The Saint Louis Brewery
St. Louis, MO
APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Nice caramel/copper color. Thin, white head, fine bubbles. Crisp and clear.
AROMA: 3/4
Spice–nutmeg, clove, subtle orange, cinnamon. Smells like Christmas! No real hop aroma.
TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Malty. Pronounced licorice flavor, clove, apples, caramel notes, bitter orange, cinnamon.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Alcohol fades from sweet malt to spicy bitterness (sweet at the front of the tongue, bitter at the back).
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Alcohol feel, malty. A mouthful of Christmas spice—interesting, complex.
OVERALL: 2.25/3: A good example of a winter warmer, to be served with apple crisp or pumpkin pie after a huge Christmas dinner.
TOTAL: 15/20–Pour Me Another
NOTES:
Matt: I can picture a jubilant, post-haunting Ebenezer Scrooge enjoying this as he forks another helping of Christmas goose on to Tiny Tim's plate. Nice.
Ben: A good example of what a Christmas Ale should be. Clove, cinnamon, spices—a winter warmer to sip by a roaring fire.
Note: We reviewed this on a 72° day in April; it may have done even better had it been consumed in the setting mentioned above.