Keep the Breckenridge in the fridge
With immense joy, I ordered a new (to me, that is) winter ale the other night; however, I found myself somewhat disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good beer– it just doesn’t excite me. It’s a winter ale that tastes like a light brown ale.
The Breckenridge Christmas Ale poured a nice dark brownish color with a tiny head and gave off a pleasant malt nose with slight hints of cinnamon. The taste is clean and quite smooth– it’s agreeably malty with more subtle hints of sweet cinnamon and chocolate. What’s interesting is there wasn’t really a presence of a finish. The taste is so light and smooth that I wasn’t sure I was actually drinking a winter ale.
This beer’s taste is pleasant, but I was expecting something with more character. The Breckenridge is so light that you could drink it on a summer’s day, which is a good thing, but it’s labeled as a Christmas Ale, so I find myself dissatisfied. I would certainly indulge another Breckenridge (if someone offered me one at no cost); however, going forward, I’ll be seeking beers with more interesting personalities.
February 18th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
[…] Not long ago, I wrote about the Breckenridge Christmas Ale in a most unflattering manner. The beer’s showing was so poor that I had essentially written off the Breckenridge Brewery– in fact, I had seen their Vanilla Porter a number of times since tasting the Christmas Ale and ignored it. That all changed a few nights ago, in what could have been a moment of weakness; however, it turned out to be pure genius. Breckenridge’s Vanilla Porter is outstanding! […]