MaxPower (961), St. Louis, Missouri, USA Jan 14, 2005 Pours a dark orange-copper color, huge foamy off white head, leaves a nice lacing in the glass, malty caramel aroma, fruity caramel flavor, medium bodied with a full and soft mouthfeel, finishes a bit sweet, not bad, a decent and drinkable winter ale. pjk33 (384), Sligo - Curllsville Heights, Pennsylvania, USA Jan 5, 2005 Bottle. On a trade from Kaggie97. Thanks! Nose is a little harsh, like a lighter dunkel...sweetens a bit as it warms, but not spicy or hoppy in the aroma. Lacing really sticks although the head makes a quick exit. Medium amber color with great clarity. A little more hop and malt flavor in this than I expected from the aroma. Decent body and a nice kick as it glides down the throat. Lets try some more...the only time that I get the full taste of the hops is in the little burps at the end of a quaff. Nice addition though... I like that mix, which is very malty and cocoa with a very little hop smack as you place the glass back on the table. Good mouthfeel - burning and sizzling as it coats the tongue and throat. I like this one too. Thanks again Kev. SpringsLicker (2041), Tennessee, USA Dec 31, 2004 Thanks to Indra for this!
Pours clear and dark brown, looking much like a Brown Ale.
1" head of off white head that recedes quickly.
Malt and citrus with some smoke in the background of the aroma.
Sweet, without a great deal of bitterness, very light body. Pleasant, easy drinking beer which hides it’s alcohol well. Just not a lot of excitement with this one.
AustinMilbarge (681), Denver, Colorado, USA Dec 28, 2004 On tap: Fairly dark, amber. Not a whole lot of carbonation. Not much spice, fairly bland. No apparent cinnamon or nutmeg. A little chewy. dp (512), uniontown, Ohio, USA Dec 28, 2004 It does warm the belly with the high alcohol content. A bit bitter, was expecting more spice out of a Christmas ale. I much prefer Great Lakes. clong83 (243), San Diego, California, USA Dec 27, 2004 It wasn’t bad, but it was crappy for a "Christmas Ale" or American Strong Ale style. Kind of thin and plain for what I expectof this style. Also, it lacked a certain spice that I usually associate with christmas ales. Nothing very wintry about it at all. Overall it was kind of boring. csbosox (1076), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA Dec 26, 2004 12 oz bottle. Tasted this and the Goose Island Xmas Ale back to back on Christmas Eve. Amber, light brown color. Light white head. Fruity, hoppy aroma. Some malt, not much. Floral, hoppy, sour flavor, acidic? Dry, sourish finish. The Goose Island was the far better of the two. piscator34 (1121), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Dec 26, 2004 Brown in colour with minimal carbonation. Malty aroma with notes of cola and just a touch of spice. Flavors are of toffee and caramel, but not much else. Sweet but quick finish. This tastes more like a very average brown ale, rather than an American strong ale. There’s nothing interesting about it.
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