Tag Archives: beers

Holiday Beer Report: Big Sky Powder Hound Winter Ale

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##[Powder Hound Winter Ale][1]

Big Sky Brewing 6.2% N/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.

Highly recommended. Might just make the top 10!

[1]: http://www.bigskybrew.com/index.aspx/Our_Beers/Seasonals

Holiday Beer Report: Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

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##Winter Welcome Ale

Samuel Smith Brewery 6% N/A

Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome AleI have to say I was expecting more from Samuel Smith. While this beer was good, I can’t say it really stands out as a must try holiday beer. It has a nice color and smells of the typical English style ale. Even tastes like an average English ale; not that *that* is a bad thing, but I guess I was expecting more. It has a dry finish which I thought was kind of nice (different from most holiday beers I’ve tried).

Overall, it’s a good beer. If you’ve never tried it, give it shot. It’s worth trying at least once.

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: St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

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##[Christmas Ale][1]

St. Bernardus brewery 10% N/A

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale Not for the faint of heart, this Belgium style dark ale is nothing short of a masterpiece. It comes in a corked & caged bottle with very little carbonation and pours on the thick side with a dark, murky nut brown color (the perfect winter color). It smells of a traditional Belgium tripel with hints of holiday spices. If you like Belgium ales and aren’t afraid of strong dark ales, this is a definite must have for the holidays. It has that wonderful Belgium flavor with nice malty spicy after taste. It leaves a wonderful bouquet of flavors from the time it hits your tongue to the last mouthful.

When I spied this beauty on the shelves of [Whole Foods][2], I had to have it. My first experience with St. Bernardus was at the [Tapas][3] bar in Whole Foods with the [St. Bernardus Tripel][4] and a cheese plate. It’s not a cheap beer (about $12 for a 750ml bottle), but it’s worth every penny! This is definitely going in the top 5 this year. Highly recommended.

[1]: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/259/39286
[2]: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
[3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas
[4]: http://www.sintbernardus.be/en/beers.html#tripel