Great Lakes Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

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

Megahertz

Missouri

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

12 oz into a New Belgium globe.

A - Brilliantly clear bright red with a moderately large, white head. Very pretty.

S - Mulling spices, citrus zest & gingerbread cookie-like sweetness.

T - Malt-forward with restrained spicing; cinnamon & ginger apparent but not overdone or hot. Honey and spices give the impression of a ginger snap with icing. No major hop components.

M - Heavy body with brisk carbonation that helps cleanse the otherwise sweet palate.

O - A sweet, cookie-like interpretation of a holiday ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:56:11 | More by Megahertz

sommersb

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 12-18-2012
Freshness: Best by 02-20-2013
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Globe glass
Purchased: 6-pack from Greenwood Spirits, Bowling Green KY

Appearance: Two fingers of off-white head sit on the copper-colored, clear beer. Both lacing and head retention are very good.

Smell: Spices in the forefront, such as ginger, plus floral and pine from the hops. Also has aromas of dark fruits like cherry and raspberry. Lastly there's a little of an unpleasant vegetable smell.

Taste: Spices are again of note, with ginger and cinnamon. Fairly malty and sweet, with a balance present from earthy hops.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation seems in the high range on a medium body. Finishes with some earthy hop bitterness and spice flavors. Some alcohol warming is noted.

Overall: All in all a good Christmas ale, although I'd prefer some more malt character. As it is, it seems more like an herbed/spiced beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 05:24:53 | More by sommersb

Darkmagus82

Montana

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

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a orange-amber colored brew with a one finger white head. The head had a decent level of retention, slowly fading to give a medium level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was a mix of honey and spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and coriander. Behind the sweet and spicy smells was a light biscuit aroma as well.

Taste – The taste begins a little on the malty side with a light cinnamon and coriander spice upfront. As the taste moves on the spices get stronger and are joined by a lighter honey and caramel sweetness. More towards the end a light nutty and alcohol taste join the flavor with an increasing in the sweeter flavors of the brew and in the end combined with the rest to leave a warming spiced flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was a little on the medium side with a carbonation level that was just above average. The medium body was rather nice for the honey and malt flavors with the carbonation complementing the spice well.

Overall - A tasty Christmas style ale that was very drinkable. A nice spice, sweet and malt blend. Quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 01:25:48 | More by Darkmagus82

nhaberkorn

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter glass.

A - Medium carmel color

N - Gingerbread cookie, cinnamon, slight resemblance of clove

T - Gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, spice, and slight vanilla

M - Medium body, smooth

O - I'm not a huge fan of Christmas beers, but this one caught my attention. It smells and tastes like Christmas. I would say it tastes like a gingerbread ale with a cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of vanilla. It reminds me of a slightly weaker Christmas version of the Southern Tier Pumking...has a good aroma (albeit slightly more subtle) and has a unique taste (by the way, Pumking is my favorite pumpkin beer).

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 03:20:09 | More by nhaberkorn

steveh

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A trade with a co-worker has allowed me to try this one. Best by 3/22/13.

A -- Clear, deep copper-gold with a dense, long-lasting, off-white head.

S -- Man, I can smell alcohol and spices with the pour: Bready malts, peppery alcohol, cinnamon and ginger-like spices, some vague vegetal character back.

T -- Spice cookie/bread character up front, bready malts follow with hot alcohol in the finish. The ginger-cinnamon character lingers with doughy bread in the aftertaste.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft with a dry, crisp finish from alcohol. Body is medium.

O -- Overall, the spices are mildly interesting up front and certainly seasonal, but the hot alcohol character detracts from what flavor may eek through. It's a beer to sample one and probably not revisit in an evening. There's also something distracting to me in a beer that tastes like a ginger-snap. Not my style.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 21:52:31 | More by steveh

weonfire

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden/brown color. Off white- say...creme color head roughly finger and half. head dissipates in roughly 2-3 min. lacing sticks to high brew point.

S - Lots of spice. nutmeg, pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla. Wow this smells nice. And certainly not overloaded or unblended like some christmas beers.

T - Real sweet. Nutmeg and pumpkin right away. Cinnamon and vanilla come thru at the end. very floral.

M - As thick as I'd want a beer with this amount of spice to have. Viscosity is high. taste the spice all the way down the throat.

O- If you don't like spicy beers- this isn't for you. i personally find it very well blended. love the spice. very easy on the nose. one of my favorite christmas beers thus far.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 19:06:54 | More by weonfire

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pilsner glass.

Appearance
Brownish amber with 2 fingers of off-white head. Excellent clarity and moderate-heavy carbonation.

Nose
Ginger, toast, caramel, cinnamon and blackberry.

Taste
Raw grains; some toasted, others drizzled with caramel. A lot of ginger spice. Some hints of cinnamon, orange zest and perhaps some blackberry. Something reminds me of cranberries as well?

Mouthfeel
Light-medium bodied, smooth and clean.

Overall
I don't care much for this Christmas offering. Pretty boring and somewhat over-spiced.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 19:10:49 | More by justintcoons

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-translucent copper colored with a decent dark cream colored head. frothy with lacing

S-light scent of vanilla, ginger, and other christmas spices. i'm getting mostly vanilla though. okay scent, very malty. doesn't seem to have a high quality.

T-comes in tasting like cinnamon and ginger bread. very malty. somewhat bitter. not much of an after-taste. unique gimmicky taste with out much depth.

M-low creamy carbonation with a semi-dry finish

O-your non beer drinker friends might appreciate the novelty in this, maybe some girls would. its not terrible really. its okay to drink, it goes down easy, but its not a good beer. it focuses more on the holidays than beer, and we should never lose sight of whats most important. definitely doesn't drink like 7.5% though. it tastes more around 5%.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 02:05:58 | More by AdamBear

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, best before 2/22/2013. Pours lightly hazy copper amber color with a small 1 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty minimal lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, toast, brown sugar, cherry, raisin, bread, and herbal spiciness. Very nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of caramel, bread, toast, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, honey, brown sugar, raisin, and herbal spiciness. Slight spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, clove, bread, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice malt/spice flavor balance with good complexity; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice spice amber ale! Well balanced with good flavor complexity; very smooth and easy to drink. Very enjoyable offering as expected.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 05:58:39 | More by superspak

mattbk

New York

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

Appearance - Clear, honey brown, slightly amber, appears fairly carbonated.
Smell - That familiar Great Lakes rich malt aroma. The ginger and cinammon make an appearance here. Maybe also some nutmeg. Not much hop aroma.
Taste - The taste much heavier on spice than the aroma. The honey is coming through more here. More cinammon too. The beer is sweet, almost cloying, but not in a bad way. That rich malt taste is right behind the honey and spice up front. It is a balanced beer, definitely a good holiday beer. Not extremely sessionable, but 2 or 3 could go down fairly well.
Mouthfeel - Fairly full mouthfeel. Again, makes for a good winter warmer. Not as much carbonation as I was expecting.
Overall - A very good christmas beer - there aren't many made that are able to balance the spices with the beer base well, but Great Lakes does it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 01:36:22 | More by mattbk

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

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

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, the beer was an exaggerated gold color with a modest white head. The ale left a thin lacing on the glass, giving reminders of your drinking progress. When sipping a winter warmer, this is a plus. The holiday aroma peaked my interest, with scents one might expect from a holiday beer including cinnamon, pine, ginger, and a hint of cookie. In the taste, one gets sweet and spicy cinnamon and honey a little later. The thickness of the ale allows this one to linger for a while. The staying power becomes nicer when one experiences the pleasant warming sensation toward the end. This is a nice warming seasonal with a pleasant aftertaste. I believe I could enjoy this one again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2012 00:31:48 | More by JohnnyHopps

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Light copper orange in color with excellent clarity. Poured with a short white foam that quickly reduced to a wispy cap. Delicate aromas of cinnamon, ginger, honey and caramel malt. Medium bodied with an oily feel up front, a tangy feel at the finish, and subdued carbonation. Spicy flavors across the roof of the mouth with sweet dark fruit, honey and caramel malts over the tongue. Finishes cleanly with a subtle hop bitterness. Great balance of spicy, sweet and bitter in my opinion. This was an awesome easy drinking winter warmer!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 23:31:33 | More by IronLover

wvsabbath

West Virginia

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

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Copper tan/brown, nice 2 inch creamy head and tons of lacing.

Smell - Cherry, apples, spices, some malts. Cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, brown sugar.

Taste - Sweet bite of honey/fruit/brown sugar/molassess at first sip. Loads of sweet fruits like apple, plum, grape and rasin. Spices add many flavors and work well with the malts. The finsish brings alot of cinnamon along with some heat from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel - Lots of sweet fruits, spices and malts coat tounge. Palate gets more of the same with alot of cinnamon and some booze. Aftertaste is spiced, malty and a little dry.

Overall - A soild winter warmer, alot of sweetness and spices. Easy to drink and enjoy. Balanced well, each aspect works together to create a smooth, sweet and pleasent drink. One of the best of the style, worth a drink for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 03:03:59 | More by wvsabbath

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

my twin brother's absolute favorite beer. youd never suspect its 7.5% abv either. the pour is a light and clear sopper color with a moderate red hue, and a lazy but lasting off white head, foamy, roughly half an inch high. the nose is cinnamon and ginger are evident, as is a richer malty sweet body. the flavor isnt sweet though, and that is this beer's best feature. its spiced, but its dry, its malty, but its crisp, its fruity, but its hoppy. there is a lot of strange contradictions happening here, but all work magically. spice up front, malty candied fruit through the middle, and spruced up groggy booze in the finish. this is yummy as anything thats out this time of year. there is an airy body, feeling much lighter than it must actually be, and a mellow but adequate co2 infusion. one of the best great lakes beers going, and certeinly one of the better winter brews available on the east coast. this is the dope show.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 04:18:12 | More by StonedTrippin

bum732

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

S: Bold honey, touch of spiciness, slightly malty.

L: Light red, little creamy head that dissipates slightly.

T: Fairly clean honey-like malt with a touch of cinnamon. Low bitterness, smooth honey maltiness with a touch of heat. Fairly sweet, clean finish. Some ginger in the finish but fairly subtle.

M: Medium low carbonation, medium mouthfeel. Touch of alcohol heat. Smooth.

Not bad, but not my favorite holiday ale. Spices are pretty subtle, would've liked the malt to be a little more complex and bring more to the table.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:28:08 | More by bum732