Today’s nod goes to Old Jubilation Ale from Avery Brewing Company in Colorado. It’s a big beer; at 8% alcohol by volume, the site says it’s "cellarable" for two years. My kind of beer! Sounds like a winner, too: the website describes "a hint of hazelnuts, and a finish reminiscent … Continue reading

Sorry for the late post! Since it’s late, it’ll be a shorter one, too. Today I picked Boulevard Nutcracker Ale from Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri. It looks to be a medium-amber winter warmer, at 6.1% alcohol. Their website says it’s a "classic winter ale, deep amber in … Continue reading

I picked today’s beer based on a glowing review by Alan of A Good Beer Blog: La Choulette De Noël. However, this won’t be a beer for the faint of heart, I think; Alan writes: Dark copper ale under an off-white creamy rich head. The aroma is horse blanket which … Continue reading

Back to America again with today’s beer, Anderson Valley‘s Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale. I’ve enjoyed Anderson Valley’s beer in the past (they brew a good amber), but haven’t had this one. They say: Luscious, creamy, smooth, and warming, this medium bodied ale is brewed with Caramel and crystal malts to … Continue reading

I didn’t realize until today that I hadn’t included any German beers on the Beer Advent Calendar… so I’ll rectify that now. Mahr‘s Christmas Bock is today’s selection. Based on the BeerAdvocate profile (the website is all German, with no English that I can find), this is a malty maibock … Continue reading

Today we have Santa’s Private Reserve from the incomparable Rogue Brewery here in Oregon. This beer is essentially a double-hopped St. Rogue Red, including "a mystery hop called Rudolph". But don’t let that fool you; if you find this beer, you’ll be in for a treat. It scores 87 on … Continue reading

We’re over halfway to Christmas and through the Beer Advent Calendar… today I picked Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale. It’s not a beer you find on its own anymore, but in Sam Adams’ Winter Classics 12-packs. According to the web site, this is the "Christmas cookie of beer," brewed with … Continue reading

Ahh, Full Sail Brewing—one of the flagship breweries of Oregon. And their Wassail is a nice festive selection for today. Wassail is brewed "with four different malts and a blend of imported hops," and has 6.5% alcohol by volume. BeerAdvocate: 86 (out of 100) with 96% thumbs-up. In the interest … Continue reading

Today I selected the Winter Ale from the always-reliable Alaskan Brewing Company. This beer has the distinguishing quality of being brewed with spruce tips—yes, spruce tips from trees. Why? From the seafaring adventurers of the 1700’s to the homebrewers of today, adding spruce tips to beer has a rich history … Continue reading

Today’s pick is from Belgium: Fantôme Spéciale De Noël. This monster has 10% alcohol by volume, and this strength is not for the faint of heart—if you don’t like barleywines, it’s probable that you won’t like this, either. Part of the reason I picked it is because I rather liked … Continue reading