The Brewery – Crow Peak
The Beer – Old Crow
The details:
“A high gravity old ale with deep amber color. It has a malty flavor with hints of raisin. It radiates an alcoholic warmth just in time for the holidays!”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Biere de Noel
Brewery – Snake River
Beer – Biere de Noel
The Details:
“A spiced Belgian style Ale for cozying up with, BDN has grains of paradise, Anise and dried figs added for festive revelry. Only available at the pub, we also have an extremely limited amount of bottle conditioned Biere De Noel which makes for a great present. Stop in and grab one before they’re all gone!”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Lagunitas Sucks
The Brewery – Lagunitas
The Beer – Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale
The Details
“This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feard BrownShugga’ Ale. So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.6% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – King Henry
The Brewery – Goose Island
The Beer – King Henry
The Details
“Aged in bourbon barrels, King Henry is a burgundy hued English-style barleywine with aromas of vanilla, oak, and dark fruit. Caramel and toffee flavors blend together with bold notes of bourbon delivered in a smooth body followed by a malty finish. No matter the occasion, King Henry promises a regal drinking experience.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Permafrost
The Brewery – Burnside
The Beer – Permafrost
The Details
“This is Burnside Brewing Co.’s first winter elixir. It’s a big strong ale brewed with 7 different malts and copious amounts of Columbia and Amarillo hops pillowed in the middle to give this warming brew a chewy complex malt body and a unique fruity juicy hoppiness throughout. You wont want to sip this dangerously strong and tasty beer like you should but pound it . 8.3% abv 77.4 IBU”
Coming Home review
This month I review two beers from Idaho’s Grand Teton Brewery.
Number two is a holiday ale by the name of Coming Home….
XMAS BEER – Frosted Frog
As part of the 50 States challenge, I knocked Ohio off the list with B.O.R.I.S the Crusher. We return to Hoppin’ Frog for today’s seasonal ale, the Frosted Frog.
Here is what the label trumpets: “The essence of Christmas is captured in this very bottle you are holding. Perfectly blended spices compliment Frosted Frog’s rich malt flavors, creating the ultimate Christmas experience. Celebrate the holidays as you savor this very special seasonal offering.”
I am a fan of the spiced winter warmers.
XMAS Beer- Face Plant
Today’s holiday ale comes from Bayern Brewing, a purveyor of Bavarian style beers in Montana.
Here is their doppleweizen with the great skiing name of Face Plant.
“Face Plant Doppelweizen. This top-fermented, unfltered Wheat Bock beer is the counterpart to Bayern’s famous Doppelbock Lager. Bayern’s only decoction-brewed beer, the recipe uses five types of malt (Wheat, Pilsener, Carmel, Munich and Chocolate), and has an o.g. of > 17 % Plato, producing a stout 7.5 % Alc. by Vol. As with all Bayern wheat beers, Face Plant surprises with its complex flavor. German Hallertauer Perle hops give this hearty Bock beer a perfectly balanced sweetness.”
XMAS BEER – Sled Wreck
When I go to Portland for Christmas this year. Amongst my many beer goals is to have my first taste of any of the award winning beers from Barley Brown’s. They won gold in the CDA category at this years Great American Beer Festival and they have an Old Ale for the holidays with the wonderful name of Sled Wreck.
I am very jealous that the beer scene in Eastern Oregon, though far apart from each other, is much more happening than Los Angeles is right now.
XMAS BEER – Parrots and Palm Trees
Karl Strauss has taken a page from The Bruery playbook and has embarked on a beach bum version of the 12 Days of Christmas.
Here is their initial offering according to their press release:
“Parrot in a Palm Tree is a big festive beer. Baltic Porters are known for their rich, dark fruit flavors. Loaded with espresso, dark chocolate, and fruit flavors, this northern European style is similar to a less roasty version of a Russian Imperial Stout. To bring out the raisin and plum flavors in the beer, a portion was aged in tawny port wine barrels from neighbors down the street at San Pasqual Winery. “In the last few years we’ve seen a trend toward barrel aging and we thought rather than putting this beer into bourbon barrels, it would pair better with a sweet, fruity tawny port. We called our friends at San Pasqual Winery and the rest is history,” says Paul Segura, Brewmaster for Karl Strauss. After several months in the barrels, the aged beer was blended with a fresh batch creating a subtle oak and port-like finish.
Weighing in at 8.5%, this beer is a great after dinner sipper, pairing equally well with chocolate and fruit desserts. Karl Strauss Executive Chef, Gunther Emathinger, created a special beer-shake to celebrate the release–blending the Baltic Porter and vanilla bean ice-cream for a festive holiday treat. If you have the willpower and patience, this beer will get better with age and can be enjoyed for several years to come.
Parrot in a Palm Tree is the first release in the company’s “Twelve Days of Christmas San Diego Style” series, naming each installment with a wink to life along the coast. The first in a series of twelve, Parrot in a Palm Tree plays off of the 12 Days Of Christmas, with a distinctively San Diego twist. “Living in San Diego we don’t have partridges, but we do have squawking parrots. We thought this would be a fun nod to the locals,” says Paul. Look for the second installment of the series next holiday season”