Goose Island Christmas Ale

Here is what the Brewer Says: 

Every year to celebrate the holiday season, we brew up our Christmas Ale, and with each year we change the recipe slightly so that you have something special to look forward to. Traditionally, our Christmas Ale is a complex brown ale that develops well in the bottle for up to five years.

Recipe Information: 

Style: Brown Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 5.7
International Bitterness Units: Change year to year
Color: Chocolate
Hops: Change year to year
Malt: Pale, Extra Special Briess, Dark

My Thoughts:  The color was a hint of orange/ dark brown with a bright white foamy head.  The smell right away was Vanilla and sweetness and I don't care for that at all when it comes on this strong.  That smell carried over into a vanilla/sweet malt/caramel tasting brew that I didn't get one ounce of "Christmas" flavor out of.  I also had a hint of toffee, but I didn't get any hops out of this brew because the vanilla literally took over my taste-buds which left them virtually unable to taste anything else.   I didn't care for this Christmas Ale at all.

Serving Type:  Draft

My Rating: Overall 35/100
Look:4  Smell:1.5  Taste:1.5  Feel:1.5  Drink:1.5