Jingle Bell Ale
Ohio Brewing Company

Jingle Bell AleJingle Bell Ale
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From:
Ohio Brewing Company
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
Ranked #85
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
85
Ranked #21,179
Avg:
3.72 | pDev: 23.66%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
24
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 14, 2022
Added:
Jan 22, 2011
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Jesse13713:
Photo of Jesse13713
Reviewed by Jesse13713 from Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Appearance - No head upon the pour. Laces very weakly to the glass. Looks a bit watery. A deep crimson red and malty brown. Mostly transparent.

Smell - Smells of light grain and malt. Spice. Quaint holiday spice and notes.

Taste - This really took me off guard. This beer is extremely heavy in caramel and toffee, thus causing the sweetness to take over the majority of the taste. The spice is very noticeable with a mixture of honey and nutmeg.

Mouthfeel and Overall - Medium-bodied with heavy malt. The toffee can be a little much, as can the sweetness. This is definitely a different winter warmer that takes some time to grow on you.
Nov 01, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of Historiker
Reviewed by Historiker from Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured a hazy amber with virtually no head

Smell is interesting. Toffee, caramel, brown bread, fruits, some cocoa, malts. Some spices, but not overwhelming.

Taste follows the nose more or less exactly. Pretty enjoyable brew. Flavor is definitely festive. I appreciate that it isnt trying to Great Lakes or 12 Dogs. Ohio Brewing calls this a "big bold ale," which is a total exaggeration. Very mild hops, and the malts aren't exciting

Mouthfeel is medium. Pretty smooth. Lower carbonation

Overall, a solid Christmas brew. I think calling this very good is spot on. I'd drink it again.
Dec 14, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by CDBeerDisappear from Ohio

Feb 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4.23 by Trboley from Ohio

Dec 09, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, toffee, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of raisin, plum, fig, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, honey, spices, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, toffee, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of raisin, plum, fig, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness; and cinnamon/clove spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, dark fruit, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, honey, spices, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/bready, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.8%. Overall this is an excellent winter warmer. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, honey, spices, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Mostly like a bit heavier bodied GLBC Xmas ale, but with vanilla added. Awesome balance of all flavors, with nothing overwhelming. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example. I tried this on tap many years ago, and remember really liking it; so the official rating lives up to the memory.
Dec 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.18 by ScottyB515 from Ohio

Dec 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.52 by RoscoA from Ohio

Mar 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by redleg411 from Wisconsin

Feb 05, 2015
Photo of Leylahsmommy24
Rated by Leylahsmommy24

5/5  rDev +34.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Best beer I've ever had.
Dec 18, 2014
Photo of dstevens
Reviewed by dstevens

1/5  rDev -73.1%
Bought this at our local grocery store yesterday based on the reviews on BA. I wanted to try something different than my usual go-to holiday beers (GL Xmas Ale, 12 Dogs of Xmas). My first warning should have been that there is no date on the bottle. For all I know, this could be well over a year old. Upon pour of the12 oz bottle, there was no head whatsoever. It poured completely flat with no carbonation. And I really question the alcohol content - I tasted/felt none whatsoever. Basically tasted like a flat/spicy/sweet bottle of Coke. A total fail.
Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by srb176 from Ohio

Jun 07, 2014
Photo of ONUMello
Reviewed by ONUMello from Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Amber color, 1.5-finger head
S: Loads of spices especially cinnamon, some cocoa powder, a nice caramel/malt backbone
T: Spicy, creamy, like drinking a Chai latte. Nice maltiness adding support. That being said there's something slightly disjointed about it
M: Medium-bodied, finish is a bit short
O: Solid beer, good flavor overall. I'll look for this one again next holiday season
Mar 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Amalak from New York

Jan 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by xdefeatsy from Ohio

Nov 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by warrenout330 from Ohio

Jan 17, 2013
Photo of Ohiovania
Reviewed by Ohiovania from Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer surprised me at a local tasting last night. In the past I have not always been crazy about OBC beers but maybe they've upped their game a little since they moved locations. Spices weren't overwhelming like almost every other holiday spiced beer out there. It was nice. Ripe fruits, nice sweetness, some semi sweet bitter chocolates, with a rosie after taste that left you looking forward to your next sip. Maybe I'll start to give the other OBC beers another try...
Dec 15, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by TasteTester from Ohio

Dec 02, 2012
 
Photo of psuKinger
Reviewed by psuKinger from Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle picked up while at Vintage Estates, poured into my Pirates pint glass.

A: Pours a translucent orange with just a twinge of ruby-red to it, with a thin but persistant white head that bubbled nicely.

S: Wow. Cocoa, cinnamin, a touch of nutmeg, and maybe a hint or raisin, but mostly cocoa. I would not have expected that, based on the pour. I'm interested to see if it's in the flavor, as well.

T: Taste follows the nose. Cinnamin and nutmeg up front, classic amber malted barley flavors in the middle, and a nice touch of classic grapefruit hop bitterness on the back end. Cocoa rides on a wave throughout. Ever present, never distracting.

M: Light and lively, with perfect carbonation and just the right amount of sugars and sticky hop oils on the finish.

D/O: A great brew, artistically rendered. The cocoa and hop flavors grow and grow and grow as you work through the glass. Would definitely have a second one right now. Repeatable.
Dec 15, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by clevelandjim from Ohio

Dec 13, 2011
Jingle Bell Ale from Ohio Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 24 ratings