What, you think I’d let Seriously Bad Elf get by without being selected after I’d written about it? This beer’s a whopping 9% alcohol by volume, a "very English interpretation of a Belgian Tripel" according to the link. I can’t vouch for it, though—but I do like the bottle :). … Continue reading

I picked up a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale today and realized it would be an ideal pick for today’s beer. Sierra Nevada is one of America’s oldest and best craft breweries, and their beers prove it. Celebration Ale scores an outstanding 90 (out of a hundred) on BeerAdvocate … Continue reading

Today I’ve picked New Belgium Brewing‘s Frambozen. It’s a tasty raspberry brown ale, with respectable strength (7% ABV) and delightful fruit flavor. It makes for a great holiday brew for people who don’t like overly heavy, dark, or strong beers. About this year’s vintage, New Belgium’s site says: Brewer Bill … Continue reading

Today’s beer is not only a seasonal, it’s also the first 9% alcohol-by-volume beer brewed in North Carolina since the state raised it’s alcohol limit from 6% this year: Weeping Radish Brewery‘s Christmas Doppelbock. The BeerAdvocate reviews don’t really apply here, as they were for the previously 5.8% alcohol Doppelbock… … Continue reading

Today I’m coming back closer to home and selecting BridgePort’s Ebenezer Ale. It’s a rich, strong, medium-hoppy beer. It’s been awhile since I’ve had this, but from what I remember it was a pleasantly strong winter warmer. Though reading some of the reviews on BeerAdvocate makes me think I missed … Continue reading

Today we travel to France for Brasserie Duyck‘s Bière De Noël, a Saison-style ale that is, according to their website, "Darker than the traditional amber beer, its torrefied undertones are reminiscent of flowers and caramel." The site also notes: Produced with more malt than Jenlain Ambrée (3 different types of … Continue reading

Today’s pick is Sly Fox Christmas Ale. I don’t really know anything about the beer, or the brewery, but I’ll trust BeerAdvocate on this one: a score of 87 with a 100% reviewer approval rating. The Sly Fox site gives this description: A malty, full-bodied red ale made with traditional … Continue reading

Today I chose Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale for Day 4. This is a nice, understated beer—I didn’t notice the spiceness that’s prevalent with other holiday beers. Clear, sweet and hoppy, it packs a respectable (though not excessively high) alcohol (by volume) of 6%. Their website gives serving suggestions: Roast … Continue reading

Today’s pick is Goose Island Christmas Ale. At 5.6% alcohol by volume, it’s a little weaker than one would expect from a winter warmer/holiday ale, but don’t let that fool you. From their website: Every year to celebrate the holiday season, we brew up our Christmas Ale, and with each … Continue reading

Yes, I already wrote about this back in October, but today’s beer is Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale. Each year Deschutes selects a new artist and theme for the label, and locals always look forward to when this seasonal is released. Strong, malty, caramel-y, roasty, every year Deschutes hits a home run … Continue reading