Tag Archives: beer

Holiday Beer Report: The Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi

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##[Gift of the Magi][1]

The Lost Abbey 9.5% N/A

True to the tale of the Three Kings, The Lost Abbey brings their own Gift of the Magi this holiday season. [John][2] has gushed over this brewery (and beer) for a long time (perhaps by proximity but definitely by taste) and I would have to agree; The Gift of the Magi is a gift indeed! Described as a “massive Golden Ale,” it is delicious in every sense. A full bodied ale with a slight bitterness and an awesome finish. And at 9.5% ABV, it will definitely warm up your night. If you can find some in your area, get it. Don’t look at the price tag, just put it in your basket, take it home and enjoy the Holy Spirit out it! It’s that good.
[1]: http://lostabbey.com/beer_seasonal.php#7
[2]: http://latetotherace.blogspot.com/

Holiday Beer Report: Santa's Little Helper from Port Brewing

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##[Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout][1]

Port Brewing 10.5% N/A

Port Brewing is another one of those breweries that have never let me down. They brew some of the most fantastic beers I have had the pleasure of tasting. If you live in the So Cal area, drive down to one of their Pizza Port locations and enjoy a few pints of fabulous brews with a basket of beer buddies. It’s well worth the drive and they’re all located close to the beach.

Their seasonal winter offering, Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout, is a must have winter beer. It’s a dark, brooding stout with wonderful flavors of espresso and bitter sweet chocolate. It’s high alcohol content can be dangerous if you’re not careful:

> As dark as the biggest lump of coal Santa can deliver, this beer has earned a dedicated following and is code named Satan’s Little Hangover by those who have indulged in a holiday like manner from time to time.

If you like stouts and aren’t afraid of thick, dark, meal-in-a-glass beers, pick one up and enjoy. It will definitely warm the coldest of souls on a frosty, winter night. I have to thank [John][2] for this one. It’s the perfect holiday gift! Thanks!

Sorry there’s no picture with this one, feeling lazy. Drink one of these and you’ll know how I’m feeling!

[1]: http://www.portbrewing.com/beer_santas.html
[2]: http://latetotherace.blogspot.com/

Holiday Beer Report: Pyramid Snow Cap Ale

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##[Snow Cap Ale][1]

Pyramid 7% N/A

Pyramid Snow Cap Ale This is a pretty tasty seasonal brew. It pours a dark reddish color and is full of holiday spicy aroma. Tastes like a good mellow ale up front but leaves a nice after taste of spices, malt and I think I tasted a hint of apple (some kind of fruitiness). An all around enjoyable holiday ale.

I don’t often drink anything from Pyramid. Their most common beer (around these parts anyway) is their Hefeweizen which, I’m not a huge hef fan. They also have an IPA and a pale, but I don’t think I’ve tried those (or, if I have, it’s been so long I’ve forgotten). I think I might need to refamiliarize myself with this brewery.

[1]: http://www.pyramidbrew.com/our-brews/snowcap

Holiday Beer Report: Samuel Adams Winter Lager

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##Winter Lager

Samuel Adams 5.8% N/A

Samuel Adams Winter Lager Samuel Adams (or, Boston Beer Co) is *the* [largest American-owned brewery in the U.S.][1] (since the Anheuser-Busch-InBev marriage) but that doesn’t mean they don’t brew a good beer. I have always enjoyed Sam Adams Boston Lager and their seasonal Winter Lager is a fine example of a really decent beer. It’s a darker than average lager (I’d like to give a better description, but it was dark, and the cups were blue [thank you DH]) and certainly heavier in taste. It has a really nice rich malty flavor with a little hint of hops. It’s slightly sweet and has a pretty smooth finish (I’d say this would be a good session beer aside from the slightly higher ABV). Overall, a very enjoyable beer and one that is perfect on a cold winter Sunday on the couch, watching the tube.

[1]: http://www.ibabuzz.com/beer/2008/07/15/sam-adams-is-now-the-largest-american-owned-brewer-top-craft-brewers-in-2007-the-list/

Holiday Beer Report: Deschutes Jubelale 2008

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Jubelale 2008

Deschutes Brewery 6.7% 60

Deschutes Jubelale 2008From the great brewery Deschutes comes another phenomenal specimen of a beer. This is the third year running I’ve enjoyed their seasonal winter beer that is Jubelale. It has a rich malty flavor with an intense hop finish that warms the soul on a cold winter’s night. It’s really quite balanced and really crisp. This will definitely make it into my top ten for the year, and quite possibly into the top five. Thank you Deschutes for making my evenings just a little bit warmer.

Deschutes is one of the few breweries with which I have never been disappointed. I can honestly and whole heartedly recommend anything from their menu of fabulous offerings. While we’re on the subject, I am desperately seeking The Dissident. If anyone has seen some in Orange County, please drop me a line!

Holiday Beer Report: Lost Coast Brewery’s Winterbraun

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Winterbraun

Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe 6.5% N/A

Holiday Beer Report: Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe WinterbraunLost Coast’s Downtown Brown is one of the best brown ales I think I have ever tasted. While I am not a huge brown ale fan in general, I still very much enjoyed their seasonal Winterbraun. It is a very drinkable brown ale that’s miles away from the average Newcastle. Winterbraun has a very nice malty taste with a slight sweetness. Lost Coast added some nice Saas hops at the end to give it a smidgen of spiciness at the finish. This beer would be good sitting next to a fire on a cold winter’s night, enjoying some Humboldt Fog and TLC.

I really should try some of their other offerings. I can’t say I’ve tried anything else from them aside from the Downtown Brown. I see they have a Pale and Stout that I would love to have a shot at… maybe after the winter push.

Up next: Descutes Jubelale 2008…

Holiday Beer Report: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale… Let The Games Begin

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[Last year][2], a [good friend][1] of mine presented a challenge to me; try 20 different holiday beers between Thanksgiving and New Years. I gladly accepted, of course, but the task was harder than it sounded. By the middle of December, I lost count and come New Years Day, I don’t really know if I reached 20 or not. He assures me we both made it to our goal, but I still have my doubts.

This year he has upped the ante; 30 holiday beers. This time, though, we are getting a head start on the competition and kicked it off tonight. So, between now and New Years Day (we might extend that to the 5th of January though, not sure) the goal is to seek out and try 30 different holiday brews.

From now to the end, I will be logging my adventures in the hop-filled land of malt and barley. I’m calling it my *Holiday Beer Report*. So, without further ado, here’s #1.

##[Celebration Ale][3]

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 6.8% 62

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (2008)
> The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration® Ale.

Could not be further from the truth. This is a really good holiday ale. It’s dark, and crisp with a nice hop and hint of woodsy pine after taste. It hits the back of your throat with a little tingle and then goes down smooth and warms the soul all the way down. If you like their Pale Ale, you will love this beer. Heck, even if you don’t like [Sierra Nevada Pale Ale][5] (read: you have no taste buds) you should try Celebration Ale. You’ll thank me for it later.

[1]: http://latetotherace.blogspot.com/
[2]: http://www.randys.org/2007/12/25/5-holiday-winter-beers-for-your-enjoyment/
[3]: http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html
[4]: http://www.sierranevada.com/index2.asp
[5]: http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/paleale.html

5 Holiday/Winter Beers For Your Enjoyment

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About a month ago, a friend (John) mentioned that he was on a mission to try 20 different holiday/winter brews before the New Year. I happily accepted his challenge and so began our journey. Over the past month, we have hunted near and far for the worlds finest holiday beers. So far I’ve managed to try 15 different ones and all of them have been really good beers but the following five are special beers that you should definitely try this year.

First, the runner ups:

###Jubilale###

**Brewery**: Deschutes **ABV:** 6.7%

I’m a huge Deschutes fan. I really like their Hop Trip fresh hop ale, Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter. Their winter brew, Jubilale, is a decent choice as well and would have made my top 5 last year (had I actually tried more beers last year).

###Santa’s Little Helper###

**Brewery:** Port Brewing **ABV:** 9.5%

I was recently introduced to Port Brewing (and the lovely Pizza Port chain of pizza “joints”). Let me tell you, this company creates some _excellent_ beers. Santa’s Little Helper is a fair example of their talents. It’s an imperial stout with a lot of kick. It has a slight taste of alcohol at the end, but it’s a tasty little bugger. If you really want a good beer (and like extra hop), try their Hop 15!

##5. Winterbraun##

**Brewer:** Lost Coast **ABV:** 6.5%

Lost Coast’s label are always entertaining. The beer is usually always tasty and the Winterbraun is no exception. This is a nice brown ale with an excellent malty taste that’s easy to drink.

##4. Celebration Ale##

**Brewery:** Sierra Nevada **AVB:** 6.8%

From my _alma mater_ hometown of Chico, CA. Their Pale Ale is one of the beers that brought the ale back into main stream in the early 90s. Every year Sierra Nevada makes the Celebration Ale to celebrate the holidays and it’s great every year.

##3. Old Jubilation##

**Brewery:** Avery **ABV:** 8%

Avery produces some very tasty ales. Old Jubilation is definitely one of them. Very crisp. This is the type of beer you want to have with you while sitting next to a fireplace on a cold winter’s night.

##2. Yule Smith##

**Brewer:** Ale Smith **ABV:** 9.5%

The first bottle I purchased of Yule Smith happened to be the summer version so be careful when looking for this beer. The summer version has fireworks on the label while the winter (holiday) version has a nice little wreath. Not that the summer version isn’t good (it was and I’ll look for that this summer for sure), but the holiday version was especially tasty. It slightly hoppy but not overly so.

##1. Delirium Noël##

**Brewer:** Brouwerij Huyghe **ABV:** 10%

This is an excellent beer! It’s a Belgium style ale with an extra kick. Despite its high ABV (Alcohol by Volume), it doesn’t have the alcohol taste. It’s smooth, flavorful and full bodied. It goes down easy and a pint full will definitely put you in the holiday spirit. Careful, this is a _potent_ beer and will sneak up on you. Especially if you buy a 22oz bottle and enjoy the whole thing in one sitting.

In all fairness, all the beers I’ve had this year were excellent examples of what todays smaller breweries have to offer. Sure some where tastier than others, but overall, I was never dissatisfied. I’ll post a full list when the _competition_ is over.