Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan ....

My tasting for this evening is a Southern Pecan, "The Original Pecan Nut Brown Ale", from Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company.  Whole roasted pecans are used in the brewing process.  4.5% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 19 IBUs.

Southern Pecan poured with a medium to thicker, not quite tan colored head.  Beer color is copper.  The aroma is malt, caramel and nuts.  The taste has toasted malt, bread, caramel and some sweetness.  There is a definite note there that seems to be the nut/pecans.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of the pecan.  Definitely different, but could use a little more "oomph" for my tastes as it seems a little thin on the finish.

Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company

Kiln, Mississippi

www.lazymagnolia.com

Abbey Monks' Ale ....

Today I will have a Monks' Ale from Abbey Beverage Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.2% ABV and 27 IBUs.

Monks' Ale poured with a small, bone colored head.  Beer color is a lighter, orange-ish amber and a little hazy.  The aroma is lighter, with fruits (apricot?), some spice and a metallic note.  The taste follows the aroma fairly closely.  There is some initial fruit, followed by malt and spice.  It seems to get a little thin towards the end, and I get a metallic note with a small amount of bitter.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of the metallic and bitter.  Not a bad beer, but a little light in flavor for my taste.  The metallic note does not agree with me, but others might not even notice it as everyone's taste buds are different.  For example, I get a metallic note that I do not like in most Syrah wines, but obviously a lot of people like them.

 

Abbey Beverage Company

Pecos, New Mexico

www.abbeybeveragecompany.com

Harpoon Chocolate Stout ....

Tonight I will have a Chocolate Stout from Harpoon Brewery.  It is a limited release, available November through March.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.9% ABV and 35 IBUs.

Chocolate Stout poured with a small to medium, rich chocolate brown head.  Beer color is a very dark blackish brown - no light showed through the glass when held up to the light.  No surprise - the aroma is heavy on chocolate.  It reminds me a bit of chocolate milk.  Also some roasted malt.  The taste hits you with some chocolate, roasted malt.  It seems to thin out quite a bit in the middle, then comes back with some bitterness towards the end, with a burnt quality and more chocolate.  The aftertaste leaves you with some bitter and chocolate, almost a dark chocolate.  Not very sweet.  Creamy mouth feel, but not as heavy as I expected.  A nice beer - heavy on the chocolate!

Harpoon Brewery

Boston, Massachusetts

www.harpoonbrewery.com

Alaskan Winter ....

Tonight I will try Winter, a seasonal "Ale Brewed with Spruce Tips", from Alaskan Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 6.4% ABV.  The Alaskan web site lists IBUs at 22.

Winter poured with a small, bone colored head.  Beer color is a bright amber, and there is a lot of fine sediment.  The aroma has some fruit, caramel sweetness, spice.  The taste is fruity, really more berry-like.  Bready malt.  Although not really bitter, there is a hoppy dryness towards the end.  Malt and fruit aftertaste.  I guess it is the spruce tips that are providing the fruit/berry note to the taste.  This is a very unusual beer, with a wide range of flavors.  Very enjoyable.

Alaskan Brewing Company

Juneau, Alaska

www.alaskanbeer.com

Full Sail Wassail ....

Today's beer is a Wassail Winter Ale from Full Sail Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal available September to December.  7.2% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 56 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, tan colored head.  Beer color is mahogany.  The aroma is malty and bready, with some spice and caramel.  The taste starts out with some toasty malt, and a little spice.  Then some hoppy bitterness builds mid-taste to the finish.  A little warmth from the alcohol, but not really present in the taste.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of the sour/bitter.    

Full Sail Brewing Company

Hood Rover, Oregon

www.fullsailbrewing.com

Real Ale Sisyphus ....

Today I will have a 2012 Sisyphus, Barleywine Style Ale, from Real Ale Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 10% ABV and 77 IBUs.

Sisyphus poured with a small, creamy beige colored head.  Beer color is a hazy, orange-y amber and there is a good amount of fine sediment.  When I first opened it, the aroma had some citrus rind and pine.  But after sitting in the glass, I am not getting much citrus/pine - more of a sweet fruit quality similar to what you see in a lot of imperial IPAs.  The taste has a definite boozy quality to it.  There is some caramel, sweetness, fruit, mild bitterness.  Alcohol warmth on the swallow.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of the bitter.  This is similar to an imperial IPA, but leaning more towards the malt - the hops are more balanced and not dominant.    

Real Ale Brewing Company

Blanco, Texas

www.realalebrewing.com

Harpoon Winter Warmer ....

Tonight's beer is a Winter Warmer from Harpoon Brewery.  It is a seasonal available November through January.  5.9% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 23 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, beige head.  Beer color is copper.  The aroma is nutmeg and cinnamon, with some fruit - I particularly seem to pick up ripe banana.  Taste is a sweet malt, then a lot of the spices kick in, and a light bitterness.  The aftertaste is spices and a little sour/bitter.  Overall, not complex, but just a malty, spiced ale.  

Harpoon Brewery

Boston, Massachusetts

www.harpoonbrewery.com

New Belgium Snow Day ....

Today I will sample a Snow Day Winter Ale from New Belgium Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 6.2% ABV.  The web site lists IBUs at 55.

Snow Day poured with a small to medium, beige colored head.  Beer color is a very dark reddish brown.  The aroma is sweet, with caramel and a little dark fruit.  There is also a slight hoppy note and some spice.  The taste has a good amount of toasted malt, which gives way to some hops and bitterness.  A somewhat higher than average carbonation gives it a nice mouth feel.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little toasted malt and bitterness.  This is an interesting beer that really transitions from malt to hops.

New Belgium Brewing Company

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.newbelgium.com

Anchor 2012 Christmas Ale ....

Tonight I will have a 2012 Christmas Ale from Anchor Brewing Company (as it is referred to on the Anchor site).  The bottle says "Merry Christmas Happy New Year".  It is a seasonal, available November through February.  5.5% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.

This beer poured with a small, darker tan colored head.  Beer color is a dark reddish brown.  The aroma is spices and fruit/berry.  The taste has a much more pronounced berry note.  Spices, roasted malt.  Some hops that don't quite get to the level of citrus or pine, but give a little bitterness.  A little thin on the finish.  The aftertaste leaves you with some spices and a grassy/metallic note.  A definite "holiday" taste to this one.      

Anchor Brewing Company

San Francisco, California

www.anchorbrewing.com

Great Divide Hibernation Ale ....

Tonight's beer is a Hibernation Ale, English-Style Old Ale, from Great Divide Brewing Company.  It is a winter seasonal.  8.7% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.

This beer poured with a thin, light tan colored head.  Beer color is a dark copper to a reddish brown.  The aroma has chocolate, dark fruits, caramel.  The taste is close to the aroma, with roasted malt, cocoa, dark fruits, caramel.  There is also a higher alcohol, somewhat boozy quality.  Some nice hops come in towards the end to really balance things out.  The aftertaste leaves you with some hops, booze and a little of the roasted flavors.  Overall, this beer has a lot of things going on in the flavor department and is definitely worth trying, or drinking again.      

Great Divide Brewing Company

Denver, Colorado

www.greatdivide.com

Breckenridge Christmas Ale ....

Tonight I will sample a Christmas Ale from Breckenridge Brewery.  It is a seasonal available November through December.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 7.4% ABV.  Their web site shows 22 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, beige head.  Beer color is a reddish brown.  The aroma has a little citrus and is hoppier than I expected.  There is also some caramel.  The taste is malty, with caramel, spice, maybe a little fruit.  Some hops come in at the end and bring a little bitterness.  This is a milder, hoppier winter warmer - different, and I enjoyed it.

   

Breckenridge Brewery

Denver, Colorado

www.breckbrew.com

Rahr Winter Warmer ....

Tonight's beer is a Winter Warmer, English-Style Dark Ale, from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal available November through December.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Rahr web site shows 8.5% ABV and 43 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, tan colored head.  Beer color is a very dark reddish brown.  When held up to the light, only a tiny amount of light showed through the glass.  I am getting primarily chocolate and roasted malt in the milder aroma, perhaps a bit of coffee.  The taste is more of the same - roasted malts and chocolate/cocoa.  I don't really notice the higher alcohol.  There is some bitterness in the background that sticks around for the aftertaste with the cocoa.  A somewhat heavier mouth feel, with lighter carbonation.    

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Fort Worth, Texas

www.rahrbrewing.com

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale ....

Today's beer is a Post Road Pumpkin Ale from Brooklyn Brewery.  5% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.

This beer poured with a small, light beige head.  Beer color is a brighter amber.  The aroma is primarily the pumpkin spices, with some sweetness.  Don't really get much pumpkin.  The taste is primarily malt, then the spices come in.  Much like the aroma, I don't get much pumpkin.  Fairly foamy/effervescent.  The aftertaste leaves you with some spices.  Overall, this beer had some nice spices and flavor, but could have used a little more pumpkin, in my opinion.

     

Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn, New York

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Full Sail Wreck the Halls ....

Tonight I will have a Wreck the Halls, Hoppy Holiday Ale, from Full Sail Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal, available November through January.  6.5% ABV is listed on the 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 68 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, light beige head.  Beer color is a bright amber/copper.  The aroma is milder, with malt, caramel and some hoppy notes.  The taste has a lot more going on than the aroma.  Malt, some nice hops and bitterness, spice and a bit of warmth from the alcohol.  A little higher foamy, effervescent mouth feel.  Leaves you with some piney bitterness for the aftertaste.  Nice!        

Full Sail Brewing Company

Hood Rover, Oregon

www.fullsailbrewing.com

Lazy Magnolia Deep South Pale Ale ....

Tonight I am trying my first beer from Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company: a Deep South Pale Ale.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.3% ABV.  Their web site shows 27 IBUs.

Deep South poured with a small, bone colored head.  Beer color is golden, not quite to an amber.  The aroma is very mild, with some sweet malt.  Not really getting anything hoppy in the aroma.  The taste is fairy mild as well, with some malt and a kind of soapy, earthy note.  Then a sour bitterness comes in, which seems surprising considering so little hops were noticeable in the aroma.  The aftertaste leaves you with some of the bitterness.  Overall, there isn't enough flavor to go with the bitterness for my tastes.      

Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company

Kiln, Mississippi

www.lazymagnolia.com

Deep Ellum Rye Pils ....

Today I will sample a Rye Pils from Deep Ellum Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.

Rye Pils poured with a medium, off white head.  Beer color is a hazy golden yellow.  The aroma is mainly rye and yeast, with some hops in the background.  The rye and yeast are in the taste as well, but don't stand out as much as in the aroma.  There is a floral hops presence, with hops bitterness.  There is also malt there but not enough to balance out the rye and hops.  The aftertaste leaves you with some grass, rye and bitter.  Again, I like some bitterness, so this appeals to me but might be too much for some.

Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Dallas, Texas

www.deepellumbrewing.com

Left Hand Stranger ....

Tonight I will have a Stranger, American Pale Ale, from Left Hand Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.    The web site shows 5% ABV and 36 IBUs.

Stranger poured with a small, bone colored head.  Beer color is a medium golden yellow.  The aroma is mild with some citrus and mild fruit.  Almost seems to be a little brown sugar?  The taste is fairly mild as well.  There is some sweet malt, with some citrus and pine in the background that never really comes out and hits you with the bitterness.  A little grassy.  Somewhat foamy mouth feel.  Leaves you with a little dry, slightly bitter aftertaste.  This beer is milder than I usually prefer, but I really enjoyed the aroma and flavors.  

Left Hand Brewing Company

Longmont, Colorado

www.lefthandbrewing.com

Samuel Adams White Christmas ....

Today's beer is a Samuel Adams White Christmas (Ale Brewed With Spices) from The Boston Beer Company.  It is a limited release, available November and December.  5.8% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 8 IBUs.

White Christmas poured with a medium, off white head.  Beer color is a cloudy straw, with just a touch of darker golden yellow.  The aroma is wheat and citrus, with some mild spices.  The spices are more predominant in the taste - seems to be some cinnamon and nutmeg.  Malty, bready with a little yeast bite.  Fairly effervescent.  Leaves the mouth slightly dry with a little cinnamon aftertaste.  A beer with some nice holiday flavors.    

The Boston Beer Company

Boston, Massachusetts 

www.samueladams.com

Rogue Santa's Private Reserve ....

Tonight I will have a Santa's Private Reserve from Rogue Ales.  It is an annual holiday offering.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 65 IBUs.  Other web sites show 6% ABV.

This beer poured with a medium, fluffy, not quite tan head.  Beer color is a reddish dark amber.  Slightly cloudy.  The aroma has some sweet malt, fruit and a little citrus.  The taste starts with some sweeter malt and caramel, then the fruity hops come in, followed by some citrus rind and piney bitterness.  This seems to be almost an amber ale meets pale ale meets IPA.  The aftertaste leaves you with a good amount of the citrus rind bitterness.  Enjoyable, but then I like a good amount of bitterness.      

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon

www.rogue.com

Ommegang BPA ....

Today I am trying a Belgian-style Pale Ale from Brewery Ommegang.  6.2% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 21 IBUs.

BPA poured with a very, very thick and fluffy bone colored head.  Beer color is an orange-ish honey.  It is very hazy, with a good amount of various sized sediment.  The aroma is yeasty, with some lemon and peppery spice.  The taste has yeast, wheat, lemon, grass and a little floral.  Mild to medium in the strength of flavor department.  Effervescent, somewhat foamy mouth feel.  Mild aftertaste of sour/yeast.

Brewery Ommegang

Cooperstown, New York

www.ommegang.com

Real Ale Signature Hop Pale Ale ....

Saturday night beer is a Brewers' Cut Signature Hop Pale Ale from Real Ale Brewing Company.  It is a limited edition.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.1% ABV and 45 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thick, fluffy, off white head.  Beer color is a slightly hazy, golden yellow.  The aroma is fairly mild, with hops being the main note.  I am not getting a lot of citrus or pine, it's more grassy and herbaceous.  The taste is similar.  Grassy, herbaceous hops but there is a little citrus and pine.  There is some bitterness, but it is not overly sharp.  Some grainy malt to balance things out.  Somewhat foamy mouth feel, with a slightly dry finish.  The aftertaste leaves you with just a little bitter/sour.  Overall, an enjoyable, crisp and herbaceous pale ale.        

Real Ale Brewing Company

Blanco, Texas

www.realalebrewing.com

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness ....

Tonight I am trying a Heart of Darkness Stout from Magic Hat Brewing Company.  It is a winter seasonal, available October through January.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.7% ABV.  The web site lists IBUs at 30.

This beer poured with a small, very rich brown head.  Beer color is a very dark blackish brown.  No light shines through when the glass is held up to the light.  The aroma has cocoa, coffee, brown sugar and roasted malt.  The taste is heavy on the roasted malt - lots of char.  Cocoa and coffee as well.  Very mild bitterness, much like you get from coffee.  Mouth feel is somewhere between creamy and effervescent.  A little dry on the finish.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little roasted malt and some sweetness.  

   

Magic Hat Brewing Company

South Burlington, Vermont

www.magichat.net

Samuel Adams Winter Lager ....

Today's brew is a Samuel Adams Winter Lager from The Boston Beer Company.  It is brewed with spices, and is a seasonal, available November through January.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.6% ABV and 22 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, beige head.  Beer color is a dark copper, leaning towards brown or mahogany.  The aroma is fairly mild, and malty, with spices, caramel and brown sugar.  The taste is more of the same, although a little more pronounced than the aroma - medium in strength.  Earthy, spicy.  Just a hint of bitterness to keep things interesting.  Nice, medium mouth feel.  The aftertaste leaves you with some spices.  Although not a real standout, this is a nice flavorful beer.    

The Boston Beer Company

Boston, Massachusetts 

www.samueladams.com

Saint Arnold Christmas Ale ....

It's a little early for Christmas, but apparently not too early for Christmas Ales: today I will have a Christmas Ale from Saint Arnold Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal, available October through December.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 7% ABV and 35 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, light beige head.  Beer color is copper.  The aroma is sweet, with some fruit notes and caramel/brown sugar.  The taste is malty, with some spice.  The fruit doesn't stand out as much as it did in the aroma, but there is some dark fruit there.  Caramel.  Also an underlying bitterness and a slight higher alcohol bite.  The aftertaste is a bit metallic and grassy.  

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Houston, Texas

www.saintarnold.com

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout ....

Today's beer is Black Chocolate Stout from Brooklyn Brewery.  10% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 51 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, rich chocolaty brown head.  Beer color is a blackish brown, with no light showing through the glass when held up to the light.  There is some sweetness to the aroma, with some cocoa, roasted malt and a definite booziness.  The taste follows the aroma closely - with the roasted malt and booziness standing out even more.  Some definite bitterness there, almost a bittersweet.  The mouth feel is thick and creamy.  The aftertaste leaves you with roasted malt, bitter and some booze.  

Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn, New York

www.brooklynbrewery.com