Holiday Spice Lager Beer - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

Minotaur

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours from the tap into a goblet a dark cloudy brown; it has a dense, thick head that evaporates quickly and leaves an attractive skim on the top of the beer.

The aroma is strong with honey, clove, cinnamon. There is a slight dark fruitiness: cherry, plumb.

The taste is very "in your face" with both spice and alcohol. It is a very strong array of spices: nutmeg, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, honey. The fruitiness remains in the taste: elements of the orange as well as berry or lighter/sweeter fruit (apple, pear?) come through. There is some bitterness and a toasty malt taste. Overall it is well blended but intense set of tastes. It has elements of a bock beer, traditional warmer, and strong spiced ale. Compared to other warmers which attempt to hint around at the spice... this puts that element right up front.

It is tingly and bubbly in the mouth and down the throat. This would normally lead to higher drinkability. But the lingering strong alcohol presence seems to make the mouth feel a bit more astringent. And that makes it only moderately drinkable.

It was unique for

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2009 02:24:26 | More by Minotaur

Gavage

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark amber in color with a 3" thick head. Some nice lace paints the glass during the session.

Smell: holiday spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg are pleasant and easy to detect.

Taste: mild malt presence with some cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, plums, and a decent bitterness to balance it out. Alcohol is mildly noticeable.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lighlty crisp to start, smoother and a bit dry at the finish. Aftertaste is long as the flavors linger in the mouth for a while.

Drinkabiliy: nice beer for a cold winter day. Slow sipping but more than one could be enjoyed in a session.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2009 12:45:46 | More by Gavage

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Lakefront- Holiday Spice Lager

A- Hazy red/ brown with a small light lacing head.
S- Sugary sweet candy and malt. Slight touch of cherries and cinnimon.
T- Super sweet sugary cherry, with hints of caramel, cinnimon, grape, and orange.
M- Varying between sweet and sour. Very fruity, barely any spices other than dry cinnimon noted. Fruity tartness dominates.

Overall- Too tart and fruity sour.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2009 21:57:33 | More by NJpadreFan

brakspear

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What a surprise...to find Lakefront's 2002 Holiday Spice on tap in northern Wisconsin was like finding a pearl in an oyster.

This specialty beer pours a dark peach with a pleasant frothy head forming and lingering throughout.

The aroma screams spices and malty sweetness. I detected, I think, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and perhaps cloves.... all balanced with an ever present honey and malt base.

The taste is very sweet, perhaps from the honey, but the spices and high alchohol, along with a generous hop presence blance this beer very well. A potent brew for the holday season.

I first sampled Lakefront's Holiday Spice back in 1993 or 1994 in a special tasting held in the old Riverwest brewery...since I moved, I have missed its yuletide presence every year...it is a great beer to go out of the way to purchase if you are ever in Milwaukee when the mercury drops below zero.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2002 18:04:02 | More by brakspear

bushbeer75

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle dated on neck October 23, 2012. According to Lakefronts website 9.4 ABV and no mention of 11 ABV.

Lakefront Holiday Spice Lager filled my pint glass with a almost clear dark amber colored body and produced a very, very small off-white slightly bubbly head that dissipated quickly to a thin ring of bubbles. The nose is sweet, fruity and spicy. The taste is smooth, dominate by spicy cinnamon, orange, clove and a little sweet from the honey. There is just enough hops to balance and keep this lager from becoming too sweet. The mouth feel is a little sticky, high medium bodied and there is a light warming alcohol character.

Holiday Spice Lager is only the second herb/spiced beer I have had. To date Holiday Spice is by far my favorite in the style. This lager goes well paired with BBQ potato chips.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 22:28:44 | More by bushbeer75

wingman14

Ohio

3.66/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a reddish brown with a nice off white head that sticks around for awhile. Smell is clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet notes, very powerful, mostly inviting. Taste starts with the clove and cinnamon and moves to the nutmeg, and stays sweet throughout. A hint of orange comes in at the aftertaste, then the cinnamon and clove linger. The high ABV comes through at the end of each sip, easy to tell that it is much higher. A medium mouthfeel, not super smooth, but nice, the noticeable ABV takes away from the beer. Overall a nice holiday beer, super spiced, tons of flavor, not for those looking for subtle. Worth a taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 23:19:40 | More by wingman14

flagmantho

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: deep tawny brown hue with a haze-free body and a robust effervescence. The head poured a finger of creamy ivory foam but doesn't have a lot of retention. That color is just so rich, though.

Smell: nutmeg, cinnamon and clove are all right there. I feel like the underlying beer is quite sweet smelling, like a bock; I suppose it could be a lot worse, though, at 11%.

Taste: sweet, almost sickly sweet, brew. The spices don't work as well in the flavor as they do in the aroma. Upon further tasting, the disappointing beginning actually ends in a decently spiced pumpkin-pie-type finish. Not the worst thing in the world, although I don't love that start.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation, just as you might expect from the strong apparent effervescence. There's a really good level of creaminess here, which works well in the style.

Overall: an interesting beer, definitely one to limit to once a year. It is a lot like a pumpkin beer without the pumpkin (read: cinnamon and nutmegy), and has some flaws, but overall it is drinkable and perhaps worth a try if you're into this sort of thing.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 19:16:34 | More by flagmantho

silverking

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It pours a dark, clear red/brown with a tan head with poor retention. lacing is moderate while the head lasts. It reeks of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The malt, however, shines through that dense jungle of spice brilliantly. The taste is nice and malty with all of those wonderful holiday spices. there is also a moderately bitter hop presence. The finish is very bread-like, almost to the point that you can chew on it. There is moderate carbonation with a moderately full mouthfeel. The finish is a bit on the dry side, but it's quite pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 18:57:03 | More by silverking

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served chilled in a SN pint, 2012 vintage

A - pours a dark, murky brown, 2 fingers of light brown head

S - Lots of spice - cinnamon, nutmeg - but not overpowering, on top of a bready malt backbone

T - The spice again is evident up front, substantial yet somehow mellow. Malt follows, no hint of alcohol

M - Very smooth, no hint of alcohol, minimal carbonation

O - I can't believe how well they hide the 11% abv, and I also can't believe I've waited till now to try this one. This beer rivals other holiday brews I've tried recently, I think I'll be picking up a 6 pack soon.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:24:47 | More by ncketchum

Roland45s

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A spicy robust beer with a heavy smell of nutmeg. Couldn't really get the "orange peel" but don't know that I cared to. Poured with a less than 1" head, not too heavy. Definitely would recommend this for a second round. Abv was very masked behind the rich robust mouthfeel of spices.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 13:00:35 | More by Roland45s

Ohiovania

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at a work Christmas party, now I'm on my second six pack. I'm not usually a fan of holiday beers/ spiced beers but I tried after a recommendation from a friend. For me this spiced beer hits it right on the head. It's not over the top but is very spice forward. I feel like all of the spice have their place on stage with this one. It's a little sweet but just what I'm looking for after trying all the messes of Christmas past. And at 11% this beer is crazy drinkable. I almost think it has to be a typo, haha.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 00:34:07 | More by Ohiovania

chinchill

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle of 2012 (October) Lakefront Holiday Spice served in a Unibroue snifter.
A: clear mahogany color, with a fine but too perishable head.
S: Excellent aroma [4.25] of cinnamon and other "holiday" spicing in good combination.
T: Citrus, bready malts, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg all in evidence and in rather good balance. Lightly bitter-sweet.
I was about to write that the ABV is poorly hidden, then I checked it (ABV = 11%!) so I will instead say that it is partially hidden and that this beer is highly (dangerously) drinkable for the ABV. Although quite fresh, this is sufficiently mellow and smooth to suggest it has already been properly aged a while.

O; LB manages to pack a lot of flavor in this holiday lager without going over the top on spicing. Should age well: I need to try to get a few more for my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 23:10:53 | More by chinchill

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.
11% ABV, Vintage 2012, Bottled on 10/23/12 printed on the neck.

A - Holiday Spice pours a beautiful and dark crimson amber color that is briefly topped by a thin ivory head which, due to the alcohol, disappears rather quickly leaving little lace on the glass. A good swirl reveals some lingering alcohol legs with dribble down the glass slowly.

S - The aroma is close to the epitome of a holiday beer. Spices flourish in the nose with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. A kiss of hops imparts a small earthy pine cone hint before moving to orange peel that gives the nose a nice citrus zest. Toasted wheat and oat bread with some warm biscuit provide a great base for the medley of scents and provides a nice transition to the honey-filled mead-like warm alcohol finish.

T - Despite the spice-rich aroma, the flavor is much more "beer-like" with spices as an afterthought making way for toasted, bread-like malts. Strong alcohol interrupts with a strong presence initially that fades quickly, blending into a sweet, honey coated biscuit malt flavor. Well balanced spices but a bit sweet.

M - Very smooth and robust, this is a full-bodied brew that's finishes with an almost cloying level of sweetness and faded dry spice that lingers on the tongue. Warming alcohol almost becomes solvent-like with a strong presence and finish.

O - Nothing ushers in winter and the Christmas spirit better than some Kenny G holiday classics and a snifter of Lakefront's soothing Holiday Spice. The beer's spicy aroma and full, rich flavor work well with it's high alcohol and warming feel but I seem to enjoy this (especially when compared side-by-side) with a year on it. Luckily Lakefront released a plethora of Vintage 2011 where the alcohol is more subtle and the spice, believe it or not, seems to shine with a little more cheer. Whether you enjoy it fresh or aged, this beer is certainly a holiday staple, worthy of any celebratory occasion!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 20:30:46 | More by BeerFMAndy

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, 2011 Vintage, bottled Nov 17 2011, poured into Tulip glass
A- Hazy Amber/Brownish in color, one finger off-white head, minimal retention, very little lacing
S- A lot of spice, mostly nutmeg, some cinnamon, honey-like sweetness
T- Nutmeg, ginger, cinnnamon, mostly sweet malts, citrus/orange in there too. Very little spice stays after finish, end dominated more by some booziness and honey sweetness, At 11% alcohol is mostly hidden though
M- Medium-Full, A pretty smooth, drinkable spiced beer, not overly sweet, little carbonation works well
O- The best seasonal LF has to offer, I usually get a six pack of this each holiday, a nice spiced beer to mix it up once in while

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:54:55 | More by BasterdInABasket

Weli

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Dark amber color with thin white head residing to fine white lacing

S-Quite reminiscent of pumpkin pie, with notes of cinnamon and clove, with a strong malty presence

T-Big and boozy with a nice warming note, rich malt flavor with a finish of spice. Nicely balanced

M-Full bodied, without being cloying. Big and boozy nice winter beer

O-I'm not usually a big fan of spice beers but this one is very well balanced. A single bottle is a nice stocking stuffer.

Update: had no idea this beer was that strong until I looked at the above criteria! Wow, it really hides the alcohol well, would have expected an 11% beer to be much less sessionable!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 00:25:46 | More by Weli

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: handsome auburn, mostly clear, dark though not opaque. No head to speak of but the bubbles keep coming.
Smell: yep, that's a spiced beer. Aromatic spices up front. Citrus and some sweet malt supporting.
Taste: very nice balance of all the flavors mentioned above. I believe it's the honey that really makes this shine, with the aromatic spices and citrus supporting.
Overall: nice surprise. Big beer, nice and balanced. Great holiday treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 21:56:58 | More by cindyjeffsmith

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

A - Well doesn't look like a lager but I guess for 11% it wasn't meant too. Orange honey amber, clear and dark with little head that falls to a sticky lace ring.

S - Smell is light almost like an English brown with herbal tea malts and a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg. Smells mild with little notable ABV.

T - Well it's not bursting with flavor most notable is the English like brown malts, nutmeg, and mild cinnamon tones. Maybe it's the orange peel that provides an almost hop bitterness. I applaud that it's very balanced.

M - I don't know where it is but if I were to guess (and you have to since it's not listed on the bottle) it seems around 8%. A fine winter warmer,

Overall I tried their other beers and it seems this has the most balance and taste I ever tried from them. Worth picking up a single which was hella cheap at around 2 bucks.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 22:13:14 | More by DrDemento456

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Pours a dark apricot. Kind of hazy and overall looks really inviting. Couple fingers of head that fade to a small ring around the surface.

Smell- The smell is pretty subdued, just faint nutmeg but not much else? This was easily the lowlight of this one.

Taste- Tons of flavor. Nutmeg, allspice, and faint clove with was nice because clove can easily overpower. This is an "either you like it or you don't" in your face spice profile but I think it works even though it is a little aggressive. The 11% blew my mind. Would never have guessed anything even close to that.

Mouthfeel- Medium to full body, reall nice feel for a lager. The carbonation is perfect.

Overall- Being really close I tend to want Lakefront to be more than they are but this is another in a lineup full of decent beers. Not sure I'd seek this one out again but I definitely would try to talk someone out of getting it.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:11:51 | More by Jfriz25

schoolboy

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Holiday Spice came highly recommended but fell a little short. I have a new holiday spice benchmark - Southern Tier 2xmas - and this is just not well balanced enough. It is a good tasting spice beer, but the spice is a bit too overpowering (not the worst of the genre by any means).

It's real dark in the glass with just a little head and very little lace. The aroma is overpoweringly spice.

I did just have an ohmygosh moment when I looked up here and see the ABV at 11. I was thinking it was a 6. 11 is hard to believe - that is completely hidden. So there is the redeeming qualtiy of this beer! It is an extremely drinkable beer of this strength and a complete fooler.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:46:33 | More by schoolboy

Megahertz

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottled on 10-23-12, poured into a Hoffman House chalice.

A - Deep red with a slight white head. Faintly hazy. Christmas-looking.

S - Complex spicy aroma with a hint of orange. Somewhat reminds me of a belgian ale.

T - Vibrant and fruity with a moderate dose of spices. Strong brown sugar sweetness. The orange is apparent in the mid. Finish is surprisingly dry for such a sweet, malty beer. Reminds me of a spiced Brown Shugga'. Very warming in the finish!

M - Medium body with light carbonation. Could use a bit heavier body.

O - A brown-sugary sweet, fruity and mildly spicy strong lager. Clean yet complex, this would be an excellent choice for the Christmas season.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 19:15:02 | More by Megahertz

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Brewers pint glass

Appearance- A mahogany color with tiny white bubbly head have widdles down to a cloud like layer.

Smell- Lots going on here. Reminds me of Christmas in September since that is when I'm drinking it. Nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, all spice are heavy in the nostrils.

Taste- Pretty much a heavily spiced lager with a slight char flavor on the back side. Spices include clove, all spice, cinnamon. Also nice tiny booze taste on the back.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, but would prefer it to be a little lighter without going watery.

Overall- A beautifully spiced lager that smells out of this world and tastes very nice. The very well hidden abv doesn't hurt either.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 16:24:46 | More by BrownAleMale

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Jester King pint. (not knowing that this was 11%)

A- Pours a dark, cloudy amber with a 1 finger light tan head. Minimal lacing on glass.

S- Big spice aroma! Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg.

T- Sweet amber malts, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg. Don't really get a lot of orange.

M- Medium body and low carbonation. You would have no idea this was 11%, as I did not until I rated it!

O- Good winter warmer, but even better considering the abv. Will have to look for this next winter.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 23:37:00 | More by kawilliams81

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Finally got around to trying one of these since it was available via the single bottle in Totowa. This wasn't the best Winter Warmer that I've had since it was lighter in hue, body, and less spicy than others that I've become accustomed to. Still, this was extremely easy to enjoy given how much alcohol was in this and in true Winter Warmer fashion, this did warm me up with just enough spice and body to it to make it worth finding this late in the season.

The hue to this was a deep almond with not a lot of carbonation nor lacing. It was heavy, with a big malt presence and strong in the cinnamon and nutmeg departments as well. Not a strong nose to this either and for such a strong beer, the alcohol was pretty well hidden.

Most Winter Wamers that I've had went down slowly since they felt so strong and spicy. This was not easy to quaff since this had a heavy feel to it. Still, it was a good beer and fans of the style won't be disappointed here. I could see myself having this again next year, with a nice plate of oatmeal cookies. This isn't a must-try but I don't think anyone would be let down by this either.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 18:58:22 | More by JerzDevl2000

samie85

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep slightly hazy copper color with two fingers of off-white head.

Smells of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon with caramel and dark fruit notes.

Big spice (see above) and dark fruit with a light crispness and some alcohol on the finish.

Light yet sticky with moderate carbonation and an alcohol warmth.

Very drinkable for 11%... I enjoyed the spicing on this one; it didn't overpower the base beer but was prominent enough to be easily noticed.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 03:09:19 | More by samie85

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass.

3.0 A: Lightly hazed dark orange amber color. Just half a finger of frothy beige head that fell quickly, leaving no lacing.

4.0 S: Very nice mix of spices. Nutmeg stands out the most, followed by cinnamon and honey. Clove adds that extra something to really make this a great spice blend. Orange is somewhere underneath. Malts give a pleasant caramel aromas. Quite clean overall.

4.5 T: I didn't expect a lot from a brewery that I've never heard of, but it appears that this is a sleeper. I have to say this is the best winter warmer I've had this year. Spices follow the nose and as an added bonus, the cinnamon isn't strong enough to add that goofy flavor that cinnamon tends to add. Caramel maltiness with a slight graininess. Again, quite clean allowing the malts and spices to do their thing.

4.5 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Very creamy given the body. Super smooth.

4.5 D: I'm going to have to look for this next year. I only wish I drank this a few weeks ago when I first bought it so I could buy some more. Very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:58:37 | More by DavoleBomb