##[Noël][1]
| Brouwerij Affligem | 9% | N/A |
The Belgium’s are truly maters at brewing and, in general, most of the Belgium beers I’ve tried have been really good. Affligem’s Noël, while a true Belgium in flavor, is nothing to write home about. It’s certainly no [St. Bernardus Christmas Ale][2], but good overall. Smells of good Belgium with hints of spices and caramel and medium brown in color. Careful pouring this, I ended up with a good three inches of cream colored head in one glass (and it takes forever to dissipate). While the taste is that of a decent Belgium strong ale, it didn’t stand out for me.
Worth a try, but don’t go out of your way to hunt this one down.
[1]: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/196/2311/
[2]: http://www.randys.org/2008/11/13/holiday-beer-report-st-bernardus-christmas-ale/
Hop heads rejoice! This YuleSmith Holiday Ale is chock full of hops. It’s very different from your traditional holiday selection but a welcome change from norm. It has that murky golden color and a wonderful citrus hop smell. It also has an awesome hop kick that lingers in the back of your mouth. If your a true hop head, this is *the* holiday ale for you. Just pay attention when picking up a bottle; YuleSmith comes in a summer version as well. The summer version comes in a patriotic, 4th of July bottle. It’s hard to miss, but I made the mistake last year and was forced to drink both (such a shame, I know).
Here’s yet another beer from a brewery in which I am less familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised with this fantastic [winter warmer][2]! It has a nice dark, reddish-brown color and lovely smell. You can definitely smell the hops amongst the various hints of nutty ale goodness. I starts off with a traditional English ale flavor and finished with a nice hop bitter. Another sleeper in my book.
Anderson Valley makes some really good beers. Even better is the fact that you can usually get some at Trader Joe’s at a reasonable price. Winter Solstice is a really decent ale. It’s smooth, full bodied and flavorful. Last year I seem to remember it having a distinct vanilla finish which I didn’t taste so much in this year’s batch (which, to me, is a good thing). It’s relatively low in ABV so don’t be afraid to have a couple on a crisp, winter night.
WOW! I don’t even know where to begin with this one! Technically, this is not a holiday beer but it’s generally available starting in December. Goose Island does have a [Christmas Ale][2], though, which is why I’m not counting this as a holiday brew (though it should count for *two* since it has a ridiculously high ABV). This beer is almost not a beer at all. It’s a very dark and very complex brew and as you can guess from the name, is aged in bourbon barrels. I pours black as a winter night and has the aroma of a fine bourbon mixed with an awesome stout. The taste is absolutely amazing. It has very distinct oak, roasted malt, bitter chocolate and charcoal smoke flavors with a strong bourbon kick at the end. It finishes a little on the dry side, but is a very intense beer.
Full Sail Brewing is yet another brewery that brews many a beer that rarely disappoints and I generally like anything they have to offer. Wassail is perfect example of Winter Warmer ale with a good aroma and excellent hop flavor. Most winter warmers that I have had tend to lose their hop taste but Wassail nails it. It pours a lovely dark brown with nice subtle head. It’s crisp, hop flavor and holiday spice tones is a warm welcome on a cold winter night.
New Belgium is always a mixed bag for me. I really dislike Fat Tire and that seems to be everywhere these days. It’s sad too, because I think most of the other beers I’ve tried from them are far superior. 2° Below is a really good example of such a beer. It’s somewhat crisp and spicy and finishes like an ale. New Belgium calls it a [Winter Warmer][2], others call it an [ESB or strong bitter][3]. I think it’s closer to a winter warmer though. Anyway, It’s a really good beer and I would recommend it.
I can’t say I’ve tried any thing from Big Sky Brewing before, but this Powder Hound Winter Ale is a really good beer. It tastes like a cross between a winter warmer and a porter with those wonderful winter ale flavors. It has a deep reddish brown color and decent head and smells oh so good. I picked this up at Bev Mo strictly because of the name (being a dog owner) and I have to say, it was a *very* good call. I even picked up a second sixer over Thanksgiving to share with the family.