DRAFT Magazine

We don’t know where breweries got the idea that winter beers had to be big, black, and abrasive, but we’re glad Moylan’s chose to ignore the memo. Open the bottle and you’ll catch a whiff of an aroma that’s unlike anything we’ve sniffed before, let alone out of a bottle that says “Christmas.” The taste is citrusy to be sure (that’s the orange zest talking), but with the addition of cinnamon, mace, coriander, curacao, and white pepper, it’s decidedly wintery, too. A background of cinnamon and pepper plays up the pithy orange peel notes, and the whole show takes place on an effervescently light (but still solid) stage. A bitter finish is a nice surprise, making Moylan’s contribution to the holiday bunch one of our top choices this season.