Warmer hybrid. There are strong citrus hops over a lightly spiced caramel malt base. For the age on this one, it's still drinking quite well. It's probably a little smoother than it would be fresh with some more aggressive hops, but it still tastes good, which is alright for me. The mouthfeel is dry and moderately carbonated, and the drinkability is good. Overall, this is still a good beer well after the best-by date. I'd love to try one fresher next year.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 00:14:55 | More by shand

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.45/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served today 05/18/2012 with a best by date of 02/13/2012 (So keep this in mind when reading my review).

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy amber, 1/4" off white head settled in seconds after the first sip.

Smell: Very very light floral, not really impressed at all.

Taste: Very tasty actually, slightly bitter but overwhelmingly smooth. Very light caramely body with the usual piney after taste.

Mouth: Medium carbonation good after taste but nothing new here.

Overall: Not a bad beer, I knew nothing about it till i tried it and it was good but to make a seasonal out of it is a little out there. It is a borderline imperial with it's complex flavors, I would definitely get next season's fresher this time. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 16:59:19 | More by BlurryVisi0n

elNopalero

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a blend between an IPA and a winter warmer. Bottle had a best by date of 2/20/2012, opened on 3/8/2012. I’m guessing that it’s not meant to age, after the fact mind you, and my rating bears this in mind. (I guess I was thinking more along the lines of an Anchor “Our Special Ale” than a Sierra Nevada “Celebration”… but if this is a blend of both then what does that mean for freshness and drinkability?)

This pours an amber orange color, slightly musty looking. Perhaps hazy is more accurate. Like a darker orange juice, without pulp.

I guess I’m thinking oranges because that’s the predominant aroma characteristic: a light orange hop smell, more like orange juice than orange zest or a floralness. Actually, it reminds me of the smell of orange concentrate. I have a feeling the hops have, by this point, faded a bit and what remains is more of the residual sweetness and whatever flavors the winter warmer brings to the brew. The beer has a peppery spice to it, and noticeable bitterness without any real hop flavor. It’s not terrible but there’s nothing exciting here, either.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 22:15:40 | More by elNopalero

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 22 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is dominated by hops. Taste is hoppy up front, somewhat piney, a touch of citrus, a bit of mild malts kicking in later, significant bitterness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 13:17:14 | More by tone77

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass. Copper color with a half finger of head.

Rich smell. Usual citrus: lemon and grapefruit; there's another spicy note.

Tastes malty and bitter, surprise! A heady brew, the malt (not sweet) and hops just tumble around. I like it but it's confusing.

Crisp texture, medium body, and moderate to high carbonation.

"Wreck the Halls" fits. It's a big, bold fun mess.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:14:12 | More by Fatehunter

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber into a mug

A Pours a nice clear amber color topped off with a thick white head that has excellent retention.

S Lots of pine hops with a touch of sweetness.

T Pretty similar with a lot of pine hops with a touch of malt on the back end.

M Pretty average body nothing noticeable.

Overall this is a decent but forgettable winter seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 02:39:08 | More by beerandcycling88

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – soft amber color, a little hazy, with about half a finger’s worth of khaki-colored foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell – quite hoppy indeed! Would have guessed maybe Cascade hops mixed with some others, that is, before reading the label and seeing that its Centennial hops. I can smell the sweetness involved in the mixture and brewing, but probably wouldn’t have known it was caramel malts.

Taste – extremely hoppy, both in taste and in feeling. The bitterness and taste permeates throughout the beginning and middle of the taste, where the sweetness of the malts pick up in the finish. The hops are strong enough to last through into the finish and aftertaste though.

Mouthfeel – very nicely blended and overall well-balanced…not leaning too heavily on the watery or creamier sides.

Overall – rather strong on the hops, but still interesting to taste and sample.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 19:15:34 | More by Nerudamann

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.43/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light brown dark copper type of color, good head, nice carbonation, a little clump left here and there on the glass. Aroma was slightly disappointing, only for the lack of hop aroma if you think of it as an ipa, decent for a winter warmer ya dig?

Taste, it was bitter and hoppy, but the hops didn't have what would seem like an obvious good choice of pine flavor for something named Wreck the halls, winter warmer, ipa etc. . . but it was a substantial beer in the malt department too, not huge, but definitely not thin, plenty of caramel to it. At the price tag of $4 a bomber, it is a beer worthy of a recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:42:41 | More by Beerandraiderfan

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Pint glass.

A - Dark brown with no head at all. A few tan bubbles form around the edges.

S - Roasted malts, spices, cinamin, nutmeg.

T - Similar to the scent, pretty mild.

D - Average body, low carbonation.

O - Forgetable. Pretty boring to be honest.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 04:10:01 | More by HuskyinPDX

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours light auburn in color under a small, tight-bubbled, tan colored head. A couple swirls brings it back up to a 1/4" after it fades. Lace is spotty. Aroma is delightful. Bright floral over deep earthy woodiness, tangy citrus, sugary pine, with a generous handful of malty goodness. Tastes like a dank coniferous forest topped with various citrus rinds, and has a bit of a bitter edge. I am enjoying this. Texture feels resiny and slick with a medium-light body, and goes for fairly easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:06:05 | More by tastybeer

wedge

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoy By: 01.29.12

Hazy orange topped with a thin, sticky head. Deep orange and floral hop aroma with some pine and caramel stickiness. Tasty hoppy flavor...smooth and bitter. Spicy citrus, black tea, pine, mint, and some malty sweetness. Solid, well-rounded mouthfeel with a fair amount of bitterness. Good stuff...I'm not getting too much from the winter warmer side of things, but as an IPA, it's good.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:42:45 | More by wedge

UCLABrewN84

California

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Best by 2/13/12.

Pours a slightly hazy honey orange with a 1 inch puffy light brown head that settles to a small cap. Thin foamy rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some herbal/vegetal hop aromas. I am getting a bit of onion in the smell. Taste is of toasty malt with herbal and citrus zest hop flavors on the finish. There is also a slight onion quality in this one just like the smell but not as noticeable in the flavor. There is a mild bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average IPA and the vegetal onion aroma/flavor sort of ruins this one for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 01:34:55 | More by UCLABrewN84

nimrod979

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. Pours a dark orange/amber color. Big frothy off white head. Tons of lacing and good head retention.

Piney, resiny, citrus hops dominate the aroma.

Lots of piney hops in the flavor. Crystal and caramel malts. Mildly fruity and plenty bitter.

Sticky, juicy mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Long bitter finish. Pretty solid. Puts me to mind of Celebration Ale. Similar styler with the same spiciness and hoppiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:25:13 | More by nimrod979

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: This was a hazy orange coppery color. It poured with a very sticky head.

s: Big citrus aromas with caramel and some candied fruit.

t: Lots bracingly caramel sweetness quickly joined by juicy citrus and some tea-like spicy fruit. Plenty of bitterness at the finish.

m: Pretty chewy with spritzy carbonation.

o: Not sure about the winter warmer IPA hybrid. This just tasted like a really good IPA to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 22:11:46 | More by DIM

Seanibus

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I don't know what qualifies this as a Christmas type beer, but it's pretty good.

Pours a clear copper with a nice, tight tannish head. The aroma is a little bitter and nutty, but the flavor is satisfyingly hoppy, with a sweet malt backbone, with some bread and brown sugar and a round citrusy hop. The mouthfeel is a sticky and thick, but not at all unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 02:13:11 | More by Seanibus

JayAre46

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

could not pass this one with a $3 dollar price tag. wreck the halls, sometimes i feel that way during the holidays, anyway a 22oz bomber poured relatively firm into a pint glass that gave a very mild thin 1finger head that receded at record speed with minimal lace. the color is of deep amber and orange hues with a bit of chill haze. the aroma was immediate pine and hops not much of a citrus but a definite caramel malt backbone. the taste follows the nose, a bit of spice with the hoppy resins with a good amount of caramel malt for balance and a bitter hop finish. pretty simple characters here and im not sure if much else could be done without screwing things up. i do get the festive spice influence on the ipa but nothing revolutionary. the mouthfeel is pretty typical of the style medium with the right amount of carbonation. easy to drink and for $3 bucks i can't comlain, but i feel like this is just an east coast style ipa with the most subliminal spice influence. simplicity.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 07:19:48 | More by JayAre46

palma

New York

2.68/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer tastes like a double ipa. Im looking for more balance
Where is the malt. Where is the winter warmer in this beer. Not only that but i dont think its a very good ipa. Way too prickly and harsh tasting. Not very enjoyable. A beer can be super hoppy and still smooth and drinkable. This beer is not that.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 05:18:11 | More by palma

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber pours a mostly clear copper color with a small off-white head. Retention and lacing both average.

Nose is vibrant hops, toasty malt and a little bit of nutty yeast. Light notes of acetone.

Taste is pretty nice...nice balance of citric/floral hops and caramel maltiness. Medium sweetness and the flavor profile has a nice flow to it...helped along by a rich creamy body. At 3.99 per bomber, this one is a deal. Full Sail has missed on their fair share of these 'Brewmaster Reserve' series beers, but this one might just be the best of the bunch. Nice beer. I do not regret my two bomber purchase and actually wouldnt mind picking up one or two more.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 06:01:39 | More by twiggamortis420

babaracas

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Label says it’s an IPA and winter warmer hybrid, but it’s just an IPA, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Pours a clear darker orange with two finger thick cream colored, dense head. Settles in a few minutes to a quarter inch, leaving thick clumps of lace on the glass. Smell: citrus rind - orange, grapefruit, some resiny pine, background is toffee. Taste: big raw hop flavors - pine and citrus rind, leafy, solid toffee backdrop. Light-medium bodied, semi-creamy feel into a hop filled drying finish. It’s a solid IPA not dissimilar to other “holiday” IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:19:01 | More by babaracas

BlackBearForge

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wreck the Halls (love the name!), pours a coppery amber with dark golden highlights and a big white head that lingers and leaves loads of thick lacing behind.

The aroma is of fresh baked bread and lemony citrus, quite nice if a bit faint.

This beer is all IPA with big bready malts held in check by a lot of citrusy and resinous hop flavor which yields a very pleasant bitterness on the finish nicely balanced with the sweet but not cloying malts.

Mouthfeel comes close to medium, smooth and bit creamy from the pleasant amount of fine carbonation.

Very nice IPA and I will look for it every year now just as I do Celebration!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 23:27:00 | More by BlackBearForge

Luchman

Nevada

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip from a 22 ounce bomber

A: dark, cloudy, burnt orange/amber color with a very faint off white head that dissipates quickly.

S: faint orange peel and grapefruit with a little bit of pine. Toasted malt is there too.

T: Much like the nose. Orange peel with a burnt, toasty malt and some caramel. Ends slightly bitter. Lemon and pine more apparent as the beers warm.

M: Just a tad above too light mouthfeel, which is slick and with low to medium/low carbonation.

D: Very conservative here. A decent IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 21:26:47 | More by Luchman

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wreck the Halls pours a dense orange colour with a wafer-thin layer of white frost for head and very fine-beaded lace. Its complexion is very icy but far from opaque; plenty of light shines through and out onto the hand (although it's not the finger that's seen on the other side of the glass but rather its shadow).

Full Sail were clearly in a joyous mood when crafting this holiday ale - they may have broken the bank on buying hops. Clearly a lot were used. Good thing though: as for as aroma goes, hops are the gift that keep on giving (wonderful aromas of citrus, spice, and bitter pine resins). That said, the aroma is by no means overwhelming.

The hops sparkle in the mouthfeel with soapy citrus flavours and zestful spice. It is at once fruity and earthy and pretty much takes over the malt from the start right through to the finish. The tastes of rank melon and grapefruit seep into the gums with lemony acidity. There's also enough toffee-like malt to think it could have supported more alcohol.

Despite an almost crunchy, biscuity maltiness the beer stays pretty light on its feet. For all the bitter melon and pine resin flavors, it's not as bitter as you'd guess (even at 68 IBUs). At 6.5%, it may be a bit stronger than conventional beers, but we're in American IPA territory and this beer has no problem handling (and hiding) the extra notch or two.

This full-bodied, hop-forward ale is the kind of beer that makes the holidays, not wrecks them. What better gift for a beer geek? Anything this gratifyingly refreshing, by the way, deserves the 22oz bomber. Remembering I had yet to pour the other half of the bottle certainly put me in good cheer. Oh what a wonderful time of the year!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 16:37:28 | More by biegaman

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Strong, hoppy aroma has fruity and cloves hints. It pours a dark honey-golden amber with a thick, fluffy, snow-white head that leaves a few patches of lacing. Flavor is quite hoppy with woody and malty notes and a hint of spiced fruit, and just a little hop bitterness. Texture is smooth but just a little fizzy, with average body. Overall, just fine for "wrecking" the halls.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 22:11:20 | More by Cyberkedi