Day #10 of 365 Days of Beer - 2009 Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Perhaps I just discovered an opportunity for a more challenging goal. I wonder if I can do 365 Beers from 365 different breweries in 365 Days. Hmmmm ... I must contemplate this .. it certainly makes things a bit more difficult.

Beer Name - Great Lakes Christmas Ale (Cleveland, OH)

Serving Type - 12oz Bottle served in a snifter

Style - Winter Warmer

Availability - Winter Release

The beer pours a dark amber color with a quick huge head that dissipates into what's pictured above. The beer is very bubbly as you can clearly see the carbonation from the pour.

The aroma is very similar to the Harpoon Winter Warmer I reviewed a few days back. Lots of spices, some maltiness, a hint of pine and possibly cranberry.

The flavor is that of various spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon), bit of a yeasty bread, some pine, and roasted malts. Seems to be a typical christmas flavor present in a few holiday beers. Smooth body.

Final Thoughts - There was a lot of hype surrounding this beer for me. Lots of people told me it was the best christmas beer they've ever had. The beer was good, but the best I've ever had, probably not. As I said, the beer reminds me of several other holiday offerings with not really much to set it apart from the others. The alcohol is a bit on the medium side at 7.5% ABV. Take it easy on these. Plus the beer drinks a bit on the sweet side, so having multiples may not agree too well with your palate. Again, this was a good beer, just not as outstanding as I was led to believe.