Frosted Frog Christmas Ale - Van Winkle Barrel-Aged
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

RB transfer

 

 

Hazy burnt orange-copper with a persistent, tan fuzzy blanket.

That super fresh and aromatic cinnamon bark that Frosted Frog is known for is still blasting away on the nose here, even after being in the keg for 4 years now. Cherry, plum, and vanilla-soaked oak then round out the aroma. This is almost like a cinnamon-brown sugar dusted toast--actually, it's quite a bit like that, with some raisin.

There is more oak and bourbon in the flavor, but it is light and compliments the spices well, which comes across as tasting like a cinnamon spiced gingerbread cookie with some dried cherry and vanilla-esque bourbon.

The feel is kind of fuzzy and dusty from the hefty load of spice, but also full and frothy, finishing dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a dark mahogany color leaving no head behind which was a mild letdown. Aromas are covered in cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and mild undertones of bourbon. This is also reminiscent of holiday scented burning sticks. The flavors do not sway far away from what the aromatics suggested. Like one person stated, it is like a gingersnap cookie soaked in a whiskey barrel. The whiskey is a light nuance and the spices are the Christmas season on steroids which doesn’t necessarily mean it is pleasant. There are several missing elements in this beer. It felt as if the brewers poured bourbon directly on top of the regular Frosted Frog beer which is a bit off-putting in terms of cohesiveness. The flavors didn’t simply marry well together here. There is an oily medium body along with a rye malt finish.