Frosted Frog Christmas Ale
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

stevoj from Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz can from Tavour. Dark amber/brown pour, fizzy head. Aroma is cinnamon and nutmeg. Taste leads with the savory spice, minor sweetness, light malt profile. On a chilly night, this really hits the spot.

Jun 03, 2021

bbtkd from South Dakota

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale (Winter Warmer), 8.6% ABV. Pours opaque brown with a one-finger off-white head that left no lacing. Nose is ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Taste follows, slightly sweet, slightly bitter. Mouthfeel is thin and watery, and light on carbonation. Overall very good.

May 22, 2021

mothman from Minnesota

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Can. Caramel color. Clear.

All the spices. Too much spice. Gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, toffee. Medium bodied. Abv shows. Hard to drink a lot of this.

Dec 21, 2020

lastmango from Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured a dark brown color with a one finger tan head that dissipated quickly. No lacing. Malty nose with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Taste follows the nose but more pronounced. However, the spice overwhelms any other flavor. No hop bitterness. Medium body and light carbonation, which feels too light.

Dec 20, 2020

DanBrenda from Washington

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Ordered from Tavour with great hopes, but... poured into a pint glass.

Look: light brown with little to no head, no lacing as we drank it... the look in the glass was almost like iced tea (yeah right?)
Smell: spicy cinnamon, some nutmeg and gingerbread
Taste: spicy cinnamon and nutmeg on the front, other spices (gingerbread?) in the middle, beery ale notes on the end with the spicy something in the nose. Bren says slightly boozy, but I don’t get boozy until I drink the whole friggin thing. Not super malty, which we were kinda hoping for.
Feel: flat, carbonation is OK as it warms. Take a couple good swallows of it and walk away and it actually makes you thirsty.

I love Christmas ales. Spicy, usually dark character and notes of coffee, maltiness, caramel, a bit boozy... this is none of that. Love the playfulness of Hoppin Frog and Tavour gave this one good ratings, but for me, besides the spice and 8%, there is not much Christmas about this Christmas ale... too beery for me, but if you like that, have at it.

Dec 19, 2020

BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

3.99/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Taste: warming notes of ginger, cinnamon, all spice, some sweet spices, nutty. Nutmeg, cinnamon malty nose. Mahogany Copper color, clear, average head and lace. Medium body. Reminds me of Xmas desserts. 12 IBUs

Dec 16, 2020

zeff80 from Missouri

3.99/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can. Poured out a murky, brown color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It left minimal lacing on the glass. It smelled like a snickerdoodle cookie. Notes of spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice with some toffee. Sweet toffee and caramel taste with cinnamon and vanilla.

Dec 06, 2020

Tony210 from New Jersey

4.46/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark copper, minimal head. Aroma is dark brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, anise, nutmeg - awesome! Very flavorful - lots of Xmas spices: Clove, cinnamon, heaps of brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, touch of caramel apple, a bit boozy. Exceptional. Carbonation is appropriate. Medium bodied, almost syrupy. Overall a fantastic Xmas beer, probably my favorite.

12/3/20
12 oz can dated “Best by 10/16/2023”
4.5 rating

Dec 04, 2020

REVZEB from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Reddish brown with a clear bubble cap. Holiday spices dominate the nose, good caramel and sweet bread malts underneath, festive. Taste is much the same, but the traditional cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg take a backseat to ginger, apple, booze, and clove, creating a weird balance. Malts are there but do not drive flavor well. Feel is spiced, malty, but slightly watery in the finish.

Jan 09, 2020

EMV from Pennsylvania

3.17/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Hazed ruby/mahogany pour. Minimal fizzy head... no lacing to speak of.

S: Sweet malts and a ton of spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove.

T/F: Overly sweet/malty. Caramel... overspiced... loads of cinnamon and nutmeg. Unpleasant and cloying. No significant hop presence. Undercarbonated. Sticky on the mouth.

O: Downright unpleasant... and 1/2 of the bomber was a drain pour. Never again.

Jan 20, 2019

Eamonn-Cummings3 from New York

4.12/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Teku glass.

Look is a hazy reddish brown with no head.

Aroma is incredible, like a fresh ginger cookie. If it tastes as good as it smells I might have changed my mind about spice beers.

Spice is a little too astrigent, but overall an excellent spice beer balanced by a great beer.

Dec 24, 2018

nasty15108 from New York

3.04/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

L - poured a nice ruby brown color. Very little in the way of head or lacing.

S - Slightly maltiness with lots of spice. The spice dominates the nose without much else going on.

T - More of the same. Malty with an overpowering amount of spice, dominated by mostly by cinnamon.

F - Thin but drinkable if you can get past the spicy notes, which I could not. Definitely did not drink like an 8+ ABV'er.

Overall not my cup of tea. Way too much spice, too much that I could not finish the bottle. Definitely would not revisit this one.

Dec 22, 2018

JJKBeerLvr from Pennsylvania

3.87/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drank from 22oz bottle in a pint glass in May 2018. There was no bottled-on date on the label, and I drank this about 1 month after purchase.

Appearance: Very dark golden-red with a thin tan/brown head. Head was very carbonated, but left very little lacing on the glass.

Smell: Balanced aroma of nutmeg, sppices, cinnamon, toasted malts, and caramel as well, but overall the spices dominate the others. I do not get much hops aroma.

Taste: There is a strong cinnamon flavor as well as some peppery spices. Also some caramel, roasted malts, chocolate, and some bitterness from hops. There is also a hint of sweetness like strawberries, with just a little hoppy bitterness bitterness adding some complexity.

Mouth-feel: Medium alcohol, but with a very smooth and creamy body. Matches the 8.6% alcohol on the label.

This is a nice, spicy that has a variety of flavors that adds some complexity to the beer. This is a medium-bodied brown ale, which is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. This is a fun holiday beer that I would buy again at the holiday season.

May 28, 2018

josanguapo from Spain

3.37/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

From Mikkeller Shop. In Teku glass. Bomber. Playing A Golden Wake. Very spiced, reallt christmasty. Pumpkin notes and maybe some ginger. Zesty. In the long run it becones a bit tiresome.

Jan 22, 2017

AngusOg from North Carolina

3.62/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I'm not one to write off a beer just because it's over the top spiced, but if you are, you'll probably just want to stay away. However, the spice profile in this one just didn't do much for me, making the drinkability low. I struggled to get through the bomber while watching MNF. Can't put my finger on what it is exactly that was throwing me off. Ginger? I don't know, Southern Tier 2xmas and pumking both have tons more, and I like both those beers. Anyway, again, if you like the highly spiced Christmas beers, it's worth a shot. I'm just glad l waited until I found it marked down, and won't be revisiting this one.

Sep 13, 2016

Glanzman from Ohio

4.31/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22 ounce bottle served in pint glass.

Pours a nice caramel color with a 1 finger tan head.

Smells malty and of Christmas spices.

Taste pretty good. Heavy on spices. Kind of taste like a snicker doodle.

Not bad but at $8.99 for a 22 ounce :(

Dec 21, 2015

Sabtos from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Sparkling red-brown with sunset orange edges, with a moderate khaki head that fades away quickly.

Cinnamon is the primary spice here, which packs the nose full of super freshly grated, woody, almost peppery cinnamon sticks. I get maybe a hint of ginger snaps after.

Taste is red apple and pear, combining with the spice to create a full on apple pie impression, including some baked crust. It's going for it, and achieves it to the letter--this is very Christmasy. But its spice bomb status comes with benefits--not being the typical wet blanket of allspice and nutmeg is a major plus for me. It's all around bright and enjoyable, in moderation.

If this were a stout packed full of this much fresh and delectable cinnamon, beer nerds would cream their shorts over it. As it is, we'll pretend to hate it while our friends and family do the creaming instead.

For comparison's sake, relative to the (IMO) superior barrel aged version, this has less body, and also more bitterness that brings with it an oddly tangy malt that almost emulates a tartness. This is just so very spicy, as well as accented by a hint of red apple, while the barrel aged version is so drastically different in an improved way, adding lusciously savory vanilla and caramel undertones while also sweetening it a tad.

Dec 15, 2015

JohnCJr from Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

If you are not into spiced beers, stop reading now. This Is not the beer for you. If, however, you enjoy a nicely sweet holiday ale with a high enough ABV to warm you on a cold night, this is a good one. I poured this into a standard pint glass. The fizzy beige head dissipated quickly, leaving a trace of foam atop the dark reddish brown body. Cinnamon and ginger dominated the taste, leaving a very pleasant sweetness behind. It had a rich, semi-thick mouthfeel. This functions nicely as a dessert beer, or as an evening sipper. I'm planning on picking up a couple more of these.

Jan 27, 2015

Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.37/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Undated bottle at 50 degrees into Imperial pint glass
Aroma of spices, nutmeg predominating
Head small (<2 cm, aggressive pour), off white, fizzy, gone in 60 seconds, partial ring and partial layer left
Lacing none
Body dark red-amber, clear
Flavor – starts sweet with cinnamon predominates with some ginger following; no hops, no malt, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate medium, almost syrupy, soft carbonation

Appearance 3, Aroma 3.5, Flavor 3.5, Palate 3, Overall 3.25

Jan 05, 2015

ctjoumas from Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

Very deep red color without any transparency. Smell is of a strong cinnamon with a sweetness to it. Upfront taste is cinnamon with an aftertaste of slight Apple mixed in. The smell makes it seem as if it'd be overpowering but it is balanced nicely. Not normally my type of beer but definitely enjoyable.

Dec 16, 2014

UnicornProfessor from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

This is normally NOT my kind of beer. I don't like gingerbread cookies or cinnamon in my beer...but this was just the right amount of both. It was fantastic, and I would gladly order it again!

Dec 12, 2014

Samp01 from New Jersey

3.59/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark red with a thin off white head, actually very Holiday. Aroma is sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, reminds me of a sweet spiced Christmas fruit cake. Taste same as aroma with some mild hops bitterness. Palate is a medium body with good carbonation. Finishes with sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet spices of fruit cake, and maybe some brown sugar and a bit of nutty flavor on the end as it warms up. Overall fairly good drink

Sep 29, 2014

Slapshot from Pennsylvania

2.59/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I am not a fan of any spiced beer no matter the occasion and sadly this beer falls dead square in that category. The immediate aftertaste is a mouthful of cinnamon that masks everything else. Its a gimmicky beer and that's just not for me. There are any number of other REALLY good beers on tap at Hoppin Frog that deserve your attention. This is not one of them.

Jul 27, 2014

StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

i am usually one to drink very seasonally. i try to at least, makes me feel more in tune with my surroundings and with nature and generally keeps me on an even keel. drinking a strong christmas ale in late june is not something that usually happens, but a friend broke out this bottle with a little age on it, and wow, if ever there is a holiday ale versatile enough to work in hot summer weather, its this one. so much fresh ginger on the nose and late palate, that even the cinnamon and honey spice and sweet complex on it doesnt interfere, weigh it down, or make it only worth drinking when the snow flies. i found it almost refreshing, and through its clear amber body, i was amazed how much and how vibrantly the ginger came through. first class all the way, with just enough spicing to make me look forward to the holidays without making me overlook the present. carbonation is really aggressive, and the alcohol is well hidden. time has done this well no doubt, its so smoothed out texture wise as well, its just plush and round and surprisingly not real sweet. almost reminds me of the tropics in this weather, and i have to say, i was shocked how much i really got off on this, given the season. as good as any beer from hoppin frog, i hope to be able to procure some more of this around holiday time. the ginger makes it like not other beer for that season, at least not this pleasantly. awesome drink.

Jun 26, 2014

ClePaul from Ohio

4.34/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hoppin Frog Frosted Frog is a winter warmer with a 8.6% ABV~ Pours a deep Mahogany red with a Khaki cream head~ Feel is med/Heavy with a with low carb and heavy malt and spice presence~ Nose is absolutely delicious~ Spot on replica of baking cinnamon rolls, followed by Ginger, Malt, Sugar and Honey~Taste is a Cinnamon

May 30, 2014