Winter Works Holiday Ale 2002
Boston Beer Works - Canal Street

A dark copper brownish coloured brew, nice lacing effect. Smells of spices come to the nose quick and the same to the taste buds. Spicing is not overdone, balanced with the malt and the hops blend in very well also. Good handful of malt sweetness and yeast in the back ground come through. Finishes a little sweet with residual spice flavour.

I am not totally fond of Holiday spiced beer but this one is put together quite well.

Amber pour, almost no head. Aroma is malty, maybe some spice in the background. Flavor has upfront malty sweetness, and a little hops in the end, seasonal spices are minimal. Mouthfeel is a bit watery to me, and nothing really stands out in this brew. Order the White Christmas instead.

2002 edition. Reddish amber, zero head. Aromas of cinnamon and some citrusy hop. Active carbonation. Cinnamon and allspice dominate the flavor, with almost no maltiness to speak of and an orange/grapefruity hop bitterness in the mix as well. Way too aggressively (yet unjudiciously) spiced--that's essentially all there is to this brew. I was disappointed.

This year's brew was made with cranberries, apricots, whole vanilla beans, orange peel and cinnamon -- the later being used a bit too much IMO. Some brown sugar was also added prior to conditioning. Deep copper in colour. Aroma was quite full of spices.

Not a bad brew, but I would have enjoyed less spice on the palate and nose.