Beware of the Dog Series: St. Nikkilaus Spiced Christmas Ale

Beware of the Dog Series: St. Nikkilaus Spiced Christmas Ale, Black Husky Brewing, Pembine, CA
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable)

Dark burgundy pour with a thick, foamy, tan head that stays for a while before fading. Immense holiday spices on the nose. Caramelized sugars, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon. The aromas come through in the taste as well. The Christmas spices, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, lead the way. Sweet toasted malts and brown sugar round out this beer. Complex flavors. Full bodied. Just like with pumpkin beers, if you like spices, you'll love this one.

Jubelale

Jubelale, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
(English Strong Ale, Rated 96)

 Deep, dark, brown pour with a nice thick, off-white head.  Aromas of toasted bread, dark malts, and light spices. Taste is similar, with dark roasted malts, spices, a touch of sweetness, and a slightly bitter finish. A slightly different take on the Christmas beer, but it just might be that this isn't my favorite style.

Fistmas Ale

Fistmas Ale, Revolution Brewing Company, Chicago, IL
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Rated 91)

On this Christmas Eve, I toast you this fine holiday beer. Dark reddish-amber pour. Aromas of pine, ginger, spices, oranges.  Tastes of holiday spices, ginger, caramel, orange peel, and underlying malt sweetness. Smooth with a bit of a hoppy finish. Very nice Christmas ale.  Merry Fistmas!

Highway 128 Blood Orange Gose

Highway 128 Blood Orange Gose, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, CA
(Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer, Rated 90)

Hazy, orange pour with a nice, white head that steadily dissipates. Inviting aromas of sweet oranges and tanginess. Taste is citrus, salty, sour, and great sweet oranges that compliments. This gose is tart and totally refreshing. One of my favorite of this style so far.

Tail Waggin' Double White Ale 2010 Cellar Reserve

Tail Waggin' Double White Ale 2010 Cellar Reserve, Grand Teton Brewing Company, Victor, ID
(Belgian White (Witbier))

This one was hiding in the shadows and I nearly forgot it was there. Tonight was a perfect night to share it. Pours a golden, yellow. Unfiltered with lots of sediment that lends to the great taste. Aromas of lemon and orange citrus, bread, and spices. Classic Belgian witbier. Complex flavors of spices, pepper, orange, lemon zest, sweet malts. I detected a hint of bitterness as well. Better than I remembered it was.  Cheers!

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin', Destihl Brewery, Bloomington, IL
(Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer, Rated 94)

Cloudy orange pour with a fluffy, white head that fades after a few. Aroma is tart, dank, fruity, funky. Taste is lemon, major salt that fades to a touch of sweetness. Loads of citrus. Solid example of a gose. This will make a great Summer beer.

Highway 128 The Kimmie, The Yink, and The Holy Gose

Highway 128 The Kimmie, The Yink, and The Holy Gose, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, CA
(Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer, Rated 92)

Gose beers seem to be the new craze in craft beer. They are certainly gaining in popularity. Many of them may be more on the milder side of bitter and, in a way, gateway beers into sours. This one, not so much. This one pours clear gold. Aroma is light tart, lemony, and a little bready malt. The tartness hits right up front. Tangy. Lemony. Salty. Crisp, clean, and balanced.

Ride Again

Ride Again, Lucette Brewing Company, Menomonie, WI
(American Pale Ale, Rated 93)

Lucette rides again with this fantastic pale ale. Clear, golden-yellow pour with a nice, frothy, white head. Inviting aromas of citrus hops, sweet malt, and grass.  Taste is smooth malt up front, followed by nice piney, citrus hops. Really solid pale ale.

Farmer's Daughter

Farmer's Daughter, Lucette Brewing Company, Menomonie, WI
(Golden Ale/Blonde Ale)

Not too long ago, I was fortunate to sample beer from Lucette, a smaller brewery in a more remote part of Wisconsin.  Here's one of them. Golden yellow pour with a white head. Aroma is light, grassy, fruity, biscuit. Light bodied. Taste is earthy with a nice spice note. Hay, tea, and pale malts. Just a bit different than your average blonde ale. A very refreshing beer.

Sapping Mammoth IPA

Sapping Mammoth IPA, Maine Beer Company, Freeport, ME
(IPA, Rated 90)

Holy fresh hops! This amazingly, juicy collaboration between Half Acre Beer Company (Chicago, IL) and Maine Beer Company (Freeport, ME) pours a hazy, golden, orange color with a nice white, frothy head. Huge fresh aromas of oranges, citrus, tropical fruits, and mangos. Tastes of lemon zest, orange peels, juicy citrus, and tropical sweetness. Sticky and juicy. Has a grassy, earthy character. Medium body with a mild bitterness to the finish. This is one fantastic IPA!