Today’s Christmas offering is a Dubbel. Not a style you see in the wild often, let alone as a winter beer.
Single Digit is from Smuttynose Brewing and is described as “a full-bodied, amber beer brewed with a special Trappist ale yeast. Stylistically reminiscent of a Belgian Abbey Double, it features fruity aromas and flavor, balanced by spicy Sterling hops. Warming, mellow & pleasantly complex…”
The Beers of Christmas – Day 12
Next up we shovel some snow with Braxton Brewing and their winter seasonal, Snow Shovel which mixes ginger, cinnamon and honey together and then throws them into rum barrels.
The Beers of Christmas – Day 8
We land in Belgium and St. Feuillien and their Cuvee de Noel.
I consider this one of the beers that I associate with holiday drinking and their website describes it as a ….”beer has a generous head – compact and firm. Its slightly brown colour is the result of the roasted barley. It has a dark ruby brown colour and a very intense aroma. The aromatic herbs and spices used greatly enhance its delicious smell. This beer is full-bodied with a smoothness that is the result of the synergy of caramelised malts, carefully controlled fermentation and long cold storage. St-Feuillien Cuvée de Noël has a very subtle bitterness that is the dominant flavour in this harmonious ale that strikes a perfect balance between all the different ingredients.”
FoodGPS Teaser – Christmas is coming
Tomorrow on FoodGPS, I give you some “special” christmas shopping ideas the and the beer and homework is from Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. It is the yearly tradition of Our Special Ale. The holiday ale with a different tree on the label and a slightly different recipe each year.
Recently, I did a vertical tasting of this beer starting with the 2008 version and going through to 2012.
2008
Very frothy pour with an espresso head. Aroma hints that this one may have passed prime tasting time. An old ale background with a touch of sour creeping in. Very British ale tasting.
2009
Another frothy beer. Both were stored standing up so I don’t think it was my cellaring technique. But this one had a much lighter head to it. Some minor roast notes and a little whisper of pine. That same sourness and apple cider taste is evident in this one as in 2008.
2010
This one poured better. More Belgian-y. Good sparkle to this one in comparison to the flatter beers form ’08 and ’09. More coffee acidity here. Again the tree and pine notes are only faint and way in the background.
2011
Dark with a brown ale backbone. Not much spice or flavor in the 2011. Even tastes a little thin. If the others did not stand up to aging then I fear for this one.
2012
Pours dark black. Almost a Dr. Pepper type of aroma. Flavor has a burnt quality to it. Body is light and it is quite sparkly. Flavor does linger on the palate.
Xmas 2012 – Brouwerij Dilewyns / Vicaris Winter Ale 2011
We head to Belgium for Vicaris Winter Ale 2011 brought to us by the Vanberg and DeWulf people…
“Vicaris Winter ale pours an intense dark brown, almost black. The nose is a warming mix of licorice and ground coffee. Flavore of anise, sweet molasses and roasted coffee dominate the palate. Like all of Dilewyn’s offerings, Vicaris Winter is never filtered. Instead it is only cold clarified by lagering for at least one month. This is one reason why the beer is so well attenuated and smooth. You would never guess it was 10% ABV.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Frosted Frog
The Brewery – Hoppin’ Frog
The Beer – Frosted Frog (Barrel aged)
The Details
“Barrel-Aged Frosted Frog Christmas Ale has a familiar and satisfying combination of carefully blended Christmas spices in a flavorful nut-brown ale, its like a Christmas cookie in a glass! The extended barrel aging in oak Bourbon casks adds a vanilla-like flavor, creating a smooth character that perfectly compliments the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, unlike any other Christmas beer.”
Kris Kringle – Day 1
Beer Search Party – Christmas Beer Tasting
If you are a faithful reader of this beer blog, then you will have noticed the photo of me and Santa and the beer casks. That photo was chosen to draw your eye to my Holiday Beer Tasting that will be held this December the 5th at 3pm at my humble apartment that may or may not be decorated at that point.
I will be pouring seasonal beers that you may have never seen before such as Bells, Breckenridge, 3 Floyds, Southern Tier and also the grandpappy that started this all. Anchor Steam’s Our Special Ale. Feel free to bring your favorite Christmas beer to share as well!
And since charities are hurting along with the rest of us there will be beer swag for everyone who brings a check or cash for Food on Foot, a local program dedicated to helping people who need a hand up.