Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
As the winter beers continue in our distanced year, we get a little sour but also wise with Winter Sage from Cascade Brewing with grocer Market of Choice. The beer is described as a “sour wheat ale aged in oak barrels for up to 10 months, then infused with fresh, locally grown sage, white tea, lemon peel, coriander and Oregon coast sea salt.”
Today we have a cross country Christmas collaboration a super Harpoon Brewery has made an Abbey Ale to honor Nova Scotia. Our standings in the world is slowly improving now. The snow covered tree has a bit of an ice cream feel to it.
Many a holiday beer references the art of skiing, but until now I have never heard the term Apres IPA. Very European from Roadhouse Brewing of Montana.
This was my first ever sip of an American Trappist ale! Spencer Brewery made a drop of their range in Los Angeles and I was able to pick up most of their packaged beers. The Holiday Ale is like comfort food for me. A malt bonanza. And really nicely spicy as well. Pours a dark brown color. Love the pair with family and friends line on the label. Fruitcake notes here but heavier on that Belgian Tripel note. That clove hit is evident. Also a jammy plum note. Nice sparkle here.
Santa shouldn’t get all the Christmas credit and thanks to Sun King Brewery, the engine of the sleigh gets an upgrade with this ginger and molasses ale Electric Reindeer.
Santa can be on trend too. I am sure he enjoys a NE IPA with the elves and the fine people from Wild Barrel in San Marcos, California have that in mind.
When one thinks of Christmas and Sierra Nevada beer, you think Celebration their fresh hop winter seasonal. But dig a little deeper and you find a plum festooned 10%ABV beer as well.
We get some mistletoe for our glass and not above the door from Pizza Port this year…
This 16oz can is “a traditional Belgian style Tripel Ale. Complex flavors of sweet bread, cracker, and spice make this beer perfect for your holiday season.”
Next up for the holiday ales, we head to Bellingham, Washington and Kulshan Brewing for their winter ale, Kitten Mittens.
A classic warmer, “The perfect beer for those cold months; this rich, medium bodied beer elicits nuances of chocolate, dates, and figs. Balanced bitterness and playful hop aroma fit like a mitten.”
Next in the four year aged run of 12 Days of Christmas beers are the loud calling birds. Well I imagine they are loud. The Bruery.
The brewery describes this ale on their website as a “traditional winter warmer for our fourth verse, integrating gingerbread spices into a robust dark ale. Notes of licorice & banana bread mingle with dark fruit, molasses and bitter chocolate…”
Here is what I found upon opening….
Number 4 is deceptively strong. A cheek warmer for sure after just half a glass. Near to being a PSL type of beer due to the primary drive of spices. Clove-centric to me. A bit of oaken wood note as well. Add estery to the mix at the back end to make this what I would call a more Thanksgiving-y beer. After two years of beers, I would choose this over 3.