Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Review Date 7/20/2008   Last Updated  7/25/2020     By John Staradumsky

Every beer lover knows how special a time the holiday season really is. Partly that’s because most of us adore the holiday traditions, the colorful lights, and the festive music. But mostly we enjoy it because a lot of really great beer hits store shelves during the holidays, too. Just about every brewpub and microbrewery has a special seasonal brew of some sort or another, after all.

Colorado’s Breckenridge Brewery is no exception. Their offering, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, is a rich and warming holiday treat styled by the brewery as an “American Style Strong Ale”. In fact, this is a stretch on the English Old Ale or Winter Warmer style. No matter how you pour it, this is a strong and warming beer at 7.5% alcohol by volume, half again as strong as most. And that helps make it a perfect choice for a cold December night (or, if you’re sipping it in July, a cold air-conditioned night).

This beer has beaucoup dark malt flavor, derived from the Caramel, black, and chocolate malts that supplement the standard two-row pale. Chinook and Mt. Hood hops add bitterness, but not too much: Breckenridge Christmas Ale has a surprisingly moderate 22 international bitterness units. I have a habit of stashing away a few Christmas beers in the DBR (Dedicated Beer Refrigerator) until July, and as you probably have guessed by now, I held onto some Breckenridge Christmas Ale this year.

I happened to take some notes on the beer in December:

Breckenridge Christmas Ale pours to a dark ruby red color with a light creamy head formation and a candyish malt nose. This isn’t a spiced ale, as you’ll pick up right away upon sipping, but it is a warming one well suited to a cold winter’s night.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale is definitely heavy on the malt, with notes of chewy caramel and hints of chocolate. Grassy hops balance out the finish with a touch of aroma and spice, and a subtle alcohol burn (this one weighs in around 7.4% alcohol by volume).

They call this a winter warmer, and I can see that. In some ways, it reminds me of a souped-up Winterhook. However you classify it, it’s worth trying, and a refreshing malty departure from the steady parade of spiced beers that show up every Christmas.

Sipping a glass of the beer in July, the nose seems to have more of a malty dark fruit aroma. This is a full bodied beer, with a thick luxurious texture that bathes the tongue with dark malt flavors. A bit of chocolate, a hint of caramel, toasted nuts, raisin, and spice cake are all present. Some herbal, slightly minty hops make themselves known underneath and add a slightly bitter buzz in the finish, but they’re a little less prominent than when the beer was young. I think the dark malt flavors, especially the nuttiness, really become apparent in the finish, too, and there’s a definite alcohol warmth, as well.

I think I like this one even better after eight months in the DBR. Breckenridge Christmas Ale is a decidedly welcome beer for your Christmas enjoyment-whether you’re celebrating it in July or December.

Update 12/30/2014: Here we are again, another holiday and another holiday favorite, this time while watching football on a late Sunday evening.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale pours to a dark mahogany color with a minimal creamy head formation and a delicious dark nutty malt nose. Taking a sip I get wonderful, cookie-like, toasty nutty maltiness and light chocolate with a hint of candied fruit, raisin and a dry gentle hop bitterness in the finish. About average in price at $9.99 for six, and very, very delicious.

Update 7/25/2020: It's here! Christmas Day in July!!! This delightful winter warmer (2019 bottling) is a malt bomb, chocolate chip cookies, toasted nuts, flinty notes, stewed malts, and a crisp balancing hop finish. It just wouldn't be Christmas (in December or July) without Breckenridge Christmas Ale.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

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