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Holly Jolly

Fat Head's Brewery
United States·Winter Warmer
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Holly Jolly is a festive spiced ale with ginger, honey and cinnamon over malt: a smooth amber ale of medium body, made for the fireside. Fat Head's set out to capture the flavors and aromas of Christmas Day, with HBC 637 hops and honey, wheat and CaraMunich malts under 7.5% ABV and 28 IBU. It is an October-to-December seasonal.

ABV
7.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter28 IBU
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
amber12
PaceTwo or Three
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
What makes this beer itself
MaltHop
spicyhoneymalty
spicy
honey
malty
caramel
clove
Aroma
The nose opens with prominent spice—ginger and cinnamon lead—followed by honeyed warmth and subtle caramel maltiness.
not found:hoppy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Holly Jolly

◎ Appearance

Holly Jolly presents a warm amber hue with excellent clarity and a fine, persistent head. The beer displays good carbonation with steady, delicate bubbles rising through the glass, and the foam clings to the rim with fine lacing throughout the drink.

warm amberclearfine head retention

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with prominent spice—ginger and cinnamon lead—followed by honeyed warmth and subtle caramel maltiness. A gentle herbal note from HBC 637 hops threads beneath, creating a balanced, festive bouquet that suggests holiday baking and comfort.

ginger, cinnamon spicehoney and caramelherbal hop backbone

◐ Taste

The palate is smooth and medium-bodied, with spice and honey at the forefront, complemented by the soft sweetness of CaraMunich malt. A delicate clove character emerges mid-palate, while low bitterness (28 IBU) keeps the beer approachable and rounded, allowing the malt sweetness to linger without cloying.

smooth spiced entrymalty sweetnesslow bitter balance

◑ Finish

The finish is medium in length, with spice and honey gradually retreating to reveal a subtle caramel aftertaste. The close remains warm and gentle, inviting another sip by the fireside.

warm, lingeringspice and honey fade
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
80
Finish
75
Serve at 8–11°C

Serve at 8–11°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Holly Jolly

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About Winter Warmer

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Winter Warmer?

Winter Warmer is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Winter Warmer

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same spicy, honey, smooth character as Holly Jolly will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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