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Double Mountain is one of my favorite spots in glorious Hood River and I do love their winter offering….
FA LA LA LA LA
“T’is the season for a big, malty hop bomb! We load up our holiday brew up with enough Centennials to fill Santa’s toy bag. A big malt bill provides a rich counterpoint to all those hops.”
Now this sounds like your typical Holiday ale.
“Spiced for the holidays with honey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and Santa’s secret recipe.”
This Thirsty Dog offering would go well with pumpkin pie.
A great way to start the Holiday Beer reviews is with a hoppy bomb from Full Sail Brewing, here is Wreck the Halls
I had my first sip of Sun King beer this year and now I want more!
Their winter offering comes with an ominous name and the word “imperial”. I recommend this beer because it is from a small place working in the shadow of 3 Floyds and because it is an ESB which is an undermade style the rest of the year. Let alone at Christmas.
Plus I love that these guys do the can beer thing too.
After finally having my first Great Lakes beer at the Beer Bloggers Conference, I am looking forward to maybe finding this under my tree!
Another really cool label with great graphics. And if Edmund Fitzgerald is any indication this spiced ale should be really good.
What a great name for a Holiday beer! And it fits the Grand Teton image perfectly. I know that LA gets the big special bottles from these guys so I will be looking for it. In the meantime, check out the brewery description…
“The one exception to the rule is the holiday season, roughly Thanksgiving through Christmas. Between the holiday work parties, Thanksgiving dinners, and abundance of thoughtful friends who buy beer for gifts instead of electric socks, the holidays mean one little whirlwind of activity for brewers. In order to celebrate the holiday season, we here at GTBC have decided to brew an annual holiday ale. Unlike many other holiday ales which are often flavored with festive spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, our inaugural edition refrains from additives and keeps it simple.
This Belgian-style Quadrupel ale is full-bodied and robust, boldly showcasing flavors of sweet dried fruits delivered on a smooth, velvety palate. Specialty malts and roasted barley give this beer a sweet malty aroma that complements its complex fruitiness. Brewed in the Belgian tradition with dark candi sugar and a Trappist ale yeast, Coming Home Holiday Ale is rich and flavorful, meant to be shared and savored among friends.”
The Bridgeport Big Brew series keeps picking up steam…
“Nightcap was created to mirror traditional liqueur or spirit nightcaps enjoyed in hopes of warming cold toes and noses prior to a long winter slumber. A malt driven brew, Nightcap begins with the enjoyable bitterness of Chinook hops and finishes with strong hints of vanilla. BridgePort brewers aged 33-percent of the brew in Makers Mark oak barrels for nearly a year – evidenced in the warm and spicy undertones of the brew. Because of its unusual aromatic scent, it is recommended that Nightcap be enjoyed in a tulip glass to allow for the full fragrance to escape.”
I talked about Craft Cans now here is a can filled with a winter warmer.
Here is what the fine folks at 21st Amendment have to say about their winter seasonal…”Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. We begin with a rich, dark ruby brown, English-style ale and then improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation. During Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, Fireside Chat will brighten the faces of those who enjoy it, near the hearth or at the table. Its subtle blend of spices balances the malty ale and will make this a foodie’s favorite, as it pairs perfectly with holiday meals.”
The creativity of brewers is amazing. And the same goes for a good marketer/advertiser.
Case in point….
The Schmaltz people have outdone themselves. This looks like a fun pack for anybody of the craft beer faith. Some of these beers are too much for me but the final beer, a mix of the other seven could be intriguing.
If you have any spare bottles of A Partridge in a Pear Tree or Two Turtle Doves, then you can have a nice Holiday ale tasting by getting the third in the series from the Bruery.
“The third verse of our ‘Twelve Beers of Christmas’ saga incorporates vinous and oaky notes into a bold and spicy dark ale. 10% ABV.” This years Holiday ale is 75% Belgian-style Dark Ale and 25% ale aged in French Oak barrels.