The winter seasonals from Double Mountain Brewery are out—released (and sent to me) early last month—and this year’s editions of Fa La La La La Winter Ale and Chocolate Stout are drinking awfully fine. Since it’s now officially December, let’s kick off a season of holiday beer reviews with these two from the Hood River brewery.

Fa La La La La Winter Ale

This is the brewery’s classic winter IPA, a big and bold beer with 7.5% ABV and 85 IBUs. It’s one to look forward to each year, and the website description says:

Not every winter beer needs to be dark. In this spirit we bring you great tidings and joy with this year’s Fa La La La La. Centennial hops take the reins with evergreen and bright citrus, with resounding choruses of Pilsner and Crystal malts echoing in the refrain. This Winter IPA is full and rounded, delightfully aromatic, and as crisp as a bluebird winter morning. Peace, love, and beers.

Appearance: Deep amber, almost brown, color with an unfiltered body. Creamy and fine off-white to light tan head that presents great lacing.

Smell: Big pine and orange-y citrus notes—it’s a winter wreath with tangerines for a classic Christmas aroma. There are some resinous notes with a kiss of caramel malt, otherwise it’s fairly piney.

Taste: Big sticky bitterness with lots of resinous pine and forest floor notes in the flavor as well, and it tempers those flavors with each sip to a nice herbal-piney presence with a hint of wintergreen. The crystal malts are restrained, but it’s a nice almost-chewy malt character they contribute. Good solid hopping runs through to the back with the foresty character.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a nicely dry and bitter finish.

Overall: It’s a comforting holiday beer with welcome flavors, and one of the ones I consider a northwest classic.

Chocolate Stout

This is Double Mountain’s annual collaboration with Portland’s Ranger Chocolate Company, and it’s one I’ve reviewed before. But it’s not a pastry stout, which I appreciate; it’s a solid dry stout that incorporates Ranger’s chocolate quite well (though never revealing how this is achieved).

The beer is 6.8% ABV with 55 IBUs, and the description from this year’s press release says:

Brewed in collaboration with Ranger Chocolate Co., this beer goes down smooth with notes of dark rye bread, baking chocolate, molasses, and dark fruit, leading to a dry finish.

Appearance: Dark brown with a dark amber clarity when held to the light. Creamy-whipped tan head is luscious.

Smell: Layers of cocoa, dark chocolate, baker’s bittersweet chocolate, rich maltiness, cocoa butter. There’s a touch of grain dust and some roasted malt, and more cocoa at the back.

Taste: It’s not a pastry stout, it leans into the bitter, unsweetened chocolate character you’d get from nibs and baking chocolate, with a nice moderate roastiness that just speaks to some fruity coffee bean. Maybe some cherry pit and an earthy hop flavor bringing a touch of spice into a nice dry stout. It’s a chocolate bomb, exposing the essence rather than the dessert-ness of chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and a touch thin for a good dry finish.

Overall: This is, as always, an excellent dry stout with great chocolate presence.