Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
The Brewery – Boulevard
The Beer – Nutcracker Winter Ale
The Details:
“Nutcracker Ale is Boulevard’s holiday gift for real beer lovers. This hearty, warming brew is a classic winter ale, deep amber in color, with hints of molasses balanced by the “spiciness” of freshly harvested Chinook hops.”
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!”
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!”
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.”
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.”
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”
This month I review two beers from Idaho’s Grand Teton Brewery.
Number two is a holiday ale by the name of Coming Home….
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.
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.”
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.