Holiday Beers (2025)

Winter Ale with Sitka spruce tips from Alaskan Brewing.

Nice aroma of the spruce, which is different than pine and quite perfumey. Pleasing mouth-filling body with loads of creamy carbonation. Fairly sweet but not sugary and the spruce adds more spicy and resiny flavors. Overall this is one of my favorite holiday brews. Not overly spiced or overly sweet, and not overly strong for that matter. A winning winter quaff.

 

What vintage is that? Been a while since I've seen it served in that format size.

Last time I bought some, it was in cans.

 

Its Christmas Eve and I finally made it to the store to pick up another Holiday beer for this thread. Super glad it was extended. Gonna try to get another one in here during gift wrapping!

Im bringing you Southern Tier in NY and their Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale, a 8.6% Winter Warmer.

onto my review:
Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. The date stamp says best by 10/09/2026. The beer pours a clear copper hue with a dense creamy eggshell white head of 1.5cm. this foam fades to a sturdy edge layer. This foam leaves some dense lattice when I swirl the glass or take a sip.
Aroma is sort of sweet and has some spice character. Hints of toffee and mix in with vanilla seems like some buttery nuttiness too, sort of like a nutroll. No hop character to be found.
First sip reveals a medium body with very fine and tingly carbonation. Texture is smooth and the beer drinks very easy. Doesnt feel very "imperial".
Flavor is sweet like the nose. Some toffee and nut roll flavor mixing with a little vanilla too. No hop character to be found and the beer doesnt have any really boozy quality even with the 8.6%.
The beer is definitely on the sweeter side and feels a little cloying towards the end of the glass. Im glad I bought this and enjoyed it, but wouldnt open a second bottle in one sitting.
4.04 in the BA DB

 

Had to have a beer for gift wrapping and this one seemed perfect for Christmas Eve! This is Great Lakes Brewing our of Cleveland Ohio and their bourbon barrel aged Christmas ale. 10% ABV ad features honey and spices.

onto my review:

Sampling a lightly chilled 16 oz can . date stamp says 2025 vintage. Label also says 10% ABV.
Pouring into a snifter this evening.
the beer pours a clear chestnut color with some ruby highlighting, sits slightly more red in my glass. Minimal yet frothy eggshell white head foams up about 1 cm and fades quickly to a wispy edging that sticks around during my sampling. Several active streams of carbonation rise to the surface but do not replenish the foam. Very scattered lacing on sips and swirls.
Aroma on this beer is a bit of fruity sweetness (honey?) some mild bourbon and hints of toasted grain. I swear I am smelling cherry, but its not listed on can, and I dont believe there are any in this beer. Maybe the fruity scent and red color are tricking me?
No hop character and not boozy either on the aroma.
First sip reveals a medium body with smooth texture and very fine tingly carbonation. The beer drinks pretty easy for bigger ABV.
Flavor is sweet up front with a little toffee and sweet fruity note again, maybe like a hard candy. Here I am getting a little spice, I believe nutmeg and a little cinnamon, but its mild. Overall sweeter beer until the finish. Here I get a little black peppery booze with some light warming on my gullet. Never any hop character on this beer. I enjoy this beer quite a bit, and it does really seem fitting on Christmas Eve!\
4.28 in the BA DB