Christmas Ale | Breckenridge Brewery
Brewed by:
Breckenridge Brewery
Colorado, United States
breckbrew.com
Style: Winter Warmer
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.10%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
The chill of a Colorado high-country winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and strength. Here it is. At over 7% alcohol, with a sturdy texture and rich flavors of caramel and chocolate, our holiday seasonal is the fermented equivalent of a good fire.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 04-28-2002
Ratings: 1,081 | Reviews: 418
3.81/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
It pours a purpleish brown, clear and with hardly any head at all. The aroma is of raisins and dried fruit. The flavor is fairly mild and not very complex for most part. Not overly sweet and with bitterness that only shows up at the very end. Not as fully bodied as other winter warmers I've had before.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
It pours a purpleish brown, clear and with hardly any head at all. The aroma is of raisins and dried fruit. The flavor is fairly mild and not very complex for most part. Not overly sweet and with bitterness that only shows up at the very end. Not as fully bodied as other winter warmers I've had before.
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3.67/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.48/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap in Atlanta.
Smooth, medium body with medium carbonation.
mahogany colored body with a very good off-white head.
Spicy aroma that correctly suggests that the the flavor may be a bit over spiced. Slightly bitter although lightly sweet up front.
Overall: ok but still disappointing.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap in Atlanta.
Smooth, medium body with medium carbonation.
mahogany colored body with a very good off-white head.
Spicy aroma that correctly suggests that the the flavor may be a bit over spiced. Slightly bitter although lightly sweet up front.
Overall: ok but still disappointing.
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3.68/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: 12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a pint glass.
Look: Red brown in color with a tan one finger head that very quickly collapses into a soapy residue.
Smell: A bold profile that mostly features malts and some corn.
Taste: Malts with some indistinguishable spices. Has flavor but still seems kinda watery.
Feel: Thin mouthfeel with average carbonation.
Overall: Not terrible but not very good either.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: 12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a pint glass.
Look: Red brown in color with a tan one finger head that very quickly collapses into a soapy residue.
Smell: A bold profile that mostly features malts and some corn.
Taste: Malts with some indistinguishable spices. Has flavor but still seems kinda watery.
Feel: Thin mouthfeel with average carbonation.
Overall: Not terrible but not very good either.
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3.72/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.63/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.16/5 rDev +18.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.8/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.
Orange-tinged, dark amber. Nice creamy head that stays and sticks to the glass.
Smells like caramelized roasted malts and dark sugar. Maybe some dried fruit.
Tastes big and malty. Sweet, but not syrupy. Like a sticky copper kettle. A slight spicy zing.
Body is full, a little chewy. Moderate carbonation. Alcohol presence.
Very nice.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.
Orange-tinged, dark amber. Nice creamy head that stays and sticks to the glass.
Smells like caramelized roasted malts and dark sugar. Maybe some dried fruit.
Tastes big and malty. Sweet, but not syrupy. Like a sticky copper kettle. A slight spicy zing.
Body is full, a little chewy. Moderate carbonation. Alcohol presence.
Very nice.
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3.77/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours dark amber in color. Plenty of toffee, chocolate malts with hints of licorice. Lighter on the hops. Very smooth taste. Higher in ABV. Bottled from Total in Bmore.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours dark amber in color. Plenty of toffee, chocolate malts with hints of licorice. Lighter on the hops. Very smooth taste. Higher in ABV. Bottled from Total in Bmore.
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3.64/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Despite the low rating this has received, I really enjoy this as a winter beer. Enjoyed day after Christmas Day 2016 in Littleton, CO. It's an above average winter, but I would drink it again. Taste of lots of caramel and a little spice.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Despite the low rating this has received, I really enjoy this as a winter beer. Enjoyed day after Christmas Day 2016 in Littleton, CO. It's an above average winter, but I would drink it again. Taste of lots of caramel and a little spice.
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4.75/5 rDev +35.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Definitely my favorite Christmas beer ever, one of my favorite beers ever.
Sweet and spicy, but no candy cough syrup thing going on.
Silky mouth feel, pleasant weight.
Beautiful rich amber tangerine color.
NOT: Dry, sparkling, light or citrusy. This, for me, is a good thing.
This will not be everyone's thing, but I really love it.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Definitely my favorite Christmas beer ever, one of my favorite beers ever.
Sweet and spicy, but no candy cough syrup thing going on.
Silky mouth feel, pleasant weight.
Beautiful rich amber tangerine color.
NOT: Dry, sparkling, light or citrusy. This, for me, is a good thing.
This will not be everyone's thing, but I really love it.
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3.59/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I swear, I reviewed this from a 5L mini-keg (CAN) at one point, but either I never transcribed my tasting notes or something went afoul on here. No matter. Today is Merry New Christmas Beer Sunday (Week 618) & I am spending my morning unwrapping (or at least opening) as many Christmas beers as possible before my 1140 departure. I bought some nice presents for myself as a B&N employee during the 40% (!) off employee appreciation period & I am perusing "1001 Beers to Try Before You Die" as part of today's imbibing.
From the bottle: "Plenty of good cheer [...] Good friends ever near".
I had to do a little redding up, as I may have a guest over this afternoon, which allowed me to take my foot off of the gas for a moment. In Pop!ping the cap on this one, I was able to exercise some restraint on the pour, but I still got a one finger head of sandy/light-ecru head with modest retention. Color was Brown to Dark Brown (SRM = > 22, < 27) with NE-quality clarity & deep Amber highlights. Nose was more chocolaty than spicy, but a theme was certainly beginning to develop here. Where Pumpkin Ales tend to be highly spicy, these Christmas beers seem to be more bready, chocolaty and with just a tinge of spice. My recipe called for dry Italian Dressing mix or I was going to use some spiced beer in the crock pot. I may try the recipe again, sans any dressing mixes and use a dark Holiday ale instead. Once again, I digress. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was more muted than in the previous beers in terms of its spice and chocolate characteristics, but instead, I was getting a more pronounced fruitiness, especially of sweet cherries (!). Finish was semi-sweet, not really my bag. I guess that they cannot all be winners.
1,730 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I swear, I reviewed this from a 5L mini-keg (CAN) at one point, but either I never transcribed my tasting notes or something went afoul on here. No matter. Today is Merry New Christmas Beer Sunday (Week 618) & I am spending my morning unwrapping (or at least opening) as many Christmas beers as possible before my 1140 departure. I bought some nice presents for myself as a B&N employee during the 40% (!) off employee appreciation period & I am perusing "1001 Beers to Try Before You Die" as part of today's imbibing.
From the bottle: "Plenty of good cheer [...] Good friends ever near".
I had to do a little redding up, as I may have a guest over this afternoon, which allowed me to take my foot off of the gas for a moment. In Pop!ping the cap on this one, I was able to exercise some restraint on the pour, but I still got a one finger head of sandy/light-ecru head with modest retention. Color was Brown to Dark Brown (SRM = > 22, < 27) with NE-quality clarity & deep Amber highlights. Nose was more chocolaty than spicy, but a theme was certainly beginning to develop here. Where Pumpkin Ales tend to be highly spicy, these Christmas beers seem to be more bready, chocolaty and with just a tinge of spice. My recipe called for dry Italian Dressing mix or I was going to use some spiced beer in the crock pot. I may try the recipe again, sans any dressing mixes and use a dark Holiday ale instead. Once again, I digress. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was more muted than in the previous beers in terms of its spice and chocolate characteristics, but instead, I was getting a more pronounced fruitiness, especially of sweet cherries (!). Finish was semi-sweet, not really my bag. I guess that they cannot all be winners.
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4.06/5 rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.25/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
L - Poured a reddish brown with minimal white head.
S - Smells of Matt and spices.
T - Taste matches the smell.
F - Moderately carbonated.
O - Decent Christmas ale.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
L - Poured a reddish brown with minimal white head.
S - Smells of Matt and spices.
T - Taste matches the smell.
F - Moderately carbonated.
O - Decent Christmas ale.
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3.82/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Brilliant looking beer. Tastes of raisins, chocolate, and caramel... maybe not in that order. Definitely reminds me of Christmas, albeit a slightly dysfunctional one. Different... sort of. Try it.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Brilliant looking beer. Tastes of raisins, chocolate, and caramel... maybe not in that order. Definitely reminds me of Christmas, albeit a slightly dysfunctional one. Different... sort of. Try it.
201 characters
3.72/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.27/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Christmas Ale from Breckenridge Brewery
3.5
out of 5
based on 1,081 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a dark, reddish brown. Not much of a head, but that's fine. It's a low-key winter warmer, compared to some. More of an interesting brown ale. I tasted the cookie dough, the caramel, and the hops to temper it all. A pleasant change of pace without tasting like someone drowned a Christmas cookie in my beer. I'd buy it again.
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