Fifth Beer of Christmas (2016)

On the fifth day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Great Lakes Christmas Ale;
Ballantine Burton Ale;
Stone Enjoy by 12.25.16 (VA Prototype);
Hamburg Frosty the IPA; and a
Southern Tier Krampus

I have zero interest in writing tonight. Long day at work dealing with entitled "team" members and Human Resources put a damper on the hump day. Followed this up with hockey practice for the boy; which, under normal circumstances, is a fine way to spend the evening. When you are in a foul mood to begin with standing outside in western NY winter watching hockey practice, well, it heightens the senses. Lucky for you dear reader I'm a trooper and pushing through the fifth beer. Who are we kidding? You are not reading this.

The Great Lakes Brewing Christmas Ale has long been a tradition in our home. I look forward to this beer more than I look forward to visions of sugar plums. Great Lakes makes a handful of fine beers but the Christmas Ale stands above them all. This drink pours a clean, amber brown with a light brown head. There is certainly some spice in the aroma with a sweet, honey aroma which pulls through on the back end. The malt is on the forward end of flavor providing a caramel-ish sweetness. A mild spice in the taste strikes a nice balance with the sweet.

I do feel a little better after that adult whine at the top.

Fourth Beer of Christmas (2016)

Second quarter of Bills v Browns, Dec 18, 2016

On the fourth day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Ballantine Burton Ale;
Stone Enjoy by 12.25.16 (VA Prototype);
Hamburg Frosty the IPA; and a
Southern Tier Krampus

Yesterday the Buffalo Bills tackled the Cleveland Browns in yet another futile matchup between two historic football clubs. The weather was cold, icy and windy with temperatures starting in the 30s and dropping to the low 20s by kickoff.  To your left (see picture, left) you're looking at a view of from my seat in the climate controlled Time Warner Cable suite located in the corner endzone of New Era Field. This is not quite how the 1 percent live; more like the 8-15 percent but it's still better than most of us could really imagine. It is not so much the luxury suite, endless food, open bar, private coat room, clean restrooms and uncomfortable courtesy you don't often see from vendors at football games (and I don't fault vendors one bit; thankless grunt work). No, it's not all of that. OK, it's some of that but it is more the stories these season ticket holders tell each other. Don't get me wrong, they are not back slapping over some kind of debauchery you might see from a President-elect. Rather, while you and I might discuss painting bedrooms these folks talk about upgrades at the country club locker room. My house party is their private party on the roof of some club in New Orleans. Oh, and every single person there was the nicest person you could meet. What does any of this have to do with beer? Nothing, I'm just bragging.

Ballantine Burton Ale (BBA) actually dates back to the 1930s. Pabst Brewing Company brought it back in 2015 (presumably minus the 20 years of aging). It really pains me to enjoy a beer made by one of the big brewers, particularly one so tightly associated with the hipsters. That said, BBA is one good beer. An American Strong Ale that is copper or deep amber in color this is a full bodied beer from start to finish. The aroma is full, malty and fruity with not much coming from hops. I definitely get a sweet, malt flavor with a cherry-fruit finish. BBA makes you feel like you are enjoying an after dinner drink with vanilla cake and white frosting on fancy Kate Spade china with an unusually small fork. If there is one knock, it is that this one is so big (11.3 percent) and so sweet that just one or two in any given evening will warm the cockles of your heart. Consider yourself warned if you start pounding BBA at the work holiday party.

Third Beer of Christmas (2016)

On the third day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Stone Enjoy by 12.25.16 (VA Prototype);
Hamburg Frosty the IPA; and a
Southern Tier Krampus

I believe it was Daffy Duck that first taught me the patience of not opening something until Christmas. Thankfully, some 35-ish years later, the good people at Stone Brewing created a gift designed specifically to be opened before Christmas. Daffy always struck me as somebody with a little too much confidence in their own abilities.

At first glance, "VA Prototype" label on the bottle comes across as a warning (hey, if this beer sucks it's simply a prototype) or a marketing bit to promote the Richmond brewery opened by Stone earlier in 2016. It must be the latter because this Imperial IPA is just fine. I've heard some complaints that the beer is too clear to be filtered. My glass was a nice golden haze, baby. This one is not particularly better than the others from the "Enjoy by" series, just different. This is Stone so different is good and they make good beers. So, it's all good.

I was always more of a Foghorn Leghorn kinda guy.

Second Beer of Christmas (2016)

On the second day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Hamburg Frosty the IPA; and a
Southern Tier Krampus

Be warned: you simply cannot drink this beer without getting Frosty the Snowman stuck in your head. Fortunately, it's a kids favorite in our household so I've had the song stuck in my head for weeks. At least now I have a good reason.

Hamburg Brewing Company opened in 2013. Given the recent blowup of the craft beer scene in the Buffalo area, HBC is practically an elder statesman and Frosty the IPA shows off their brewing chops. The beer is a beautiful light gold color with a haze that will remind locals of lake effect snow. It has the required hoppy IPA aroma. The taste is more bitter (bitterer?) on the front end than I expected but quickly transitions into a citrus, grapefruit finish. It's quite different from Hamburg's year round IPA so adjust expectations accordingly. If you're a year-round fan of IPAs and need something new and tasty to drink until summer when the rest of us come back to IPAs this is your beer. If you're like me, who changes to dark beer when the clocks change, this beer will be a welcome change of pace.

Also, check out this deleted scene from Frosty the Snowman (may not be suitable for some audiences).

The 12 Beers of Christmas - 2016 Edition

It's an annual rite of celebration that we propose to reinvigorate this tired blog by bastardizing the classic 12 Days of Christmas. Why should this year be any different? Honestly, you prefer us talking about beer because there is no way we can name 12 drummers in total let alone 12 drummers we would want to receive as a gift. Also, I have kids now so if anybody brings drummers and/or drums into my house we're in a huge fight. Let's get on with it, shall we?

On the first day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me Southern Tier's Krampus.

Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon who punishes bad children at Christmas time. I don't know any more than that except that there was a movie that approximately eight people watched. Krampus is kind of creepy but so is Santa Clause. For some reason, parents have to play bad cop all year and once a year we plow our kids with toys but give credit to some mythical figure. Actually, parents should celebrate Krampus because somebody else is playing bad cop for once. Merry Krampus!

Southern Tier's Krampus is a Imperial Helles Lager and it is quite good. Southern Tier has some top notch brews, including the 2X IPA and Choklat. Krampus deserves to be in the same company. Krampus pours a dark golden color with a thin head. There is a nice mix of malt and hop in the aroma but the malt outperforms the hops in taste. It's full bodied and feels big but it's an imperial so somewhat expected.

It's worth noting that the bomber is date stamped October 10, 2016 at 2:30p. There is not enough clear date stamping in craft beer so gold star extra credit to Southern Tier for letting the drinker see the freshness right on the label.

Eleventh Beer of Christmas (2014)

On the third day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Shiner Holiday Cheer;
a Victory Winter Cheers;
and a Harpoon Winter Warmer

Today we break from the Christmas holiday to celebrate Festivus; which begins with the Airing of the Grievances. In the spririt of Frank Costanza here are my grievances...

War on ______. This is mostly about the fake "war on Christmas" but we could discuss ad nausea the failed "war on drugs" and even the almost-successful "war on poverty". At the end of the day, I'm against anybody claiming there is a war on anything unless there is an actual war (you know, the ones with planes and tanks and where soldiers die). Seriously, it is disrespectful to any member of the armed forces who daily risk their lives for our freedoms and political agendas. So stop it.

Paranoia and faux rage. I blame the Internet but maybe it started with cable news. Regardless, when did discourse become so awful? Today we all have our own facts and you're either with me or against me. People can't possibly be this passionate about so many topics. This plays out most prominently in the US Congress but it seems to be everywhere. I once followed a Facebook conversation debating the merits of New York creating new license plates. Obama and Cuomo have been coming for your guns for at least six years. None of this would be a problem except that it gets in the way of accomplishing anything. I'm not suggesting we all just get along. In fact, that's just as bad but seriously, it's time to let it go and get something done.

Slate headlines. Could they be any more condescending? I mean, really.

The flu and it's partner strep. Both hit my house this weekend; just in time to ruin Christmas Eve. My son got it so bad that I panicked Sunday morning and got the ineffective flu shot. Fortunately, there was strep too - my viral nemesis. Water - orange juice - pee break. That's my rotation. I haven't gone within three feet of any immediate family since Saturday. I've even been staying away from alcohol (until tonight). Everybody is contagious tomorrow's midnight showing of A Christmas Story. It would be less bothersome if these two morons didn't ruin something every winter.

Second Beer of Christmas (2014)

"It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory."

-Blaise Pascal

On the second day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Victory Winter Cheers;

and a Harpoon Winter Warmer

I have no idea how much fight went into making Winter Cheers. I also have no idea if Pascal ever really said the above quote but as a sports fan living in Buffalo I can say the fight alone can be pretty awful. Facing Green Bay tomorrow should be fun. Wait, what are we talking about?

Winter Cheers is a Hefeweizen. It's cloudy, dry, and kinda sweet. There's some spice at the end, I think. I don't know. I'm tired, my head hurts and I have gas. I really just want to enjoy this beer and fall asleep watching Christmas Vacation. Pass the Tylenol - and another Winter Cheers.

Fifth Beer of Christmas (2014)

Here's your picture

It's getting to the point where this waste of space is good only for a half-hearted attempt at providing a list of craft beers somewhere between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Since the holidays are all about tradition we once again bring you the 12 Beers of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me Harpoon's Winter Warmer.

Today's theme is change. We first brought you Winter Warmer in 2010. Effectively referring to it as coal in the stocking, this is what we said:

"Now we're sitting here with four Winter Warmers and we're not entirely sure what to do with it.  There's something inherently wrong with pouring beer down the drain, particularly if we can find a few who might enjoy a Warmer.  In fact, we dislike this brew so much we didn't bother taking a picture."

Man, that's harsh.

Maybe it's the relocation to the Canadian border. Maybe it's a new appreciation for life after surviving a snow storm that brought 70 plus inches in four days. Maybe I'm just getting old. Regardless, the philosophy of this brew has completely changed. The nutmeg and cinnamon are wonderful. It's a little sweet and solid bodied. We're getting another 12 inches of snow tonight, which now seems like child's play, so I expect to have a few more to warm the cockles of my heart.

There's a lesson in here about not worrying what others say on beer (or anything) and about trying something only once. Let people help guide you but make your own decisions. In the end, the quality beers will move to the front of the line....even if it takes a few years.

Finally, it would be criminal to reference 12 inches of snow and not end with this:

The Fifth Beer of Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a St. Bernardus Christmas Ale;
Left Hand Polestar;
Shiner Holiday Cheer;
Great Lakes Christmas Ale;
and a Sierra Nevada DevESTATEtion.

Almost half way through the 12 Beers of Christmas with just over 24 hours until Christmas Day. Clearly things are getting lazy because the picture cuts off the top of the bottle. The backup picture cuts off the entire right half of the bottle - and both pictures were taken before I started drinking. On to the beer...

This beer is almost made in Trappist Monasteries. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is made in what was once a cheese factory known as "Refuge Notre Dame de St. Bernard" in Belgium. For a time, the Trappist brews were licensed to the owners of what is now St. Bernardus. Sadly, for us, the monks ended their experiment in commercialization and returned to their roots of brewing only for themselves and a few local pubs. Clearly these monks are not familiar with the roots of American commercialization (and greed).

Sint Bernardus - Watou left us with a very nice almost Trappist replacement. The aroma is sweet but it's just a setup. The taste is distinctly Belgian but not so sweet that it overpowers the beer. It does have a spicy tang with a molasses feel that really suits the holiday season. The dark, chestnut brown color just feels cozy. It's like drinking an ugly Christmas sweater (which is a compliment since these sweaters are apparently fashionable now).

Fourth Beer of Christmas

On the fourth day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Left Hand Polestar;
Shiner Holiday Cheer;
Great Lakes Christmas Ale;
and a Sierra Nevada DevESTATEtion.

The real gift on this fourth day of Christmas is a new HVAC. What started out as a leaking humidifier quickly turned into a cracked heat element. I actually didn't think much of it. Here is the exchange with the repair man while showing me the cracked element on his fancy scope camera:

RM: You have a cracked heating element. See it right there?

Me: Oh yeah, this thing has run like a champ as long as we've been here. Guess I'll have to replace it in the next couple of years.

RM: I don't think you understand. I can't, by law, turn this system back on.

Me: Um, excuse me?

Maybe it's the new found poverty. Maybe it's the even warmth created by the new and improved, high-efficiency, heating system in my basement. Regardless, this Polestar is going down smooth tonight. That's saying something because during the dark, winter months I shy away from pilsners. Stouts and porters, preferably with a hint of chocolate and coffee, from now until spring is how I roll.

Polestar is well carbonated and is a little dry. It's light bodied so you can drink several (and I plan to this evening) without getting that "I feel full" sensation half way through the second round. There is a bit of spice but I get more from the hops. Also, this beer goes great with pretzels.

Third Beer of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Shiner Holiday Cheer;
Great Lakes Christmas Ale;
and a Sierra Nevada DevESTATEtion.

There are two things I like about Texas: ZZ Top and Shiner beer (three if you include the scenes from Pee Wee's Big Adventure). Shiner Bock is a classic and not available in upstate New York...but then what to my wondering eyes should appear but the tale tell yellow of Shiner's good beer. 

Holiday Cheer is a dunkelweizen; which I believe to be German for "holiday beer". It's a malty and fruity brew that would seem out of place any other time of the year. Heck, even the color is of roasted chestnuts fresh off the open fire. You probably will not drink several in one night - a sixer is just about right for the season. Of course, you will need more if your sharing with friends; it is the holiday season after all.

Second Beer of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought to me a Great Lakes Christmas Ale
and a Sierra Nevada DevESTATEtion.

I don't wait for a lot of beers. Like most simple people, I like a lighter beer during the warm months and a darker beer during the cold. The Great Lakes Christmas Ale is one of the few specific brews I look forward to each year. The trouble is this beer always seems to be on a short run and it ain't exactly cheap; even for a limited release. So, I restrict myself to one sixer each season.

As you can tell from the image above I drank five before the yule log could get warm. Number six needs to last. I'm going to savor this one. Merry Christmas (Ale).

The Return of the 12 Beers of Christmas

Today we bring back the 12 Beers of Christmas. If last year's list is any indicator we'll get through at least five brews. Regardless, we'll be piss drunk by Christmas Eve and passed out under the tree for the kiddies by morning; preferably wearing nothing but a pink bow. With that image stuck in your head...

On the first day of Christmas my trusty assistant brought for me Sierra Nevada's DevESTATEtion.

Purists are not fans of mixing styles. Hands down the best part of craft beer in America is that we'll make any style beer and fuck you. Black IPAs are the premier reason for mixing styles. They're dark, a little malty, a little hoppy, and bitter.

DevESTATEtion is uses organic malt and estate-grown hops; that makes it healthier than your average craft beer. The real beauty of this beer is that it's smooth going down with a bitter finish. It's dark with a malty, caramel head but the aroma is all hops. A beer that slants towards bitter is better suited to Christmas Eve while dealing with relatives you see semi-annually. It's also good for kicking off a half-assed list - on a Monday. Anyway, here's a picture:

We have only a couple of holiday ales in stock so it's off to the beer store or this series is going nowhere.

The Twelfth Beer of Christmas

Below is a sampling of what was waiting for us to start the weekend.  A gift from the trusty assistant.

The final inventory:
Six 12 ounce bottles of Bell's Java Stout - for the weekend's enjoyment
Six 12 ounce bottles of Bell's HopSlam Ale - to be nursed over the coming months
Two 16.9 ounce bombers of 2009 North Coast Old Stock Ale - one for now, one for later
One 22 ounce bomber of Goose Island Bourbon County Rare - for the shelf

You can be jealous because there's little chance of us sharing.

The Fifth Beer of Christmas

For the fifth beer of Christmas our trusty assistant brought to us Long Trail's Hibernator.  Wait, why does Long Trail sound familiar?  Probably because Mike Rowe spent some time there for his hit show Dirty Jobs (episode titled Chick Sexer). Hibernator has been on our local grocer's shelf for a few weeks now and we couldn't really be bothered.  Today, we're feeling froggy so we decided to give it a whirl.

Hibernator is an unfiltered Scotch Ale.  We typically prefer to avoid Scotch Ales but Hibernator brings more than you might expect.  We could bore you with details about aroma and look but there's a picture available (see above) and we get all of eight readers a day, including the writer, and we're fairly certain that the general public really only cares about taste unless it's a skunked beer.  Anyway, Hibernator is a mellow brew where you almost wish for a bit more flavor although that would almost certainly ruin the fun.  The description on the label - "robust and malty brew" - is fairly accurate and perfect for a winter's night.  Malty brews are more complicated than they get credit for.  If you're not paying attention you'll dismiss a robust, malty brew as boring but we know all seven of you are paying attention.  So, go pick up some Hibernator.

The Fourth Beer of Christmas

For the fourth beer of Christmas our trusty assistant brought to us Harpoon's Winter Warmer, which is apparently the beer equivalent of coal in the stocking.  In some ways, this is our fault - not because we were naughty or nice but because we didn't bother to read the label.  Winter Warmer is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg to give a "balanced, pumpkin-pie flavor."

First, we don't like pumpkin pie - not even at Thanksgiving.  We're also not entirely crazy about nutmeg.  It's a good complimentary spice but not something that should be sharing center stage.  The color is copper and actually quite nice.  From afar, it really looks like a good winter's brew.  The aroma is nutmeg.  The flavor is nutmeg at the start and lingers in the aftertaste.  It's just too much for us.  While we enjoy cinnamon as much as the next craft brew drinker, we had trouble finding it in this brew.

Now we're sitting here with four Winter Warmers and we're not entirely sure what to do with it.  There's something inherently wrong with pouring beer down the drain, particularly if we can find a few who might enjoy a Warmer.  In fact, we dislike this brew so much we didn't bother taking a picture.  Actually, the camera batteries are dead.

The Third Beer of Christmas

For the third beer of Christmas our trusty assistant brought us Troegs Brewery's Java Head.  Sure, the original gift was to be Four Loko but it's hard to find these days.  The cool part of this stout is not that it's brewed with coffee beans - lots of stouts are brewed with coffee beans.  The guys at Troegs use beans roasted in the greater Harrisburg, PA area.  St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, PA roasts the beans.  The beer is good so we assume St. Thomas beans are pretty good as well.

Java Head comes in a 22 ounce bomber, which is our preferred container for beer these days.  It pours dark like a coffee stout should.  The head is short, thick, and cafe mocha in color.  There is clearly a roasted coffee aroma with a hint of chocolate.  It's a smooth beer that's on the lower half of the carbonation continuum.  There is certainly a heavy, mealy start to this one but it fades as your palette adjusts.  You can definitely taste the coffee with just a bit of sweetness but the finish is a bit bitter.

It's a pretty good beer and we're a bit sorry we didn't pick up a couple of bombers.  That said, it's not the most memorable.  If you're in the mood for a solid stout you can't miss with Java Head but it is not the kind of beer your going to seek out for special occasions.

The Second Beer of Christmas

For the second beer of Christmas our trusty assistant brought us Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Celebration Ale.  Great Lakes Brewing set the bar pretty high for being first out of the gate but Celebration Ale is no slouch of a beer.

You won't be surprised to find that Celebration Ale is upfront on the hops.  It's probably the first thing you pick up in the aroma and if you miss it in the taste you just don't understand the Christmas spirit.  The color is copper or rust - or somewhere in between.  Let's be honest, color is fine but it's all about the taste.  The hop and malt flavors are pretty well balanced throughout - leaving the taste buds with that bittersweet feeling that is so appropriate for the holidays.  That said, this is a Sierra Nevada brew so the hops are ever present.  The flavor lingers a bit and brings about that warm feeling everybody needs in the winter months.  It's medium-bodied so will not fill you up, which is good because you will certainly need a second - and third.

Sierra Nevada, like many of the older craft brewers, is fairly "user friendly".  You know what you're getting with the signature Pale Ale.  What makes them a great craft brewer is a willingness to push their brews into new areas while staying true to their brand.  Whether it's a seasonal brew, a limited brew, or a year round brew you know a Sierra Nevada when you drink it.  Of course, anybody can do that.  Staying true and maintaining creativity is the great craft brew challenge.  Sierra Nevada doesn't disappoint.

The 12 Beers of Christmas

Last year, in typical fashion, we waited until the last minute to start a series on the best brews for the Christmas holiday.  This year, we're going corporate and starting the Christmas firestorm before Thanksgiving (thanks for the tip, GTB).  Next year, we'll start around Columbus Day.

On the first day of Christmas, our trusty assistant brought to us one heavy hitter.  The other 11 Christmas brews should be on alert because the bar is set high right out of the gate.

Great Lakes Brewing Company makes many good brews - Lake Erie Monster is among our favorites.  The Christmas Ale though is what the holidays are all about - you expect a gift and are "happy" to receive anything because that's what the holidays require but then you get this gift totally out of left field that seems like it was made only for you and the person who gave the gift "gets you".  Our holiday plan is to drink as much GLBC Christmas Ale as possible so this may be a short series.

Brewed with cinnamon, ginger, and honey, this beer feels like the holidays.  It pours a nice amber-red with an mild light brown head that doesn't last particularly long (that's what she said).  Generally, the term "balanced" is overused in craft reviews but this time we mean it.  This beer is a bit on the sweet side but it is well balanced by the spices so you get great flavor from start to finish.  The sweet side keeps you coming back for more and the spices warm the cockles of your heart (that's what she said).  We didn't really pick up the Hallertau and Cascade hops in the aroma or in the flavor but we're still confident they are in the beer.  For those who care, the Christmas Ale has a slew of medals - most don't care.




PS - We don't care if you call it Christmas, X-mas, Happy Holidays or anything else.  Chill out and have a beer.