Holidale 2025
Berkshire Brewing Company

Poured from a can into a snifter
Appearance – the beer pours a deep-deep brown color with a two finger height head of light brown colored foam. The head has a fantastic level of retention, fading slowly and leaving tons of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – the aroma is massive of a roasted and toasted malt smell, mixed with a rather strong showing of dark chocolate and a good chunk of cinnamon spice. At the same time there are aromas of brown sugar and some caramel, along with a big showing of wood and just a bit of hot chili and pepper.
Taste – The taste begins with a big roasted and toasted malt flavor that one may anticipate from the nose. There is also a bit of dark chocolate and some light notes of vanilla and caramel as well. The sweet is on the milder side, with the roast really shinning. Also really standing out is the chili and the cinnamon, both of which are moderate in strength upfront, and intensify as the taste advances. At eh same time the notes of wood and some chalk and coffee join in, and with the increase in the chili, one is left with a moderately and overly (in my opinion) spiced flavor that deters from the nice roasty and toasty flavors of the brew.
Mouthfeel – The body is a bit light for a 10 % abv beer, but is still rather creamy. The carbonation is more mild in nature.
Overall – I think if the chili, cinnamon, and pepper was knocked down a few levels, this would be much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the overabundance of the aforementioned, really took away from the enjoyability of the brew.

Canned 2025/10/22
Pours a large frothy creamy 2 finger head with good retention, lots of lacing, very dark deep chestnut to almost black color

Nose brings some cocoa and cinnamon, a bit of biscuity malt, dark chocolate, a bit of creamy milk chocolate, a hint of roast and coffee, general spice and hint of pepper

Taste again brings the cocoa and cinnamon bark, creamy milk and dark chocolate mixed, general baking spices and rich cinnamon but almost oak bark like, very mild chili pepper notes, some roasted malts with a touch of char and smoky notes, coffee and cream, a rich vanilla spice note as well, a bit of smooth-ish alcohol, fair heat between the cinnamon spice, pepper spice, and alcohol, fair bitterness in the middle then becoming a higher bitterness on the finish from the roast, spices, and spicy hops

Mouth is fuller bod, creamy, med carb, a bit of warming booze

Overall not bad, nice blend of the cocoa, cinnamon, general baking spices, base stout and roasted malts, a bit on the higher side for bitterness though, and do wish the chilis came through a bit more as well, but otherwise pretty good

Each year, I look forward to the Holidale release by Berkshire Brewing Company. The 2024 was an amazing success and I bought enough to last the entire year. This year's, described as a Mexican chocolate stout, was among the worst beer I've ever had. The most forward flavor was......tobacco? No hint of chocolate at all. I drank a bit, then began pairing it with dark chocolate because it was so bad. I managed to finish a glass and poured the rest down the sink.

Poured from a 16 oz can dated "Born on" 10/22/2025, into the test glass.
A - Dark brown heaed toward black in color, excellent tan frothy cap, stays the entire time. Lacing is a work of art.
S - Chilies, and cinnamon up front, with some warming the chocolate and some char rise up.
T - All those aromatics with emphasis on the tension between the adjuncts is quite fun. There is an espresso thread in there as well
M - Medium in body with just a bit of heat from the chilies, the offering itself avoids the sweet trap and finishes beautifully dry.
O - A really fun well executed Mexican style stout. Full of flavor, alcohol is well hidden. The combination and execution are excellent