Christmas Ale is an American Winter Warmer that’s brewed by Breckenridge Brewery, and for the purposes of this craft beer review, the ale was served in a snifter from a 12 oz. bottle.

Packaging art for the Christmas Ale by Breckenridge Brewery

What You Need to Know

This winter seasonal utilizes a pair of spicy hop varietals blended with a malty base that imparts bready and sweet flavors. So how was it? Let’s get to the review.

Appearance

The ale pours a very clear deep burgundy hue that shows brilliant ruby red highlights. It’s topped by a finger-thick cap of loose cream-colored froth that dissipates rapidly.

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Aroma

The aroma strongly wafts the nose with dark fruits, spices, bready malt, and a hint of booze.

Flavor

The palate is led by a taste of baked bread that transitions to a mild bite of peppery and floral hops. There’s a bit of citrus as well and the tasting mellows out with caramel and hint of dark chocolate.

Label art for the Christmas Ale by Breckenridge Brewery

Mouthfeel

The feel is smooth with a medium-full body and moderate carbonation. The finish is clean, relatively dry, and the alcohol lends a mild warmth.

Overall

The Christmas Ale has a nice color but could exhibit better head retention. The aroma is appropriate for the style and pleasant enough. The palate is nicely balanced with its hoppy spice and bready sweet malt. There’s a bit of a chew to the feel but it still goes down quite easily. And the light booze and spice lend an agreeable warmth. In fact, that pretty much sums up this brew. Agreeable.

Overall, the Christmas Ale ticks most of the boxes you’d expect of the style. This beer may not impress immediately but it is agreeable. It’s combo of hoppy spice, sweet malt, and light booze add up to an enjoyable brew for those cool winter nights.