7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Sampled as 'Craft Explorers Gingerbread Ale', sold at Lidl Grocery Stores (USA). Deep dark brown coloured body with a thinnish, single centimetre tall off-white head with some slightly hazy tints on top. Aroma of super pungent ginger, allspice, cloves, malt, light alcohol and a touch of cardamom with canella - quite strong throughout, but nicely layered. Medium-bodied; Very strong ginger and cardamom flavours with a nice allspice and clove kick near the end with a lot of malt and alcohol noticeable towards the end with more spice than anything else, but a good dose of toasted malt and grain near the end as well. Aftertaste is definitely showing more spice than anything else with a good balance of malt near the finish and a touch of alcohol at the end, but the real ginger root and allspice flavours are definitely strong and pungent, in a good way. Overall, better than I was expecting and frankly worth trying, especially around the holiday timeframe. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Lidl [Grocery] in Manassas, Virginia on 27-January-2018 for US$12,99/twelve pack given to me by my coworker - Thanks Tom! Sampled at home in Washington on 10-May-2018.