Great Lakes Christmas Ale (365 Day 24)

By scot in 365 Days of American Craft Beer on Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale

The day before Christmas and all through the house I was dreaming which American craft beer I would have for Christmas Eve. There was a little snow on the ground and the kids where playing on the snow hill at the end of the court; I need something with a Holiday theme.

Christmas Ale by Great Lakes Brewing Company was about the only seasonal beer I had in the cellar. Not a huge fan.

Since I was full of snow, I asked the wife to pour me the Christmas Ale. Within a few seconds she appeared at the door with the beer in the bottle. I gave her a quick glance and without hesitation she took the beer back, poured it into a pint glass, and brought it back out. Now I was ready.

I had Christmas Ale last year and only had a bottle this season as my neighbor, Miles, brought one over to share earlier.

I don’t know if it was the sweat, the cold, and the anticipation of Christmas, but this beer tasted much better than I remembered. The spices were more subdued and held back with more of a malt balance. Unfortunately I was not able to finish my beer as my daughter kicked the glass that I placed on the snow hill while digging a ginormous hole through the hill. Oh well, at least I could play on the hill. Enjoy!

Aroma: 8,Taste: 8, Look: 8, Drinkability: 8, Overall: 8.0

Useless Face: The first person to ever survive the fall over Niagara Falls was in 1901 when Annie Edson Taylor, a 43 year-old widowed school teacher from Bay City, Michigan, survived the fall in a 260 pound oak barrel.