It’s getting to be the time of year when “Winter Ales” and “Seasonal Brews” become popular.  I’m not a big fan of the typical Microbrew Christmas Ale which has a tendency to reek of gingerbread cookies and cloves.  This beer, which I enjoyed on a recent brisk night in Shanghai, at the awesome Kaiba on Kanding Lu,  was an interesting beer which I quite enjoyed.  Very Belgian, Not Particularly Christmassy, Quite Tasty and Quite Potent.

Brouwerij Huyghe is reportedly one of the oldest continuing operating breweries in Belgium, and you will quickly pick out their Delerium line of Bieres from the distinctive Faux Ceramic white bottles and the trippy pink elephant which graces each bottle.

Upon pouring this beer, you will see a unique cloudy reddish brown ale.  The head rose up a solid 2 cm, brown & tannish, but quickly relaxed back into the brew, leaving nice lacing on the glass, and opening the bouquet up to the nose.  The initial nose is pretty sweet but hard to pin down —  is it raisins? Honey? Maple?  You will also see a fair amount of yeast, typical for a Belgian ale.

Taste is complex as one might expect, with interwoven fruit right up front.  I picked up cherry and maybe esters of an orange peel, but neither were overpowering.  Thankfully for me, Grandma’s cookie mix was way back in the mix and any spice or coriander was very very subdued.  You also get a softer caramel flavor, and all of this is held down and held together by a pretty nice and comfy warm roasted malt blanket.

It’s got reasonably stiff carbonation and I found it surprisingly easy to drink, given the 10% ABV.  I actually enjoyed it quite a bit more as it warmed up closer to room temperature and the flavors opened up.  My main disappointment with this beer was that the feel was slightly thin and it wasn’t as thick or creamy in the mouth as I would have expected.  The flavor is quite balanced and you would never suspect that it was a 10% ABV if you didn’t know.

This isn’t a beer that I would session on a regular basis, but I found it to be a high quality , complex and enjoyable beer that I would love to try again on a nice cool evening.

@JeffreyJDavis

Gritty McDuff’s Brewery in beautiful, independant, Porland, ME Christmas Ale pours a deep copper color. The pour is rich and hearty and the head was at first thick, but dissipated within 30 seconds.  The beer is brewed with 4 different kinds of hops: Cluster, Styrian Goldings,
Saaz, Yakima Goldings, none of which I found to be particularly strong. There is a deep, malty flavor that leans a rich espresso or dark chocolate finish. The hops come through near your throat and back teeth, but only after swallowing the beer and proceeding to blog for a minute or so.

One thing I have learned about seasonal beers, particularly with the winters or Christmases, is that the winter moniker is a marketing ploy to get more beer sold. Winter Ale is not really a genre (Harpoon and Great Lakes, please feel free to disagree… you have a case), it’s a tactic designed to get people to try beers they would not normally be interested in. For instance: Gritty McDuff’s Christmas Ale is an extra special bitter (ESB). Like spices? This is not the brew for you. Like coffee? Yes! This is your winter beer. The color is gorgeous, particularly when you examine the red under the fluorescent light. The malt flavor is toasty and the hops come later. This is a well crafted beer, but I was disappointed that they didn’t add a touch of holiday spice.

The sights and smells of Christmas: cinnamon and holly, nutmeg, pine and gingerbread. The brewmasters of Harpoon Brewery clearly love this time of year and want their customers to experience a taste of pure Christmas bacchanalia in every single sip of Harpoon Winter Warmer.  Harpoon, it is totally obvious that this is not your mainstream winter ale. It could have easily been called Harpoon Christmas-in-a-Bottle Ale.

Where many brewers kick up the hops to the extreme and give you a mere hint of spice, Harpoon seemingly believes that every sip should be an intense taste of the season. When you open the beer, you will immediately experience a powerful smell of cinnamon, pine and ginger. There is no mistaking this beer for another. Harpoon clearly feels that it is important to represent the winter ale category with a unique entry that will strike the imbiber with an unmistakable overall experience.  Herein (also) lies the problem with the beer. People love this beer or they do not. There is no in between.

I sternly warn those of you who do not like spices, could use a visit from three spirits or have hearts that are three sizes too small not to sample this extraordinarily delicious brew. This beer is way off balance. Spices prevail, and I like it for a winter change of pace.  I typically drink a 12 pack myself during the season.  The underlying flavor is quite delicious. It is smooth and medium bodied. I give this brew extremely high marks, but would rate it much lower if I did not appreciate the kind of ingenuity, creativity and flat out balls it took Harpoon to market this beer.  Thanks Harpoon. This beer is one of my 2 favorite winter seasonals.