Great Lakes Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

davecavemaster

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

If you live where they distribute Great Lakes beer, then you look forward to their yearly release of Christmas Ale. This is my favorite seasonal beer.

great lakes christmas ale

Christmas, it seems... pours a beautiful clear and copper color. So long green and red.

The head is a nice off white foam. The foam dissipates, and turns into a thin coating on the sides of the glass, and in the center. Nice amount of lacing sticks around while you drink.

The nose of this brew is heavy on the honey and ginger spices it is brewed with. Malty, but a sweet and pleasant blend of fragrances.

The taste of Christmas follows the nose. The sweetness of the honey hit me first, followed by the spices, and then a bit of the hops bite at the end. This is a truly wonderful flavor combination, and the ratio is just right.

Not a heavily carbonated beer, but just enough to make it tingle in your mouth and make the flavors stand out. Very crisp for all the malty tastes, not sticky at all.

Great beer! Although at 7.5%, you need to be careful how fast you put them down.

If you have not tried this seasonal, and can find it near you..I highly recommend checking it out. I would lay money on it becoming one of your favs.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:32:22 | More by davecavemaster

maxcoinage

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-23-2013 02:26:09 | More by maxcoinage

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

05-23-2013 02:03:51 | More by mikeincharleston

Wally

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

05-23-2013 00:04:12 | More by Wally

Rdc67

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-22-2013 19:22:44 | More by Rdc67

nstorts

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-21-2013 02:07:48 | More by nstorts

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-20-2013 14:35:48 | More by InspectorBob

MJSJr

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-19-2013 17:25:13 | More by MJSJr

mattsucks

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-18-2013 14:17:48 | More by mattsucks

Jade

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -18.1%

05-18-2013 13:33:25 | More by Jade

athesing10

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-17-2013 14:08:44 | More by athesing10

GinsuDave

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -18.1%

05-15-2013 10:22:24 | More by GinsuDave

PorterLambic

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a really nice coppery-amber color with a light tan head. Retention is not so great, dropping to a faint ring quickly.
Smell is malty with a caramel note and a weird sweet floral note that is very hard to place specifically. No spice notes to be found though they were expected.
Taste is the same as the smell, malt, caramel, and that same odd sweet floral note. It isn't quite strong enough to be offputting but it isn't able to be overlooked, either. No real spice though a very faint pepper note does show eventually.
Solid medium-full body, somewhat warming, smooth-ish with light effervescence. Nothing great sadly. A decent beer, that's all.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:54:06 | More by PorterLambic

sugrefd

Illinois

5/5  rDev +25.9%

05-13-2013 10:29:00 | More by sugrefd

Slay40

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-12-2013 02:28:22 | More by Slay40

Artjsantos

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

05-10-2013 16:52:15 | More by Artjsantos

bvskoog

Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-10-2013 06:49:08 | More by bvskoog

yesyouam

New York

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Great Lakes Christmas Ale is a crystal clear amber ale with a soft, waxy, yellowish head that leaves nice lacing on the glass. It has a light aroma with hints of spice and candy. It's medium bodied and a little sharp. The finish is a little metallic and gritty. It's quite sweet and well spiced. It almost tastes like a candy cane. There's a little caramel and some juniper bitterness that lingers after the swallow. This is very clearly a Christmas Ale. The balance is pretty good but it's too sweet to have more than one.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:09:59 | More by yesyouam

moodyhudy

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-02-2013 06:37:18 | More by moodyhudy

Foam

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Ginger fruit.
flower blossoms .
malt.
olive brine ?
sea salt .

that great lakes-ian soul that their brews posess .
best of all, got a bunch of single bottles for $1.00 since it's way out of season .
a spicy nutmeg and ginger-malt finish concludes the taste profile of this Cleveland-brew .
definetly a weirdo/geek even amidst the X-mas beer world .

a few will do ya .

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:52:53 | More by Foam

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4/5  rDev +0.8%

04-28-2013 22:29:10 | More by FLBeerGuy

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%

04-27-2013 16:11:37 | More by Jason1337

clfrost

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%

04-22-2013 00:10:24 | More by clfrost

JDD419

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

04-21-2013 21:21:12 | More by JDD419

Bluecane

North Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -37%

04-21-2013 06:57:01 | More by Bluecane