Celebration Libation
Cisco Brewers Inc.

Celebration LibationCelebration Libation
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From:
Cisco Brewers Inc.
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 13.6%
Reviews:
46
Ratings:
48
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 08, 2014
Added:
Aug 11, 2002
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  0
Brewed with cinnamon and cloves in the mash.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ppoitras:
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle purchased from Spirit Haus, Amherst, MA. On sale as old stock.

Poured into a heavy glass chalice, formed a 1 1/4" tan head over the slightly cloudy bright copper brew. Head fades in a meringey way, with heavy thick lacing. Aroma is sweet and fruity, with light spicing. Taste is puree fruity and tart upfront, malts out a bit in the middle, and closes with the merged flavors. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, and drinkability is pretty good. Not sure if the tartness is supposed to be there, but it's not that out of place. It is nice to have a non-spewing bottle of Cisco, though.
Nov 06, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by davidwhatshisnam from New York

May 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jongullotti from Massachusetts

Feb 17, 2012
Photo of BARFLYB
Reviewed by BARFLYB from Pennsylvania

4.27/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a DFH snifter glass late at night. Thx Birradr14 for the opportunity to try something I can't get here in the fertile cresent.

A- Deep dark murky brown like something out of a old faucet, yet this is str8 out of the bottle. The loud hiss when the cap was popped told me this was alive but I was not prepared for the huge five fingas of dense caramel colored head leaving notches of lace.

S- This kind of comes off like a flanders red in smell with a slightly tart smelling nose and faint vinegar traces. There is a whole lot of spices in this, I really cant figure them all out since they are cluttered but I can make out cinnamon and tart apple slices.

T- This really is a unique winter warmer, some qualities and tastes i'm used too, but this one does those then some. Slices of tart green apples dipped in caramel and than sprinkled with a heaping of cinnamon and other spices, maybe a little nutmeg. This reminded me a bit like a vinegarete that you sprinkle on salad at points.

M- It is not tart like a flander's red, but it does have a bit of a spritz to it's step. This libation is medium bodied with a huge amount of carbonation that surprisingly does not burn off the tounge. It almost goes down like a little heavier bodied apple juice after 10oz or so.

D- While, the 750ml could of been handled by myself, sharing is the way to go on this one. It's great stuff, but could grow old after 1/2 the bottle. The alcohol is a bit high but who cares, it's wintertime, were supposed to be warming up somehow, even if it's not your preferred method of getting it done.
Jan 27, 2010
Photo of twiggamortis420
Reviewed by twiggamortis420 from Texas

4.27/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
07 Vintage pours a light amber color with an overabundance of foam that just wont quit. Reminds me of a root beer float...might just be the most carbonation I've ever seen. To say it was a gusher would be an understatement.

Gingerbread is the foremost scent, followed by some cinnamon, honey and apricots. Hints of cola and biscuits make this a very complex smelling beer.

Nutty, fruity and spicy flavors abound and alcohol is quite noticeable. Piney hop presence in the mouth near the finish. Allspice flavors come to mind with this one, nearly a hybrid of a spiced pumpkin ale and a winter warmer. Super high carbonation is a bit of a turn off, but it is medium bodied with a creamy, velvety texture.

Overall, quite an enjoyable drinking experience, I wish I had more of these as I think it would cellar for a year or so very well.
Feb 07, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750ml bottle shared thanks to egajdzis.

Poured a deeper and slightly cloudy brownish color with a very large sized off white head. Aromas of ginger, light honey, cherries, and light cinnamon. Tastes of cherries, light cinnamon, honey, and caramel. Tastes were somewhat minty too.

Notes from: 1/19/06
Jan 27, 2009
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

3.69/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
As with almost every Cisco beer I've had, this one gushed uncontrollabley when poured producing an impressive 5 inch head of clotted foam. Ok, not impressive to drink thru but shows lots of hops and protein are working in this brew. A murky amber liquid below the eventual lacing of the slumped head is clouded by p-haze and suspended sediment.

Aromas of toffee and earthy hop are mild as is the hint of cinnamon - sort of cookie-like. Nothing bad just mild and unimpressive. I top off the glass slowly a few times to allow the excess carb to blow off and the liquid to come up to temp.

The flavor reminds me of a straight forward Amber ale with a hint of cookie spice. Pleasant, mild and completely forgettable. Again, nothing bad just nothing there to make me go "wow". Giving it a 4 is generous but the flavors are unique just sort of bland - like store bought cookies compared to home made.

Body is on the light side of medium with hints of toffee ( and cookie) lingering around a mellow, dry finish. A bit of carb bite on the tongue detracts making this seem a bit thinner (tinnier) than I think was intended.

No way to tell how fresh this is but since it is a seasonal release, I'm pretty sure this was this years version as it was just recently delivered to the store where i got it. The alcohol is well hidden which helps its drinkablity.

These Cisco guys have yet to get the bottle conditioning / prime figured out for these bombers. If the gushing was not so common in these beers I wouldnt review it, and write it off as a poorly treated bottle. But since it has become the norm in my experience - even bottles purchased in MA - I consider it the nature of the beast and review accordingly.
Jan 01, 2009
Photo of msolar
Reviewed by msolar from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Completely out of season, but it's cold and rainy so who cares.

Pours a nice amber brown with a nice, lacing. Tastes like cinnamon with a hint of honey but is far from overpowering. Tastes pretty good. It's a medium bodied beer, a bit lighter than I expected. The 8.5% ABV is pretty well hidden. This would make a decent session beer in late-autumn or winter.

I'd certainly buy this again and consider putting it on tap in the winter.
Aug 09, 2008
Photo of corey0212
Reviewed by corey0212 from Connecticut

4.07/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Got this in the discount bin at Blanchard's in Allston. I've had this fresher, but wasn't reviewing beers yet...

Pours a reddish copper color, surprisingly small head (for a Cisco offering), patches of lacing on the glass. Deep malty smell, some cinnamon and clove. Lots of gingerbread taste, some orange peel and pine. Creamy, ever-so-slight chewiness, some belly-warming alcohol. I'm drinking this in the middle of a brutally humid stretch of July, and loving it. I imagine I'll be a case deep into this beer come the holidays. Really nice beer from Cisco.
Jul 26, 2008
Photo of Franchise
Reviewed by Franchise from Oregon

4.12/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This offering from Cisco pours a caramel reddish color leaving a thick tan head very nice and strong. The body is clear, the aroma is cinnamon, vanilla, cookies, fresh baked bread, a nice batch of homemade cookies comes to mind upon sniffing this beer. There is a herbal accent to this nose trying to tell you hops are there.

The taste is malty very smooth syrupy caramel sweet, ginger, orange, just a nicely rounded beer. The hops play a minor role in this beauty but give just enough spice to balance. Very good beer.
Jun 16, 2008
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a murky medium to deep copper hue with a three finger frothy with head. There was very good chunky retention and lacing.

The smell featured a grassy and floral hop followed by a sweet and spicy malt.

The taste consisted of a lightly sweet and earthy malt, complimented by an estery yeast and a a flowery biting hop.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness for the style, with a creamy finish.

Overall a tasty and complex winter ale. Interesting and playful hop. Good drinkability.
Mar 07, 2008
Photo of dickieb
Reviewed by dickieb from Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy amber with a huge head, and excellent lacing. The smell is of cloves ginger spices and hints of hops. The flavor is a well spiced with cloves and a dash of cinnamon. Some light malts and a hop bite wrap it up. The mouthfeel is a bit heavy, probably due to the carbonation, and this is a good sipper best split with someone. One of the better winter warmers.
Jan 24, 2008
Photo of adamdotson
Reviewed by adamdotson from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bought A Bomber from Blanchard's in Jamaica Plain, MA
Served it slightly chilled in a Chimay glass.

Appearance of this is beautiful. Nice IPAish orange color with an amazing silky layer of ivory head. Fairly murky. Some serious lacing and significant legs. The head retention on this beer is unbelievable. I havent had a sip or swirled it in ten minutes and there is about a centimeter of head sitting on top. Best head I've had in a while!

The nose is also fancy smansy. Rich spicy winter warmer aroma of cinnamon and fresh cloves. Also some heavy hop citrus; particularly grapefruit. Also a layer of ginger. Definitely some sweetness present in the nose like light brown sugar. It smells a little like cookie batter involving some kind of citrus.

Definitely an assertive hop character. Very unusual balance of spices to hops. I love the blend of the citrus and cinnamon flavors. Not to hot on the alcohol. Nice bitterness of grapefruit or orange peels and some ginger again in the finish.

Overall, a great winter warmer. The best one i've had this winter. Moderately drinkable, with a great flavor and very cool process of spicing the mash. Its very well balanced and the hop character is so rich and lingering. I'll be buying this again soon.
Jan 09, 2008
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
This was one of the daily specials at The Common Ground, and being from out of town, I looked for every excuse to try beer I couldn't find at home. On to the beer:

It was served in a shaker pint, and the beer arrived a clear copperish color. Up in the air rises the smell of spices and citrus. okay now, I'm going to put this beer in my mouth and see what I get...it feels mildly syrupy. Passionfruit and pinneapple tease the palate before spices like ginger and cinnamon devour it. The aftertaste leaves bready malts. The flavors sound good on their own, but melded together and it's high ABV (which I was unaware of at the time) add a little work to put down.
Dec 27, 2007
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.24/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Cisco has a new label this year that is different from the one pictured. It features a snowflake and the text reads, "Deliciously malty, wih caramel and dried fruits mid-palate, laced with ginger, honey, cinnamon, and LOVE. This warming ale is like one of your grandmother's freshly-baked cookies in a bottle!"

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear amber color with a modest beige head that sticks fairly well and leaves the occasional dot of lace

Smell: Musty, vegetal aroma predominates but there is an intermittent flash of citrusy hops that sneaks through; touches of honey and cinnamon, too

Taste: Opens with a ginger cookie flavor, with plenty of cinnamon as well; picks up some honey and stone fruit, mid-palate; the finish is earthy and unbalanced, with an odd herbaciousness

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This beer is schizophrenic both in aroma and taste; interesting experiment, but not particularly enjoyable

Thanks, UncleJimbo, for the opportunity
Dec 13, 2007
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22 fl oz brown bomber served in a nonic.

Pours a clean, light amber in color beneath a dense, finger's length of white foam. Some thick, condensed lacing around half of the glass.

Semi-sweet caramel with light floral hop aromas and a hint of citrus. Faint hints of mustiness; nutmeg and brown sugar.

Toasted biscuity malt with a semi-sweet caramel flavor. The floral hops are long-lived and fresh. Notes of date, raisin and hints of ginger in the middle. The mustiness builds throughout the sip leaving phenolic hints.

Medium in body; light due to the bright, floral hop character that becomes increasingly filmy as the sip progresses.

A pretty good version of the style with no major flaws, but no real highlights either. Worth a try, but not worth seeking out.
Dec 10, 2007
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A- Orange copper with a nice tan head.

S- Initial spiciness with hints of clove and cinnamon comming through. Also a bit of sourness...but pleasantly so.

T- WOW! Nice and spicy with clove prevailing. A slight tatrtness towards the end.

M- Rich and flavorful....an aftertaste of ginger lingers...very nice.

D - Good flavors meld throughout. A very cool holiday beer with a nice mixture of the classical spices without being overdone.
Nov 23, 2007
Photo of geexploitation
Reviewed by geexploitation from Indiana

3.59/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The label reads "Celebration is our winter warmer, brewed with generous amounts of cinnamon stick and fresh ginger. We pile on the crystal malts and add a touch of honey." This is a different recipe than last year, if I recall correctly.

The beer pours slightly cloudy from disturbed lees. The color is a bright, ruby brown color, something like polished mahogany. Massive, sticky, long-lasting head. The nose is dominated by the ginger, but there are some citrus elements there as well, and the crystal malts have contributed some sweet smells. On the palate, juicy, fruity spice notes define this beer, with the ginger giving everything a refreshing kick. Very light for a winter warmer, with balanced sweetness and spice/bitterness. Nothing's overplayed, although the ginger comes perilously close. Mouthfeel is light, with relatively low gravity, especially for the style, and big carbonation. Overall, this is a tasty brew, and a unique take on the winter warmer style.
Nov 09, 2007
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a hazy brown body with a foamy, dare I say, poofy off-white head.

Smell: A weak, hardly detectable aroma, but what is there is a thin scent of spices dulled by age.

Taste: Thin caramel flavor and sweetness rounded out by various earthy spices. Notes of wood. Faint sourness throughout. More of that ambiguous spice character on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. High carbonation. Prickly mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Definitely not the most exciting Winter Warmer I've come across.
Oct 03, 2007
Photo of sethmeister
Reviewed by sethmeister from New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Emailed Cisco and let them know about the oxidized bottle and they sent me a free replacement and a pint glass! Well done Cisco!!

Pours a softly cloudy reddish brown color with an energetic cream colored head which decorates the glass in lace.

Subtle spice notes in the scent. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Some grapefruit and orange zest.

Taste is complex and interesting. There's a mild grapefruit hop flavor, though bitterness is low. Caramel. A light fruity sweetness which also seems to turn tart and citric at times. Fleeting undertones of sugar cookie. Orange peel, spice, vanilla.

Mouthfeel could stand to be a bit thicker but is not bad. A slight astringency in the finish.

Drinkability is very good.

Although it seems to be different from tasting to tasting I have always liked this beer very much.
Jun 18, 2007
Celebration Libation from Cisco Brewers Inc.
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 48 ratings