Breckenridge Christmas Ale

Bottled. Pour was a deep, hazy ruby/orange with a moderate layer of eggshell head... li’l particles suspended in there. Nice lacing. Toffee and caramel malts abound in the aroma, but I also found stale flowers and some alcohol. Lightly roasted caramel was the most prominent flavor, followed by light chocolate, some floral hoppage, and a dry alcohol presence. Not a bad bunch of flavors, but the balance wasn’t great and the alcohol presence was a little hot. Smooth across the middle of the palate, but sharp around the edges. Decent, but doesn’t stand up well against its seasonal rivals.

Dark copper color with a moderate fluffy light tan head. Quite a few floral hops evident in the nose, with just a touch of malt in the background. Aroma maybe a touch weak, but certainly not offensive. Unbalance is the first thought to pop in the mind after the first swallow. Heavy light roasted malts, with dark chocolate and heartily roasted nuts. Just strong flavors with no balance or real purpose. Sound like this is somewhat better than some past renditions, but I would say only marginally.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with OhioDad (thanks!). Pourd a medium and clear copper color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, light spices, toasted malts and some citrus. Tastes of caramel, sweet malts, and some toffee. I found the tastes to be on the weaker side compared to the aromas. The body was also thin and watery.

Thanks to hopdog. Pours a translucent copper orange amber with a small off white lacing head. Aroma of malt, caramel and some alcohol. Maybe even some dark fruits. Flavor is a bit watery with not much to it. Malty and a little sweet.

Sampled at a 2005 Christmas and Winter beer tasting at Delilah’s, Chicago, IL. 2004 vintage. Clear amber ale with small diminishing head. No discernable carbonation. Sweet malt aroma. Medium bodied that starts with spice, hop, and toasted candy malt flavors, similar to chocolate-coated malt balls. Finishes dry with light lingering bitterness. Good hop/malt balance. This is a good drinkable winter brew.

12 oz. bottle. Poured a dark amber color with little head and no lacing. Floral, hoppy aroma with a bit of caramel maltiness as well. Flavor was the same. This gets a 4 for palate because the alcohol was well hidden. But overall, the aroma and the flavors just seem to be muted. Not a very vibrant beer. Decent though

Bottle. Pours a burnt orange color with a small off white lingering head. Aroma is pretty bland; notes of yeast, light sweet malts, and chemicals is all I can discern. Flavor is slightly spiced with a hint of caramel leading to a light bitter finish. Thin to medium body that coats your tongue. This was lacking in some areas.

Kind of boring, much less flavorful than I’d hoped. I detected a bit of ginger and caramel, but nothing jumped out at me, not even the alcohol (I didn’t realize it was 7.4%) Looked nice at least, a lovely rich brown with a small, thick head. Glad I tried it in a mixed six and not a whole six.