Christmas is the season to be jolly. A couple of family gatherings here and parties there calls for a good, satisfying and warming drink in this chilly holiday. But worry not, for there are brewed goods that are made specifically for this occasion: Christmas beers. That said, a list of best Christmas beers currently available in the market is provided for your reference.
Contents
Great Lakes Brewing Co. Christmas Ale
The pride of Great Lakes Brewing Company by being awarded the 2017 Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute, Great Lakes’ Christmas Ale lives up to its name and fame. This ale is served in a 12 oz bottle and has clear, bright orange to copper coloration with off white foam on the top. When you take a sniff, you’ll notice the strong aromas of sweet caramel, toffee, honey with a hint of spices. It tastes of caramel and toffee at the start, with a little drizzle of chocolate to add in the heavy syrup texture, then following are the spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and gingerbread, and finishes of with a sweet aftertaste. The flavor and aroma are attributed to the ingredients used in brewing this ale, such as Crystal 45, Roasted Barley, Harrington 2-row for malt; Mt. Hood and Cascade for hops, and honey, ginger and cinnamon for spices. Great Lakes Christmas Ale has 7.5% alcohol by volume, a perfect pair for roasted chicken and spiced desserts for the Yuletide season, and can be considered as one of the best Christmas beers there is.
Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale
A seasonal product from Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, the Winter Welcome Ale is a result of fermentation in stone Yorkshire squares, a unique fermenting vessel originated from North England. Winter Welcome has a deep gold coloration with a light haze and a large, light khaki foam head situated at the top. It gives off hints of moderate caramel and floral aroma, but no hint of spices.
The ale also suggests a little taste of caramel and toffee and bright hops when drank, and feels watery and moderately carbonated in the mouth, with a little sweet aftertaste. Winter Welcome has 6 % alcohol by volume which makes smooth booze for the cold season.
Avery Old Jubilation
This Avery Brewing Company’s winter strong ale has a high alcohol content, which is 8.3% alcohol by volume. Old Jubilation, or Old Jube for short, has a deep brown, hazy raisin coloration with cream-colored foam at the top. Old Jube also has a rich, complex aroma of sweet malts, caramelized brown sugar, raisins, and other dark fruits. This ale’s taste follows up the scent, which gives off a juggle of flavors such as caramel, raisins, figs, and other incorporated malts, with a touch of alcohol. Old Jube is thick and heavy in the mouth, along with the pretty high alcohol content makes it a good and sweet winter warmer.
Harpoon Winter Warmer
A product of Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall in Massachusetts, Harpoon Winter Warmer is up in our list. Harpoon’s Winter ale has dark copper coloration with a thick white head when poured in a glass, and has moderate retention and lacing. This booze gives off cinnamon-like and malty aroma with hints of nutmeg. Upon tasting, the sweetness of the malt and the relish of spices such as cinnamon will be balanced by the bitter hops with a spiced aftertaste of cinnamon and nutmeg for the finish. It has an overall medium-bodied mouthfeel and has 5.9% alcohol content.
Tröegs Brewing Mad Elf Ale
Brewed with Chocolate, Munich, and Pilsner malts, with Hallertau and Saaz hops, and fermented with Spicy Belgian yeast, this Mad Elf ale is not for the light drinkers because it has a whopping alcohol content of 11%. This product of Tröegs Brewing has a far share of fame, being hailed as the Best of Mid-Atlantic Belgian-Style Ale in 2018-2019, being featured in the Playboy Magazine and being rated as no. 1 in Joe Sixpacks Christmas Beers Book. Mad Elf pours a dark, cherry brew with clean clarity and a tiny alabaster-white top. It has a clean and genuine whiff and suggests a smell of cherries and toast. One will savor its smooth taste of bitter cherries that is balanced by the sweetness of honey with a strong finish.
Anchor Christmas Ale
An annual product of Anchor Brewing Company, Anchor’s Christmas Ale is an upgrade of its predecessor with the same name. This ale has a murky brown color with a thin, tan foam at the top and will eventually fizz out. Its aroma is mostly composed of Gingerbread and earthy hops with a stench of malt. The ale touches down with citrus flavors with a note of dry, roasted grain base. It also has a medium to light body, with a little carbonated fizz. Anchor’s very own Christmas ale has 6.9% alcohol content, fairly good winter warmer.
Bush De Noël Premium
Dubuisson Brewery’s very own Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Bush de Noël Premium has 12% alcohol by volume, enough to knock someone out in a couple of bottles. So much for that strong and dark ale. Its high alcohol content is attributed to in-bottle re-fermentation, which boosts its taste and palette. Bush Premium has a red to copper-amber coloration and a thick, foamy head. The aroma suggests cherries, oaks, and malts with candied fruits. Its flavor gives tastes of caramel, apple puree, malts, and prunes. It has medium to full body, light carbonation, and also exhibits dry aftertaste with a slight bitterness.
Bell’s Brewery Christmas Ale
Described as a traditional Scotch ale, Bell’s Christmas ale has a dark, cherry reddish-brown coloration with a fast-dissolving crown of white foam. This booze has a light and sweet aroma of malt and crunch berries. The ale’s taste follows through its scent, it starts of richly sweet, malty with a hint of molasses, a thread of spiciness, and a slightly bitter dark brown toast aftertaste for the finish. Bell’s Christmas ale has an alcohol content of 7.5% and is an overall pleasant and flavorful beer for the cold holidays.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Celebration Ale
The last on our list is the Celebration ale, from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, situated in California. Brewed with Two-row Pale and Caramelized malts, together with Cascade and Centennial hops and fermented using Ale yeast, everyone can expect that this particular ale will give you a pleasant carnival of flavors. Celebration ale has a rich and deep amber coloration with a little fizz, along with its ivory foam at the top. Its aroma will remind you of pine trees and sweet caramel. Its taste leans on the bitter due to the strong hops added but is balanced by the sweet malt and caramel. The Celebration ale has 6.8% alcohol by volume and is a decent company this winter season.
Summary
Being with your family and friends is the highlight of Christmas, so go on and share some warmth with these Christmas beers to brighten up this Yuletide season.