Holiday Beer Cheer 2007

Widmer Snowplow Milk Stout
Pulling in a close second was this dark and burly yet smooth stout from one of Oregon’s best-known breweries. It had a “friendly, creamy” appearance, a “crisp” finish, and tasters described it as “nutty,” “smoky,” and “caramel-y.” You’ll also find notes of coffee, chicory, and maple syrup. Like the Anchor, tasters gave it high points for “holiday” character, and one wrote, “Leaves you wanting more.”

Samuel Adams Winter Lager
This medium-bodied amber lager struck tasters as the most “drinkable” of the bunch. They gave thumbs-up to its smooth, malty flavor, which was “not too assertive” and only hinted at holiday spice. On the downside, others found it “fine but unremarkable,” offering “no challenge.”

Samuel Smith Winter
Welcome Ale
Compared to Sam Adams’s, Mr. Smith’s beer is a bit edgier—though this entry (from one of Britain’s most famous breweries) is still plenty soft and easy to drink. It’s an ale, so by nature it’s not as smooth in body as the Adams lager, but it still retains a mild-mannered aroma (“Smells like rain,” said one taster) and a flavor balanced between an initial bite (a tad bitter and citrusy up front) and a malty, if somewhat “thin,” finish.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Those who like IPAs and other überhopped ales, pay attention: This is your holiday beer. California brewer Sierra Nevada’s signature Pale Ale is already high on hops, and Celebration takes that pleasant bitterness a few steps further. Many of our tasters found it overwhelming, especially in a so-called holiday ale (“Why would I get out of the snow for this?”), but the right beer-lover will adore the fresh aroma and flavor (“Ahhh! Hops, pine”) of this longtime favorite.

Full Sail Wassail
Oregon brewer Full Sail’s been making this brown, lightly hopped, mildly roasty ale since 1988. It’s not a true wassail (a traditional spiced punch or ale), but instead is a more full-bodied and robust version of the company’s standard amber ale. It’s “bitter in a nice way” but also “rich and warming,” though some were “expecting a more full-bodied beer” and felt disappointed.

Affligem Noël
Belgians are a whole world unto themselves, so it was a little unfair to throw just a single Belgian holiday ale into the mix. Stacked up against the others, Affligem wasn’t universally adored, but tasters did like its “boozy,” “root beer”–like aroma and “buttery” taste that hinted at holiday spice (“nutmeg, dates”). At 9 percent alcohol it’s quite strong, but it also ages well … that is, if you can hold off drinking it right away.

Gordon Biersch Winter Bock
Given its “chocolatey” color and “soft, pillowy head,” this smooth, malty, German-style lager from California brewery Gordon Biersch was the polar opposite of the hop-heavy Sierra Celebration. The flavor was nutty and a bit sweet (“overbearing,” some felt), with an aftertaste “like a fruitcake” and almost “no bite” at all (except maybe from the alcohol, as it soars in at over 7 percent).

Alaskan Winter Ale
Opened in 1986, Alaskan Brewing Company was the state’s first brewery since Prohibition, and it initially released this malty ale in 2000. The Winter Ale’s brewed with spruce tips as well as hops, which gives it a flavor that’s “fruity sweet” (“Santa would drink this”) and a touch spicy (“hints of a wreath”). Fear not, though, as it doesn’t taste like pine trees: The spruce adds a subtle, spicy bite to a warm, caramely flavor.

Pyramid Snow Cap Ale
A dark, roasty ale from Washington brewery Pyramid, Snow Cap trailed in our survey. The tasters didn’t like its “brown, murky” appearance, “bitter” and unbalanced flavor, and “light and fleeting” body. Some were intrigued by an aroma of “fresh rubber shoes” (which was meant “in a good way”), while others just found there was “not enough kick.”