Schlafly Christmas Ale - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

MCain04

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Acquired in a trade with beergod1, thanks! Brewed 11/12, drank 02/13. Poured into a 14oz tulip. Let's go!

Appearance: Opaque amber color, off-white 2 finger head, good retention and lacing.

Smell: Spicy, malty, sweet, nutty. Just what I want out a christmas ale aroma.

Taste: Sweet and malty, apple, some spices. Maybe a tad too sweet for my liking. A little citrus and lemonade. Complex flavor profile that isn't amazing but isn't the worst. No alcoholic heat, not much bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Low-moderate carbonation. Smooth, medium body. A tad sticky, a tad dry.

Overall: Not bad at all! Pleasantly surprised with this. One of the top 5 Christmas ales I've had before. If only it were a little less sweet, I'd really like it. Wouldn't mind trying this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 04:42:58 | More by MCain04

tito42

Missouri

3.56/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle to an imperial pint. Bottled 10/31/2012.

A: Slightly cloudy amber with particulate and decent carbonation. Foamy, tan head.

S: Cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, doughy yeast.

T: Strong malt presence. Cookie dough, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin. Slight grassy hops finish.

M: Medium bodied, creamy but smooth, crisp finish.

O: Nice seasonal offering. Very well spiced. Not quite balanced enough by malt and other flavors. Doesn't taste of an 8.0% ABV brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 02:35:58 | More by tito42

secondtooth

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours semi-hazy ruby, with very little carbonation and only a thin wisp of lace.

Nose is heavily spiced -- lots of brisk, wintery elements like cinnamon and allspice seem most prominent.

Taste is heavy-bodied, malty and spicy, with a slight warmth at the finish. A perfectly enjoyable sipper, and an ideal "winter warmer".

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 22:34:00 | More by secondtooth

cousineddy

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark amber color with 2.5 fingers of white head. Good lacing

Smell: Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Very rich aroma, reminds you of the holidays.

Taste: More cinnamon, nutmeg, slight notes of brown sugar. Not a sweet as the pumpkin ale, which i thought was a nice change.

Mouthfeel: Not to bubbly, slightly thick

Overall: Been wanting to try this one for a while and I was not let down. Great beer to have by a warm fire to celebrate the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 15:23:47 | More by cousineddy

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear copper color with a healthy white head. Smells of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Smooth rolling body. Caramel malt with a touch of soapiness on the front end. Creamy and big. Finishes with a pumpkin pie like spice flavor much like their pumpkin ale but not as good and with a bit of a drier rather than sweet flavor. Good with deceptive alcohol but its similarities to schlafly pumpkin are too apparent and this beer just isn't as good as the pumpkin

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:30:37 | More by jtierney89

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured a clear orange copper, with a finger high tan creamy head building. It dissipates into nice lacing.
The nose is spice, nutmeg, coriander, caramel.
Tasting the beer, I feel this heavy dose of winter spices, which I feel overpowering in this beer. But than again, I assume that this is what winter ale is supposed to be like.
The beer is medium bodied and has a good malt backbone. The hops are in the shadow of the spices, which does this beer no good.
Maybe I will take from winter brews for a while.,

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:53:04 | More by Hopfenpeter

weonfire

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - Red/brown hue. Full finger of off white head. head dissipates quickly. not much to any lacing.

T - smell the spices from my glass which is 2' away. carmel, nutmeg, pumpkin and vanilla. solid nut.

T - Carmel. A moderately sweet but Nutty, pumpkin and a bit bitter from the alcohol.

M - A bit frothy, alcohol tingles the roof and tongue. Viscosity is high.

O - I thick its a descent Christmas brew. 8 ABVs could be hidden a bit more. burns a bit more than i wanted. Missing all forms of lacing. Solid carmel malt. I would buy this a christmas next year.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 23:38:41 | More by weonfire

rlee1390

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Clear ruby, some carbonation, one finger head

S-Spices galore, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, malt, all balanced nicely together.

T-Not as good as the nose, still good though. Spice heavy, cinnamon, less malt than the nose.

M-Light, some carbonation, tad watery though.

O-A nice spiced Christmas brew, a good one, not the best, but good.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:34:22 | More by rlee1390

craft_shannie

Indiana

3.64/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A: amber, rich frothy light khaki head
S: deeply spiced (cloves/nutmeg/cinnamon) banana bread; in all of my times drinking schlafly's christmas ale - its a consistent. not bad - just very unique.
T: sweet light pale malts on front; very crisp spice (clove/nutmeg). peppery finish.
M: thin; medium to medium-high carbonation. makes me question if it couldn't be dialed back a bit.
O: definitely gets me in the holiday spirit. it's the perfect beer to consume pre- or post- holiday shopping - but next year i just need to remember, i don't shop enough to buy a case of it. the ABV is very well hidden, so consider that before you bust it out at the christmas office party.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 18:49:22 | More by craft_shannie

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: rust body, finger khaki head, patchy lacing

S: orange peel, big clove, and spices (think Christmas cake)

T: orange peel, malt, clove, winter/Christmas spices, mild alcohol warmth.

M: med body, smooth/firm carbonation mouth

O: G-d Bless you, Schlafly! This Jew loves this time of year.
Fine brewery & delicious offering. Highly recommend
this Christmas Ale; most are too watery or odd flavor
combinations that sound great but just don't work.
This is a winner!

DELICIOUS, CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS PROPERLY!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 18:31:16 | More by BeerLover99

kylehay2004

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewpub in St Louis, reviews from notes.

A: 1.5 finger head with nice lacing on a clear amber body. Nice head retention.

S: caramel malt, toffee, peppermint and cinnamon.

T: very similar to the nose with spices of the season including nutmeg, mint, cinnamon with barley, breads and ginger.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: very nice seasonal brew. Not usually a fan of seasonal beers but this one is very good and matches well with the season.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 21:20:49 | More by kylehay2004

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a cool christmas beer, a drinker, not a novelty. the pour is amber to red, darker than that, but not brown at all, mostly clear, and a minimal head. the nose is really boozy, but juniper and cardamom permeate too. love the taste of this, complex, fruity, spicy, strong, and as drinkable as any holiday ale or winter warmer out there in terms of subtle and not dominant or aggressive spice notes. sour fruit up front, sweet finish, daring but approachable at the same time. body is thin, too thin really. it lends to drinkability, but it makes it less of a winter warmer in the classic sense. its carbonated fine, but its just a tad too little on body for me, especially given how alcoholic this is. better and better as it warms. overall an exceptional holiday brew, a must try at the taproom.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2012 03:43:56 | More by StonedTrippin

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

- Brewed with orange peel, cloves, and spicy hops.

A: Dark coppery-penny coloring shows a fine mist of effervesce within. A bready, buff head sits atop moderately before succumbing to a slight creamy covering. Lacing is minimal, a few splashes adore the glass at best.

S: No doubt about the cloves, spicy cinnamon and cola are also there. The dried orange peels is also fairly dominant. Very xmasy, fresh pine, gingerbread and sweet baked sugar cookies.

T: Dominant orange peel first arrives on the flavor, along with sweet baked cookie malt. Pine and ginger closely mirrors the nose. Spicy hops, golding like, with some honey pine. A dusting of dry caramel malt residue covers the tongue on the swallow.

M: spicy and gingerly, dry caramelized malt dusting residue sits on the tongue. Enough carbonation to give this some feel without distraction.

O: Overall a lot of spicy xmas nature here. Sweet and festive and blends rather nicely together. It is what it is a xmas beer, limit of one is fine.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 22:51:00 | More by beerthulhu

ScorpyX

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice amber color. Translucent appearance with a lot of carbonation visible.

S: Detect orange peel, ginger, and cinnamon. Little bit of cherry, too.

T: Citrus sweetness, ginger, and pine up front. Very sweet beer.

M: Medium bodied and smooth, though gets a little sticky as you work your way through the bottle. Not overwhelming, though.

Nice beer. Reminds me of Christmas, so it's quite fitting.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 17:00:58 | More by ScorpyX

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Out of a bottle this beer was a hazy, copper/bronze color with a good amount of rising carbonation and a tan head. The retention was good and the lacing in bands all the way down my glass. The aroma was of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, caramel malt and some light citrus notes. The flavors were very enjoyable to me. I tasted all the aforementioned spices built atop a solid caramel malt backbone with only light hopping which gave it a nice finish. Balanced and not overly spiced as many holiday ales tend to be. Additionally, there was almost no sign that the beer was 8% ALC and I didn’t realize it until after I’d enjoyed a few! The mouthfeel was good, the body surprisingly light and the carbonation appropriate.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 11:46:15 | More by thekevlarkid

siege06nd

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass...

A: Mostly clear copper color. This beer has a thin quarter-finger ring of very crisp white head resting on top. Pretty good lacing on the sides. Solid retention.

S: Allspice, cinnamon, some clove, and orange citrus. Not a lot of complexity in this bouquet. Smells a lot like a gingerbread cookie....

T: ...and tastes a lot like a gingerbread cookie. Lots of cinnamon, allspice, clove, and even a little bit of caramel. A bit of an odd tang on the mid and the finish detracts from this one a touch. Tastes a little bit like orange or lemon rind, possibly hops. It emerges just as the palate is settling into the bolder and heartier spiced notes and is somewhat disruptive to the flavor profile.

M: This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate carbonation. Maintains a pretty good lightness considering the 8.0% ABV. Main problems are the spices being somewhat overwhelming (my tongue was scorched by this one) and that odd metallic tangy flavor that shows up for a split second on the mid. Decent overall.

O: Drinks like a lesser version of Great Lakes Christmas Ale. It's a spice bomb without a lot of complexity or character. Goes down easy like Sunday morning and is almost as forgettable as that one girl you hooked up with in college after 20 games of beer pong. It's certainly not bad, though, and holds its own with most of the entries in the "let's drink clove and call it a Christmas Ale" category.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 23:17:31 | More by siege06nd

MTNboy

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Brown amber body.

Smell: Spicy and very sweet malty aroma.

Taste: The flavor has a European like Christmas dessert like feel. Spicy at first but a sweet finish.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, It reminds me a lot of the pumpkin but smoother. It is very slick feeling.

Overall: One of my favorite holiday beers. Very thick and warm it feels like the holidays.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2012 06:29:34 | More by MTNboy

tykees88

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- reddish gold color. Two finger lingering head. Lacing is nice.

S- Smells alot like the pumpkin ale. The spices are very nice. Cinnamon and nutmeg. But there is nothing that separates it from that spice smell wise.

T- There is where the taste differs. It has an orange flavor in place of the pumpkin flavor. The spices are the same. I think the graham cracker crust flavor is there just like the pumpkin. I think this is almost the same recipe just swapping out the orange for pumpkin.

M- Creamy and pie like.

O- Good beer. I loved the pumpkin ale, so why wouldn't I love this

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 17:13:51 | More by tykees88

oline73

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a 2010 bottle poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy amber with a finger and a half of off white head. There is an alright amount of retention and no real lacing on this one.

Smell: Sweet caramel malt with some spices and dark fruit as well. The fruity notes remind me a bit of cherry.

Taste: Follows closely from the smell. The malt sweetness blends well with the spice and fruit notes. There is a slight bitterness in the finish with no real alcohol presence.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: The time has improved this beer a bit. The lack of alcohol is a good thing. The spices have faded a bit, but still smooth and good.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 03:39:40 | More by oline73

n2185

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear red-orange with a finger of off-white head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Lots of nice spice aromas with cinnamon and nutmeg notes with sweet caramel and bubblegum aromas mixed in. There are vanilla and floral qualities to it as well.

T: Similar to the aroma, lots of sweet spicy flavors. Cinnamon dominates with nutmeg and vanilla flavors also present. Some caramel flavors are also present.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation, this beer is creamy at first with a nice carbonation bite toward the end to accent the spices.

O: A surprisingly good beer that avoids being overly spiced. It definitely tastes like fall and winter in a bottle. It's not extremely complex, but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 02:33:27 | More by n2185

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

2.85/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a hazy copper color. The head dissipates quickly leaving nothing, and no lacing at all. The beer smells boozy with lots of different spices. I was hesitant to buy this, and the taste confirms why I shouldn't have: it's just over-the-top with flavor, like most of the Schlafly beers I have tried are. Sweetness and spices just blow your taste buds into defensive mode. There's a lot of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and the likes in this. It tastes like Chai tea, and almost could pass for a Pumpkin ale. And just like their Pumpkin ale, this beer is loaded at 8% ABV and goes down too smooth, so watch out.

Overall, I just don't like the sweetness overload on top of the high alcohol content. Plus, the spices are in overdrive, so this beer is just a bit too much, all the way around. This might be the last Schlafly beer I ever try.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 20:49:56 | More by JuicesFlowing

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle given to me by a friend. Thanks.
Poured into a standard US pint glass.

Pours a 2cm head, mildly thick, mostly of medium-sized bubbles. Head descends over a minute or two to a ring around the top of the glass and some minute islands. Some lace accumulates on sides of glass, but nothing particularly noteworthy. Body is a dark orange-amber color with a reddish tint. Held up to the light, it's a deep yellow-orange-red color. Transparent, with lots of visible carbonation.

Aroma is fairly weak, I detect faint, slight spices [cloves, allspice, cinnamon] and mild fruit [ale yeast esters]. As just stated, these aren't very strong or stand-out in any particular way.

Taste is generally sweet and spicy, with a mild, but always detectable alcohol warmth and burn. In specific, opens with sweet malts, spicy clove, and light citrus zest, changing to clove, cinnamon, and allspice flavors mid-palate, before transitioning to citrus zest, more pie spices, and sweet malts for the close. Aftertaste is of syrupy malt and mild clove spice.

Body is full of fairly soft, but noticeable carbonation. Not bad at all, as it goes with the medium-light body in a sensitive sort of way. Slightly too thin, maybe even watery around the edges, for such a heavy ABV beer. Finish is rather dry.

Overall, this wasn't particularly bad-tasting, but the aroma's meekness and body's lightness make this a bit off-putting as a high ABV winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 03:33:37 | More by falloutsnow

smakawhat

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, poured into a shaker pint from the bottle at Jackie's in Silver Spring.

A solid two maybe three finger head off white in color, some good staying power. Body appearance is great dark orange and crystal clear. Some small carbonation rises slowly, not much lacing but a little. Good looking beer.

Even off the pour this bottle releases quite a bouquet. Lots of cinnamon, sweet nutmeg almost allspice too. Toasty malts and a bit of actual hot brown spicy heat. Impressive.

Taste is spicy hot in the palate. Matching the nose of sweet brown nutmeg and the like. Malt action comes with a brown sugar finish and toast a little. Spicy heat detracts a little, but the flavors are quite good. Medium carbonation with a good feel.

Overall a solid Christmas beer from Schlafly, love this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 17:29:07 | More by smakawhat

chilly460

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a hazy amber with orange tones. Two finger head with decent retention, some spotty lacing.

S- Plenty of spicing as expected, get cloves predominantly, with cinnamon and orange peel coming through. Backed up with sweet caramel malts, and some warming alcohol.

T- Light pale malts form the bod of tasts, with some orange peel sharpness coming through. Transfers to the cloves and cinammon that I picked up in the smell. A bit of white pepper gets in at the end. Bit of grassy hops at the end.

M- Thought this was pretty nice, smooth and a bit chewy.

D- Nice solid winter seasonal, flavors are balanced and appropriate.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 15:32:32 | More by chilly460

Dave128

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at pazzos pizza pub in Lexington KY. Brought to me in a pint glass.

A - Almost no head with only a slight ring around the edge of the glass. Lacing is nonexistent and color is clear amber.

S - Smells like Christmas. I don't know how else to describe it. It smells like a pot of spices my mom would simmer on Christmas morning.

T - Similar to the nose, but alcohol is very evident.

M - medium bodied. Correct for the flavors present.

O - Pretty awesome smelling beer. Alcohol is a little heavy though.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 00:21:29 | More by Dave128