Holiday Cheers Winter Spice Ale
Big Rock Brewery
- From:
- Big Rock Brewery
- Alberta, Canada
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 81
- Avg:
- 3.52 | pDev: 10.8%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 33
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Nov 22, 2020
- Added:
- Dec 07, 2008
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 10
SCORE
81
Good
81
Good
Formerly Big Rock McNally's Winter Spice Ale
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Tony787 from Canada (ON)
3.72/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I bought a can at the lcbo in Ontario poured a 1finger head that quickly disappeared but left a lace as you drink it not much carbonation smell of cinnamon taste is lots of spices of ginger cinnamon and many more Christmas spices then some sweet malts . the beer is sweet tho because of all these special spices in it maybe but it's very drinkable and enjoyable
overall a good Christmas beer
cheers.
Nov 22, 2020overall a good Christmas beer
cheers.
Reviewed by MichaelGennings from Canada (ON)
3.47/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.47/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Big Rock Brewery’s Winter Spice Ale. 6% alc. Brewed in Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, B.C., and Etobicoke, Ont.
The beer pours a thin beige head that dissipates quickly. The beer is a hazy caramel colour and there are lots of ascending tiny bubbles.
There is an unidentifiable spice aroma and it’s faint at best. The taste is nutmeg and ginger.
The mouthfeel is effervescent and the beer itself is thin bodied with a dry finish.
I liked this beer and recommend trying it.
Dec 23, 2018The beer pours a thin beige head that dissipates quickly. The beer is a hazy caramel colour and there are lots of ascending tiny bubbles.
There is an unidentifiable spice aroma and it’s faint at best. The taste is nutmeg and ginger.
The mouthfeel is effervescent and the beer itself is thin bodied with a dry finish.
I liked this beer and recommend trying it.
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
3.51/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.51/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Copper with a hint of orange, clear filtered with a few large bubbles, and topped with 1 finger of fast dissipating beige head.
Smells like a spiced cider with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I would think it were a cider if not told otherwise.
The taste follows the nose, but instead of a sour, crispness I expected, its a placid, non acidic, malty base. Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg all come through.
Medium body with little carbonation.
A fair, different spin on a holiday brew. Drinking in Muskoka, Dec 16th, 2017.
Dec 17, 2017Smells like a spiced cider with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I would think it were a cider if not told otherwise.
The taste follows the nose, but instead of a sour, crispness I expected, its a placid, non acidic, malty base. Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg all come through.
Medium body with little carbonation.
A fair, different spin on a holiday brew. Drinking in Muskoka, Dec 16th, 2017.
Reviewed by pootz from Canada (ON)
3/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
3/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Can, 2017 edition pours a clear amber gold with a smallish white cap - aromas of eggnog spices under a rich sweet malt aroma - medium-light body - flavor is primarily sweet malt with spice undertones and hops are undetectable - fast doughy finish - not bad but not good either
Dec 06, 2017
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.39/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.39/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tallboy can from the LCBO; best before 04/02/2018. I last tried this about 7 years ago while I was living in Alberta (back when it was still using the 'McNally's' name). I ticked it at some point, but didn't bother with a full review... and so here we are. Served well chilled.
Pours clear copper-amber, with one finger of loose, bubbly, ecru-tinged foam gathering at the surface. It recedes within a minute or two, leaving behind a respectable collar of creamy froth which floats beneath a thin band of lace. Clove, ginger and nutmeg are immediately obvious on the nose, underlain by a sweet caramelized malt backbone with some grainy notes. Maybe a hint of raisin thrown in there, too.
Yeah, this recipe doesn't seem to have changed much, if at all. Caramel sweetness is ever-present throughout the sip, with the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger joining in eventually. Sort of has a (spiced) cherry cola vibe going on. Finishes with a flourish of clove spice and a weak suggestion of floral hops, with the winter spices and caramel lingering into the aftertaste before fading. Medium-light body, with low-ish carbonation levels that gently agitate the tongue; the texture is quite smooth and a little soft. I find that the nutmeg and clove are really limiting its drinkability.
Final Grade: 3.39, an unremarkable B-. Big Rock's Winter Spice Ale was a bit of a bore, to be honest. Mostly unobjectionable, but also totally two-dimensional - the caramel malts and winter spice quartet aren't enough to keep my interest for long. The spices themselves also become tiresome pretty quickly (keeping in mind that I am not much of a spiced beer fan to begin with). I gave this a 3.5 when I ticked it way back when, which is probably a bit generous. A certain one-and-done for me.
Nov 25, 2017Pours clear copper-amber, with one finger of loose, bubbly, ecru-tinged foam gathering at the surface. It recedes within a minute or two, leaving behind a respectable collar of creamy froth which floats beneath a thin band of lace. Clove, ginger and nutmeg are immediately obvious on the nose, underlain by a sweet caramelized malt backbone with some grainy notes. Maybe a hint of raisin thrown in there, too.
Yeah, this recipe doesn't seem to have changed much, if at all. Caramel sweetness is ever-present throughout the sip, with the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger joining in eventually. Sort of has a (spiced) cherry cola vibe going on. Finishes with a flourish of clove spice and a weak suggestion of floral hops, with the winter spices and caramel lingering into the aftertaste before fading. Medium-light body, with low-ish carbonation levels that gently agitate the tongue; the texture is quite smooth and a little soft. I find that the nutmeg and clove are really limiting its drinkability.
Final Grade: 3.39, an unremarkable B-. Big Rock's Winter Spice Ale was a bit of a bore, to be honest. Mostly unobjectionable, but also totally two-dimensional - the caramel malts and winter spice quartet aren't enough to keep my interest for long. The spices themselves also become tiresome pretty quickly (keeping in mind that I am not much of a spiced beer fan to begin with). I gave this a 3.5 when I ticked it way back when, which is probably a bit generous. A certain one-and-done for me.
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)
3.35/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.35/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
473 ml can served cold into a tulip. Now called Holiday Cheers Winter Spice Ale. I'm presuming that this is the same beer, just with different packaging. An LCBO purchase for about $3.25 CDN. Enjoy by 04/02/2018.
Appearance- Pours a clear dark amber colored beer with a few fingers of tremendously frothy head. Retention isn't great, but the beer nonetheless looks warm and inviting.
Smell - Ginger snap cookies for sure with oodles of spices. Ginger, cinnamon and other Christmas spices used for baking / fruitcakes are prevalent. I'm sure nutmeg finds it's way in here too. Intense, but almost overly spiced.
Taste - Strangely, after a huge aromatic invasion the flavors are subdued, with only a little ginger and very little of the other spices. Some malt, but even that seems lacking. Not bad, but much less flavorful than I anticipated.
Mouthfeel - Rather light bodied (generally a good thing for this style), but a sheer lack of carbonation is surprising and feel flat on the tongue.
Overall - A decent winter warmer that starts nice, but quickly fades with a lack of flavor and carbonation. Worth a try. but with a couple of improvements this could be a really nice winter sipper.
Nov 03, 2017Appearance- Pours a clear dark amber colored beer with a few fingers of tremendously frothy head. Retention isn't great, but the beer nonetheless looks warm and inviting.
Smell - Ginger snap cookies for sure with oodles of spices. Ginger, cinnamon and other Christmas spices used for baking / fruitcakes are prevalent. I'm sure nutmeg finds it's way in here too. Intense, but almost overly spiced.
Taste - Strangely, after a huge aromatic invasion the flavors are subdued, with only a little ginger and very little of the other spices. Some malt, but even that seems lacking. Not bad, but much less flavorful than I anticipated.
Mouthfeel - Rather light bodied (generally a good thing for this style), but a sheer lack of carbonation is surprising and feel flat on the tongue.
Overall - A decent winter warmer that starts nice, but quickly fades with a lack of flavor and carbonation. Worth a try. but with a couple of improvements this could be a really nice winter sipper.
Reviewed by Lucaskowalik from Canada (AB)
2.44/5 rDev -30.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.5
2.44/5 rDev -30.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.5
Poured from refrigerated 330 mL bottle into a chalice
A- Clear and coppery with a light bubbly head which quickly dissipated
S- Cinnamon and nutmeg with notes of caramel although the smell is very underwhelming
T- Spiced like apple pie albeit fairly watery
M- Light and short-lived, very uninteresting
O- Overall it is a very drinkable beer but it is not as comforting as the title suggest. I much prefer Granville Island's winter offering.
Dec 30, 2016A- Clear and coppery with a light bubbly head which quickly dissipated
S- Cinnamon and nutmeg with notes of caramel although the smell is very underwhelming
T- Spiced like apple pie albeit fairly watery
M- Light and short-lived, very uninteresting
O- Overall it is a very drinkable beer but it is not as comforting as the title suggest. I much prefer Granville Island's winter offering.
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