So, I’ve gotten a little behind in my posts. So behind that I’m having trouble remembering what I’ve tried. Below is a list of seven I can remember at the moment. In no particular order… here you go.
White Christmas Spiced Winter Lager
| Moylan’s Brewery | 6% | N/A |
Nothing special here. I’m not a large lager fan to begin with (unless it’s PBR) and adding spices to it didn’t help. I have to admit, I had this one after a glass of Deschutes’ The Dissident which is a very difficult beer to follow.
Old Jubilation
| Avery Brewing Co | 8% | 30 |
Avery is awesome. This is a good beer. Has a good malty flavor with hints of hazelnuts and slight chocolate finish. I recommend this one.
I’ll also recommend their Fifteen Anniversary Ale
Special Holiday Ale
| Stone Brewing Co | 9% | N/A |
Another interesting brew from Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne Ø. This thing is brewed with Chestnuts, Juniper Berry, White Sage and Caraway Seed. Pretty good.
Brrr
| Widmer Brothers Brewing Co | 7.2% | N/A |
I’m not a huge fan of Hefeweizen style beers and since Widmer is pretty much known for their Hefe, I generally shy away from the brewery. But I have to say, their Brrr is a really good seasonal beer. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of this brew. Very recommended.
Brown Shugga
| Lagunitas Brewing Company | 9.9% | 51.1 |
Lagunitas is another brewery that rarely disappoints. This “sweet release” brown ale is probably the best brown ale I’ve tasted. I know, I’ve said that before, but I really think this one is better. Enjoy!
Winter Warmer
| Skyscraper Brewing | 5.4% | N/A |
Skyscraper is a new brewery that sprung up in 2007 down here in Souther California (El Monte of all places). I tried their Winter Warmer last year at Hollingshead and liked it enough to buy a bottle this year.
Holiday Porter
| Samuel Adams | 5.9% | N/A |
Another decent beer from Sam Adams. I picked up a sampler pack of Samuel Adams holiday beers so I have a couple more to write about a little later. But this Holiday Porter is good. Worth a try. So far, I’m not disappointed of the purchase.
Wow. OK, so with the previous 18 beers and these seven, I am now at 25 holiday beers. I think I can squeeze in five more before the weekend is over to bring me to 30. Stay tuned. Since everyone likes a good list, I’ll have a top 10 list to round up the best of the best of 2008/2009 holiday season.
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 
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 
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.
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 
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.
A true winter warmer. Anchor has been brewing their Christmas Ale since 1975. While not a top-ten contender (for me), it is definitely an enjoyable beverage. It pours a nice dark brown color with thick, brownish head. The first thing you’ll notice is it’s strong spiced aroma. Hints of fruits and spices mixed together with a malty goodness and tangy finish, this is surely a good holiday beer. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the epitome of Christmas ales.
