It’s a new year for the Beer Advent Calendar — in fact, 2018 is the 14th edition of this feature! — where each day of December through Christmas Eve I’ll reveal a new featured holiday or seasonal beer, in the style of an (online) Advent calendar. Unfortunately there are no prizes or candies to be revealed each day, but if you play along at home perhaps you can pick up and enjoy some of these beers.

For this first day of December, I’ve selected Avery Brewing Old Jubilation Ale to kick off this year’s calendar.

I was recently able to visit Avery Brewing in Boulder, Colorado and drink Old Jubilation from the source, so I thought it would be a great first pick to start out. Avery brews this beer in the style of an English strong ale, and it is 8.3% alcohol by volume. The brewery says:

Our winter strong ale has a gorgeous mahogany hue, a hint of hazelnuts, and a finish reminiscent of mocha and toffee. No spices, just a perfect blend of five specialty malts.

This is a deliciously malty, slightly roasty, warming ale perfect for snow-blanketed winter days. It will pair well with your Christmas dinner and serve as a heady nightcap.

And, as a bonus (think of it as a stocking stuffer!), the brewery also posts a homebrew recipe for the beer, tailored for a five gallon batch. This would be a fun one to brew.

Find Avery Old Jubilation Ale on:

• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook