Bottle. Dark clear color. Really nice head. Aroma was really pleasant. Spicy vanilla. Taste was a little weak but also spicy vanilla.

12/19/21 Single from Whole Paycheck. Duvel glass @home. Filled 11/01/21. 5.9% abv. Dense egg cream head. Sticky. Mild malt, bag of cheap candy bars, very very gentle spice. Egg cream, Cola, Milk Duds, faded but lingering bitter spice. Flavors build a bit as it warms, lo-key raisin, peanuts, but who's going to nurse a 5% beer? Gentle, thin, non-demanding, smooth. Might have another.

12 oz bottle from John, thanks man, 11/27/23. Clear caramel color. Beige head. Sweet malt and caramel / toffee. Good bit of Holiday spice mix as well. Pretty good mouthfeel. For something full of sweetness and spice, it still has many things nice.

Taster at the Brick Store Pub. Pours brown, with a small, beige head. The nose is cloves, toffee, dust, chalk, and light coffee. Sweet and malty, with a thin, acrid bitterness. Fair.

Copper color with a spice aroma. What a winter ale should be. Caramel malt sweetness with maple syrup flavors. Floral hop bitterness to balance.

Refrigerated 12 oz. brown bottle poured into a glass. Clear clear copper with medium off-white head. Aroma is hazelnuts, medium body, lower carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is hazelnut, vanilla, and caramel malt.

Bomber from Bruisin’ Ales or Tavour. Pours ruddy copper/amber with a beige head. Aroma is spicy, but not really the stand Xmas stuff. Med body or so. Flavor is rather vanilla, with smooth moderately roasty malt and some slightly biting spices. Not chili tho. Decent drink.

Draft at Craft Brewed. Pours a deep copper with a small bit of creamy head that lingers. Big vanilla forward nose with caramel, nougat and milk chocolate aromas. Smooth on the palate, sweet but not cloying. Vanilla really stands out in the front, but doesn't completely overwhelm. Nice low abv winter beer. Enjoyable.

From Jun 2007

Obtained in a trade with Brentk56. Thanks a bunch!!

To start off, I have the 1L taped swing top bottle ...it's very cool looking.

It pours into my New Belgium chalice a very nice amber with a smallish head of foam. It doesn't stick around very long and I'm left with just a ring around the edge of the glass and there's just a tiny bit of lacing.

The smell...I'm getting a huge whiff of vanilla, malt, and some other spices.

The taste is also very big on the vanilla with a nice burnt caramel malt backing it up. Swishing the Ale in mouth, I get a bit of citrus tartness and some chocolate notes and that has me smacking my mouth. This is a very unusual tasting sample of the style and I'm liking it.

The finish is on the bitterish side with flavours of hot cocoa and it leaves a pleasing long lasting aftertaste. I'm not getting too much warming so either the abv is fairly low or it's really well hidden. A *very* nice drop indeed. I'm glad I got this one in the trade. :^)

Pours a rich brown from a bottle, medium off-white head. Caramel nose, similar flavor with a bit of cola finishing somewhat bitter. Good beer.