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Schlafly Beer – Christmas Ale

Brewery: Schlafly
Location  St. Louis, MO
Style Christmas/Spiced Beer
 ABV 8.0%
 IBUs 30

 

Best Quote During Tasting

You're a man-Wookiee.

Justin:

Aroma - Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and general baking spices. If it's in your kitchen when making Christmas cookies, you can smell it in here.
Score: 10/12
Appearance - Deep amber with an off-white head that floats thinly atop the beer.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - Spices smack you in the face.  The caramel, toffee sweetness from the malt helps balance out the strong spice and lends to the idea that this is an actual baked sweet. There are no hop notes to be found.
Score: 14/20
Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation, medium body and a dry finish.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - It's not my cup of tea but there's no denying that it's a well made beer for the style.  I couldn't get past the huge amount of spices in the beer but I think that's more of a personal preference than a critique of the beer itself.  I would recommend folks try this one, especially at a Christmas party, with all the cookies you can handle.
Score: 8/10

 

 Blake:

Aroma -  Smells like Christmas. Lots of baking spices like allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are all very prominent. A very sweet smelling beer. 
Score: 10/12
Appearance - Dark amber with a thin off-white head, and a slight bit of lacing. 
Score: 3/3
Flavor - Sweet caramel from the malt blends nicely with the gingerbread like qualities of this beer. Lots of sweet spices that are likely to mix well with many of the sweets you'll find served around Christmas.
Score: 16/20
Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation and medium body. 
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - I've found that a lot of big beer drinkers aren't huge into spiced ales like this one. I personally look forward to this release every year, it really does taste like Christmas in a bottle. It's also a beer that's very approachable for people who aren't huge beer drinkers. I'm thinking I'll grab a few of these when my wife and I decorate the house for Christmas this weekend.  Although, with this beer clocking in at 8.0% I think I'll wait to have them after I'm no longer on the roof hanging lights.
Score: 8/10
Christmas Ale Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.2
User Rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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