White Christmas Spiced Winter Lager - Moylan's Brewery

johnnieoz

California

3.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is the 2008 Moylan's White Christmas beer. And this time it's a lager!!! Brewed with "Orange Zest, Mace, Cinnamon, Coriander and White Pepper). This beer was bottled on 3 November 2008 - I saw the box it was shipped in. So it tasted very fresh.

A: Crystal clear and orange gold. Very much the classic lager look with a white, frothy head that stays a finger thick.

S: Not getting much here, despite all the spices. As it warms up, some sweetness comes through.

T: Much more than on the nose, plenty of spice. I taste the mace and orange zest, less so the other three. It's certainly not peppery.

M: Feels light on the palate and has good carbonation. The lingering after-taste is a bit odd. Half macro lager, half spiciness.

D: It goes down smoothly. Then again I like the crispness of lagers, and this definitely has that. 6% ABV is just right. It's neither a sipping brew nor a session beer though.

It's a style I love - with spices like this - but I feel it works best in a darker ale as opposed to a golden lager. Also it may be better with food. Kudos to Moylan's for trying something different - this is a quality product.

I never tried their other White Christmas beers, but given the styles listed, this may be one of the better ones. Given it's bottling just one week ago, it's just a little too fresh.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2008 02:49:40 | More by johnnieoz

kojevergas

California

2.56/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Acquired for $1.99 at Total Wine Redondo Beach. Reviewed live. Expectations are low given its current ratings. 6.0% ABV confirmed. 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded pressure cap served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Label art is mediocre.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

No issues with beer surging out of the bottle or anything upon opening. Just a brisk "tsh" indicating slight overcarbonation.

A: Pours a 4+ finger head of white colour, no real cream, okay thickness, and average (~2 minute) retention. Body colour is a clear translucent pale yellow. Weak looking. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. No lacing as the head recedes. Carbonation bubbles are overabundant, indicative of overcarbonation.

Sm: Uh oh. Artificial. Old orange peel, light white pepper, and clove. I look for cinnamon but don't find it. I'm not great at picking out individual spices, especially with my broken nose, but I can tell this is messy. The hot pepper in particular is raising a red flag. I get chili pepper skin off the aroma. No yeast character or alcohol comes through, however. Pale malts. A mild strength aroma. Not real excited to try this one.

T: Ugh. Pepper skin, old clove, faint old orange peel, and bland pale malts. Clean barley. Unrefreshing. Comes off artificial. Balance is quite poor. No complexity or subtlety here. Rather boring and simple.

Mf: Decent softness. Smooth and wet. Unrefreshing. Weak and thin. Carbonation is okay. Poor presence on the palate. Badly executed. Doesn't complement the flavour profile all that well.

Dr: Hides its slightly above average ABV decently. It's just not a very good beer. I like that they're trying things out, but this one really misses the mark. Spicing was badly executed. Really mediocre. Still, it's drinkable. I doubt anyone'd have a problem killing the bottle. I definitely wouldn't get this again, but the price was rather reasonable. Sadly, that may be the best thing about it.

C-

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 05:18:49 | More by kojevergas

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.71/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice pale amber with great bubbling, an awesome two finger head, and a strong layer of foam that lasts all 22 ounces. Definetly looks tastey.

Toasted cracker malt aroma with a light melange of Christmasy spices.

Great toasted cracker malt flavors. Add to that a very mild spice profile. Syrpuy palate with a little orange bitterness on the finish. Pretty easy and fun to drink!!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 16:40:50 | More by scruffwhor

oberon

North Carolina

3.46/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 1/2 liter stein a dull slightly hazed lighter amber with a nice fluffy off white crown that was gone pretty quickly.Aromas were on the light side with alot of sweetness,I picked up some brown sugar and candied orange,a little nuttiness as well.I havent to many lagers like this with its hefty dose of spice,clove stands out along with cinnamon,alot of caramel and brown sugar as well,I will say there is a decent drying nuttiness in the finish.This was different but mot horrible,I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again though.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 19:04:15 | More by oberon

lupercmda

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +8.4%

12-27-2012 03:24:24 | More by lupercmda

AlexM

California

2.75/5  rDev -14.9%

12-02-2012 03:06:02 | More by AlexM

khall

California

3/5  rDev -7.1%

11-29-2012 04:21:12 | More by khall

ajs4bd

Missouri

2/5  rDev -38.1%

08-20-2012 12:23:48 | More by ajs4bd

DrFunkenstein

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -14.9%

04-15-2012 00:52:37 | More by DrFunkenstein

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into lager glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy golden straw color with a 1 finger fairly dense white head with good retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass, with plenty of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of orange zest, plum, lemon, pepper, clove, cinnamon, toasted malt, biscuit, coriander, and herbal spiciness. Some decent aromas, but they give off a bit of a stale vibe. Taste of orange zest, lemon, plum, pepper, clove, biscuit, toasted malt, coriander, and light herbal spiciness. Lingering notes of citrus peel, plum, pepper, clove, biscuit, and herbal spices on the finish for a good bit. It has some nice flavor balance: spicing is not too overpowering, and the sweetness is not cloying at all. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Very smooth to drink. Alcohol is well hidden with only a very slight warming after the finish. Overall this is actually quite nice and enjoyable for a spiced beer. Nice flavor balance and not cloying with sweetness or spices.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 05:44:54 | More by superspak

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear amber on the dark, orangy side with a fairly decent pale tan head. Malty aroma has a definite hint of spice, mainly cloves and cinnamon, plus a touch of orange. Flavor is mostly malty and has an orange note plus a little bit of spice. It seems a little wan - but according to another website it was last brewed in 2009. Could this be old beer then? Still enjoyable. Smooth texture has a good amount of fizz. Maybe this would have tasted better when fresh, but it’s still worthy of at least a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 20:12:40 | More by Cyberkedi

rand

California

2.65/5  rDev -18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 650 mL bomber to pint glass

A: The brew reveals a strangely opaque apricot color on the pour, with vibrant, soda-like carbonation that leaps to the top of pint to form a quickly dissipating head. No lacing to speak of.

S: The toasty malts ground the bouquet, with subtle notes of holiday spice, coriander in the distance. Smells bready, pastry-like, but with little hop or alcohol presence.

T: Malt-forward as you sip, the subtle spice distantly lingers in the background. Again, slightly sweet bready aspects make up the palate, there's not much else going on in this beer. Some dry, wood notes are detected mid-sip, a little orange zest follows. Tastes like a flat marzen with some spices stirred in after brewing.

M: Light-bodied, and way too much carbonation for the complexion. Looks like soda, kinda feels like it too.

Bland and boring...I'm disappointed. Given the pretty presentation and the appealing list of spices boldly printed on the front of the label, I was looking forward to this one. Winter ales should have some kind of kick, not just a touch of holiday spice lingering in the background. I'm not much of a style-hound, but I think brews that are made to weather the cold season should remind of warm and fuzzies while warming the belly as you sip. This does neither - about as boring as the overrated Sam Adams Winter Lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 06:09:56 | More by rand

Kahlerbock

Kansas

2/5  rDev -38.1%

02-15-2012 15:43:49 | More by Kahlerbock

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3/5  rDev -7.1%

01-30-2012 08:23:19 | More by ygtbsm94

theCoder

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +8.4%

01-20-2012 21:38:08 | More by theCoder

ralphw56

Nevada

2.5/5  rDev -22.6%

01-19-2012 04:13:09 | More by ralphw56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly murky honey orange with a 1 inch foamy orange white head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Foamy broken rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus zest, and muddled spices. Taste is of malt, muddled spices, and some citrus zest like hop flavors on the finish. There is a mild spice/hop bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a slightly crisp mouthfeel with a bubbly quality. Overall, this is a pretty good beer all around but nothing too spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 02:07:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

hannaho

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +8.4%

01-09-2012 01:59:11 | More by hannaho

mulder1010

Australia

2.95/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

bomber poured into a wine glass

A-- Poured a darker amber straw color. Pretty straightforward. Half finger of bright white head that went almost straight to film. Wants to be a collar but just a little more than that. Lots of small carbonation bubbles and not a lot of anything else.

S-- Some malt sweetness and then orange and cinnamon. Rather faint and fleeting smells.

T-- More of the above, add in some spicy citrus hops and the added bonus of white pepper. Good touch and like that. Too bad also very fleeting. The citrus hops end up dominating the taste.

M-- Light bodied and medium carbonation. Dry orange and cinnamon finish. That works. Slightly syrupy at times but works well with the spices showing back up.

O-- Better in the feel than in the nose and taste. Well hidden alcohol ut a little all over the place I thought.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 12:56:36 | More by mulder1010

brotherloco

California

3.8/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber. 2011 vintage. Served in a tapered 22oz glass.

Pours a mostly clear gold with two fingers of beige foam. Settles to a thin head. Small amounts of lacing in the glass.

Strong lager aroma with bready malt and light citrus hops. Some apple-like fruits and apple cider aroma (cinnamon emerges here). Spices are present but are fairly light.

Flavor is quite similar to the nose, slightly sweet with a touch of sourness of fermented fruit. Spices remain light, but compliment the flavor. Finish is a little drier.

Medium-full bodied with medium-light carbonation. Quite drinkable.

Overall a thicker bodied lager with light spice tweaks to it's flavor. Not a heavy winter beer in any regard, but a nice contribution to seasonal beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 05:22:04 | More by brotherloco

kenzak

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -22.6%

12-20-2011 02:49:05 | More by kenzak

olfolxholme

California

3.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22

22 oz bottle into a brewery ommegang flute(?)

A - pours with a nice finger of eggnog white foam. Beer is golden orange with hints of amber. Fairly clear. Minor head retention, hints of lacing. Bottle artwork is typical for this brewery. Kind of busy, kind of nineties, lots of informative text. The information I like most is their reminder to keep this beer refrigerated because it is a live ale. Hmmm, this one is actually a lager so the reminder is probably even more important. Also, label says this beer is brewed with orange zest (curaçao), mace, cinnamon, coriander, and white pepper. Fun blurb about the beer as well. Better more info than not.

S - clean smell of lager yeast and hints of holiday spices. As you get into the beer, a nuttiness appears in the flavor that then becomes unmistakable in the aroma as well. It's nice.

T - this lager almost comes off like a nutty ale. Nice round flavor of classic pilsner(?) malts blended with nuttiness. Was surprised to find it tastes a lot like peanut butter. It's pleasant and subtle, though. Some spicy fruitiness is there, but it's not as pronounced as the malt and the nuttiness.

M - mouthfeel is good. Surprisingly medium when I feared it could be thin and astringent.

O - of the Christmas lagers I've had, this is among the best. For fans of the genre, holiday beers, or even just lagers I'd say give this a try. I can see this being a hit at any holiday dinner. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 04:21:42 | More by olfolxholme

Rollzroyce21

California

2/5  rDev -38.1%

11-26-2011 22:56:17 | More by Rollzroyce21

avaldivia

California

3/5  rDev -7.1%

11-14-2011 10:24:09 | More by avaldivia

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This sounded impressive on the label. I took it home and chilled it and then proceeded to pour it into a glass. The color of the beer was hazy and golden. The head with fluffy and white. The smell was spicy and relatively floral. The lacing was decent around the glass. The taste has some decent spices in there too. I found it to be a decent winter spiced beer but I think it'd be better as a summer brew. That's just my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 01:55:09 | More by Knapp85