Blitzen Yuletime Ale
Great Waters Brewing

On-tap at the brewpub: Deeply murky reddish brown color with a medium thick cap of light tan foam. Diminishes slowly to a broken skim and a thin collar. Lacing coats the glass is spotty sheeting.

Aroma is lightly fruity and wheatly dark and snappy with a light yeasty profile of whole grains, wood, and candied citrus spice.

Taste profile is big and bountiful with lots of dark wheat with a little front snap of body and grains. Great little additions to citrusy candy of raisin, date, orange, and lemon. Lightly spiced with a kick in the middle with a lovely display of playfully set yeast tones. Finishes smooth and rounded with a bit of chocolate and a left over realm of some orange peel and corriander. It grabs hold and plays the Belgian yeast with striking chords of harmony among the wheaty, breadish, snappy, rounded crispness. A damn good beer!

Feel is quite relaxing and nearly full. Nice dunkle-like presense in both wheat-like snap and its Belgian candyish smoothness. Playfully bold and captivating to the palate. Reminded me a bit of the Black Forest Black Ale with a bolder, broader placement of both malts, yeast, and spice. Kinda like a set back Anchor OSA mixed with a Dark Belgian ale. Sounds yummy eh...it is!

More will be needed...more will be had!

On tap at the brewpub...

Hazy clove brown color, yellowish head that lays flat. Laces in horizontal threads and a few dots. Lightly spiced aroma, cloves and nutemg. Mouthfeel is nice and full, slightly granular, carbonation is medium. Nice restrained flavors, like a reigned-back Anchor OSA, notes of balsam and juicy rum-soaked raisin, slight candied fruit and a touch of dried cocoa (according to the brewer, brewed with star anise, dried orange peel, and rose hips as well as with a Belgian Ale yeast). Flavor fades slightly at the end but the mouthfeel remains pleasant and this one is nicely satifying. Another nice entry from the new brewer -- good but not overpowering in holiday spices.

This is a Belgian brown ale made for the holidays, and a darn good one it is. Served on draught, it is an opaque brown color, with a minimal head, but good lacing on the glass. It smells fruity and aromatic with a hint of spice. The taste is complex, with a tart plum and apple flavor predominating, along with a hint of orange and a slight presence of alcohol. It feels rich, but not overpoweringly so. A slow sipper well worth the time.