From the Beer Writer: Since I first got into beer, I found myself gravitating toward Belgian-style ales. Their mix of floral and spice notes just hit my palate in all the right places. Some of my favorites early on were Belgian Christmas beers; high-alcohol, typically medium-to-dark-colored ales brewed with myriad spices akin to those used in yuletide baking. I became so enamored with them that, since they are only available during late-fall and early-winter, I would stockpile them for the rest of the year. Over the past decade-plus, I’ve tasted just about every Belgian holiday ale available in the States, leaving me pining (pun intended) for undiscovered Christmas goodies. So, when I caught wind of Kearny Mesa’s Kilowatt Brewing releasing a holiday offering paying tribute to the rich brewing traditions of…Ohioans…I had to check it out. Kilowatt Christmas Ale comes in at 9.45% alcohol-by-volume and derives much of its December appeal from usual suspects cinnamon and nutmeg, plus ginger and a heaping helping of honey. That last one is lesser seen in beers of this ilk and imparts an earthiness seldom found in wintertime brews. That taste sensation fits in nicely with the traditional dark fruit, baked sweet potato and brandy-like notes representative of Belgian Noëls.
From the Brewers: “Our Cleveland-style Christmas Ale is handcrafted in small batches with 20 pounds of honey, fresh ginger root, cinnamon bark and nutmeg. This high-gravity, amber-hued, Belgian-style ale is brewed with red wheat malt, toasted malt, caramel malt and a pinch of special roast and roasted barley. We call it ‘Cleveland-style,’ since almost all of Kilowatt’s owners are from Ohio and the Midwest, where Christmas ales are extremely popular and typically sell out. Every year in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio near the shores of the Great Lake’s Erie, there is an unwritten friendly competition among local craft brewers for the best-brewed Christmas ale in the land. Each and every year, the brewers bestow upon their tasty brews delightful holiday flavors such as you’ll find in this beer. We West Coasters of San Diego, California—the IPA capital of the planet—tip our hat to Clevelanders and recognize that locale as the Christmas Ale Center of the Universe. Cleveland Style is our tribute!”—Rachel Fischer, Co-owner & Brewer, Kilowatt Brewing Company