UPDATED: DEC 24, 2020 Merry Christmas! Purchased at El Cerrito Liquor from Corona, California for $9.99, Special Holiday Ale is a winter warmer ale brewed with spices brewed in collaboration between Nøgne Ø from Grimstad, Norway; Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales from Dexter, Michigan; and Stone Brewing Company from Escondido, California. The smell of chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, and a herbal note are noted as you drink. The appearance is pitch black with a low beige head. When held up to light, a reddish brown shows. Dark mahogany shines when light reflects off the beer. The alcohol content is 8.5%. Chocolate is silk like to the drink broadened by malted barley. Rye fairly spices the take and compliments the chocolate. Carraway accents the chocolate and malt body with a nuttiness and an anise like tinge. Chestnuts are sensible upon the rye and carraway combination. Vanilla blends with the chocolate and carraway solution, which is brightened by the tone of white sage. Juniper berries fairly bitters the take while harmonizing with the chocolate and vanilla complexion. Figs are distinguished with the chocolate, carraway, and chestnut mixture. Raisins are discernible during the slightly dry finish, where oats are felt upon the mouthfeel. Special Holiday Ale is a sensuous winter warmer ale. Chocolate, malted barley, rye, carraway, chestnuts, vanilla, juniper berries, figs, raisins, and oats combine into a delicious craft beer. The chocolate, vanilla, and carraway combination is pleasing followed by the bite of juniper berries and rye. White sage is effervescent to the chocolate and vanilla drink. Rye, malted barley, and oats fairly weighs the libation and flavors the body, followed by chestnuts, figs, and raisins. I cherished each drink and mesmerized by the quality, complexity, and depth of this collaboration. Cheers. Prost. Drink for the love of beer. For more beer reviews, visit and like my blog “Drink For the Love of Beer.”

UPDATED: OCT 30, 2020 Bière aromatisée de 8,5 % abv pour un joli 22° plato, et 50 ebu. Trois malts au programme : orge, seigle, avoine. En aromatique : sauge blanche, carvi, baies de genièvre, châtaigne. Mon exemplaire avait 5 ans et 4 mois depuis son brassage. Couleur roux profond aux reflets auburn, à la belle limpidité. Mousse brun caramel, soyeuse, stable à 3 mm. Arômes de pruneau, raisins secs, porto tawny. 1ère bouche souple, à l'entame riche, plutôt axée sur les raisins secs. Arrière-bouche longue, jolie, intense, mais manquant de complexité 2ème bouche avec des nuances assez pleines, un peu trop épicées Arrière-bouche toujours longue, mais sans vrai décollage Longueur qui navigue sur un côté porto, sans donner de grande variété, et avec une impression d'ensemble qui devient un peu ' pesante '. Jambes fines, serrées, assez courtes. Levure fine, belle ligne. Alcool bien, plus haut que son niveau avec l'âge, il ne peut toutefois arriver à un maximum d'efficacité Finale linéaire CONCLUSION : une belle bière, mais on ne peut crier au miracle .. même si les 3 chameaux de l'étiquette font penser aux rois mages !! (9/4/8/3/17)

UPDATED: MAR 22, 2019 Pours cloudy mahogany with thin, beige head. Aroma is cinnamon, caramel and light nutmeg. Taste is caramel and cinnamon, moving to nutmeg, tart cherry and earthy notes. Finish is nutmeg and cinnamon. A good spiced ale.

UPDATED: JAN 31, 2019 Dark brown with medium head. Nose is chestnut and some malty sweets. Taste is slight acidous but sweet and also chestnut and malts also dried fruits. Palate medium but rich and sweet. Well worth it.

UPDATED: JAN 11, 2019 bottle @ home. cellated a year. dark amber to brown color with a beige head. Aroma is sweetand spicy with honey, toffee, nuts , ginger, herbs, dates, hints of cinnamon, vanilla. Taste is sweet with a balanced bitterness. Similar flavors as aroma, with lingering herbs and red fruits. Druation is good, mouthfeel is medium with a warming alcohol note.

UPDATED: DEC 31, 2018 Flaska från 2015. Mörk brun mot svart öl med ett smutsvitt skum. Smak och doft är julkryddig med framförallt nejlika. Karamell, bränt socker och torkad frukt.

UPDATED: DEC 29, 2018 Aroma: herbs, forrest, conifers, gingerbread, and maybe sth like, I would say, dry-style barley wine. Taste: fine balanced - there's sth a bit sweet and sth dry here. Very nice head. Beer has very silky, smooth, velvety texture, carbonation is minimal.

UPDATED: OCT 19, 2018 From backlog. Bottle from Vinmonopolet Hamar. Brown with offwhite head. Malts, hops, junipher, Caramel, pumpkin and some bitterness.

UPDATED: JUN 3, 2018 Fles 66cl thuis. Zoet, kleffig (thick palate), hazelnoten, caramel, juniper bessen, rozijn, roasted malts, bitters, volle smaak. (3-2017).

Pours brown with light off-white head. Aroma is caramel, spices, some toffee, pumpkin, light vinegar, some sweetness, creamy, some bitter notes. Taste is caramel, toffee, spices, pumpkin, some juniper, light bitterness, creamy, roast, some dark bread, light hops. Very nice beer!