Rock Bottom Cincinnati Blitzen Ale

Pours a ruby brown in color. Smell is lots of Christmas spice. And I mean alot. Full of clove, ginger and alspice. Too much. Good on the mouthfeel, but rather one dimensional. It gets old after just one pint.

On tap at brewpub

I had a few hours to kill in downtown Cincinnati. This was right across the street from the hotel so it seemed like a good place to stop. This felt just like any other Rock Bottom (except for the one in downtown Chicago) so my expectations weren’t that high. I’m glad since this tasted almost exactly like a clone of Great Lakes Christmas Ale. I’m wondering if they just stole a keg or two and relabeled it.

Aroma / Appearance - The deep red body was still somewhat transparent. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cherry pie and whipped cream formed the combination that I associate most with a Christmas beer. It might be subtly different than the Great Lakes version but this smelled very similar.

Flavor / Palate - Pepper, chocolate flakes and cinnamon tea hit the throat at roughly the same time. A few seconds later ginger and nutmeg completed the finish. The mouthfeel was a little on the thin side but not watery. If you want to know what it tastes like get a Great Lakes Christmas Ale and put in about 5% water.

12/10/2007: Rock Bottom Blitzen Ale is tasty spiced Winter wamer beer. The current brewmaster at Rock Bottom Cincinnati did a really nice job with this beer this year. Ginger, spice, caramelized malts, and a hint of chocolate arouse the olfactory. The appearance is a clear, deep amber/brown (mahogany) color. It has a somewhat dense, average-lasting dark beige/light tan head that leaves behind decent amounts of lacing. The flavor contains caramelized malts and some spice (cinnamon and nutmeg). The finish is slightly roasty with a mild bitterness and dark chocolate. This beer is smooth on tha palate nad has a medium body. Overall it is nicely balanced and pretty tasty.

Big draught mug at Rock Bottom Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rating #3 for this beer...

Draf on 12/26 on locationt: Poured a dark brown with a tan head. I smelled the beer and got a smell of ginger and other spices along with some citrus seemingly hiding in the back. The taste left something to be desired as it was wek at best. I noted ginger, cinnamon and a bit of citrus in the taste as well.

Draft at Mug Club tapping. Dark brown with an average creamy off-white head that was lasting. Heavy allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and vanilla aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture. Good sweet bitter flavor with a long spicy finish. New brewmaster Guy Bartmess is working hard to upgrade quality and selection.