Christmas Ale by Breckenridge Brewery $8.49 per six-pack
The calendar may still say fall, but the thermometer emphatically disagrees, heralding the season that for beer lovers means winter warmers. And with the holidays just ahead, Breck’s Christmas Ale fills the bill nicely. This clear brown strong ale is yet another of Breck’s well-balanced brews, with plenty of caramel malt in the nose and on the palate, a wisp of clove and cinnamon and a hop finish that’s part bitter, part floral. An easydrinking beer, it hides its 7.4 percent alcohol by volume so well that you might be tempted to rush it. Bring a sixer or two to your next holiday party, and the host (and everyone else) will love you for it.
Breckenridge Brewery, 471 Kalamath St.;.
Marcus Chamberland; mchamberland@
