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The Funky Buddha of snow and snowmen are the fourth beer in our Holiday Ale Series.
“Last Snow Coconut & Coffee Porter is an ode to that special time in Florida where the needle dips just south of 75 – even for the briefest of moments. This rich, creamy porter is layered with coconut and freshly-roasted coffee for a taste that recalls a winter wonderland – even if, in our state, that’s just a state of mind.”
Technically not a winter beer but just a dressed up in a different label version of the former regional classic from Washington State.
May not be a jubilee of a beer but it certainly looks retro winter cool.
We head to Orange County for a wintry Russian Imperial Stout from Barley Forge Brewing in Costa Mesa. There is also a barrel-aged version aged in Hi-West Bourbon barrels.
Up from the Cellar for December will be focusing on multiple vintages of the Anchor Christmas beer. I will be covering the years 2008-2014. And choosing a winner like college football does. Via a biased playoff.
(You can check out last years mega-review HERE)
2008 pours a near reddish color this year. The first whiff upon popping the cap is of Oud Bruin and cherry but as the beer warms up that fades off like the head diminishes. There is a decidedly fruit taste to this beer. Fruit punch primarily. Strawberry would be my next guess. It doesn’t taste bad per se but it is certainly more fruitcake and dried fruit than anything else.
2009 has a more pleasing aroma to it. Good start. And it is so different from the ’08. Cinnamon red hot flavor hits me first. Never had that in a beer before. That initial taste fades a skosh and the beer starts to taste better as it warms. There is a nice rich, full taste to this with what seems to be a darker malt bill to it.
It is kinda hard to pick a winner to move on to the next round against the victor of 2010 vs. 2011. The oldest and last bottle of the Our Special Ale had faded too much for me though it was offensive. So I have to pick the 2009, though the spice profile makes it an underdog for the next round.
I get seasick just looking at this storm that is attacking this boat. Much better to be on shore with a Diamond Knot beer in a glass than on the open sea.
“This is pretty complicated beer, at least by our standards (we normally love the old saying “Keep it simple, stupid!”). We use 2-row pale malt, German Carared, Caramel 80, Carapils and Munich malts in the mash, then just before beginning to extract all the goodness from those malts, we sprinkle crushed Midnight Wheat over the grain bed to ‘stain’ the mash.
The effect of this little bit of brewhouse trickery is to pull only the color from the wheat while extracting just a hint of its roasty, coffee-like qualities. Additions of a whole boatload of Chinook, Cascade, Simcoe and Columbus hops give this beer a lovely, layered bitterness that perfectly complements the complexity of the malts. It’s very dark in color, but don’t let appearances deceive you; this beer is highly drinkable and perfect for those cold, stormy winter days when you want to dream of Spring. “
At first, I did not know what Yard Sale had to do with Christmas but then I read that it refers to a ski slope spill that sends gloves, skis and such down the hill to form a pile, like a yard sale.
Clever and a cool can for a Winter lager that Uinta Brewery describes as having “Honey and caramel undercurrents. Vanilla accents. Malty with light and hoppy notes. Finishes dry. Yard Sale pairs well with earthy mushroom bisque, grilled lamb or pork, and even mussels and clams.”
Nuclear Winter might be a skosh depressing especially with the gas masks on the can but at least the plumage on the Finch’s beer is colorful for this “Belgian Dark Strong Ale with Extra Special Malt and Caravienne malts and Dark Candi sugar for increased color and alcohol content. Small amounts of East Kent Goldings are added but are not the prominent feature of this beer. The Belgian yeast dominates the beer’s flavor and aroma profile. It will surely warm you up in the cold winter months.”
The middle picture on this British Winter Warmer changes each year but I like the Willie Shakespeare version the best. The weird pursed lips speak to me for some weird reason. Samuel Smith describes their seasonal as “a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-
Taking the tack of the Winter IPA is Boulder Brewing with their Slope Style WIPA. “A full-bodied red ale with a big piney hop kicker at the finish, whatever your altitude you can drink-in Colorado. Red in color with a perfect blend of five quality malts and a blast of Horizon hops, Slope Style is a hearty, cold-weather IPA that’s off the rails!”
Though winter in the City of Angels is pretty mild. Mild enough to lounge on the beach on Christmas Day if you wanted. You can still enjoy a darker beer such as the Vanilla Porter from Angel City.
“A full-bodied porter with subtle vanilla flavors and aromas, with a subtle roasted, dark chocolate finish.”