Day 13 of the 6th Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 13: Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale
From Breckenridge: “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.” This is one of the first Christmas beers to be released every year. It’s kind of like when you see the guy in the neighborhood start putting his lights up before everyone else every year. You know Christmas is right around the corner.
Reflections
Ben: I swear this beer hits shelves in like, September. But, I normally forget it’s there cause it just kind of blends in with everything else on the shelves, which is a shame because it’s really damn good. There’s nothing super special about it, it’s just a very well made, malty beer. I don’t think this has any spices in it, but there’s some great subtle toffee, caramel, and chocolate notes. Breckenridge is one of those breweries that I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad beer from. Gonna be picking up more of this when I’m in the mood for something winter-y, but not spicy.
Julia: I was happy to see this one back on the calendar because I remember it being good. This year, it did not disappoint. This is easily one of my favorite Christmas beers. It’s so light and easy to drink. There is no overabundance of Christmas spices which I really appreciate. It’s a little malty and I get hints of caramel and chocolate. If you are expecting a heavily spiced Christmas Ale, then this is not the beer for you. If you want an easy to drink holiday ale, then grab a six pack and you will not be disappointed. I hope this is on every calendar going forward because it is just a solid holiday ale
Adam: Sometimes I feel bad reviewing really good, traditional Christmas ales bc the description in my brain is always the same. This is well balanced, spicy, warming and boozy, cozy as heck, and all around delightful. I could hammer a lot of these and plan to the next few weeks. I get a fair amount ofcaramel, toffee, and chocolate. It’s not a cinnamon bomb or overly cloved which is important. A quality heckin’ beer.
Alex: Breckenridge’s Christmas Ale is another one of the classic Christmas Ales. I feel like we have had this in the calendar multiple times, and it still does not disappoint. It’s incredibly easy to drink, and tastes slightly malty and spicy. I would qualify it as a cozy beverage and will obviously keep it on hand during the holidays.
Scott: The Breckinridge Christmas Ale is, well, not my favorite. It’s a rather hollow or light tasting beer that’s not offensive, but I just get no great flavors out of this one. Strangely I like the aftertaste more than the actual beer itself and I can compliment it on its color…I’ll stop there this one just doesn’t it for me. Hope everyone else had a better experience.
Christa: Well we had two great days so we were due for a bit of a dud. This beer isn’t horrible, it’s just very boring. Nothing stands out. It’s flavor is simply that of a light ale, with no discernible Christmas spice. Finishes a little flat for me too. But, beautiful bottle!
Tony: [in a Dwight Schrute voice] Fact: This is a good Christmas Ale…..Its malty, has notes of caramel and chocolate, and good holiday spice. I dont know that its gonna stick out, especially this year where we have such a wide variety of new and unique holiday beers, but its very good in my opinion. Its super drinkable, good flavor, and well balanced. Its a good Christmas Ale. #bears-beets-battlestargalactica
Megan: This feels like a traditional Christmas ale. I’m getting cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel. It’s creamy but has a slight bitter finish as well. I think this is a solid Christmas ale and would try this again for sure.
Brad: I really enjoy Breckenridge Brewery and enjoy tasting their variety 12 packs every year. I’ve had this Christmas Winter Warmer before and it’s just fine. I never drink this and then feel the need to race out and get a 12 pack of it , but it does taste good. I get a somewhat dry and bitter aftertaste and not much in the holiday spice department. I smell it, I taste it a little, but it’s not super-duper holiday-y (that’s a word). I rate this 3.3 out of 5 stars.
Heather: I’m usually a Breck advocate, but this one feels a bit thin, particularly for a brew that hails itself as a full-bodied winter warmer. The bottle design is decidedly festive and promises a bit more of the traditional warm and fuzzies than it delivers. That said, I still like it. It’s decent. I just don’t looooove it. You know what I think it reminds me of? Like, beer #4 or #5 while day-drinking, when everything sort of starts tasting like beer-flavored water, except this is my first beer of the night. I give it an “eh, I’ll drink it.”