Goose Island Christmas Ale 2012

The Goose Island Brewery is in Chicago, Illinois. This brown ale is 7.3% ABV. The bottle says this can age up to five years.  The 2011 Christmas Ale was much better with some age, let's see how this one is. Bottled on September 17, 2012 and trying it on May 17, 2014. 

The beer pours fairly cloudy, a bit hard to tell because it is so dark, dark brown, dark orange, burnt umber. There is about an inch of thick and foamy light brown head. The aroma is spiced, herbal, malty, but with a tart note. The taste is very spiced and herbal, very yeasty with tart, earthy, leather and wool blanket, along with some sweet, dark caramel malt underneath. The finish is quite dry and astringently woody. It is medium bodied with a fine bottle conditioned type carbonation. They do change up the recipe some each year, but this is drinking now as a totally different beer than the 2011.