Beer Profile: Hoppin Frog’s Christmas Ale

Profiled by Ken Carman

I have reviewed the barrel series of this ale, let’s see how the Christmas ale did, OK?

Nose in bottle cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg: a hint of brown malt.

Mouthfeel: spices with a medium side of light body. No a big beer in that sense. The spices coat the top of the palate.

Appearance: 17 srm A definite brown with pillow head and a few small rocks and off white. Slight tan hints. Clarity good.

To be honest I think the barrel series provides a depth the regular Xmas ale doesn’t have. It’s not that there’s anything wrong, it just doesn’t have the complexity that makes it a 4. If I could I’d go with 3.9. It’s that close. But I really feel it needs more complexity to stand on its own. What a shame.

83 on BA, on ratebeer.com: 88. The barrel rated higher.

A very pleasant quaff with spices balance well with light malt and hint of brown malt. Carbonation pinpoint, but light: slight carbonic. To be honest, again, if they had gone with a more complex: Cigar City Maduro-like recipe, this might even be a 5, in the barrel aged series. But the Brown Ale recipe is really good.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”