I purchased an entire case on a whim. I went into my local distributor for a case of Yuengling and came out with this one too.  I’ve been drinking this for a few weeks now. It has taken me several weeks to get through that case. No help from the wife on this one. The Great Lakes Brewing Company, from Cleveland Ohio, makes this Winter Warmer as a seasonal offering. 7.50% ABV.

Appearance

A loping, aggressive pour into a pint glass provides a thick, well retained head. The color is sort of a nice, dirty white. Fluffy, it clings to the edges of the glass as it fades down to a ¼” where it stays for some time. Impressive. The beer itself is a cloudy light reddish cooper. Raw Sienna.

Smell

Toasty malts ride over top of slight hops and caramel. Spices ride shotgun. Typical winter spices here. Cinnamon and clove. Thickly sweet as well. Honey.

Taste

Complex. A little on the thin side but there is so much going on that I do like it. Caramel flavors dominate with very little hops to balance out the sweetness.

Mouthfeel

Feels full in the mouth for an instant yet doesn’t coat in a negative way. The sensation is slightly slimey. Certainly smoother than most heavily spiced beers.

Drinkability

The higher alcohol content is not a problem. It does go down easy. I’m down to less than a six-pack. I don’t think I’ve ever had more than one in a night. That should about say it all.

Bottomline

Learned a valuable lesson here. Never buy an entire case you know nothing about. Looking back, I can’t even remember what it was that prompted my impulse purchase. Oh well. It does taste all right I suppose – it just isn’t amazingly drinkable in a “one and done” kind of way. Not the worst thing I’ve had to drink tonight. Overall,

C+

First up to bat is the Abita 2008 Christmas Ale is an American Brown Ale from the Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, Louisiana. No ABV to report.

Poured into a pint glass, the beer pours out to a nice dark off-white head. The head fades quietly to a thin layer that stays for some time. The lacing spots the edges of the glass. The color is a bright copper with bubbles so small I missed them at first.  In fact, I couldn’t even see them unless I back light the glass with the laptop screen. More on that later.

The smell is fairly faint, but slightly biscuity. Not overly present and that does not do the beer any favors.

Mild yet pleasant enough, the beer has a very light toasty flavor that I appreciate. Its a very approachable but utterly forgettable taste. The Abita website claims the beer has a spicy character that I find difficult to discover.

Light and slightly chewy, the beer feels a thin but admittedly smooth as well. The tiny bubbles provide only mild texture, and the alcohol is almost non-existent.

Very easy to drink, it would make an decent enough session beer when visiting the Abita Brew Pub. I certainly wouldn’t plan on revisiting it.

bottomline -Not a start. Plenty of room for the night to improve. For a beer that markets itself as a Christmas Ale, the taste is so under spiced that I gladly grade it lower. The final grade…

C-