Bear

Bear, Tree House Brewing Company, Charlton, MA
(Brown Ale, Rated 95)

Pours a dark brown with a light, mocha-colored head. Aromas of caramel, milk chocolate, and coffee. Taste has sweet caramel malts, toffee, mild coffee, and dark chocolate. Has a nutty mix with hints of dark fruits. 6.2% abv.  This is a fantastic brown!

Ellie's Brown Ale

Ellie's Brown Ale, Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, CO
(Brown Ale, Rated 90)

Brown ales are one of my least favorite styles. Not many have impressed me, but this one from Avery Brewing has. Nice dark chocolate pour with a very thin white head. Really nice aromas of roasted malts and chocolate. Tastes of sweet roasted malts, nutty, and cocoa. Nice little battle of sweet and sour, but very mild. Light body, medium carbonation, and a smooth finish.

Coffee Bender

Coffee Bender, Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN
(Brown Ale, Rated 98)

How do you make Surly's Bender better?  You add in a cold-press coffee-brewing process. Dark brown pour. Immense aromas of black coffee with light notes of caramel, chocolate, and roasted malt. Mostly coffee though. Taste brings the same strong, cold, black coffee. Full mouth-feel. Starts sweet then a tad bitter. Smooth finish. Another easy drinker. Coffee lovers need to try this one.

Bender

Bender, Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN
(Brown Ale, Rated 97)

Nice dark brown pour for this brown ale. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, and nuttiness. Smooth mouthfeel. Coffee, chocolate, and oatmeal come through in the taste. Starts off sweet and finishes a little on the bitter side. A really solid brown ale.

D.T.B. 'Downtown' Brown Ale

D.T.B. Brown Ale, Pearl Street Brewery, La Crosse, WI
(Brown Ale)

Brownish-burgundy pour. Aroma has a little toasted caramel and nut. Flavor is nutty with a light toasted malt character. Thin mouthfeel. Overall just an average brown ale.

Beers of Sixpoint

Sixpoint has only been in Wisconsin for one year, having been first distributed in March 2012. They have quickly become one of my favorite breweries. Their motto is "Beer is Culture." While many craft breweries make up their own rules when it comes to developing their portfolio, Sixpoint seems to smash rules altogether. Sixpoint's beer recipes are distinct and unique. I also love the characteristic can labels. Let me introduce you to some of the Beers of Sixpoint...



Resin

Resin, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Imperial/Double IPA, Rated 97)

This is the beer that started it all for me with Sixpoint. As one who thoroughly enjoys IPAs, especially the imperial variety, this is one fine example. Nice, slightly hazy copper-colored pour. Aroma is of big hops, piney, with a citrus tone. Hop flavor explodes in your mouth. Nice piney, citrus bitterness and a sticky resin feel. Bitterness lingers on your tongue.

This being my first Sixpoint, let me share with you the picture of my #FIRSTSIXPOINT that I submitted to Sixpoint's website...

"Sixpoint's Resin Gives You Wings!" at the Calatrava - Milwaukee Art Museum 

Sweet Action

Sweet Action, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Cream Ale)

Hazy, gold pout with a nice, white frothy head. Aroma has herbs, hops, and a faint sweetness. Taste is a blend of mild hops and malts giving it an earthy quality. Has a very slight carbonation that tingles and then smooths out to a creamy finish.

3 Beans

3Beans, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Imperial/Strong Porter, Rated 97)

Dark brown pour. Strong roasted coffee aroma with chocolate notes and malts. Flavor is rich with coffee and chocolate. Malty with a sweetness. Taste that lingers. Amazing beer!

Bengali Tiger

Bengali Tiger, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(IPA, Rated 94)

This IPA pours a hazy, golden, orange. Great aroma of citrus fruits and sweet pine. Taste is a complex mix of citrus hop bitterness, malty caramel sweetness, and floral notes. Flavors explode in your mouth going from bitter to sweet to bitter with a clean finish. Excellent IPA!

The Crisp

The Crisp, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Bohemian Pilsener) 

Hazy, orange pour with a small, white head. Aroma is a little grainy, bread, and some spice. Flavor is grainy, sweet bread, with an herbal bitterness. "The Crisp" is a perfect description of this beer. Probably one of my least favorite styles of beer, but if I'm going to reach for a pilsener, I'm reaching for The Crisp.

Righteous Ale

Righteous Ale, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Specialty Grain, Rated 94)

Dark hazy, brown pour with a nice little off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, sweet bread. Tasty is malty with rye, and a nice slight hop tingle that lasts but doesn't overpower. The rye is apparent throughout. Just a touch of sweetness at the finish.

Brownstone

Brownstone, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Brown Ale, Rated 90)

Pours brown with a medium head. Pleasant malty aroma with nuts, sweetness of caramel, and an earthy hop character. Taste is malty, nutty, with a bit of a bitterness at the end. Has a nice fizzy, carbonated finish. Nicely balanced brown ale.

Diesel

Diesel, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Stout, Rated 92)

I remember sitting down with the WI Sixpoint rep and some others at Sugar Maple last Fall. I had asked him when Sixpoint was going to come out with a stout. He told me that something was in the works. Low and behold, Sixpoint presents Diesel. Its a dark, nearly pitch black pour with a good off-white head. Good roasted aroma of chocolate and malts with a faint hop presence. Taste is roasted coffee up front with some sweet chocolate and a light hop finish. Very smooth! Very drinkable!

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!

Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale

Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CO

(Brown Ale, Rated 92)

Dark brown pour with a nice thick frothy head. Rich malty aroma with caramel and roasted nuts. Smooth roasted flavor of nutty malts with a slight bitterness. Really good brown ale.

Bell's Best Brown Ale

Bell's Best Brown Ale, Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI 

(Brown Ale, Rated 94)

Smooth, tasty brown ale with hints of caramel and cocoa.

Hebrew Messiah Nut Brown Ale

Hebrew Messiah Nut Brown Ale, Schmaltz Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, NY