Beer style of the week; The 12 Beers of Christmas, (but Great any time)

11th Day of Christmas

For the past 3 weeks we have merrily ventured through the kingdoms of Christmas Ales and enchanted Winter Warmer wonderlands. For the next 2 days we bring you a sampling of diverse beers from around the world that are purely divine by nature. These are the splendid spirit-lifting brews to enjoy with family and friends as we celebrate this special time of year.

Some of these delightful beers are found in weeks past and in week’s future, others will be making a cameo appearance because of their special connection to the season. They come in all styles, varieties, and strengths. All are very good!

Day 1 – Sinebrychoff Porter

Day 2 – Geary’s Hampshire Special

Day 3 - Hooker Liberator

Day 4 – Trappiste Rochefort 10

Day 5 - Baden Baden – Red Ale (Double Red)

Day 6 - Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout

Day 7 - Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

Day 8 – DueS (Brut Des Flandres

Day 9 - Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel 2008 Vintage

Day 10 - Traquair Jacobite

We continue zig- zagging (at a staggering pace) our way around the world, reviewing perhaps the very worse beer name in the business (especially at the Yule Time). With a name like Rigor Mortis, it must be good…right?

Day 11 – Rigor Mortis ABT – Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel – Montreal, Canada – 10.5% ABV

12 oz. brown bottle. Indecipherable freshness date code. Released once a year in January.

Served in an Allagash glass.

This heavy Quad pours a muddy Coca Cola color with a thin, fast-fading beige head.

Fruity, yeast esters are quite potent. Smells of horse barn, cut hay, cloves, and citrus blend very well together. Nice warming gin-like perfume fuminess rises.

As in the aromas, there are big, dominant flavors. Tart white grapefruit, strong gin, limes and a slightly astringent medicinal taste slowly allow the sweet maltiness to inch forward. A taste of rum-soaked prunes and lemon zest peek through, and lasts throughout. A little bit of wood and tobacco is noticed.

The mouthfeel is rich, slick and deeply satisfying.

Two of these powerful brews in one sitting are plenty.

Rich creamy cheese and strongly flavored salamis go well with this big, flavorful brew.

One must imagine more than a few individuals might be turned off by the name and the morbid picture on the label, but trust me; the worms would be mighty happy chowing on a corpse soaked in this stuff.

Salut and Cheers!....and eeeewwww!

Quote: “It’s extraordinary how friendly you can make a lot of people on a couple bottles of beer” – Baron Frankenstein - ‘Frankenstein’ Universal Pictures - 1931