Christmas Balls
Paper City Brewery Co., Inc.

 

 

Poured from a 22-ounce bomber into an over-sized pilsener glass.

A: Deep, reddish amber in color with a frothy, one-finger head of off-white foam which left little lacing and fizzled quickly.

S: Candied fruits and some baking spices rolled with a zesty, funky yeast aroma. Hints of clove, cinnamon and candied dates blend with musty, herbal scents.

T: Chewy, semi-sweet raisin and date flavor hit the palate first, mixing with some cinnamon and coriander as a yeasty, dark bread flavor settles onto the palate. Finishes a bit cloying with some candied fig sweetness and boozy sting.

M: Medium-full bodied ale with a little bit of a cloying malt chew and spicy, yeasty pull.

O: Not a bad imperial winter beer but not the best either. At 9% ABV, it came across almost like a Belgian dubbel, but the craft is not that high quality, or intentional, I don't think. Fairly inoffensive and good for what it is, a slightly boozy, spicy winter warmer.

Reviewing an x-mas ale in March? Sacrilege! Actually, it came in pretty late at the beer store so not my fault there!

Pours a mild reddish-brown color with a one-finger head into my glass. Certainly a "holiday" type of color.

Lots of "spice" to greet the nose with a sickly sweet aroma reminiscent of plum and apple.

Ditto on the spices, which probably include nutmeg and cinnamon. Lots of plum, apple and cherry.

A buttery, nutty texture shows up in the middle to add some complexity to this otherwise dull "holiday" beer. Alcohol warmth is surprisingly low.

I'm not fond of the taste but you might enjoy it if you like holiday ales.

I do believe this is the first time I have ever seen a beer from Paper City being offered in a bomber. The label says this is a holiday beer made with spices, so I am going to assume it falls within the Winter Warmer realm. It pours a dark chestnut color, with not too much heading. Right out of the gate I can smell this beer. I get some cola, cloves, chocolate, tobacco and orange from the nose. I basically get the same from the taste, which is not a bad thing at all. It tastes like a piece of liquid fruitcake, with all the flavors working together, and not being too over the top. Mouthfeel could stand to be a tad bigger, but it still holds its own. I gotta say that I am really enjoying sipping this beer with the first snowfall of the season. It is cool to see Paper City come out with a new beer, as not much has been released from them as of late. I like the fact that it is packaged in a bomber as opposed to a six pack. Good job to one of the more underrated breweries in Massachusetts.