beer_name: Great Lakes Christmas Ale
text: Serving temp: 50F Serving glassware: Pint Glass Aroma: A bready, but not neccessarily yeasty smell blends notes of gingerbread, a sharp sweetness & a slight graininess. A bit of dark fruity esters in there as well. Appearance: A dark gold color, similar to that of buckwheat honey. Good clarity, excellent off white head retention. Lacing just as expected, excellent. Taste: A big sweetness with malt overtones but also influenced by the honey used in this brew. Next to flex are the Christmas spices, most notably ginger & cinnamon. A bit on the heavy side with the spices, IMO but that is why this beer is brewed once a year, I suppose. Fades into a somewhat dry spicy finish, balanced very well with a good amount of bitterness. Mouthfeel: A little light bodied for this brew, IMO, but still medium bodied. Moderate, crisp carbonation. Drinkability: I'm still not a huge fan of spiced beers, and this one doesn't convert me. However, for what it is, I appreaciate it a great deal. This will be my last until next Christmas.