Illini08 (528), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| 3.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 6/10 | 4/5 | 12/20 | Dec 20, 2005 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 hippie4beer (162), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| 3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 5/10 | 4/5 | 5/10 | 3/5 | 13/20 | Dec 18, 2005 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. uvajed (112), Ravenna, Ohio, USA
| 2.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 5/10 | 3/5 | 12/20 | Dec 16, 2005 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. frankenkitty (1900), Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Dec 15, 2005 Clear mahagony with a foamy, almost-cream colored head that stays as a compact 1/2" layer and laces well. Healthy citrus & floral hop aroma with sprucey spiciness, grapefruit and a touch of Windex. Flavor is well-hopped with grapefruit at the start and finish, but this beer shows great balance, centering on sweet bread/muffin malts. Mid- to full-bodied with a buttery mouthfeel. Alcohol shows late with astringence as weak whisky. While this brew isn’t fully decked out for Christmas, it’s still my favorite holiday offering thus far.
<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Beverage Depot, Orland Park, IL 60462<font size=-1> peter (385), Dallas, Texas, USA
| 2.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 2/10 | 4/5 | 2/10 | 5/5 | 8/20 | Dec 15, 2005 For a christmas/winter ale this was simply non-festive. I expect some spice and fruit aromas and flavors for the style. As an ale its allright, nothing special, but for a holiday brew it seriously lacks some style definiting taste. balke13 (156), MIssoula, Montana, USA
| 3.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Dec 14, 2005 On tap @ Breckenridge Brewery. Amber colored body with a pleasant nose of carmel and sweet malt. Similar flavors as in the nose especially the carmel and a mild hop presence near the finish. Quite enjoyable. entertheiceman (242), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| 3.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Dec 14, 2005 One of those beers I hate to say that I like better out of the bottle than in a glass. The flavor and strength don’t quite add up to a strong ale but at least it doesn’t feel like they skimped on the strength of the beer in the process. Leaves you saying, "hmmm that’s a pretty good beer" with no real prominent thoughts as to the flavor. BSmith83 (8), Flushing, Michigan, USA does not count | 3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 6/10 | 4/5 | 10/20 | Dec 12, 2005 Not bad for a strong ale, doesn’t taste that much like a strong ale. The flavor seems to recede after a few sips.
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