Christmas Ale
Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸
Brown Ale - American Winter Out of Production|
Score
6.94
|
|
The original Goose Island Christmas Ale clocked in at 5.7% ABV. There was no 2010 vintage. The 2011 vintage saw a bump to 6.2% ABV but no new entry. The 2012 vintage was bumped up further to 7.5% ABV.
Sign up to add a tick or review
superspak (10160) reviewed Christmas Ale from Goose Island Beer Company 13 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 11/11/11. Pours very cloudy reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense khaki head with nice retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Slight spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, pepper, toast, pine, and herbal. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of caramel, toast, biscuit, pepper, clove, toffee, nuttiness, pine, and herbal spiciness. Lingering notes of caramel, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, pine, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a bit. Nice balance of flavors with good complexity. No cloying flavors at all after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with almost zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice holiday brown ale. Well balanced and fairly robust; and very smooth to drink. Very enjoyable.
Palme (4406) reviewed Christmas Ale from Goose Island Beer Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
0.355l bottle from myBrewerytap. A clear deep ruby red pour under a nice big and lasting beige head. I sense some spices in this one. Not extreme, but some nice spicy nuances in here no doubt. Thin caramel and hints of both dark malts, buttery biscuits,quite clear nutmeg and something sweet - almost best describes as dusty chocolate - that makes up the aroma in this one. I quite like it. On the sweet side, yes, but not overwhelmingly. Lot's of the same in the taste. The nutmeg pulls it's neck out here, but also leaving room for a nice bitterness all the way. A bit sweet as well, and the flavors sticks around on your tongue long after that glass have hit the table. Chocolaty aftertaste indeed. Nice one that I would not mind drinking on the big day. 17.02.2012
Stuu (34525) ticked Christmas Ale (2011) from Goose Island Beer Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
355ml bottle. Clear reddish brown/amber with small good lacing off-white head. Aroma has a suprising alcoholic note (only 5.7 abv), dark Belgian Strong Ale-like, dark malt, dark fruit, citrus overtone. Relative plain dark malt taste, some citrus, dry finish. Cannot hold the aromatic variety.
djd07 (28882) reviewed Christmas Ale from Goose Island Beer Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle at Petrol Stations bottle share. Pours a cloudy brown with a small beige head leaving spotty lacing along the glass. The aroma is spice with cinnamon and nutmeg. Medium mouthfeel with a sweet malt with caramel and nice spicy finish. A good brown ale from Goose Island.
radagast83 (13490) reviewed Christmas Ale from Goose Island Beer Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Split a 12oz bottle with a buddy of mine. Poured a reddish brown color with a small white head. Aroma was earthy hops, sweet caramels, touch of spice. Flavor was about the same. It was neither good nor bad. Better than I expected, all things considered. I’ve had better Christmas/Holiday ales out there that are similar.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9
16oz draft from Old Chicago poured into a shaker. Pours a cloudy dark brown with a small head. Aroma of caramel malt and some spicy herbal hops. Taste is medium bitter. Lots of spicy hops and light caramel. Full bodied with a thick and creamy texture. Lively carbonation and a long finish. Overall, very good. I wish this was year round and not just a holiday beer.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
2009 edition. Probably the most disappointing beer I have had from this brewer so far. +++ Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark caramel color with a medium sized foamy beige head that faded and left good lacing. The aroma was dry and bitter with light floral hops and caramel. The flavor was dry, bitter and a bit tart with faint dry spices and vague rough fruity hops. Medium finish and body. Eh.
Mansquito (19100) reviewed Christmas Ale from Goose Island Beer Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
The Big Hunt, DC pint ($6): Pours a brown color with a beige head. Aroma is well-balanced betwixt the hops and the malts. The taste is slightly sweet and it has some fruitcake like aspects. It is not thick in any sense of the word. In fact, it strikes me as not really much of a Christmas Ale, but rather a somewhat conventional session brown. Still it is quite good and a worthy drank.
Downender (11275) reviewed Christmas Ale from Goose Island Beer Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle conditioned from Corks, Bristol. Reddish amber with a big, off-white head. Candy sugar, red berry and citrus hop aroma. Flavours of sweet fruit, spices and caramel, with a decent bitter finish. Enjoyable.