Twinkle In Her Eye Fruitcake Ale
Yukon Brewing

20oz pint at the Underground with the Alberta rep, Dave.

This beer appears a crystal clear dark copper amber hue, with two fingers of puffy, lazily foamy, and somewhat creamy beige head, which leaves a perfect array of snow rime lace around the glass as it slowly sinks away.

It smells of biscuity, lightly toasted caramel malt, mildly acidic cranberry, brown sugar, thin treacle, a hint of earthy ginger, a bit of darker, indistinct orchard fruit, and further leafy, floral hops. The taste is more bready, sort of cake-like caramel malt, molasses, a touch of rum-like heat, mildly spicy ginger, subtle cranberry, and sugary candied fruit.

The bubbles are pretty low-key and hard to notice at times, the body a decent medium weight, and agreeably smooth, with a twinge of creaminess. It finishes off-dry, the cake essences getting a tad stale, while the fruit and spice flavours keep 'er in neutral.

A nicely warming, um, warmer, with a nice blend of hard to dissect holiday spices, which is as it should be - ya don't pick apart Grandma's recipe for this now, do ya?