Great Lakes Christmas Ale
I purchased an entire case on a whim. I went into my local distributor for a case of Yuengling and came out with this one too. I’ve been drinking this for a few weeks now. It has taken me several weeks to get through that case. No help from the wife on this one. The Great Lakes Brewing Company, from Cleveland Ohio, makes this Winter Warmer as a seasonal offering. 7.50% ABV.
Appearance - A loping, aggressive pour into a pint glass provides a thick, well retained head. The color is sort of a nice, dirty white. Fluffy, it clings to the edges of the glass as it fades down to a ¼” where it stays for some time. Impressive. The beer itself is a cloudy light reddish cooper. Raw Sienna.
Smell - Toasty malts ride over top of slight hops and caramel. Spices ride shotgun. Typical winter spices here. Cinnamon and clove. Thickly sweet as well. Honey.
Taste -Complex. A little on the thin side but there is so much going on that I do like it. Caramel flavors dominate with very little hops to balance out the sweetness.
Mouthfeel - Feels full in the mouth for an instant yet doesn’t coat in a negative way. The sensation is slightly slimey. Certainly smoother than most heavily spiced beers.
Drinkability - The higher alcohol content is not a problem. It does go down easy. I’m down to less than a six-pack. I don’t think I’ve ever had more than one in a night. That should about say it all.
Bottomline - Learned a valuable lesson here. Never buy an entire case you know nothing about. Looking back, I can’t even remember what it was that prompted my impulse purchase. Oh well. It does taste all right I suppose – it just isn’t amazingly drinkable in a “one and done” kind of way. Not the worst thing I’ve had to drink tonight. Overall,
C+
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