Christmas Ale

Copper, bubbly pour. The nose was filled with malt, yeast and spice. The spices dominated the flavor especially the cinnamon. Still, there were hints of sweet malts and bitter hops that lead to a bitter aftertaste. Thin to medium body with substantial carbonation. A comfortable and tasty winter warmer.

Bottle: Poured a light ruby color ale with a medium light brown foamy head with a quite excellent retention. Aroma of light spices, honey with some bitter hops. Taste is lighter then expected with the honey being immediately recognizable. Bitter taste at the end is also quite enjoyable. I would have hope for a bit more malt and more character for a ‘’Christmas’’ special type beer.

A hazy amber beer with a disappearing beige head. The aroma is sweet with notes of ginger and cinnamon - and so is the flavor. A nice Christmas beer.

Draft, at CLBC, July 30, ’05 Served as "Christmas ale in July." Yup, it’s all there: honey, ginger and cinnamon. Kind of comes across as a pumpkin pie spice beer. Good maltiness. Turns out to be a good summer beer too, when enjoyed in a cellar bar.
2004 Bottle, rated Jan 12, ’05. Brown like an IPA when poured, and almost as hoppy. In fact, I think the spiciness in this beer comes more from hops than any spices themselves. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.. Rather, what I find is something more "easy drinking" than the usual overspiced holiday beer.

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.

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.

Fantastic darker amber colour with a long lasting tan head. Smells of sugar, molasses and canella rise from the glass. Good medium-bodied beer with a nice and not overpowering 'wintery' flavour. The aftertaste lacks a little bit, being bland...but all in all, a great overall beer. Just what I have come to expect from Great Lakes. Only one not-so-great beer from the whole lot is a pretty big deal to me.