2017 Advent Beer 15: Crazy Mountain's 2017 Bridge Street Holiday Ale

Crazy Mountain Brewing Company of Denver Colorado brings us the calendar's prettiest label thus far; a rustic painting of a covered bridge in Vail, draped with snow and festooned with Christmas lights. Elsewhere on the label they describe the bottle's contents as an ale brewed with maple syrup and spices.

The spices are in evidence shortly after pouring: hints of clove and ginger waft up from the glass, which in itself is quite pleasant to look at, filled as it is with a deep amber.

Clove and ginger sort of break down the front door on this one, leaving very little space for the maple sweetness to assert itself. There is an almost floral quality to the beer; not unpleasant, but certainly unexpected.

All in all, a neat experiment, but not a strong contender compared to other winter ales that have arrived via this calendar.