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

7th 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 6 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 – Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG – Aying, Germany – 6.7% ABV (the mildest of my 12 Beers of Christmas selections)

It pours a tar black with a smallish beige head and a bit of sticky lace. Aromas of dark chocolate, licorice, coffee and slight alcohol fuminess lasts a god long time. A heavy, almost oily malt body is home to many rich flavors and tastes. Strong coffee, chocolate and fresh rye bread-like tastes are upfront. Tastes of licorice, orange zest, toffee and nice alcohol finish get together very nicely. As it warms a taste of prunes develops. This is one satisfying brew!

Pssst…it comes with little goat ornaments around the bottle neck!

Prost! And Cheers! And Happy New Year!!!!

Quote: “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is

beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the

wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” - Dave Barry

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

6th 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 7 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 – Samuel Smith Old Brewery – Tadcaster, England – 7% ABV

Served in a standard pint glass.

This is the beer that got me writing beer notes about 15 years ago.

This excellent Imperial Stout is ebony in color with a thick, foamy tan head that leaves behind a shroud of lace. The complex aroma gives pleasing smells of coffee, chocolate, hops and alcohol. The heavy and rich malt provides a luscious, velvety texture. Abundantly hopped with citrus, metallic and tea-like bitterness. Coffee and chocolate press forward as does some molasses sweetness. Noticeable alcohol, but not overdone. Wow!

Cheers!

Quote: “Blessing of your heart, you brew good Ale” – William Shakespeare – ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’

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

5th 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 8 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) – Cervejaria Baden Baden – Campos Do Jordoa, Brazil – 9.2% ABV

(Yes, Brazil has some fascinating micro and craft brewers well worth trying…plus the Brazilians are a Christmas-loving nation.)

16.9oz dark brown bottle. Freshness date on label. Served in a wine goblet.
This strong Red Ale is really an Imperial or Double Red Ale.
It pours a nice root beer color with a yellowish beige head.
A dark rum fuminess rises up. A sweet nutty malt smell follows.
Flavors of toffee and sweet malt extract are quite potent. A mild taste of candy sugar and hint of mint linger in the background.
Sharp-edged orange zest and tart lime-like bitterness provide an ample hoppiness to counter the heavy maltiness. A slight peppery spiciness gives this brew a nice finishing taste.
Throughout, a taste of rum and fruit punch comes to mind.
This brew packs a wallop!

Feliz Natal! (Merry Christmas!) – Saúde (Cheers!)

Quote: “Wine made from barley…was very strong, and of delicious flavor,

But the taste must be acquired” – Xenophon (44 B.C.)

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

4th 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 9 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

Rochefort 10 – Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbey Notre Dame) – Rochefort, Belgium – 11.3% ABV

This luscious quad pours a murky brown/leathery color with a big multi-sized bubbly head and lots of sticky and trailing lace.

The initial smell is of a musty basement. An oaky smell emerges as does a whiff of malt, cloves, citrus, apples and alcohol.

The medium/full body has a fresh bread taste. An oaky background supports flavors of citrus, plums, apples, candy sugar, cloves, and peppery spices.

The warming alcohol, while noticeable, is well within the overall balance of aroma and flavor. This is a nice rich Trappist to enjoy by the fire with fine cheeses, dessert, or just as a pleasant nightcap.

Salut! Joyeux Noël and Merry Christmas!

Quote: “I have fed purely upon ale; I have ate my ale,

and I always sleep upon ale”. – George Farquhar (1678-1707) – The Beaux Stratagem

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

Christmas (1^st 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 12 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.

Day 1

Sinebrychoff Porter – Oy Sinebrychoff Ab – Kerava, Finland – 7.2% ABV

From the land of Santa Claus, it’s the granddaddy of all Baltic Porters. This is truly an original!

This is a prime example of a beer crafted with care, attention to detail and love. The color is like strong, dark coffee. Lovely aromas of chocolate malt, smoke, coffee and dark rum vie for attention. The full and rich body envelopes flavors of coffee, rye, dark chocolate and a bit of licorice. An abundance of sharp-edged fresh hops, citrus bitterness and hint of spices provide a lively bite. It's slightly smoky with an essence of pine in the background. This powerfully flavored brew has a bit of an alcohol kick, yet it remains very drinkable.

This "vintage" Baltic Porter ages very well, when cellaring at around 55°F. The flavors and aromas change ever-so-gradually. You can expect this brew to last 6 to 7 years.

I highly recommend this wonderful example of the Baltic Porter style!

Kiipis! (Cheers!)

Hyvää Joulua! (Merry Christmas!)

Factoid: The Kalevala, the national epic of Finland manages to describe the creation of the world in 200 verses, but requires 400 verses to explain the creation of beer.

eer style of the week; The Twelve Beers of Christmas, (but Great any time of the year)

Christmas (2nd 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 12 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.

Day 2

Geary’s Hampshire Special – D.L.Geary’s Brewing – Portland, Maine – 7% ABV

This is a Christmas/winter seasonal - Must Try! Although, it is available year-round.

Deep golden bronze/amber with a tint of red. Very complex dry robust malt with a trace of sweetness. Powerfully hopped, then dry hopped for good measure. The maltiness rolls forward throughout the glass and begins to reveals a trace of berries and some smoothness. An unusual, but nice pine essence is long lasting. The alcohol is noticed, though not overly so. The creamy beige head lingers and nice lace is formed. As with all of D.L. Geary’s brews, there sort of a raw wildness, like Maine itself.

It’s easy to picture a Norman Rockwell Maine coast pub scene in winter where the cheerful patrons are toasting one another with a frosty mug of Hampshire Special. Now that really warms the heart! BTW – Hampshire Special pairs really well with hearty stews. Try braising a roast with this ale in place of Burgundy wine.

Cheers everyone!

Quote: “Doth it not show vilely in me to desire small beer?” – William Shakespeare, ‘King Henry VI’

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

Christmas (3rd 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 10 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.

Day 1 – Sinebrychoff Porter

Day 2 – Geary’s Hampshire Special

Day 3

Hooker Liberator – Thomas Hooker Ales and Lagers – Bloomfield, Connecticut – 8% ABV

16.9oz dark brown swing top bottle. Bottled in 2006. Rated in 2007. Served in a Piraat chalice.

This amazing Doppelbock pours a very dark and deep ruby-hued mahogany color with a fast-fading beige head, along with thin scattered patches of lacing.

It smells like a hop monster with big whiffs of caramel and damp hay accompanied by notes of dried barley and leather.

Tastes of burnt crème brulee, sweet caramel, Ovaltine, milk chocolate, tobacco and leather are all quite upfront and noticeable. A slight background taste of prune juice is detected in the background.

A mellow Myers Lemony tartness provides some contrast to the big, bold malty body, as does a dose of a metallic bite. Though make no mistake, this brew is all about the malt structure with well-applied hop reminders.

Lovely Stuff!

Prost! And Cheers!

Quote: “It is better to think of church in the ale house than to think of the ale house in church” – Martin Luther (1483-1546)