Robot Santa's Christmas Ale
Masthead Brewing Co.

Dark amber coloring with a massive off-white head. Very malty aroma with spices, ginger apparent. Coriander for sure. These are the standouts in the taste. Dark, malty backbone compared to some other Xmas ales here, but softer on the cinnamon and nutmeg that's been done to death. Sweet finish from the honey. I can't really pick out the other spices, but I feel like there's hints of them now and again. On the fuller side in body, good carbonation, smooth drinker.

Massive head, great lacing, beautiful chestnut color. Subtle mix of spices maintaining good harmony and no one overpowering the others. Solid.

From the 16 oz can in a snifter via Bluejacket74! Cheers Dude! This solid
little winter warmer pours a nice orange tinged burnt auburn with a nice head
of white foam that settles to a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and sports some light
lacing. Nose of orange zest, cinnamon, honey sweet malts, caramel, and ginger
dashed with cinnamon. Flavors impress with a nicely balanced honey and subtle
breaded notes dashed with mellow ginger, moderate cinnamon, light orange zest,
and sweet caramel and honey malts. Mouth feel is medium, medium light
carbonation, smooth, and finishing nicely balanced with a moderate spice
note from the cinnamon and ginger.

Overall, a well balanced brew and one I would happily have next Christmas!

Cheers

1pt can, served in a Samuel Smith's pint glass. Canned on 10/06/25 15:40 "EARLY XMAS"

Appearance: Mostly clear with a tiny bit of haze. Copper-amber color with a nice 1/4" thick off white head and some persistent thick strands of lacing.

Smell: Definite spices coming through (bit of cinnamon and nutmeg). Not getting the honey, ginger, orange peel, or coriander in the smell.

Taste:: All of the spices and orange peel come together into a blend - I can't quite pick them out alone other then the coriander which shows up at the finish. A nice honey note in the middle. Can't taste any malt. This comes across to me as either a blended/mulled beer, but with the hops and malt covered up by the other flavors. It's quite tasty.

Mouthfeel: Just right carbonation. Smooth, good thickness. Spiciness from the cinnamon shows up with the finish toward the back of the throat.

Overall / Drinkability: Dangerously drinkable and it fits the style, and to me, is another riff on the OG Christmas Beer in Ohio - Great Lakes Christmas Ale. A bit more spiced though, but similar to the original Ohio Christmas beer. I think this would pair well with a dessert but all good on its own.

 

 

Can:
I'd argue this blurs the line that many holiday-themed ales do between a classic style and the spices that are reminiscent of the season the beer is representing. There is definitely holiday spices, listed as added, but there is also a pine or spruce note involved that bring the holiday's tree o the fore for me.

A pretty dark reddish brown supports a modest head / remnant medium ring of bubbles. The nose starts more muted than the taste. But as it warms, the spices involved in this beer come out in the nose more and more. The beer stays a bit rooted and somewhat earthy in each sip. The malt plays a second fiddle to the spices, but also present decently against the bitterness I presume the hops are bringing.

I really like the balance of malt, spice, and bitterness. There's a medium body and a bit of perceived effervescence enhanced by the spices. The mix of solid beer and holiday-inspired sensations works pretty well.

I got a 4pck of tall boy cans of this beer from my local meijer store. It poured a slightly hazy amber with very thin white ring head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had orange peel and coriander notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with semi sweet caramel malt base with ginger, honey, and orange peel zest. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had subtle carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.

 

16 ounce can, canned on 10/10/24. Served in a tulip glass, the beer pours a somewhat clear orange/amber color with about an inch frothy off-white head that stayed around for a while. There's also a good amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, bready malt and some honey. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some orange peel and coriander flavors noticeable too. I think the ginger might stand out somewhat compared to the other flavors, but really no one flavor overwhelms the others. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit coating with a good amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good overall Christmas Ale, certainly worth trying if you like this style of beer!

A fingers worth of fluffy khaki colored froth... Modest retention... Color is a chill hazed goldish red amber... Nose of cinnamon, honey, dark fruits, and assorted holiday spices... Equally inviting and decently complex... Palate is an exact replica of the nose... There is an assertive hoppy bite on the finish... Medium bodied and dense... Sleek and slightly sticky... Moderate carbonation... Highly enjoyable winter offering... Masthead is a brewery that I stumbled upon in my explorations that hasn't let me down yet... Very nice beer...

 

Pours an amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has spice hints
The taste follows the nose with spice flavors
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A decent Winter Warmer

 

 

 

1 PINT can
Served in a tulip glass

This beer pours a brilliant, deep burnt orange color with copper highlights. It is topped with a couple inches of tan head that leaves some nice lacing.

It has a muted Christmas spice nose. I smell some honey and ginger, along with the usual suspects in a Christmas ale.

Nice honey flavor with the maltiness of this beer. The spices are not overwhelming, which I like. Just enough spice to know that it is a Christmas ale but not all up in your face about it.

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

Solid beer.

Canned on 11-1-22. 16oz can poured into a tulip.

Pours a glowing amber with solid clarity and transparency; fluffy off-white head that falls leaving nice retention and lacing.

The aromas are surprisingly on the mild side. It doesn't smell bad, it just doesn't have much going on in that department although they open up as it warms. Mild spice and crackers. Malts are there.

The flavors are bolder than the nose. Tons of spices leading the way, especially cinnamon. Some nutmeg and ginger. Nice spiciness. Strong bitterness to go with a lower sweetness. Malts do their thing. Finishes clean. Alcohol is ultimately well hidden.

Mouthfeel is great. It's full-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, fluffy, thick, and smooth.

This is a decent "spiced holiday ale". It has just about everything that you'd expect from the style, more or less. It's not up there with some of the classic examples that are brewed in N.E. Ohio, but it's not bad. The craftsmanship is on point and takes this one to the next level. I do like it.

Much like the oktoberfest this year I found this overall good but completely and utterly unremarkable. Nothing really extra special here. Just kinda fills a space. Masthead stans probably enjoy thoroughly