The Best 2024 Winter Beers and Holiday Ales Ranked & Reviewed
We tried all of the winter seasonal and holiday ales so you don’t have to.
One of the best parts about the slower colder months of the year is discovering new winter and holiday seasonals, and going back to limited-time classics. However winter seasonals, holiday ales, winter warmers, or whatever you want to call them, are not any specific style of beer and can run the gamut of colors, flavors, and special ingredients. This makes ranking, reviewing, and comparing winter beers a very difficult task, but we are up for the challenge.
The New School invited fellow beer journalists Jeff Alworth (Beervana blog), Warren Wills (Craft Beer Scribe, and Neil Ferguson (Willamette Week, New School Beer) to join us for a tasting panel of winter seasonals. Gathering up 24 of the latest winter/holiday releases available in distribution in packaged format of cans or bottles, we split them up into the three most popular sub-categories of winter warmer ; malt forward, winter IPA, and spiced/flavored. All four judges tasted through each category together, wrote their own individual tasting notes and rankings, and then discussed and debated until agreeing on bronze, silver, and gold medal winners in each of three categories. These are our conclusions:
Malt Forward
Deschutes Brewery: Jubelale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: There is a light molasses and weak coffee and caramel aroma undercut by a whiff of menthol. The chewy yet still light body expresses toasted bread and toffee and delicious raisins and dates esters, with a light ashy coffee finish and herbal and earthy hops for balance but an underlying papery note diminishes any purely malt derived pleasures.
Jeff Alworth: The aroma is inviting, with nuts, berries, and a hint of roast. Unfortunately, the roast flavor is sharp and a bit thin, and doesn't harmonize with the sweeter elements of the beer. I feel like it would come into focus with a little age.
Neil Ferguson: Classic hop bitterness packs a punch and works well with the heavy dose of caramel malt to lean into that festive toffee flavor. This beer is a little sweet and you don’t get much of that fabled “spice” for this year’s edition, but still highly drinkable. Overall, not bowled over but gotta respect this old-school classic.
Warren Wills: boozy, but dry with some oxidation. Balanced & hop character. Minimal spice.
Oak Union Brewing: Alpine Terror
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Soft, creamy and very clean with a dark and light coffee and creamer flavors that don’t come off sweetly. Separating it from other dark lagers is a sharp fermentation that de-emphasizes phenols and keeps the focus on a super easy drinking dark lager with just enough dry bakers cocoa notes. Out of all the beers this is one I would drink year-round but doesn’t quite conjure up holiday/winter vibes I am looking for.
Jeff Alworth: A mild, malty aroma belies the character within this session-strength lager. It's got the full, creamy body of a good Czech lager, with a subtle roastiness and a sweetness at midpalate. It might be underpowered for a winter ale, but give me two pints and ten minutes and I'd get to the warmth.
Neil Ferguson: Notes of dark chocolate and subtle coffee right up front. Sharp little bite to this one that makes it a bit of a departure from a schwarzbier and would be better smoothed out. Mildly fruity finish. Not exactly a crusher but fun to enjoy a winter season lager.
Warren Wills: malt on the nose & tongue. Light dark fruit character, drinkable. Rich & creamy yet finishing dry.
Hopworks Brewery: Abominable Ale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Pours a muddy orange and tan color with a big floral and piney hop nose. Abominable is always a cross between an IPA and a malt bomb, and this one brings that familiar flavor of candied nuts and peanut brittle flavors, before the classic old school hop flavors of burnt grapefruit and piney forest come into play.
Jeff Alworth: An invitingly sugary nose with hard candy, toffee, and a hint of grapefruit. The sweet promise is fulfilled with a sip, balanced by a familiar, comforting C-hops citrus. It's a taste of the past, but an accomplished beer.
Neil Ferguson: Quintessential PNW interpretation of a winter ale. Really fruit-forward on the nose with a strong hop punch.Grapefruit up front that almost entices you into thinking it’s a West Coast IPA meets classic Northwest IPA. This beer is always pretty bitter and this year is no different, with the malt toned down and even a little tuned out. When it comes to grocery store-friendly beers, this is one of your best options.
Warren Wills: caramel malt. juicy, grapefruit, and bitter. Sturdy flavor, light body. Old School.
Crux Fermentation Project: Snow Cave Winter Ale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Not sure what to make of this combination of flavors. Has a big of chocolate milk aroma, but a toasted seeded bread flavor with a bit of burnt sugar and a husky scratchy burnt barley finish with very low bitterness but a nicely light but soft and pillowy body and a juicy citrus center. It’s ok but is loyal to no master.
Jeff Alworth: Another beer that recalls Northwest winter warmers of yore, with dark malts and a bit of piney hopping. That hopping suggests spice more than pine on the palate, but unfortunately, the beer is thin and seems to lack alcohol warmth.
Neil Ferguson: Crux’s signature weird sweetness is in full swing with this beer that’s also a bit of a dud. Everything in this beer is toned down to the point of blandness and generic bitter, malt, and sweet. Topping it all off is a hot, mildly buttery finish.
Warren Wills: caramel malt, limp flavor, oxidation, unbalanced - more bitter, with a simple caramel character.
Kings and Daughters Brewing: Wintering Stout
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: A “cozy stout” has the makings of an old school American Stout but with the surprise addition of a heaping of cold and nutty coffee. There is a buried toasted cocoa nib and vanilla syrup that hides in the depths giving impressions of a milky mouthfeel, giving this a morning iced mocha flavor that only serves as a background note to the bold roastiness, and deft use of hoppiness as balance. Really great if you love morning cold brews with a bolder stout presence.
Jeff Alworth: I am of two minds with this beer--it's a great coffee stout, but not what I think of as a winter ale. The coffee is soft and acid-free (cold extraction?) but very strong. The can lists lactose, but that's misleading--it adds just a bit of fullness and sweetness to tie the beer together.
Neil Ferguson: This hearty stout is a coffee bomb that’s almost overwhelming, but if you love coffee, this beer is up your alley. There's a slight creaminess of lactose that tones down the coffee bitterness, but don’t be mistaken, this might be one of the most coffee-forward beers you’ll stumble across. If you aren’t a huge coffee beer fan, avoid this. If you like your beer with a healthy dose of java, then absolutely seek this out.
Warren Wills: coffee forward, tad of lactose to soften the edges, malt is a bit hidden, bitterness is pronounced. Balance is a struggle.
🥉Bronze Medal for Malt Forward Winter Ale
Ninkasi Brewing: Sleigh'r
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Great example of a spicy but not spiced winter warmer where the rich depth of malts and yeast bring out flavors of raisins and dates, green peppercorn, lightly woody and musty, and a sprinkle of candied nuts, followed by an even deeper port wine and coffee dusted boozy milk balls.
Jeff Alworth: My first impression is emotional more than analytical--it's classic Northwest winter ale, all malts, alcohol, and the impression of warmth. The malts have a quality of soft, worked leather.
Neil Ferguson: Once you forgive them for swapping the Slayer font heavy metal label for something far more boring though a touch more classy, you get a classic full-bodied winter ale that hits you with an avalanche of sweet-leaning malt. Not much bitterness for this one and almost too much syrupy sweetness to make you want to sip more than one, with not a lot of balance in any direction. Some people seek these characteristics out in a winter warmer, and perhaps my palate is now more adapted to modern styles. Unless a true winter warmer is your thing, this one might not be a favorite.
Warren Wills: red profile, hoppy, but relatively mild. Slight dark fruit. Warming, good balance.
🥈Silver Medal for Malt Forward Winter Ale
Little Beast Brewing: Winter Warmer
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: I had no idea what to expect from this description less can, especially considering Little Beast already has a fairly longstanding official winter seasonal called Folkvangr. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results here. Although un-spiced as far as I know this has the esters of red fruit and dark berries, dipped in clove spiced milk chocolate, with a wet woody alcohol warmth that begs to be sipped by a fire on a cold winter night.
Jeff Alworth: This one is all candied orange in the nose--a Belgiany scent recalling that country's famous bieres de Noel. It's got brown bread and gingerbread on the palate along with the orange. It's 9.2% and tastes even stronger, yet has a quality of moreishness.
Neil Ferguson: Big and boozy notes of candied orange on the nose, but this strong ale is deceptively light in body. There’s a playful, sweetness that feels part Belgian, part British barleywine, that counteracts a slight hop kick. The lingering touch of alcohol is truly warming to make for a proper and perhaps dangerously drinkable fireplace sipper.
Warren Wills: booze on the nose, super drinkable, but minimal depth. Citrus fruit, Belgianesque.
🥇Gold Medal for Malt Forward Winter Ale
Fremont Brewing: Winter Ale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: This one is becoming a new annual favorite after first trying it a couple years ago. It pours dark and hazy brown, and is both creamy and spicy with a dry roasted barley balancing notes of spruce, pine, mint, and burnt cocoa. Under all of the rich malts and prickly hop flavors, is a strong alcohol warmth and a bittersweet berry essence that makes this a delight to drink. This “Imperial Ale” defies description but the closest I can come is an American dark strong ale.
Jeff Alworth: What a tremendous nose! It's all malt, but a layered, immersive experience. My first impression was a doppelbock, with that style's plummy, chocolatey malts. There's alcohol, too, which seem to warm up those malts. The palate is much the same, with lots of chocolate and hints of pumpernickel and port wine. It's a refined, elegant beer.
Neil Ferguson: Spice and pine right on the nose and a gorgeously rich dark color in the pour. This year isn’t as impressive as previous editions, but it’s nonetheless an exceptional beer and almost in its own category of winter ale. Very hoppy but somehow also the right amount of toffee, undertones of espresso, and a delightfully bitter long finish. One of the more unique winter ales you’ll find.
Warren Wills: sturdy warmth, big malt, hoppy. Roasty meets bitter. Almost well balanced.
Winter IPAs
Sierra Nevada Brewing: Celebration Fresh Hop IPA
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: In an era of helles blonde light IPAs that focus on tropical Southern Hemisphere grown hop flavors with light bitterness, a West Coast IPA like this one proves that chewy malts and bitter citrus and piney hops are still worth celebrating. Is it old school? A bit, but nothing about it tastes old or harsh, just bold and timeless.
Jeff Alworth: At the risk of excommunication, I regret to say that this beer has not aged well. It may spark warm feelings of nostalgia, but it's a very dated caramel-malt-and-freight-train-bitterness formulation. No one makes these beers anymore, and for good reason. (It is notable that Celebration remains a major touchstone beer, referenced by the other winter IPAs we tried.)
Neil Ferguson: The fresh hop classification on this beer is widely debated, but if you can get past the debate, then you are left with a beer that perfectly straddles the line between truly classic and still weirdly relevant. Caramel malt sings and works in harmony with the wallop of “fresh” piney C hops. This beer is proof that decades later, there is still a beer that is truly king of the holiday season and defies trends.
Warren Wills: malt & caramel forward, old school but relatively balanced. Richer and more caramel forward.
Hetty Alice: Wintertime IPA
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Honey sweet malts and ethereal fruity melon notes unexpected in a winter IPA is a fun change of pace here. Floral, cooking herbs, and spicy hops leave a mild bitterness and balanced flavor into a contemporary interpretation of the typically bigger entries into this seasonal sub-category.
Jeff Alworth: There's some question about whether this qualifies as a winter beer. It is a wonderfully modern IPA, with a juicy, citrusy nose. There is a hint of pine in the nose and it does come through more in the palate--making it a little bit Christmassy.
Neil Ferguson: This beer feels more like a modern West Coast IPA, but it also delivers a sturdy malt backbone that lends a sweetness that contrasts with modern styles. Not as crisp as years past, but still a very solid festive offering if you’re a clear IPA lover looking to humor the idea of a holiday ale.
Warren Wills: big piney nose and crisp, but softer and sweeter for an IPA. Most modern of the Winter Ales thus far.
Buoy Beer: Strong Gale IPA
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Takes me back to classic English-style IPAs that prized stodgy brown malts and earthy hops. Strong Gale has that quintessential whole grain cereal like chewy malt body, with a floral almost tangy cheese-like skunky hop flavor and a surprisingly strong booziness that reminds me of barleywine without going all in.
Jeff Alworth: The color of some winter warmers, this dark IPA is bitter. The malts are full and bready, but the hops are the show here. They have an almost botanical-like bitterness. It's an intentional beer, but a bit of an acquired taste.
Neil Ferguson: Hugely bitter up front with a cloying roastiness that hits you like a sneaker wave. This feels like a strong ale that was excessively hopped. Overall, it feels a bit lost at sea when it comes to deciding if it’s a truly an IPA or a strong winter ale. That being said, I’d wager to bet that a whiskey barrel-aged version of this would be delicious.
Warren Wills: big malt character for an "IPA." Presents an unusual vegetal character for a Winter Ale. Not my jam.
Baerlic Brewing: Yippee Ki-PA
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: West Coast IPAs are good. Really good ones like this lean on the northwest bounty of hops that give Yippee Ki-PA an orange rind zestiness with a prickly burn of pithy citrus and a pinch of pine. But this is just not getting me into that festive holiday spirit that I look for in a winter seasonal. I would order a million pints of Yippee Ki-PA and take it out to the most expensive restaurants, but I just don’t want to take it home and cozy up with it on a cold winter night. Its not you Yippee beer, its me.
Jeff Alworth: A very pale beer, the "holiday" element comes in the piney nose. The flavors are very much classic citrus, but Baerlic has coaxed quite a bit of juiciness out of them. There is, however, a bit of roughness in the bitterness.
Neil Ferguson: Color-wise, this beer is super pale and golden, and it would surely make you think it’s a lager or a West Coast IPA just in the pour. Taste-wise, it’s more of a classic piney and dank Northwest IPA. You could probably get away with serving this any time of year as it’s a solid straightforward IPA, but I guess it also works now.
Warren Wills: light SRM, but sturdy malt backbone. Very drinkable. Juicy pine fruit. Another unique departure.
Block 15 Brewing: Hoppy Holidays
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: If you could mow a Christmas tree like a lawn then this is what it would taste and smell like. I am not sure where the spruce ends and the piney hops begin, but I will give it a try: Soapy and soggy spruce buds misted with fresh mint and catty hops hide stone fruit esters like decorative cranberries in a Christmas wreath. Imagine smoking blunts in a roadside Christmas tree lot all night and then taking a hot shower with a sandalwood soap.
Jeff Alworth: The principle impression in the nose is alcohol; there's a bit of something indistinctly botanical as well (it's not particularly piney or sprucey). On the palate, however--whoa! The spruce is intense here. It's all spruce, like liquid tree. It's certainly Christmassy, but whether people like it will depend on how much they like spruce. Hard to rate.
Neil Ferguson: Spruce and citrus come together for a true Christmas tree vibe and if you want that feeling in a beer this is probably the best example you’ll find. Block’s hoppy beers generally have a very similar hop profile and this beer to me feels like an amped up Sticky Hands decorated with ornaments in the form of lively spruce that’s almost medicinal but also excellent.
Warren Wills: smells like your standard Winter IPA, but so much spruce flavor - almost to a fault. Sweeter, juicier, and richer. Nearly overly sweet. Boozy.
🥉Bronze Medal for Winter IPA
Double Mountain Brewery: Fa La La La La
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: I’ve always enjoyed Double Mountain’s riff on the classic Sierra Nevada formula, but this year is either one of the best or just hitting at the right time. There is plenty of crystal malt here with Pacific Northwest hops contributing their signature grapefruit and orange rind bitterness needed to cut through a denser toasted malt body with a green floral spiciness. When I think about “Winter IPA” the Double Mountain Fa La La La La is what comes to mind.
Jeff Alworth: Another classic that has that intentional presentation of a beer refined over the years. It is nevertheless old school--a big citrus/pine nose with a candy sweetness. The palate features more hard candy and toffee, and the Centennial hops are classic old-school citrus. This beer works where Celebration doesn't because it's so much more harmonious. It's definitely old-school, but lovely in its familiarity.
Neil Ferguson: Pungent and dank hop aroma on the nose with lots of citrus and fruit that follows through in the flavor. This beer follows in that same old-school vein as Celebration. So many years later, this beer is still bold AF and is further proof that Double Mountain may not be trendy, but they make damn good beer when they want to.
Warren Wills: dang, really surprised me. Nice candied fruit malt & hop character. Impressive.
🥈Silver Medal for Winter IPA
Fort George Brewery: Magnanimous IPA
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Fir tips are a signature scent of the holidays, but a little can go a long way and the Fort George brewers seem to know this. Sometimes fir tip beers can feel like getting lost in a forest, Magnanimous melds a ripe and tangy tangelo hop brightness that feels like emerging from the woods to find a sunny clearing.
Jeff Alworth: Another spring tips beer, but this one uses Grand Fir rather than spruce. Fort George uses a lot less, however, so the malts and hops are part of the profile. The fir tips add both sweetness and an earthy note.
Neil Ferguson: Compared to previous years, the fir tips are actually pretty toned down though still deliciously present, so what you’re left with is a very good West Coast IPA that carries the faintest dreamy taste of a forest. This beer is nicely crisp and aromatic.
Warren Wills: light SRM. Spruce & hops on the aroma. So much drier and earthy than most of it's peers. Tons of citrus.
🥇Gold Medal for Winter IPA
pFriem Family Brewers: Winter Ale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Winter IPAs are not for everyone, but pFriem’s Winter Ale cleverly avoids comparisons by ditching the trappings of that divisive three letter acronym and delivers a crowd-pleasing harmony of hop flavors sans the bitter baggage. The tap dance of flavors and aromas perform a fruity and grassy duet that goes something like this: daffodils, tangerine, wet herbs, candied pineapple, pine cones, sweet orange peel, and forest floor. While that may sound like a lot, the hops float above the malt base like a broadway musical.
Jeff Alworth: Sticky, resinous cannabis aroma. It's really intense and super dank. The flavor is quite a bit different, however. In flavor, it is less dank and has more pine and citrus, and everything has that modern, juicy quality. It's clean, and finishes lager-crisp.
Neil Ferguson: This beer is downright excellent as an example of a crisp and hoppy beer that’s warming and malty. Dank resinous hop finish that works harmoniously with the malt undertone. Unique and modern enough while also being able to satisfy someone looking for a traditional winter warmer. Further proof that pFriem strives for perfection in every style.
Warren Wills: lots of citrus on the nose and back of the palate. Pine and malt. Uniquely solid.
Spiced/Flavored
BinaryBeer.co: Arrakis
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: A dusty spice bin of aromas from the earthiness of ground nutmeg and cinnamon with a dusting of coffee grounds over a crystal malty copper body. There are things to enjoy here but ultimately its a bit desolate like the planet Arrakis itself.
Jeff Alworth: A lot of spice in the nose. The malts are a bit thin, unfortunately, which makes the spice pretty heavy, and the whole experience not quite as luxurious as you'd like.
Neil Ferguson: Smells like a Yankee candle up front and kind of tastes like it too. Big hits of cinnamon sticks and nutmeg and clove are nice but they tend to overwhelm the overall beer and dominate in a way that leaves bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste. Would be fun to try a taster of in a flight but not a full pint.
Warren Wills: great concept. Delicious spiced flavor. Easy drinking. Seems more like a Fall/Harvest ale than a Winter Ale.
Zoiglhaus Brewery: Nikolaus
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Dry nuts and lightly spiced caramel malts are pronounced here with more subtle phenolics like bubblegum and cloves. Leaves me a little cold with a tough of dry leaves and papery English-tea flavors and nothing to really hang your hat on and pull you in for more.
Jeff Alworth: In the winter warmer tradition, but with German quality to the spicy hopping. It's mostly malty, but not quite as full and rich as some.
Neil Ferguson: For the lager-centric brewery, this winter warmer is just sort of meh. It’s not offensive and is mostly balanced as an ale, but isn’t memorable. Easy drinking but can’t say I love it.
Warren Wills: very good. Straight forward. Not overly spicy, impressive.
Baerlic Brewing: Jim Parker’s Holiday Ale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Toasty, spicy and musty, with a hoppy bite and tangerine sweetness. Herbacous hops, interesting use of spices that leave you guessing. Bold and strong yet mysterious. This is what I think of as an old school Midwest winter ale, spiced and a bit burly and worn like a strong brown ale in both malts and bitterness.
Jeff Alworth: A fairly rough old-school IPA with lots of booze. The hops are appropriately piney, but they have a really rough bitterness.
Neil Ferguson: One of the most bitter and malty winter beers you’ll find that also has a strong hop character. Another beer that nicely encapsulates Oregon’s hoppy marriage of Northwest IPA and winter classics.
Warren Wills: bombastic, just like Jim. Big malt character, huge Hop presence. Arguably what a Winter IPA should be.
Gigantic Brewing: Krampus Chocolate Stout
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Chocolate is at both the front and center but the dry nuttiness of a bakers powder keeps pulling my taste buds away from the balanced hershey’s syrup flavors that are both promised and delivered. The cocoa butter wont disappoint anyone unless they are looking for the syrupy and artificial flavors that have become the trend in stouts these days, this one is far more balanced and drinkable and maybe its just my imagination finishes with a bit of pralines like pistachio note.
Jeff Alworth: Chocolate BOMB. An over-the-top interpretation of a chocolate stout, it borders on chocolate syrup. Fortunately, it's got a relatively thin body and a drier finish, so it is indulgent without being treacly. It's a fun beer.
Neil Ferguson: I love a classic traditional chocolate stout but this beer foregoes a lot of the rich dark maltiness in favor of an almost artificial mix of chocolate and vanilla. It also lacks that thicker body you might be seeking in a stout, resulting in a thinner beer that reminds me of chocolate milk.
Warren Wills: dry yet chocolately Stout. So different from anything else tonight.
Reuben's Brews: Festive Ale
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: I didn’t know what to expect from a beer simply called “Festive Ale” which sounds so close to the fall Oktoberfest “festbier.” But as soon as you get a whiff you know what to expect, as the flavors of orange and chocolate milk are so clearly expressed as to be unmistakable to the classic gold wrapping of the Terry’s Chocolate Orange candy otherwise known as the “whack and unwrap.” I quite enjoy these contrasting flavors of the creamy milky chocolate with both the candied sweet Orange but also a bit of the sharp and almost metallic twang of citrus to cut through.
Jeff Alworth: Smells exactly like orange chocolate. On the palate it's the same, though the orange is dominant and there's a bit of a metalic note. Although it doesn't use flavorings, it tastes a bit artificial to me.
Neil Ferguson: The flavor of the classic holiday candy Terry’s Chocolate Orange is nailed here almost flawlessly. If this was made into a darker, chocolatier stout, it would be even more incredible. Yet, the cacao flavor is fully expressed even though we sometimes associate chocolate with darker beer. The orange is dominant and there’s very little hop or even malt and this might be one of the truest expressions of mimicking a holiday treat in beer form. At the end of the day, this is just a surprisingly fun beer.
Warren Wills: Terry's Chocolate Orange.
🥉Bronze Medal for Spiced/Flavored Winter Ale
StormBreaker Brewing: 2025 Winter Coat
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: StormBreaker’s Winter Coat is completely different every year with hit-and-miss special ingredients and flavoring combos that don’t always fit my personal tasting palate. So I came to this year’s rendition with only curiosity and little expectation. On first sip I was greeted by a full chewy malty body, minerally dark berries, and leathery dried fruit flavors, followed by notes of fire wood and toasted by the flame cracked chestnut flavors that are difficult to find at first but unmistakable when you do. I was glad to find this winter coat fits!
Jeff Alworth: The can says the beer is made with blueberry and orange peel, but it is chocolate in the nose. It's creamy and luxurious on the palate, with a warming glow. A great beer.
Neil Ferguson: Adding blueberries to a winter ale is an odd choice and they are subtle here but this beer is actually quite decent if you’re looking for a dessert bevvie. Nice acidity and honey sweetness and overall a pleasantly balanced sipper.
Warren Wills: love the blueberry & peel additions (evident on the nose), but otherwise very drinkable as a medium abv.
🥈Silver Medal for Spiced/Flavored Winter Ale
Grains of Wrath: Hail Santa
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Grains of Wrath’s Santa likes to party, judging by the strong scents of hot holiday spiced nose candy singing my nostrils. The satanic horned Santa depicted on GOW’s Hail Santa label art must be the Scarface of the north pole, and his booger sugar of choice is not white lines of snow but enough powdered cinnamon and ginger to give you a bloody nose. But as any good devil worshipper knows, out of pain can come pleasure and lord help me but this unholy amount of spices including allspice and nutmeg served up with a dollop of honey is so good I cant feel my face.
Jeff Alworth: A pronounced pumpkin pie-spice nose, but they are more Christmassy on on the palate. It's a deft use of the spices, giving the beer the flavor of liquid gingerbread. Spicing is at a level that it would be easy to drink a pint.
Neil Ferguson: This is a total spice bomb with savory notes and that taste of fresh baked pie, not to mention that kick of fresh ginger (more of this in holiday ales!). It’s like a Julia Child recipe of spices that really hits you with an uppercut of flavor. Almost numbs the mouth and would be absolutely sensational with a slice of pie.
Warren Wills: less PSL, more cinnamon. Very drinkable, but maybe overly spicy.
🥇Gold Medal for Spiced/Flavored Winter Ale
pFriem Family Brewers: Belgian Christmas
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: pFriem Belgian Christmas Ale is like a Hallmark holiday movie you didn’t know you needed, complex and fulfilling yet light and breezy. Belgian yeast driven phenolics like bubblegum, cloves, and wood, with a sweet center of orange candied fruitcake with a swirl of honey malt and cocoa butter, all delivered with a light touch that doesn’t feel like a mouthful or linger past their welcome like a visiting relative.
Jeff Alworth: Belgian styles work so well as holiday beers. pFriem uses the whole toolkit a pretty big dose of spice, lots of yeast character, and big effervescence (it's a cork-and-cage). It's a fun, elegant beer.
Neil Ferguson: Lovely Belgian yeast strain smell and notes of oranges and cloves and Earl Grey tea. Don’t be mistaken - this beer is a super clean and nearly flawless take on the style that screams holiday festivity with coriander up front, and notes of baking spices all shining through. This is an ideal beer to pair with pie and to embrace your inner cheer.
Warren Wills: tastes like what I think of as being a Winter Ale.
All of these beers are currently available in the Oregon market at fine bottle shops and the breweries own tasting rooms. Seek them out and if you need help finding them don’t be afraid to ask!