Breckenridge Christmas Ale

Brewed by Breckenridge Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Shared bottle with Brewfiend. Pours a clear caramel/brown brew with a small, fast dissolving white head. Very good lacing. Aroma of nuts, diet cola, some mince meat spice, and citrus. Taste is very sweet, smooth, creamy and full bodied. The finish is a little acidic and bitter, but has good depth.

Nice dark amber color with thin off-white head. Spicy nose with a hint of malt. Thick chewy texture with a malty taste and less of the spice I so enjoyed in the nose.

The 12 ounce bottle poured a crystal clear dark reddish beverage with a creamy off-white head that was mostly diminishing and left good lacing on the glass. The aroma was slightly sweet and malty with notes of molasses, honey and roasted nuts. There was also a subtle backdrop of old leather. It had a medium-full body with soft carbonation and a thick smooth creamy texture. The flavor starts out sweet with molasses, caramel and some honey coming out. The sweetness lasts throughout the medium-long finish diminishing only slightly. There is also a nice warming in the chest at the end.

2006 Bottle (11/4): Nuttty, cherry-candy chocolate and cheap cola aroma; a hint of papery oxitive notes; clean, mildly malty, somewhat acidic and medicinally sour; some smokey peatiness; very lighty spiced with maybe some nutmeg and orange-peel. I’m not at all a fan of this.

I agree with several reviewers. The aroma was confusing and off-putting and the strong alcohol finish was rather prominent and not pleasant. There are better Christmas ales out there. Addendum: I just had another after having had other beers earlier...The sharp alcohol note disappates after you’ve had a couple. This might be better as the last beer of the night.

Pours a brownish amber color with an off-white head. Aroma is of roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, and a hint of citrus hops. Flavor is very much the same but not much of a lingering flavor at all. Not bad, but there are better winter brews out there.

Bottle: This clear brown beverage seems to be found in the wanting category for a proper aroma. It resembles Budweiser more than your average American Strong ale. The taste is better than the aroma, but not phenomenal. You can taste the sweetness of the higher alcohol % as well as the caramel. The sweetness is a little over the top for me. The feel is thin, but it does leave a prolonged alcohol finish that beckons you for another swig.

Bottle Pours a clear dark mahogany witha small beige head. Aroma is caramel, brown sugar and chocolate. Flavor is similar, woody, and a bit sour. The ABV is noticeable but doesn’t over shadow. Lacking some IBUs for an american strong but a nice blend of sweet carmel malts and some bittering piney hops. Moderate pallet, not particularly rich or clean. Decent. Thanks to pinkzambia for sharing this one.