Great Lakes Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

Amalak

New York

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had out of a 12 ounce bottle. It had a huge foamy head, brown, with a very, very slight cloudiness. Some spicy hops to smell.

It's a mild, pumpkin taste, but not like a Pumpkin ale or Oktoberfest, either. A nutty aftertaste. Slight bite. Good, but for an XMas/Winter Warmer, I want more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 21:51:58 | More by Amalak

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

riversider76

New York

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

Pours golden with a hint of orange color. Head quickly goes into a decent lace. Light spice/honey flavor with lots of carbonation. Hoppy, with a bit of a bite at the finish. I'm not a huge fan of the bitter edge in some Ale , but this was better than expected. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2005 01:02:40 | More by riversider76

drpimento

Wisconsin

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

hmmm. The bottle I'm having seems to be way different than the descrptions that most others describe. Mine has: some head and lace; dark, very hazy brown color; aroma of lots of malt, a bit of hops, bare hints of spices. Flavor is very dry malt, not much fruityiness, hardly any spice, dark fruits. Ok beer, nothing special. A bit rich for a session beer. ok finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2008 03:05:10 | More by drpimento

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

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

I pours a reddish brown color with about a half inch of head. Leaves a tiny bit of lace after disipating. The smell is very inviting. Spices abound into my nose. Cinnamon is the main character. The taste is spicy and malty. I'm getting a peppery orange hint. It actually reminds me of christmas. This beer light on the palate not heavy at all which I did not expect with a winter warmer. Not bad. I might start humming some christmas tunes. In July.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 02:10:16 | More by beerwolf77

dciBA

Maine

3.38/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Poured amber into a pint glass. No head or lacing whatsoever. Smells of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Quite a spicy, flavorful beer. A nice balance of holiday/baking spices when cold, but ginger takes over when warm. The ginger flavor stays on the palate for several minutes. The body and mouthfeel are where this beer shines. Very smooth, almost creamy as it goes down. The strong, almost overpowering amount of ginger keep the drinkability score low. This is a solid, good tasting beer, but I'd only ever want to drink one at a time.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2009 20:34:11 | More by dciBA

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

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

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this one with me.

Pours a deep amber with a quarter of an inch of off white head that has little retention. The nose is sweet with mild notes of honey, faint cinnamon, and fainter ginger. The flavor opens up with some faint honey and then moves into a candy-like, sugary sweetness. The finish has notes of cinnamon and very faint ginger. The flavor profile overall is rather light and laid back. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and moderately carbonated.

This isn't a bad beer, but it's uninteresting. There's is nothing that sets it apart from any of the other winter warmers that are also brewed with cinnamon, ginger, and honey. It was nice to try once, but I wouldn't have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 17:59:46 | More by tdm168

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy orange caramel color with a short lived 1/4" head of off white foam. It is gone within about 20-30 seconds.

Aroma: My first impression is of fresh spices mixed with some sweet caramel. The spices also contribute a floral presence. I am not too good at picking out particular spices, but they are definitely there.

Taste: The flavor is rather dry from the spice, and the mix of sweet toasty malt gives it the balance of some kind of breakfast cereal. It quite distracting to me, but it is not bad. There is a bit of a roasty note here, but it takes a back seat to the spice additions. The finish has malt and spices sharing the stage. I don't pick up the 7+% alcohol.

Opinion: This is an OK beer, but I don't really like a beer that you can positively identify the spice additions. It is OK, but it reminds me more of a food than a beer. I am not going to pour it out, but it isn't one that I will be drinking again anytime soon. Once is enough for a while.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2006 01:14:53 | More by SkeeterHawk

Frozensoul327

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Brownish honey color with a short lived head of white foam. Lots of lace, and a medium low level of carbonation.

S: Spices and bready malts. Some sweet notes of dried fruit.

T: Not bad. Rich malt, a sweet yet not over the top honey appeal, with notes of nutmeg and roasted earth.

M: Slightly smooth, but otherwise nominal, with little carbonation on the palate.

D: Not bad. I'm not usually one for the winter warmer style, but I could have a few of these and not complain. Good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2006 22:37:42 | More by Frozensoul327

cooncat

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving from a 12 oz. bottle, with a best by date of 1/27/07, so my sample was in date (review on 1/11/07).

On a vigorous pour into a 16 oz. glass, I got a small, creamy head, which was not particularly long lasting. The nose is light and hoppy, with just a hint of spice ... perhaps anise or cloves? The color is a very nice deep copper. I've been drinking this offering from Great Lakes for many years, and it seems to vary in quality from year to year. Its always best on tap at their brewpub in Cleveland. This year's offering isn't quite as good as some past years. Nevertheless, it is well balanced, and offers a clean and refreshing taste, clear to the bottom of the glass, which finishes more on a sweet/malty note. The 7.5% abv is not evident while drinking, so be advised that this is not a beer to guzzle. Enjoy a few with friends. Since it's a seasonal, it will soon be disappearing from store shelves. If you happen to find some, check the date on lower right side of the label.

Prost!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2007 01:29:06 | More by cooncat

cudmud

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours from the bottle with a rich ruby color and a fawn colored head of one-half inch. The head produces a nice layer of lacing.

Smell: There is plenty going on with the aroma. I can detect ginger, nutmeg, orange, hops, and biscuits. Overall, the sents work well together.

Taste: Like the smell, there is a lot going on with the flavor of this beer. One can detect lots of spice and hops. The flavors blend together, which makes it hard to detect any individual falvors. The malt does get lost with all the other flavors.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability: This brew feels good in the mouth. I don't think I could drink more than two of these in one night.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 03:08:00 | More by cudmud

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Cuzco for the extra. 12oz. bottle served in a standard pint. Enjoy by 1/17/11 indicated on the label. Pours a translucent copper with a loose, off-white head that quickly dissipates into a soapy slick and a thin band around the edges. No lacing whatsoever on this one. Nose expresses nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon. Taste consistent with nose - a very spicy Winter Warmer indeed. Honey makes it's presence known towards the finish; however, there's also and herbal, perhaps spruce-like quality in the middle. Mouthfeel is light-medium (but closer to light) with a lively, almost effervescent carbonation. Interesting for the style, but a little too over the top. Personally, it was difficult to get through one.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 02:29:15 | More by Jwale73

bound4er

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A. Reddish amber appearance with a one finger, fast breaking white head.

S. No doubt about it - this is a spiced beer. Some type of mint - maybe peppermint or spearmint comes to mind. Some cinnamon and clove are also in there for good measure.

T. Mint flavors dominate with plenty of sweetness from the malt bill. Some lingering baking spice and the slightest amount of bitterness are present on the finish.

M. Medium bodied but quite lacking in carbonation.

O. If the carbonation level was amped up a bit more, I would find this much more to my liking. I can understand why people clammer for this beer - it is easy drinking and is likely something casual beer drinkers would enjoy. Personally, a couple of these each Christmas Season is plenty for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 02:40:44 | More by bound4er

smakawhat

Maryland

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap at Jose Andres' America Eats Tavern into a pilsner style glass.

No foam or head presented. Clear dark orange body with some slow rising carbonation coming up. Since there is only the body to describe there's not much else to say.

Nose is pretty muted. There's faint dry malt, and some mild nutmeg. But really it's a pretty closed nose.

Taste is mild bread dough, mixing with not clove spices. Sweetness comes on the aftertaste more so, even some fruity cherry sensations. Mouthfeel has some sticky like quality but it's also a bit wet, carbonation seems a little fizzy but tolerable.

Overall, not sure how much this was opened up on the pour, but it seems like I am preferring Great Lakes out of the bottle than on tap based on my experience.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 14:41:44 | More by smakawhat

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

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle with freshness date.

Pretty copper color, not a ton of head but good lacing from what is there.

Smells like cinnamon and ginger.

VERY spicy. Not hot, just tons of christmas spice. Dominated by connamon and ginger like the smell, but a little bit of honey comes through.

I can really only drink one of these at a time. It's a very interesting beer and worth a try, just not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2008 16:07:46 | More by Hojaminbag

mralphabet

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 Oz Bottle poured into Pilsner Glass

A: Ruby red. Poured not to gently and got about 1 fingers worth of head... Nice white head with good retention.

S: Different... the aroma of cinnamon, ginger spice, maybe some nutmeg.... Very spicy mix... and clean smelling

T: Catching floral hops right upfront... then some cinnamon, ginger.... ends with a little bitterness... Somewhat complex. The ABV is very warming.... so Winter Warmer fits.

M: Medium bodied... good bit of carbination.... Goes down smooth... with just a little bit

D: Take your time with this one... becomes a little better the more it warms up.... For me this one is not a multi drinker... I would add this one to my winter mix any time.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2009 04:02:15 | More by mralphabet

tykees88

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- amber red to brown. fluffy head. Decent lacing throughout.

S- Smells hoppy, malty. Then I smell cinnamon, some orange, clove, nutmeg. A potpourri of winter time dances through my nostrils. Truly amazing.

T- It tastes like it smells, but alas it's mild, and boozy. kills this beer for me.

M- Medium bodied as it should be. carbonated nicely.

O- not a four, the taste was what killed it for me. Maybe one of the most amazing sensations of any beer i've ever had was the smell.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 16:18:50 | More by tykees88

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

Transferred from the recent Christmas beer session in my tasting notebook.

Pours out nearly dead flat. No head at all, period. Only a few sad spartan bubbles occasionally rise from the bottom of the tulip glass. I am disappointed. This lack of carbonation causes the heavy body of this beer to feel unpleasantly syrupy in my mouth. Now that I've gotten all the bad things about this brew out of the way, lets talk about the good things. Color is a brilliant ruby/amber with minimal haziness, smells of honeyed ginger and spice exactly as promised on the label, flavors of gingerbread and spiced Christmas cookies come through cleanly just as promised by the nose, fresh, sharp, and clean flavors overall that really make me feel like the holidays... If only there was carbonation, it could have been something stellar.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 03:11:41 | More by WastingFreetime

rrwiltse

Colorado

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

7.5%??? Deceptive for sure! For a 'winter warmer' style, this is awfully light.
The first thing that struck me was the ginger aroma--not overwhelming, but just present and pleasant. Hints of the ginger and some cinnamon cross the tongue, but honey lingers. The spices are not too overpowering like many brewers end up with. Balanced and quaffable, not a case buy, but worth a six.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2006 01:32:41 | More by rrwiltse

terrabyte

Wisconsin

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

Pours a light copper-tan color.

Smells like Christmas spices. All of them.

Flavor consists of ridiculous amounts of coriander or clove, gingerbread cookies, and sweet molasses. Luckily this beer is labeled correctly, and one shouldn't be surprised by it. A unique Winter Warmer that is worth a try.

Mouthful has a below average carbonation. It is slightly thick, slick and syrupy.

Drinkability is a bit low due to its flavor combination. I purchased this at Woodman's at a discount ($6 for a 6-pack). I'm not sure if it really was on discount, but it seemed worth the current price, especially since I was looking for something different. And I found it! However, I'd probably hold off on having this again in the future except with desserts. And by desserts I mean Christmas desserts that consist of either: Gingerbread cookies or Pumpkin Pie. Don't forget the whip cream.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2007 15:12:57 | More by terrabyte

granite

New Hampshire

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

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A---It poured copper with thin white head.

S---Cinnamon and toasted malt.

T---It was very dry and slightly astringent. Very little malt flavor. Some warming alcohol and it finished all spices.

M---Thin-medium bodied.

D---Now this is a great winter warmer. Nice use of spice and just enough alcohol to balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2007 16:48:28 | More by granite

Imstillthegman

Delaware

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

Thanks to Sephiroth for the bottle...an extra in a trade.

Pours a clear copper color with a half-inch off-white head. Head quickly fades and leaves only a spot or two of lacing.

The aroma is intriguing, yet a bit of a turn-off at the same time. Not sure which way I am going here. Sweet malts, dark fruits, spices and a faint honey smell. Bringing back memories of those weird herbal medicines my mother would mix up and try to get us to take.

The flavor is exactly as the label would have you believe. The spices make it different than just about any winter warmer I have had. The honey isn't easy to pick out, but it's there.

Slightly creamy, medium bodied beer. Spicy, herbal aftertaste. Glad I got to try it, but I don't think I would ever buy it.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2007 17:04:49 | More by Imstillthegman