Tucked away in the south Texas hill country between Houston and San Antonio, Spoetzl Brewery has been around since 1909. It survived prohibition. It survived the arrival of the mega-breweries after prohibition’s repeal. It even survived the great brewery consolidation of the 1970s. Spoetzl’s Flagship beer Shiner Bock has been brewed since 1913 and could be seen as a holdover of an earlier and mostly lost American beer style. I have never beer a great admirer of the Shiner beers. However, last year a friend sent me a bottle of Shiner Holiday Cheer. I loved it. He sent more this year. Here’s my notes:

Shiner Holiday Cheer
Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, Texas
Style: Dunkelweizen with peaches and roasted pecans
Serving Style: 12 oz. Bottle

Aroma: Peaches, peaches, and more peaches.

Appearance: Dark amber and clear. Creamy, off-white, persistent head.

Flavor: Malt balanced with brown sugar and caramel flavors. Hop bitterness and flavor are low. The real star of this beer is the fresh peach flavor. POW! Juicy, peach/apricot nectar. Nice background note of cinnamon, clove, and toast. Peach cobbler anyone?

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation. Very drinkable

Overall Impression: If you like peach cobbler this is the beer for you. The peach flavor shines but blends well with the malt and background spice notes. Light body and low alcohol make it an incredibly drinkable holiday brew. I could down a few of these.