Santa's Bribe
Taft's Brewing Co.

12oz can, served in a Libby globe porter glass. Date stamp on bottom of can: 20:35 24300 24D05TB021. Clearly not retired.

Appearance: Bright (clear) dark copper, with a thin white ring and an occasional small island of lacing noted.

Smell: Hint of cinnamon, vanilla, cookie-like malt.

Taste: Tastes a lot like it smells with the mild cinnamon and spices (maybe Ginger....it says this on the can, but I can't tell) up front, sweet malt that is a bit cookie-like (and some vanilla) in the middle, and then some spiciness at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Prickly carbonation, good thickness, a little slick.

Overall / Drinkability: The can describes this as a Chirstmas cookie ale....and it does fit that characterization. Nicely drinkable all on its own, and it does call out for a cookie pairing. I do find I would only want one though - it's a good winter warmer, but it's a bit tiring of the palate.

 

 

 

The full name of the beer I drank was Santa's Bribe Christmas Cookie Ale. I've had cake and cookie beers that tasted like their namesake, This one was more like beer mixed with Coca-Cola with a little bit of chocolate mixed in. Zero finish.

12 FL. OZ can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours a deep brown hue with ruby highlights only visible when held to a light source. It is topped with a fleeting tan head that leaves no lacing.

I get ginger and cinnamon in the aroma. It almost has a tart, roasted smell.

Ginger up front. I get a little roasted malt in the middle. The finish is dry and a little tart with hints of cinnamon.

Medium bodied with a dry finish.

It's another Christmas ale. I tend to not be a fan of this style. It is okay. I am glad this can was given to me. I would not have purchased a six pack of this beer.

Look: Poured a very dark brown, with a khaki head that dissipated quite fast.

Smell: You won't smell much more than malts when this is cold, but as it warms up, the cinnamon becomes pleasantly noticeable, and exudes an aroma that I'd describe as mexican chocolate.

Taste: Again, this is best at a cellar/basement temp. This isn't what I'd call a cookie flavor, although the name and the can design are quite festive. This is first and foremost a solid ale. It is punctuated primarily by cinnamon, although the vanilla and malts add some sweetness that is enjoyable without being obtrusive. The ginger....maybe they chucked a piece of ginger against the brew kettle? I didn't really detect any hint of it. I wouldn't call the flavors complex, but what they've done, they've done well.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter end of medium bodied, but so, so smooth.

Overall: Quite an enjoyable beer. I could see myself relaxing by a fire with one of these after a rich meal, or before a tray of Christmas cookies made it way around the room. Certainly checks all the boxes for a good holiday beer without being a spice bomb.

This was #17 (Dec 17th) beer from the Advent pack I got from my local beer store just around the corner. It poured a nearly opaque dark amber with off white head that is not leaving much lace. The scent had hints of cookie dough. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with subtle sugar cookie presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.

Canned on 10/16/20. 12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a dark brown with auburn hues; small khaki head that fades leaving solid retention and lacing. The aroma are on the mild and subtle side. Lots of malts. Hints of cocoa powder and vanilla. The flavors follow the nose. More cocoa and vanilla. Some dark fruits. The cinnamon and ginger is pretty subtle and basically goes unnoticed. Subtle sweetness with a moderate to low bitterness. Solid malt backbone. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderate to active carbonation. It's sharp, fluffy, smooth and easy to drink.

This is an okay winter brew. It's okay for what it is, but I was expecting the cinnamon and ginger to be more of a factor. It's more on the "traditional winter warmer" style. It's personally forgettable for me, but I don't want to make it sound like it's horrible or anything like that. It does have a bit of a "Christmas cookie" vibe.

 

 

 

 

This beer was poured from a 12 oz. can that I purchased at a local craft beer store. It poured an extremely dark brown with a deep reddish tint. The head was off white, but it was razor thin and disapated immediately.

The aroma was of dark malts that was almost completely masked by the cinamon and vanilla.

The initial taste was a mouthful of cinamon. The vanilla and ginger kick in right in the middle and the beer finishes with a lot of ginger.

The mouthfeel was extremely thin. I wonder if it would have been better if this beer came in a bottle.

Overall, this beer didn’t do it for me. It had so much cinamon, vanilla, and ginger that there wasn’t much beer to enjoy. Just more over-the-top on the flavoring than I would have liked.

Beer pours a deep opaque brown with a reddish hue just barely showing at the bottom of the glass, two finger light tan head that doesn’t last, no lacing. Smells of cinnamon, ginger, clove, and lighter notes of chocolate and butter. Cinnamon, ginger, and chocolate dominate the flavor, with vanilla and molasses undertones. Mouthfeel is creamy and thick, with a lingering bitterness coating the tongue Associated with black walnuts. Wasn’t expecting the spicy finish, but a great beer to drink in cold weather.

 

 

Aroma is reminiscent of cookie dough extract. Somewhat subtle.

Flavor is cinnamon dominant, with moderate acidity, vanilla, and a roasty bitter finish.