Breckenridge Christmas Ale

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

bottle...3rd week October 2004 bottled. Clear caramel color with little head. Musty, malty aroma. Pit fruit and alcohol also present. Malty start, burnt caramel. Decent amount of carbonation, medium body. Some bitterness to finish, also mustiness. Seems a little too funky and not as complex as I’d imagined. Alcohol is not evident.

Dark brown color. Small white foamy head. Aroma is malt, caramel, and sour fruit. A medium bodied American Strong Ale. Malts are fruity and sweet. Lots of sour cherry and toasty malt flavors. Hops are grapefruity. A little unbalanced and there is a trace of cardboard in the taste. Sorry, but this is a weird tasting beer, It has some barley wine like qualities as well as being sort of lambic like. Not a really good combination. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly sweet with a sour fruity finish.

Thanks to Duane for this. Pours copper/ruby with a medium white head. Aroma of malt, fruit, toffee, some spices and florals. Tastes malty, with some fruit and spices at the finish. Nice balance. Medium mouthfeel. Pretty good.

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.

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.

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.

On tap: Fairly dark, amber. Not a whole lot of carbonation. Not much spice, fairly bland. No apparent cinnamon or nutmeg. A little chewy.

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.