Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
SanTan Brewing has a canned Winter Warmer that has been released From The Vault! The beer “has been conditioned for a minumum of 8 weeks. The very first specialty beer ever brewed at SanTan. Arizona orange blossom honey is added before it is spiced with fresh ginger.”
To Øl is the next in the spotlight of holiday ales with their Shameless Santa. This Belgian Strong ale is brewed at De Proefbrouwerij and will surely get shamefull glances from whoever takes the last sip.
We peer over the precipice of the canyon to find wax dipped bottles of snowy white from the Grand Canyon Brewing Company as the Beer Search Party Advent Calendar of Holiday Ales, re-starts with Winter Bourbon Barrel which they describe as, “Our seasonal brown ale brings the warmth back to the winter. Brewed with maple syrup, and aged on bourbon oak. Note: This bottle also contains our flavor bomb. This revolutionary product changes everything you know about beer! The flavor bomb is packed with bourbon barrel oak sticks, then placed in the bomber to condition with the beer.”
Up from the Cellar for December will be focusing on multiple vintages of the Anchor Christmas beer. We have arrived at the present day like some Dickensian character.
(You can check out last years review HERE)
2014 The new vintage is fairly plain compared with the past. No big spruce or pine notes to it. Not much hops either. It is a simple beer. More liquid bread and in line with a British winter warmer than anything else. It is pretty thick to me. There is almost a fruitcake without the fruit thing going on here. A bit of toffee notes for me as well. Decent. It won’t stop me from buying the 2015 version. But I wish it was more spicy with spruce. It is simply missing something.
That is one hop crazed fish on the label from Midnight Sun. Or maybe crazed from the juniper berries? “CoHoHo begins with generous measures of pale two-row and specialty malts along with spirit-boosters like brown sugar and honey. Hefty doses of Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe hops beautifully balance that outrageous malt bill while juniper berries heighten the festive character of this exuberant beer.”
At first, I did not know what Yard Sale had to do with Christmas but then I read that it refers to a ski slope spill that sends gloves, skis and such down the hill to form a pile, like a yard sale.
Clever and a cool can for a Winter lager that Uinta Brewery describes as having “Honey and caramel undercurrents. Vanilla accents. Malty with light and hoppy notes. Finishes dry. Yard Sale pairs well with earthy mushroom bisque, grilled lamb or pork, and even mussels and clams.”
Nuclear Winter might be a skosh depressing especially with the gas masks on the can but at least the plumage on the Finch’s beer is colorful for this “Belgian Dark Strong Ale with Extra Special Malt and Caravienne malts and Dark Candi sugar for increased color and alcohol content. Small amounts of East Kent Goldings are added but are not the prominent feature of this beer. The Belgian yeast dominates the beer’s flavor and aroma profile. It will surely warm you up in the cold winter months.”
The middle picture on this British Winter Warmer changes each year but I like the Willie Shakespeare version the best. The weird pursed lips speak to me for some weird reason. Samuel Smith describes their seasonal as “a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-
Taking the tack of the Winter IPA is Boulder Brewing with their Slope Style WIPA. “A full-bodied red ale with a big piney hop kicker at the finish, whatever your altitude you can drink-in Colorado. Red in color with a perfect blend of five quality malts and a blast of Horizon hops, Slope Style is a hearty, cold-weather IPA that’s off the rails!”
Though winter in the City of Angels is pretty mild. Mild enough to lounge on the beach on Christmas Day if you wanted. You can still enjoy a darker beer such as the Vanilla Porter from Angel City.
“A full-bodied porter with subtle vanilla flavors and aromas, with a subtle roasted, dark chocolate finish.”