Why we picked it: My colleagues has rave reviews for Breckenridge Brewery, and this seems like a nice precursor to the big day!
What Breckenridge has to say: The chill of winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and strength, and this take on a classic strong ale does just that—it soothes the soul and warms the spirit. Flavors of caramel and chocolate are derived from an abundance of carefully roasted malts. Chinook and Mt. Hood hops contribute a spiciness, lending balance and a clean finish. Christmas Ale is a cozy holiday companion worthy of sharing.
ABV: 7.1%
IBU: 22
Fun Fact: Breckenridge Brewery In 2017, Breckenridge Brewery launched a cross-country tour to bring Colorado-inspired beer education and culture to 12 cities in 11 months.
Now that is a Christmas beer. A rich and flavorful ale with subtle caramel and even more subtle chocolate (I didn't taste any) that was balanced with subtle hops and a nice finish. It helps that I drank this while watching A Christmas Story with the boys for the first time. All and all, a good holiday beer. 4.25 pink bunny rabbit.
ReplyDeleteI agree - this is what a Christmas beer should be. Great malt profile, and I thought the spiciness were from subtle additions. But the description doesn't mention any additions, so that's impressive to get holiday spice (whatever that means) just from hops. I would definitely get this again. 4.5 bosses with bows brought back to the house by a crazy brother-in-law whose heart is bigger than his head.
ReplyDeleteSo, day late here. All started with my brother-in-law making a run out to Herndon to pick up some Aslin yesterday afternoon. Since we were in the state, we had fill our growler with Ocelot. And since we had to fill the growler, we had to have at least 6 beers to figure out what to put in the growler. Then after a quick and unanticipated trip to Target, it was over to my in-laws where the growler was shared and my other brother-in-law pulled out the Festivus series (For the Rest of Us, Airing of Grievances, and Feats of Strength). All imperial stouts. Each getting progressively stronger at 13.5%. After being driven back home, I wandered across the street to the neighbors holiday party and tried not to fall into the tree. Mission accomplished. Needless to say, this was not consumed on the appropriate day. So here we are.
ReplyDeleteOn to the beer. Yes, I guess this is what a Christmas beer should taste like. very malty with just a hint of spiciness. I wouldn't have guessed caramel or chocolate. But I think this proves, I just am not a fan of Christmas beers. Better than many but just too malty to ever earn more than 3 out of 5 Al Jourgensens (pretty cool I went to the Breckenridge wikipedia page to find an Olympic skier to use and instead found the godfather of industrial. Bonus!
I split this with a friend and really liked it, I think. As far as I can recall, it was a few days ago, I enjoyed it, but it did not change my life. So, given that it did not change my life, I score it 3 (Jumanji) lives.
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