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.

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