The Brew SiteAdvent Beer Calendar 2008: Day 18: Deschutes Jubelale
For today’s pick I’m going local and selecting Deschutes Brewery‘s Jubelale. This is Deschutes’ long-brewed seasonal Winter Warmer, and the first beer the brewery ever bottled.
This is one of my favorite seasonal beers, one I look forward to every year. And I reviewed it recently:
Taste: Spicy essence (nutmeg, cinnamon, “winter” spices) blending with a rich and warming, malty brew. Very tasty, satisfying. A little spike of alcohol heat, and a Belgian strong dark thing going on.
Mouthfeel: Nice and chewy, not as full as a stout but more body than “medium.” Pleasant warmth in the aftertaste.
Overall: The best Jubelale in recent years.
BeerAdvocate grade: A-. RateBeer score: 3.64/5, 92nd percentile.
Does Deschutes change the recipe every year or is it a standard recipe?
I think it’s based on a standard recipe, but they tweak it and change it up a bit every year (like the artwork).
This is the first year that I picked up Jubelale and I thought it was great. Although it doesn’t beat my favorite winter warmer, AVBC’s Winter Solstice, it is now at the top of my list for this style. Check out my review: http://beer47.com/2009/01/jubelale-2008-review/