Lil One

Lil One, Maine Beer Company, Freeport, ME
(American Strong Ale, Rated 98)

Pours a clear reddish, copper. Aroma has a caramel sweetness, citrus hops, and an earthy quality. Taste is bittersweet with hops up front followed by that caramel sweetness and a sticky, resin finish. Complex flavors reminiscent of a barley wine. At 9.1% abv, this one packs a punch too.  Another fantastic beer from Maine!

Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale

Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
(American Strong Ale, Rated 98)

Opening line on the bottle's side label reads "Our Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale doesn't pull any punches."  No it certainly does not. Ruby red pour with a quickly dissipating head. First waft through the nose reveals what the label warns, heavy, pungent, piney hop aromas. Toasted malts. Hints of citrus and caramel. Taste is lightly brown sugar sweetness that quickly gives way to an abundance of piney resin and sticky hops. Woody fresh. Toasty burnt malts. Has a lingering, over the top bitterness. with an alcohol burn at 10% abv. Reminds me of Green Flash Brewing's Palate Wrecker.

Pig in the Wood

Pig in the Wood, Finch's Beer Company, Chicago, IL
(American Strong Ale, Rated 93)

I've been quite impressed with Finch's Beer Company so far. This beer is pretty solid! Categorized as an American Strong Ale, this one pours a deep mahogany with a nice foamy, off white head. Aged for over six months in a local Chicago distillery's Koval whiskey barrels, the whiskey is there in the nose along with caramel sweetness, vanilla, and molasses. Such an amazing aroma. Taste is smooth up front with some of that caramel, toffee, and molasses that gives way to the whiskey flavor that warms and lingers through the finish. Love this beer!

Serious Madness Black Ale

Serious Madness Black Ale, Mad River Brewing Company, Blue Lake, CA
(American Strong Ale, Rated 95)

Pours black in color with a tan colored head. Aroma has some roasted coffee, chocolate, malt, and a bit of nuttiness. A lot of the same coffee and chocolate come through in the flavor. The toasted malt is really nice. Light mouthfeel with a slightly dry, bitter finish. Hides the 8.2% abv well. A really great black ale.

Durty Mud Season Hoppy Brown Ale

Durty Mud Season Hoppy Brown Ale, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth, NH
(American Strong Ale, Rated 96)

Commercially this beer is described as a brown IPA. It's definitely different and has characteristics of both a brown ale and an IPA. Pours a dark brown with a thick tan head. Nice lacing on the glass. Big roasted malt aroma with citrus hops. Nice combination of the nutty, biscuity, caramel flavors with a nice amount of hop bitterness. Taste starts off sweet then moves to the hop flavors that linger through a dry finish. Really excellent beer!

Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA
(American Strong Ale, Rated 98)

Nice dark amber pour with a thick white head. Aroma is piney, citrus, and a touch sweet. Hoppy bitterness up front followed by a caramel-like sweetness from the malts. Medium body with a flavorful finish. I felt the 9.75% abv was hidden well.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Lexington Brewing Company, Lexington, KY 

Pours a clear copper color. Not much to the aroma. A vanilla aroma with very slight hints of bourbon. Taste is sweet and fairly bland for a bourbon barrel beer. Where's the bourbon?

Fascist Pig Ale

Fascist Pig Ale, Finch's Beer Company, Chicago, IL 

Though classified as an American Strong Ale, this one has red ale characteristics. Pours a reddish, brown color with little head. Strong malty aroma that is both sweet and hoppy. Taste is sweet up front with strong malts at the end. Some citrus hops in there as well rye.

12 Beers of Christmas (Redux)

The very first themed beer list I have ever done is being done again. In 2010, I presented to you the 12 Beers of Christmas. Friends had asked me this year if I was going to do a holiday themed list again. In my travels, I had found a few Christmas/Holiday beers that I had not tried the first go around. Soon, I had the requisite number of Christmas beers (at least 12) to bring this list back.

12 Beers of Christmas (Redux)

Christmas Ale

Christmas Ale, Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs, LA
(Amber Ale)

Many breweries change the recipes for their Christmas/Winter seasonals each year. The 2012 version of Abita's Christmas Ale is definitely different. Pours a nice, dark, reddish, brown. Aroma is of roasted nuttiness, nutmeg, and what smells like juniper. Taste isn't far off the aroma. Roasted malt and nuts, a hint of sweet caramel, and juniper hops. Very reminiscent of Abita's Jockamo IPA, which I am not a fan of.

Shiner Holiday Cheer

Shiner Holiday Cheer, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
(Fruit Beer)

Pours a reddish, brown color, almost like wine and very clear. On first smell, I actually thought this was fruit juice. Huge sweet peach aroma. Taste was disappointing. Not nearly as much fruit coming through the flavor as in the aroma. Kind of bland. Too much fruit and not enough beer for me.

Ebenezer Ale

Ebenezer Ale, BridgePort Brewing, Portland, OR
(English Strong Ale)

Reddish amber pour. Not a lot to the aroma with some malt and spices. Taste is underwhelming. Some mild spices and caramel malt notes. Little bit of fruitiness. Hops come out in the finish. All in all, I felt this one Scrooged on the aroma and flavor.

Christmas Ale

Christmas Ale, Breckenridge Brewery, Denver, CO
(American Strong Ale)

Darker brown in color with a nice malty nose. Aroma has some caramel. Taste of sweet malts and caramel with a spicy bitter finish. So far I've been disappointed with my initial choices.

Winter Ale

Winter Ale, Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, PA
(Brown Ale)

Dark brown pour with a quickly fading light brown head. Malty aroma with some brown sugar and floral notes. Taste is malty with a little caramel. Not a lot of flavor.

Our Special Ale 2012

Our Special Ale 2012, Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Rated 95)

Nice dark burgundy pour. Aroma of spice and dark fruitiness. Taste of roasted nut, spices, and dark fruit, raisins. Very smooth and creamy.

Santa's Private Reserve

Santa's Private Reserve, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
(Amber Ale, Rated 93)

Pours a nice amber color with a reddish tint and a cakey head. Floral hop aroma with a touch of sweet caramel and an earthy quality. Flavor starts off with hops and spice. The bitterness fades to a smooth malty, caramel finish. Excellent! Thanks for sharing, Santa!

2XMAS

2XMAS, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
(American Strong Ale, Rated 93)

Nice deep, reddish-amber pour. Spices are abundant in the aroma, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and others. Those same spices come through in the flavor along with a mild maltiness. The alcohol comes through in the finish, warming the throat. Excellent seasonal from Southern Tier!

Christmas Ale

Christmas Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Rated 93)

This offering from Great Lakes Brewing Company has become a seasonal favorite of mine. Nice light, copper pour. Great aroma of spices with cinnamon at the forefront. Taste of sweet roasted malts, cinnamon and spices. Very well-balanced.

Christmas Ale

Christmas Ale, Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago, IL
(American Brown Ale, Rated 93)

Brown pour with a thin, frothy head. Nice nutty aroma with hints of spices and raisin. Taste is a nice balance of toasted malts, dark fruit, and a welcomed hop bitterness that warms your throat. Nice big flavor.

Krampus

Krampus, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
(Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils, Rated 96)

Saving the big beers for last and Southern Tier does big beer well! This beauty pours a hazy copper color and has big aromas of citrus, pine, and caramel. Taste is much of the same...citrus hops, pine, caramel sweetness, bit of malt, and a nice bitterness to the finish. A definite Winter warmer at 9% abv. If this beer is what Krampus gives to those who are naughty, then I don't want to be nice.

Christmas Ale

Alpha Klaus, Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, IN
(Imperial/Strong Porter, Rated 100)

Only fitting that the 12th beer be a big imperial porter from Three Floyds. Extremely dark, black pour with a nice foamy, tan head. Aroma begins with sweet chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. The smell if very enticing. The taste contains flavors of sweet chocolate, dark espresso coffee, and roasted malts which all leave behind a slight hoppy bitterness normally found in an IPA. Very well balanced. Excellent hopped-up porter!

- - -

If you remembered the first 12 Beers of Christmas, as well as my other 12 Beers lists, you will remember that I never stopped at twelve. I have one more special holiday beer for you...

Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

Frosted Frog Christmas Ale, Hoppin Frog Brewery, Akron, OH
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable)

Nice dark, reddish-amber color. This one has the most amazing aroma of spices of the Christmas beers I've had this year...blends of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Reminds me of hot, apple cider. Strong gingerbread doughy flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples. Lots of spices in this one.

- - - 

The Christmas/Holiday beers, like pumpkin beers, are fun to try. Very interesting how each brewery has their own special take on the holiday beer. Some base their recipe on ambers, some brown ales, some use porter, many use fruits and spices. I've enjoyed trying them all and I do have a few favorites. Great Lakes Christmas Ale will definitely be an annual staple. Alpha Klaus is another because I love a good porter and Three Floyds is one of my favorite breweries. SO be adventurous and give some of these a try. Maybe you have holiday beer in your area that I can't get here. Regardless of where you are, I'm sure you'll find one you like. Cheers to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Kingpin Double Red Ale

Kingpin Double Red Ale, BridgePort Brewing, Portland, OR

This one is a bit of a surprise. Pours a light red amber color. Sweet, fruity, grassy aroma. Taste is sweet toffee, fruity, with very mild citrus hop notes and subtle malts. Very mellow and easy drinking.

Double Dead Guy Ale

Double Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR

(American Strong Ale, Rated 95)

Double Dead Guy Ale is a reincarnation of Rogue's Dead Guy Ale and with a kicker. Sweet, malty aroma with light citrus notes. Excellent balance of malt, sweetness, and herbal hops with a crisp, clean finish. Too smooth to be 9.5% abv.  Amazing beer!

Imperial Red Ale

Imperial Red Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Petaluma, CA 

(American Strong Ale, Rated 98)

Nothing says "Serenity Now" like a fine brew from Lagunitas! Yet to find a beer from this brewery that is nothing short of fantastic, this american strong ale delivers. It boasts a malty aroma, citrus hops that tingle your taste buds, and a silky smooth texture. Cheers!

Dank Imperial Red Ale

Dank Imperial Red Ale, Oso Brewing Company, Plover, WI