Great Lakes Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

Clowerweb

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass. Freshness date: 03/22/2012. Says "best served at 55 degrees F", but I am drinking it from the fridge. I'll sip slowly an edit the review if anything changes.

A: Brownish orange with bright amber highlights, nicely filtered, very clear. 2 fingers of slightly off-white head with respectable retention, but little lacing. Great looking beer, aside from the lacing (or rather the lack thereof), not much to complain about.

S: Honestly, it smells skunky with some piney and citrusy notes, but the nose is on the lighter side with this one, so I'm not picking up much here. Almost smells like an IPA or APA. Definitely detecting hops, but the skunk is a little off putting.

T: Tastes nothing like it smells. Has a very nice depth of flavor with pumpkin, cream, cinnamon, hops and definitely nutmeg. Almost tastes like a swig of eggnog with your pumpkin pie - appropriate for a Christmas ale. It starts and finishes basically the same, no flavor twists to speak of in the mid palate or finish, although the cinnamon and nutmeg spices tend to shine through a little more in the aftertaste. I'm really digging the flavor, it tastes wonderful.

M: Moderate carbonation, body is on the more full side of medium, feels a bit chewy after the finish, doesn't really stick around too much, however it does leave a little bit of carbonation tingle in the cheeks and a creamy coating on the back of the tongue.

O: Oh yeah, this is an amazing beer. This is one of those "warm up with your significant other by the fireplace on a cold winter's evening" kind of beers. You could totally session with this one too. Looks awesome, tastes AMAZING, and leaves little to complain about other than the strange skunky smell.

I've never been disappointed with anything Great Lakes has to offer, and they make me proud to be from Ohio. I'd like to go tour the brewery someday, it's less than 100 miles away. With such a solid lineup of world class brews, who could resist? If you see this somewhere, definitely pick it up, you will have no regrets. Re-buy factor: very high.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:07:37 | More by Clowerweb

challenja

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served On Tap at the Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan DC.

A: A Nice orange red glow with a head that dissipates quickly to no existence at all. A look of really well aged and expensive bourbon.

S: Now here is the stinker, not that it smell that bad but its not as powerful as most Christmas Ales. There is cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, breaded malt, and wild cherry. It could be that for a badly washed glass deadened the smells. Really good powerwashers are needed like in upscale beer joints.

T: Nutmeg ripe cherry pumpkin spice honey light cinnamon tast, subtle mid-western hops, and a light bready backbone. Subtle sweetness that entices the palate to have another!

M: Nice lingering medium carbonation that is passionate between the gums. I like how it lingers on the palate and entices the tongue.

O: A real winner in terms of a winter Christmas ale. I rank it third only behind the Mad Elf and Fireside Chat. Sorry Anderson Valley Winter Solstice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 20:43:15 | More by challenja

syrupjoe

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into Swag Brewery pint glass. Celebrating MLK Jr. Day with brews and Xbox 360. This is leftover from the holiday season, so some flavors may be a bit faded.

Pours an almost crystal clear copper color with one finger cream colored head.

Nose is very strongly pumpkiny, giving off notes of ginger, cinammon, and perhaps nutmeg.

Taste is quite spicy, with the abovementioned smells coming through in the flavor with a significant amount of lingering bitterness. Rather sweet with a slight soap taste and slick finish.

Overall the spices in this are blended quite well but do not make for a very drinkable beer. After a few sips of this one I'm looking for someone to share it with.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:46:40 | More by syrupjoe

shand

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received as a gift from the ever so generous staff at Winthrop Liquors.

Pours an amber color with a tiny head. Aroma is very sweet and spiced - honey and a ton of holiday spices dominate the nose here for sure. The taste is very sweet and very spiced. It's almost like an imperial winter warmer, if such a thing were to exist. It's very well-done though, with a cutting, slightly alcoholic finish that stops it from becoming cloying. The mouthfeel is rather thick, but has a pretty good level of carbonation. It's also fairly drinkable, especially considering the sweetness. Overall, a solid winter beer for sure. Every beer I have from GLBC makes me kinda sad I'm outside of their distribution, as they'd be a staple in my fridge for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 02:29:19 | More by shand

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was served from the tap at The Distillery in Victor, NY. The beer arrived in a house pint glass, and looked the color of light copper. It held a one finger beige head, which receded slowly, leaving thick lacing, and an even thicker film over the top of the beverage. Carbonation was highly active, and no sediment or haze was noted. The aroma was of thick malts, steel, and a faint caramel. Once those initial notes cleared, the beer smelled like a holiday fruitcake. It gave off synthetic sweetness and candied cherries. On the far back were deeper notes of cinnamon, light clove, and finally a faint grassy hop, with inviting warm citrus. As we sipped, the taste began with beautifully deep malts that were a bit salty and cooked, but not to the point of smoke or char. Mixing in was a dried cranberry sourness, and an oaky smoothness. The peak of flavor was a veritable spice rack. There was gingerbread, nutmeg, bittering cinnamon, and an almond nuttiness, all mixing in with the deeper malts from the front. The finish was of soap and pine, as the hops roll through to take the malts by surprise. There was an additional orange cleanliness, with medicinal phenols and coppery grain to round things out. The aftertaste breathes of salty malts, clean citrus, warming fusel alcohols, and more “Christmas” spice and fruitiness. The body was medium, but thicker, and the carbonation was high to the point of being prickly. There was a steely coating and cooling to the sip, with a warming to the belly. Each sip had fine slurp and smack. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the spicy, warming finish. It really does taste like winter and Christmas. They were able to maintain such stark spice, without forfeiting the other important qualities to the beer. The malts remained robust throughout, and the hops were appropriately light. This is the exemplary winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2012 23:09:33 | More by TheBrewo

womencantsail

California

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for the bottle, Jeff!

Pours a clear copper color with a finger of off-white head. Lots of cinnamon and ginger aromas, especially ginger. There is a nice bit of sweet malt and bread going on as well. The flavor has plenty of bready malt sweetness as well as some toffee. The ginger is fairly assertive, maybe a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg in there as well. Medium body with low to medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 08:36:06 | More by womencantsail

beerfish68

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have this beer on tap now. I think 12 dogs is a bit better but it ranks pretty high on my Christmas Ale list.

A- Good color and my draft pulls a nice head at 6 psi. It holds fairly will an the lacing is okay. It does not stick to the glass as you might expect

S- I like the smell of this beer althoug I think it tastes better than it smells

T- The taste is great except for the bit of excess alcohol taste that you get. I cannot decide if it is good or bad. I kind of like this taste as it makes if different from other Christmas Ales.

M- Good complex feel in the mouth

O- I really like this beer - better on draft than in the bottle. I know some think it is over rated but it has a unigue sweet taste that I can't deny is great

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 04:32:33 | More by beerfish68

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Light amber coppery color with a slight greenish tint. Very lightly carbonated. Nose promises cookies and nutmeg. Nice rich malty flavor. You get nice flavors of gingerbread, honey and cinnamon. I thought this beer would be really sweet, but it's very well-hopped and finds a good balance. Mouthfeel is a bit firm, but not too syrupy.

This beer is very popular around here and flies out of the store when it's available. I'm glad I managed to score some.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:24:39 | More by deadonhisfeet

NODAK

Tennessee

3.38/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aroma here is of thick caramel, spice and some booze as well. The 7.5% ABV shows here. A very rich winter warmer.

Pours a nice amber color with a decent, dissipating head to it. Decent lacing.

Taste has a nice sweetness to it that I'm guessing is from the honey advertised on the bottle. Certainly not too strong, it's decent. The spice note, of which I mostly get ginger, melds with a somewhat surprising cocoa component going along with it. Hops are pretty much voting absentee in this one.

I don't find this to be anything special as far as other winter beers that are out there. Of any I've had, this one probably packs the biggest punch. Maybe I expected more based on the hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:35:37 | More by NODAK

JayS2629

Alabama

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

Pours a deep amber with dark tones, a creamy two finger head that fades quickly but leaves nice rings of lace.

The aroma has ginger, cinnamon and allspice but in a nice subtle way on a caramel, brown sugar backbone.

Some notes of honey and brown sugar, caramel and brown bread notes. Cocoa hints with vanilla and cinnamon notes. Nice balance. Some earthy, herbal notes balance things.

Medium bodied, nice balance. warming.

Sublte and warming. Nice and easy drinking spicy seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 07:07:48 | More by JayS2629

mdfb79

New York

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

From 12/30/11 notes. Had on tap at The Big Hunt in Washington, DC. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a deep amber color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of gingerbread, spices, bready malts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and toasted malts. Lots of cinnamon and ginger, smells great to me.

t - Tastes of cinnamon, gingerbread, nutmeg, spices, bready malts, toasted malts, light toffee. More cinnamon than the nose, and a tiny step again. Really liking this.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty smooth and creamy.

o - Overal I thought this was a great Winter Warmer. Lots of cinnamon and gingerbread in the nose and taste which I love, and exactly what I was expecting. Would certainly buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2012 20:22:02 | More by mdfb79

MaxBrewell

West Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Clear copper color with ample head and carbonation bubbles releasing; minimal lacing.

S - Cinnamon and sweet malts dominate the nose. Honey and ginger don't come through.

T - Cinnamon present up front and malty sweetness in the finish. Nothing special, but a nice Winter Warmer.

M - A little thin, but nicely carbonated.

D - At 7.5% the ABV is well hidden and it is a nice example of the style. A nice beer to ring in the New Year!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 01:14:20 | More by MaxBrewell

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

2.33/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

My 1st Great Lakes!

Clear copper color with a thick head that's quick to vanish. No lace, shameful retention.

Aroma is honey with a malty backbone. Cinnamon.

Smooth and malty up front with ample, but not overpowering, spice. It's the backend of this beer that I object to; it has a tobacco, herbal antiseptic tongue tingling ick that doesn't float my boat. Downright sinks it. Slick, booziness makes this beer seem stronger than 7.5%.

I'd heard so many great things about this brewery that I left Christmas Ale sitting on my counter for an hour and kept going back to it to make sure I wasn't missing something. It eventually ended up down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 18:32:16 | More by donkeyrunner

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

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

Crisp and clear, copper in color, only a little bit of head that goes flat quickly. No lacing.

The aroma and flavor are really well done. Subdued spices provide character and a warm feeling without overwhelming my palate or my nose. Cinnamon is more evident than the other spices, but ginger comes through too. A prominent malty sweetness is evident throughout, but there is also a dry finish.

Slick and little bit flat, the mouthfeel is a disappointment considering the other solid qualities of this beer. Still, a very nice winter warmer, and no doubt, I will drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 02:53:16 | More by NittanyBeerFan

HopNelius

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Red/orange body with a medium head not overly carbonated.
S-Smell notes of Ginger and Cinnamon. Smells of holiday spice.
T-The ginger and Cinnamon hit you immediatly but mellow out for the finish.
M-nice.
O-Great Christmas Beer. In my part of the country it sells out quick.Not a beer that I would want to drink everyday but I appreciate a few around the hoidays. The Ginger and Cinnamon balance makes this beer unique compared to other Christmas Ales I have had. The 7.5 abv is balanced nicely and does not come off boozy at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 18:03:03 | More by HopNelius

ArchEnemyBrew

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into SA perfect pint glass 12-29-11

A: Pours a perfectly clear beautiful copper color with about a half inch of white head that hangs around for a bit.

S: Intial smell is of cinnnamon and ginger for sure. A very familiar smell to me only because I have brewed a beer with those same spices. As it warms I get a nice bready and caramel malt aroma and a little bit of alcohol as well.

T: Taste is of subdued spices, just the way I like it. I enjoying smelling the spices in the beer a bit more than a full on onslaught on the palate. Once again bready malts and a nice crispness to the beer. A small hop kick at the end rounds things out nicely. Just a trace of honey lingers on the tongue.

M: Nice bit of carbonation, not too sweet, nice level of spices. A little thin but doesn't detract from the beer itself.

O: I have to admit that I'm a bit of a sucker for spiced beers and I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Could have a few on a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:27:05 | More by ArchEnemyBrew

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I enjoyed a bottle of this over at my in-laws house while just hanging out and watching the Simpsons during the Christmas holiday 2011.

I poured this into a Jolly Pumpkin tumbler.

A: Poured a clear, festive, soft red color, with a good bit of visable carbonation, and about a one finger head.

S: Right away, the recognizable Great Lakes profile poked through brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Christmasy!

T: The combination of spices created sort of an odd bitterness that worked somewhat. In addition to the spices I got on the nose, I also detected a good bit of nuttiness and gingerbread as the beer warmed.

M: The beer as whole was moderately carbonated, had virtually no lacing, and the cinnamon actually started to sting by the time I reached the bottom of the glass.

O: To each his or her own on this one. If you dig this type of brew, then knock yourself out. As for me, I liked it, but didn't love it. Anchor still owns Christmas to my mind...

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 14:23:19 | More by Chaney

elNopalero

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the bottle (12/12):
This pours a caramel amber color with light foam. From the aroma I’m guessing it’s spiced with nutmeg? I also get some allspice, clove and ginger hints. The flavor has nice bite without being overpowering. There’s a mild malt sweetness and a pretty straight forward “Christmas” spicing—with ginger, caramel, and a clove note mixed with some honey sweetness at work here. Mellow, easy-going finish.

From the tap (previous): This pours a ruby auburn color. It has a lightly spiced aroma to it, ‘holiday’ spices, like the dusting of cloves and allspice. Tastes so flavorful with a wonderful, big spiciness of nutmeg and allspice, some clove and cinnamon, and a hoppy bite that’s masked by a malty spice backbone. I enjoyed letting this one warm as it held up well.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 22:46:28 | More by elNopalero

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A 12 oz bottle, poured into an oversized wine glass.

A: A nice amber/ruby red, with a one finger foamy head on top. The head hangs around for a bit, before dissipating to a cap on top of the beer.

S: A heavenly aroma that just screams Christmas. Perfect ratios of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg first (mostly cinnamon), with biscuity malt notes. Overall, a nice sweet scent, with light hints of fruitness, and just the right amount of spices. Perfect for a winter warmer.

T: Yummy. Great mix of spices, with the cinnamon leading the way, without being overly dominant. Hints of ginger and nutmeg are most pleasant. The beer has the perfect level of sweet maltiness, enhanced by the spices. It tastes also like a gingerbread cookie! Nothing present from the hops. The finish is of the spices.

M: Perfect. Medium body, with enough carbonation, but not too much. Somewhat creamy body overall.

O: Winter warmers are far from my favorite style, but Great Lakes makes a wonderful one. Highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:21:48 | More by Hophead717

BrewerB

California

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Markfy sent this to me in a recent trade. Cheers Mark! Fitting to open it on Christmas.

Pouring into a Firestone Walker nonic pint glass. Brilliant clarity, copper in hue. Fizzy off-white head collapsed down thin.

Spicy nose, reminiscent of a holiday pie. Cinnamon, ginger, sugar cookie sweetness. Toasted malt undertones. Malt presence hard to detect.

Snickerdoodle/sugar cookie like sweet maltiness. Cinnamon/brown sugar on the medium-sweet finish. Subtle floral qualities. Bitterness is low/moderate-low. Not much in the way of hops.

Medium-bodied with moderate-high level of carbonation.

Great spicy bouquet going on with ginger, cinnamon, sugary sweetness. Not necessarily a beer I'd get a second of but enjoyable none the less.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:20:02 | More by BrewerB

gabedivision

New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle to a snifter glass.

Ho Ho Ho, what a day to review a Christmas ale.

A- pours a clean and clear chestnut red with a 1 finger head that sinks to a thin tight bubbled ring around the glass.

S- Sweet malts and sugary spice all around this one, festive. Cherries, clove, ginger with an overwhelming Vicks vapor rub/cough medicine smell. Breathes winter to me.

T- Brown sugar, huge nutmeg ,honey, cherries, clove, hints of peppermint, and rum. Well balanced sweet malts, and sugary spice. Tastes like a holiday cake or pastry of some sort.

M- Medium on the body and feel, goes down like syrup sugary and over sweet.

O- Overall, this is a fuzzy warming beer, the smell maybe enough to make you not want to sip it due to its medicinal like qualities but the taste makes up for it. Not sure if i could enjoy more than one of these at a sitting, very syrupy and sweet. But well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 00:35:38 | More by gabedivision

jwhawkins81

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tastes of 11/2/10 with a best by date of 02/02/11

Aroma - Spice and sweet notes dominate the nose. Particularly cinnamon.

Appearance - Golden red with a quickly dissipating white head but an OK level of carbonation.

Taste - Cinnamon sweet and smooth at 55 degrees or warmer. I really recommend drinking this beer at cellar temperatures. Overall the flavor profile is heavy on spice and sweetness with hints of ginger.

Notes - The best Christmas Beer I've ever had but it really beats you over the head with all that spice and sweet flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 14:52:55 | More by jwhawkins81

GregSVT

Texas

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

12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a clear dark amber with an off-white head that fades to a ring and leaves a tiny bit of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose smells like candied apples and toffee with a sweet malt base.

T: The taste is pretty much a mirror of the nose with big flavors of candied apples, light caramel, and sweet malt.

M: The feel is on the lighter side of medium with a tad bit of creaminess.

O: Pretty good christmas ale. It's pretty similar to Saint Arnold's christmas ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 05:58:58 | More by GregSVT

1Adam12

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a medium amber color. Lots of bubbles. Smells awesome. Smells like blended honey, gingerbread, and cinnamon. Loads of cinnamon. Tastes much of the same. Possibly some lemon in there as well. Has a bit of a ginger snap cookie to it as well. Very good. Mouthfeel is a bit over carbonated, but full. Very crisp. This is by far the best Christmas Ale I've had this year. Thanks to JohnPPutz for the extra.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 04:19:45 | More by 1Adam12

ckollias

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz beer out of a pint glass.

A: pours a clear dark copper hue with an off-white, frothy, 4-finger head that quickly dissipates into a solid persistent lace leaving a nice trail all the way down the glass.

S: spicy aroma with hints of ginger and honey with alcoholic overtones.

T: crisp and slightly sweet and bitter. Smooth and malty and nicely spiced. Hints of ginger, cinnamon, and bitter.

M: medium body and medium carbonation.

O: this is the best Christmas ale I've ever had. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 18:56:36 | More by ckollias