BISON Organic Gingerbread Ale

Greetings everyone. My fridge appears to be overflowing with pumpkin ales... and now "winter" ales. I've decided to leapfrog a few beers to get to tonight's review. On my to-do list is Cigar City Good Gourd, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, and Terrapin Pumpkinfest... but I thought this one was too cool to pass up. When it comes to holiday memories as a kid, there aren't many "things" that bypass gingerbread cookies. Well, tonight's beer takes gingerbread to a whole new level. Bison Brewing (out of Berkley, California - who also brew all organic beer) Gingerbread Ale is brewed with ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. While the gingerbread man from Shrek wasn't decapitated to make this, it's safe to assume that with the big three ingredients, something close to gingerbread will be found. 

This gingerbread ale is the holiday offering from Bison. Note that it is a porter, so if you're not used to drinking dark beers, proceed with caution. I personally have come to really enjoy the depth offered from porters and stouts. I believe I poured this a bit haphazardly because the head was pretty big. The nice part about that though, as you see in the photo, was that it really highlighted the cocoa brown color. Unfortunately, the thick head didn't come with a powerful scent. I found myself searching for the big three (ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon). Granted, cinnamon doesn't really have a smell, but I was hoping to get some nutmeg in there. Overall, I wasn't too overpowered with any scents, including gingerbread. In general though, there was some chocolate and a bit of nutmeg. In the drinkability department, I was surprised. For a porter, it's actually quite drinkable. It's smooth, decent in carbonation, and it's not too bitter on the back end. In fact, the hops kind of peek through towards the end, which is a nice touch. 

Ultimately, if you look past the sell of gingerbread, it's a pretty decent beer. On my random sliding scale, I'd give this a solid B (like an 86-88 for you teachers out there). I especially like the little write up: "Our Spiced holiday porter is brewed with ginger, nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon, yielding the aroma of fresh backed gingerbread men! The chewy dark malt flavors are sure to smooth out that dinner with the in-laws."

6.0% ABV
Main Ingredients: Organic Malt, Organic hops, water, yeast, and organic spices