I just tried Miller's new seasonal beer for the holidays, Fredrick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager, and in small doses, it's pretty good.

It smells more like pipe tobacco than High Life, but the taste isn't overwhelming. It definitely smacks of chocolate, but more like chocolate Coke than chocolate milk. I can imagine it being a nice beer to drink while sitting around a roaring fire, watching snow fall. You certainly wouldn't want to bring a six-pack tailgating -- I could see it packing a monster headache.

The beer starts sweet but finishes a little bitter, like a dark chocolate, but its smell will give you the impression that it's much lighter. As for the beer itself, it's certainly a lager, even if the dark brown color may fool you into thinking it's a stout.

So don't be afraid. Pick up a four-pack. Drink it slowly and get excited for the first snow. Then make sure to pass the other three around. Like the brew, itself, this one is best in small batches.

2 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Recent blogs/briefs by Andy Tarnoff

Final reflections on NYE '08 Friday Spending the evening at home gave me a sober moment to see how the rest of the world was ...

Style faux pas to avoid for 2009 Dec. 31, 2008 This morning while out and about, I saw enough fashion violations that I instantly found ...

What 12-year-old homebrew tastes like Dec. 29, 2008 While cleaning out my basement this morning - a task that I've avoided for way, way too ...

Recharging the batteries between Christmas and New Year's Dec. 28, 2008 I'm really glad that for the last few years, we've been able to give our staff this week ...