Great Lakes Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

Wolfee02

5/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

In this review I am instructed to be constructive and I am. The appearance is red... I have never seen a beer that literally looks so red. The smell is like Christmas cookies! Perfect for the Holliday season! As far as the taste, it is the best beer I have ever had. It tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and Christmas cookies. The mouthfeel is extremely pleasant with the perfect balance of malts and pure utter greatness!!! I recommend this beer to anyone who likes great beer! Great Lakes brewery continues to prove that they are one of the best breweries in the world. I have never had a bad beer from this amazing world class brewery!

Serving type: growler

08-23-2012 00:23:01 | More by Wolfee02

MCDuhamel

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a pint glass at around 45 F. Pours a very clear amber, with light carbonation. About a once inch white head that quickly collapses to a thin film. The nose is mostly cinnamon, nutmeg and maybe a touch of vanilla. In the mouth the first impression is toffee, followed by the spices and a nice dryness. There's a slight hops bitterness that provides some structure and prevents the beer from being too sweet. More carbonation than might be expected from the limited bubbles reveals itself as well. The mouthfeel is medium to full, and a little slick. This is a very nice winter beer, showcasing the spices without being too heavy-handed. The keg version is superior to the bottled version.

Serving type: growler

11-05-2011 00:03:48 | More by MCDuhamel

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler filled at an undisclosed location (because they aren't officially offering it up for sale until after Thanksgiving 2010) served in a standard pint glass.

L - clear copper color with a fluffy beige head that thinned after a while but did leave some lacing behind.

S - sweet, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey, sweet!

T - taste is kind of sweet as well, nutty sweetness, spiced sweetness, IMO it's good but maybe a tad too sweet for some.

F - medium bodied with a silky smooth feel.

D - it goes down smooth and easy.

Serving type: growler

11-24-2010 05:09:28 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

SiepJones

Pennsylvania

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

Served from a growler

Pours a dark amber with about and inch of head. Scents of sweet malt, and spices. The flavor consists of a strong malty body, some honey and lots of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. The clove is very strong on the finish. Slick body with light amount of carbonation. Drinkable beer with not too high of an ABV however one is enough for me. The mixture of spices is good but does not agree with my palate.

Serving type: growler

12-25-2009 01:21:25 | More by SiepJones

mobyfann

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Paid $8.99 for a growler at The Party Source in Bellevue, KY...

The beer pours a clear amber colored based with a medium white head, decent head retention and lacing on the glass. The aroma is a balanced mix of aromatic hops, sweet malts, caramel and cinnamon/anise.

The taste is exceptionally smooth, moderate body, slightly chewy and sweet. It is a perfect mix of the aforementioned aroma ingredients and finishes clean. It is crisp and clean in the mouth and at 7.5%abv is a seasonal pleaser, even if Christmas was a month ago.

Final Thought: Freaking awesome on-tap or in growler... just a great example of Great Lakes' versatility as a top national brewer.

Serving type: growler

01-18-2009 23:32:47 | More by mobyfann

nrbw23

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- A nice clear copper color with a nice amount of head. Left a really nice lacing also.

S- I could pick up a lot here. Very nice picked up spices such as nutmeg, gingerbread and cinnamon. Also some yeast type aroma and honey. Maybe even a little citrus in there also.

T- Wow starts out a little spicy and then balances out really nice and finishes nice and smooth with a honey taste.

M- Body medium and low in carbonation. Feels great though and goes down incredibly smooth.

D- Very drinkable and is great for the season even though I'm finishing off mine a little late.

Serving type: growler

03-27-2008 11:40:10 | More by nrbw23

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

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

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

dtivp

West Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep amber with a half finger dull white head, very little retention or lacing.

Aroma of malt, honey and strong cinnamon spice.

Taste follows the nose with sweet honey, malts hints of caramel followed by cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mouth Feel was the light side of medium body, moderate carbonation, smooth with a nice holiday spice flair.

Overall this is a nice Christmas Ale that does not go overboard with the spices as some other Christmas Ales tend to do.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 22:22:19 | More by dtivp

tviz33

New York

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in to a nonic pint glass.

A- Pours a nice clear orange body with two finger of foamy white head.

S- Smells a lot like a sugary soda at first. Honey and ginger come out as I take few more whiffs. A little molasses is in there as well. Smells inviting.

T- I'd be willing to be the flavors have dissipated somewhat since this one came out. That said, it is still tasty. This one is mostly malty with a subtle hop aftertaste. Faint amounts of spices poke through, but aren't enough to discern what they are exactly.

M- Medium body and lightly carbonated, but smooth.

O- Overall, this beer is just OK for me. I'd like to try it more in season to see if there is a noticeable difference in flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:20:13 | More by tviz33

CHickman

New York

3.36/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a crystal clear amber copper color with a 2 finger foamy off white head that had lots of bubbles in it and faded very slowly, leaving very good foamy lacing coating the sides.

Smells of spices up front, like cinnamon, clove, ginger and allspice, followed by honey, flowers, toasted grains and caramel. Borders on too spicy for my liking, but it’s soft enough for me to tolerate for this style and the brewer’s design.

Tastes like it smells, with spices up front including cinnamon, allspice, clove, ginger and nutmeg, followed by honey, flowers, herbs, toasted grains, hay or dry grass, yeast and caramel. As much as I try, I just don’t dig all the spices and the cinnamon and ginger are very strong so this was not my cup of tea. It is very complex, and like a fruitcake soaked in water for a month, but just not my favorite style. It is what it is, so I’ll plow through it.

Mouthfeel is creamy and slick, with a buttery feel, a medium chewy body, nice carbonation that was just lighter than average, but then came the spices that lingered in the aftertaste.

I would not seek this out again and did not enjoy this beer, but being subjective I’d say that fans of this spice filled style will thoroughly enjoy this beer; too bad I’m not one of those fans.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 04:03:40 | More by CHickman

macrosmatic

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Thanks to dogdoc for this one. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a CCB pint glass.

A: Pours a clear gold, visible carbonation on the low side, and forms a 1/2 finger white head.

S: Sweet & caramel malts with lots of spices (nutmeg, allspice, ginger).

T: Follows the nose, with the spices very prominent. Overall is quite sweet with a bit of bitterness (hops?) at the end.

M: Light body, minimal alcohol presence, and low carbonation sensation.

O: Just not my style of beer. I can't find any off flavors, but the spices just came through too heavy-handed for my taste. That said, I feel like the brewers at least put an effort into making the sweetness & spices work into the body of the beer, rather than just giving your sinuses a Christmas kick. Better than many of the spiced Christmas beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:23:06 | More by macrosmatic

emyers

Illinois

3.99/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Great Lakes snifter.

Appearance: Pours a deep amber with a thin off-white head. Not much head retention.

Smell: Biscuits, caramel, and honey up front. Cinnamon comes throough, nicely balanced with the malt bill. I don't get much of the ginger.

Taste: Honey and caramel/toffee up front. Spices are one again perfectly balanced, not overpowering like many Christmas ales. Finish is a bit sweet, possibly due to the honey (akthough I would think it would have fermented out).

Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation. Smooth.

Overall: This beer gets a ton of hype, but it's well-deserved. Definitely one of the better Christmas ales out there. Well balanced and maintains a solid spice presence without turning into a spice bomb.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 02:20:42 | More by emyers

Bills453

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Poured from a bottle into a goblet. Nice orange golden color. Great foamy 2 finger off white almost cream colored head.

Smell - I love the smell of this beer. Smells like caramel malts and some delicious holiday spices. Nutmeg?

Taste - taste is a very nice mixture of holiday spices. I can't stand the over poweringly sweet Christmas beers. This one is not that and tastes very good.

Mouthfeel - good

Overall - a great offering from Great Lakes. One of my favorite winter time seasonals around.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 23:40:16 | More by Bills453

circus_cat

Virginia

2.54/5  rDev -36%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

If you charge that insane amount for a beer, people are going to be disappointed when it doesn't taste really special. Some ginger, cinnamon, and grassiness. Pretty good, but again--when Dogfish Head charges me $10 for a 12 oz, I'm annoyed at the cash register but pleased when I see how worth it it is. This just annoyed me all around.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 20:51:10 | More by circus_cat

MCain04

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 12/12, drinking about 6 weeks fresh. Poured into a Spiegelau glass. $13/6pack

Appearance: Clear golden orange color, 1-2 fingers of off-white head. Mild lacing, decent retention.

Smell: How a Christmas ale should smell. Spicy, cinnamon, roasty malts, nutty. Very nice.

Taste: Follows along with the smell profile. Really nice spice profile carrying through onto the taste. Really liking this. Not too hoppy or bitter. No heat or alcohol present.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, moderate carbonation, average finish.

Overall: Really enjoyed this. One of the best Christmas Ales I've had. Better than Goose Island's Christmas ale, in my opinion, and less expensive. Next to blackout stout, probably my favorite offering from Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 18:01:18 | More by MCain04

beergoot

Colorado

4.93/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I lucked into a bottle at my friend's house, yet this review is based off a on-tap serving at a bar 30-45 minutes later...

Dark, honey-amber color with a creamy white head. The aroma was full of holiday spices; gingerbread; cinnamon. The taste strongly followed the aroma with a nice, balancing bitterness. Body came across as in character; smooth, crisp, with a semi-dry finish.

This was equivalent of sipping a warm, nicely spiced liquid holiday cookie. The malts and spice flavors (from whatever the source) just came across so nicely balanced and complex without smacking you in the face with overly strong flavors. This is by far one my best holiday ales I've had in a long, long time. Highly recommended...

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 16:34:37 | More by beergoot

FosterJM

California

3.25/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

1701st Review on BA
Bottle to Great Lakes Snifter
12oz

2012 bottling
Thanks to ErikKoppin for this one

App- Okay so I was thinking a winter warmer would be darker. Along the lines of a porter or something dark, when is this now the color of pure orange honey? No bubbles and head. No cling either. Fairly clear in the glass.

Smell- Well I see the winter warmer, but this was way to honey forward for me. A bit of spice, a bit of creamy malts and some spices. Nice aromatics but don't see the fuss on this one.

Taste- This also like the nose was a bit too honey forward for me. I was so stoked to see this in the box but this was a mad elf for me. A lot of hype but all the honey and spices dont do it for me.

Mouth- A semi medium body with a fairly still carbonation level. Residual honey and spices.

Drink- I wanted to like this one more but sadly I couldn't get into it.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 23:09:32 | More by FosterJM

RickS95

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A great looking, rich, winter brew with a coppery orange pour. A bit clearer than I care for, but still has a nice rich look to it. The head has IPA written all over it with it's light yellow color and craterous head followed by thick sticky lace.

The smells are fairly laid back, though my beer may have been too cold. Cinnamon and honey are there, though subdued with ginger being the most dominant of the three and even then it's only a mild smell. Slight hop presence in the nose.

The flavor is the opposite of the nose with the ingredients makes a bolder statement. Cinnamon is clearly accounted for, as is the ginger and honey. I'm not a fan of either ginger in general or honey in beer, and while I don't really care for it here, it goes give the beer a nice spicy-sweet flavor profile.

Lots of spice and enough sweet for balance. So much going on I can't tell if there is any noticeable hoppiness at all. There's some bitter in the finish, but God only knows what it's from. Good alcohol burn going down, and it really sticks with you for a while.

Overall, it's a true winter warmer. Lots of seasonal ingredients, good alcohol feel, the flavors work well together and there is balance in both the taste and feel.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:41:56 | More by RickS95

malind

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a Stela Artois glass

A - Amber/Caramel in color. Poured transparent. Small head which disappeared fairly quickly.

S - Ginger, spice, hint of spruce

T - Spruce, earthy, hint of alcohol on the finish

M - Light, low carbonation, slight tingle of alcohol

O - A solid winter beer. One of my annual Christmas go-to beers. Not a lot of malt taste - almost a spiced beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:17:06 | More by malind

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a bright, lightly carbonated, copper coloring with a filmy, sparse, thin, white head coating the surface. Aromas of cinnamon spiced honey sweetness, both rich and smooth. Some roasty, bready notes in the background, also. Flavors are rich and sweet, on a very smooth, robust body. Almost creamy feel in mouth. The honey creates a semisweet, solid backbone with spiced and fruit highlights. The spice profiles of nutmeg, cinnamon, and all-spice are very subtle, and blended very well. This is what fruitcake is supposed to taste like, instead of candied evil and garbage. Lightly spiced aftertaste, with the honey giving off some tropical fruit esthers, also. Smooth, clean finish. Very tasty brew, and extremely easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 00:59:50 | More by GarthDanielson

rlee1390

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Clear yellow-orange, not much carbonation, one finger head.

S-Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, some caramel.

T-Balance of spices cinnamon, some nutmeg, tad bit of caramel and malt. Great balance.

M-Light to medium bodied, not much carbonation.

O-What a spicy Christmas Ale should be. Had with OSA '12 and 2XMAS and this was the clear winner.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:03:08 | More by rlee1390

tigg924

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: orange-brown in color, 1/4 inch head, clear, medium carbonation

Smell: toasted malt, dark fruit, brown sugar, and ginger

Taste: toasted malt, dark fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, high carbonation, sweet

Overall:A very good holiday. Nice combination of cinnamon and ginger. Both leave a nice spicy tingle afterwards. I would pick this up again if I could get it around here.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 15:11:42 | More by tigg924

Groomsy

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. "Best by" date of 03/09/2013.

This holiday beer pours a crystalline light amber and is topped by a quick-fading head of off-white foam. Scant lacing is left down the glass, and occasional carbonation bubbles come from the bottom of the glass.

Rich with holiday aromas, this beer is packed with smells of ginger, cinnamon, toffee, and caramel. I expected a bolder nose on this, but the smell leads naturally into the taste. There's not much hop aroma detectable, and no alcohol is present either. Mild, but well-done and balanced. About as sweet as expected for this kind of beer.

The taste is much bolder than the nose. Flavors of cinnamon and ginger erupt on the front of the tongue; this spiciness transitions into a toffee/caramel sweetness backed by a firm flavor of raw, toasted grain. The finish is an excellent blend of honey sweetness and earthy flavors from the Hallertau hops. This beer is hyped for a good reason, I think. This is a sweet but balanced version of the typical spiced winter warmer. Very well-done.

In the mouth, this beer is surprisingly non-heavy with a good carbonation kick. There is some dryness in the finish from the spice and alcohol warming. It goes down fairly smooth overall, though.

Great Lakes is an excellent brewery that produces consistently excellent beers; the Christmas Ale is no exception and is one reason that this brewery is famed. If you want a solid interpretation of the Winter Warmer that isn't overly spiced, check out the Christmas Ale. Take it as a post-dinner treat or fireside companion for the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 01:23:35 | More by Groomsy