Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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Obviously not the typical holiday beer as it is nowhere near "over the top" as many are. Subdued fruit and spice nose and slightly more in the flavor. Certainly would be a good accompaniment to a meal or a night of beer tasting with friends.

Bright ruby red and clear. Smells like sweet candy, such as cherry jolly ranchers. Artificial and detached smell of raspberries and cherries I guess. Slightly spicey as well. Very soda-like on the tongue, light and thin, bland and soft on the tongue as well... almost numbing the tongue, with a flavor mixture of cinnamon, cherries, apples, and some wood. But overall it's just too artificial.

Clear copper. Medium,frothy head. Short lived with little lacing. Nice aroma. Obvious ginger,cinnamon, some bready malts and a lovely juicy hop character. Full,round mouth feel. Malty flavors with the spices being undertones. Nicely bready and sweet. Finish is malty(cereal),with slight cinnamon,and a big juicy hop blast. I would like to know the hop/s used in this beer.Excellent spice beer. They only compliment the huge maltiness. This is a great Christmas beer!

poured a deep reddish copper with a fluffy tan head. malty aroma that of ginger and some cinnamon. Fairly thin bodied and quite sweet. taste is mostly ginger, with some caremel malt and honey sweetness, cinnamon and nutmeg are fairly prominent but not overbearing. A nice christmas beer.

UPDATED: FEB 3, 2008 Thin-bodied and can get a little sweet - but not too much - comments here are about its dryness and I concur - I get a huge tinder dry spicy hit of Styrian Goldings in the aroma. Of course, big ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon - for some reason you can pick them all out and I don’t mind the separateness.

You just got off your connecting flight late and have 15 minutes until the next flight leaves. Youve got a ways to go to the next gate. What do you do, walk to the gate or sprint to the airport bar, down a beer and sprint back? I took option B. Pours a deep reddish-brown with some brighter red-auburn highlights. Medium amount of yellowish head, small amount of lacing, filtered. Aroma of nutmeg, some sweeter ginger (due to the malt) and more spice. Begins with some nutmeg and ginger but has a good enough malt backbone to back it up. Light caramel malt flavor, very spicy all the way through the body. Finishes on a drier hops note. Reminded me alot of last year's Anchor OSA, though was sweeter due to a large amount of honey flavoring that lingers. It's like a honey ginger beer (well I've only had one honey ginger) with some cinnamon and a bit more caramel malt. Medium body, a bit of wateriness, carbonation not a problem as it warms, a bit too sweet to really be outstanding.

This is good but the flavors don't jump out like many similar brews. It's not the recommended 45F at the moment, perhaps I'll re-rate then.

A nice amber body, reddish hue and a thick, tan head. The aroma shows plenty of spiciness. Honey-kissed ginger, cinnamon and sugar and a nice malty base. Caramel, toasted bread, and some nice nuttiness. Moderate mouthfeel. The flavor, again, brings out all of the spices. A nice balance of spicy sweetness and toasted malt. The spices are certainly present through out the beer, but they don't really become overbearing. One of the more pleasant Christmas Ales I've had. Nice subtle ginger and cinnamon on bed of full, toasted malts.

UPDATED: DEC 11, 2004 2003 bottle. Pours a nice color, small head with light lacing. A medium-bodied ale with a medium mouthfeel. I tase the spices, but it is all understated. I don’t like the ginger finish, but I guess I’m not a big fan of these kind of beers. Drinkable, but not exceptional in any way. Rerate 12/12/04 I still am not a fan of ’spiced’ beers, but this is a drinable, smooth and mellow beer.

2003 bottling. Amid a medley of spices and flavors, the folks at Great Lakes forget the "beer" when brewing their Christmas Ale. Pours with a clear copper body and a thin off-white head. Aroma of everything listed on the label: cinnamon and ginger dominate, and honey is evident. Flavor is strong ginger with some cinnamon and a touch of honey. Also a touch of biscuity malts, finishing with light, grassy hops. In summary, this ale is too much spice and too little beer.