Breckenridge Christmas Ale
The chill of a Colorado high-country winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and strength. Here it is. At over 7% alcohol, with a sturdy texture and rich flavors of caramel and chocolate, our holiday seasonal is the fermented equivalent of a good fire.
The ultimate winter warmer.
Available: November-December
The ultimate winter warmer.
Available: November-December
3.1
620 reviews
Littleton, United States
Community reviews
Strong fruit flavors with a pleasant finish. Smooth. On the stronger side I guess on purpose to warm you up during the cold winter nights. Decent.
Bottle cloudy dark amber with a thick, creamy, off white head that lasts and laces well. Aromas of must, toasted malt, spice. Flavor is the same. Medium bodied, smooth with a drying, spice filled finish. Maybe this is an old or poorly stored bottle that I got but the musty nose and flavor are offputting to me.
Crisp and good!
12 oz. bottle. Pours clear brown, with a small, beige head. The aroma is brown sugar, juniper, cinnamon, rye, and cacao nibs. Malty and quite bitter. Medium body, with a grainy, hard palate. This is a simple, but quality and pretty tasty beer.
Poured clear copper amber body with thin lace top. Aroma has roasted malts with light coffee caramel notes. Taste is medium sweet to bitter with some hints of chocolate and coffee but not a lot for a winter ale. Palate is medium bodied sticky feel average carbonation and a slightly chalky bitter finish. Not impressed.
On tap at Northstar Tavern in a pint glass. Amber/copper color. Minimal head. Nose is malty with toffee/caramel notes. Taste follows suit with mostly bready, nutty characteristics. Mild bitterness towards the end. Drinkable and hides the alcohol well. Decent but nothing I'd look for again.
Pours a horehound brown with a well-retaining tan-taupe head. Slight nose. Toasted malt and spruce needles on the nose. Toasted malt, circus peanut, and spruce flavors.
Bitter taste upon first taste. Nothing stands out with it but it’s not horrible just a bit bland for an ale. Drinkable.
Best Christmas ale ever!
Bottle. I really like winter seasonals. Just something about sipping on one standing in the snow during the holidays. Aroma was spicy. Taste was well balanced and spice.
Had almost 3 months after expiration date....smell is very malty....taste is very strong malt too...complex malt flavors but seemingly only malt flavors...a little rough on the palate with how bold it is... slightly bitter finish... but I'm a little floating in the clouds so... X2 6/26/19 to 12/13/21...very cold and doesn't have much a smell yet...taste is smooth, malty, creamy, carmelly, with very light coffee at the end and solid mouthfeel changed ratings higher....had at wild wing cafe for lunch as pandemic still carries on amongst the unvaxxed and omicron varient of concern...~796K US deaths
Really like this one. Easy to drink & pleasant well-balanced winter spices
Not sure if it's the late night buzz, but I am finding this beer pretty solid. Was actually expecting less based on my other Breck samples. After looking at my ratings, thought it woulda been closer to lower to mid 3's, but 3.8 is about where this is at. Has the potential to be a bit more. Some of the characteristics like flavor and overall may be high 7's, but had to round up here...as this beer deserves it. Has some peachy/apricot flavors. Reminds me of a maltier, spicier Magic Hat #9. Decent hop finish too. Could use some more carbonation for the body and head, but would possibly give up some of the smoothness that way. Missed this one during the holiday season, but picked a single up half price on clearance. Worth the try, and will look for a fresh one next Xmas season.
Decent Christmas style sweet caramel beer. Some pine. Medium
Bodied. Not too bad.
12oz bottle pours a crystal clear, garnet amber with some white head. Nose is OK, a little raisin, malt, mild spice, mostly ginger and/or coriander. Flavor has a big pepper bite, ginger, malt, raisins, caramel. Finishes peppery.
12 ounce bottle at the house. Basic beer aromas, nothing out of this world. Deep amber in color. Light white head Little bit of film on glass. Taste really good and seems to be in the amber style of beers. No spices. Very easy to drink. Basic beer after taste. Medium bodied at best. Nice basic holiday beer which most people will really like. Cheers!
Bottle. Bronze beer with a dark cream head. Caramel and light spice aroma. Caramel and grapefruit flavor with spice. Medium bodied. Caramel and spice linger with light grapefruit and light pine.
Bottle. Clear amber. Breaded malt aroma. Toasted bread, clove flavor. Decent.
Dark amber with a two finger frothy head that leaves lacing . Malt and spice aroma. Medium body with some hop bitterness that is not balanced very well. Slightly sweet finish.
Pours a bronze color. Two finger beige head. Pretty good carbonation, looks pretty clear. Good retention, good lacing.
Aroma is big and malty. Spicy and earthy hops. Perhaps a little smoke, a little oaky.
Taste is bittersweet. Alcohol. A little hop bite.
Mouthfeel is full bodied. A little alcohol burn. Maltiness is not over done.
Overall it’s quite good. I was expecting more of a dessert ale. But it’s not. I would recommend it but I wouldn’t buy it again.
Good deep color and creamy head. Malt and spice and Not too hoppy. Well balanced.
C+. Pours a dark brown color with khaki head. Not well balanced, too bitter for me
12 oz. bottle. Pours amber with an off white head. Aroma of caramel, malt, nut, spices. Taste was light bittersweet, caramel malts, spice, molasses.
DATE: December 17, 2017... OCCASION: finished cooking for the Tuesday teachers' luncheon... GLASSWARE: Liberty craft house inverted pint... pours a caramel amber body that sports soft, small bubbles... the head, at three fingers thick, is creamy, thick, fully and fully painting the glass an off-white cloud... spruce, cinnamon, chocolate, thick dough malts, and mulled wine... first sip is dry, substantial, front-loaded, and lasting... definite flecks of flavor pinging the teeth, but the overall feeling is balanced between hops and malts... the flavor profile celebrates pine and dough malts, with a hearty earthiness of plum, lemon, tropical punch, and cake... a winter warmer that wraps its ABV in a presentable package... rich, filling, and appropriate for a winter's night, but doesn't deliver an experience worth repeating...
A delicious, approachable Christmas Ale. A winter warmer with rich caramel and chocolate flavors.
Nice Seasonal… Overall, good flavor and body without being heavy, or overly spiced, or cloyingly sweet. Not and easy feat. Aroma – slightly sweet, biscuit malt… hints of spice like nutmeg. Pours clear, light chestnut brown, fizzy head. Taste follows aroma, sweet biscuit, a bit of dark fruit, and a slightly dryer finish. Palate is perhaps most distinguishing feature – creamy, medium body, though lifor the style, and a bright fizziness on the tongue.
12 oz. bottle. 7.1% ABV per the label. Pours a thick, well retained, ivory head, with minimal lacing, over a clear dark copper (SRM 18) body......nose is toasted malts with toffee/caramel tones,, light dried fruits primarily apricot, minimal spice tones, balance to the malts......taste is mildly sweet with light caramel, mild cracker, mild fruit notes, with hints of citrus, finishing almost dry with mild bitterness, balance to the malts......mouth feel, medium light body, mild alcohol, low carbonation. This is a rather simple and light example of the stated style. The recipe needs major re-work. BJCP 6/2/11/4/5
First holiday offering of 2017 for me, medium to full taste, light hop middle taste, malt aftertaste. Not bad for Breckinridge/AB.
12oz bottle 9/22/17 (Courtesy of Friend)-42° in Tulip-Pours an amberish brown with a small ring for a head. Aroma of roasted malt, sweetness, and caramel. Taste of the same with nothing on the back end. this light to medium bodied brew is not bad but was expecting more.
January/2016 Not worth the calories
I had it a couple of times since both after drinking a few other beers. And found it pretty good actually. Bumped it up from a 2.5 to 3.0