Bières de Chimay – Grande Réserve (Blue)

For the Twelfth Beer of Christmas, we celebrated in style.

Unlike some of the other beers, I’ve had this one before. Several times.  Chimay Grande Réserve has long been a celebratory beer around my house.  With every new job, I buy a bottle of Chimay. 

Accomplish something I’m proud of, I buy a bottle.  When Aubrey turned 21 and again when she graduated, I bought her a bottle.  And so, to celebrate the final night we bought another.

I won’t bother raving about how great this beer is.  Obviously it’s something special.   At least to me.  Instead, I’ll just tell you about it as I have the others.

It pours out a mahogany brown.  Translucent but not transparent.  The head forms rapidly and nearly overflowed the glass as I was getting ready to take the photo.  But it dissipates rapidly to a light frosting with low lacing.

Moderate alcohol esters follow cedar, dark fruit, and faint yeast scents.

The yeast and alcohol come through in the flavor along with roasted malt, raisins, and a smokey wood.  The carbonation is crisp and light.  A nice compliment to the silky smooth, medium body.

At nearly $13 a bottle (for 750 ml), this is probably not what you want for your staple beer (mine is Shiner Bock).  But I highly recommend that you find a reason to celebrate and grab a bottle of Chimay Grande Réserve. Maybe just celebrate that it’s Thursday!

Stats
Brewer: Bières de Chimay
Location: Belgium
Website: http://www.Chimay.com
Style: Strong Ale
Alcohol Content: 9.0% ABV
Interesting Note: Grande Réserve is a Trappist beer. These are brewed only by monks in Trappist monasteries. Of the 174 monasteries in the world, only 7 produce beer and are authorized to use the “Authentic Trappist Product” logo.

Boston Beer Company – Sam Adams Winter Lager

For the Eleventh Beer of Christmas, we warmed up this winter night with another seasonal brew.

Boston Beer, more commonly called Sam Adams, is undoubtedly the most famous of the craft brewers. They do a great job of managing volume with quality.

The Winter Lager, their winter seasonal beer, fills a glass with a deep, rich copper brew that forms a think head which slowly tapers off to a light skimming of foam. While the lacing is minimal, the aroma is strong and inviting. A moderate hoppy scent combines with spicy undertones of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

The spices come out in the taste along with sweet malt in the medium-full bodied beer. The malt leaves a slightly sticky film behind, almost like after eating cotton candy. Of course, it tastes nothing like cotton candy.

Sam Adams is a long time favorite of mine. I’ve had nearly every one of their brews except for a few hard to find ones such as the Utopias. But I’ll keep looking for those.

Stats
Brewer: Boston Beer Company (aka, Samuel Adams)
Location: Boston, MA
Website: http://www.SamuelAdams.com
Style: Bock
Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Interesting Note: Last night’s beer came from the 2nd largest craft brewer and 6th largest brewer in the United States. Tonight’s comes from #1 & #5, respectively. Boston Lager, their flagship brew, is the first craft beer that many people drink. Including yours truly.

Sierra Nevada Brewing – Tumbler

For the Tenth Beer of Christmas, we (s)tumbled upon a seasonal classic.

I first came across Tumbler in a hotel bar at a conference a few months ago.  It was the perfect beer for a cold winter night in a mountain resort.

A beautiful, walnut furniture brown, the beer forms a thick head that leaves a chunk lacing on the glass and retains a light foamy cap down to the very last drop.   The aroma is sweet with hints of toasted grains and nuts.   A hoppy touch lingers in the background but is not as prominent as some other brown ales (especially English ones) that I’ve tried.

Despite the rich head of foam that grew in the pouring, the carbonation is very mild.  The beer doesn’t feel flat, but it lacks the effervescence that previous the beers this year have had.  This isn’t bad.  Not by any stretch of the term.  Just an observation.  Just a little variety … and variety is good.  Otherwise this blog might be the Twelve Bud Lights of Christmas.  “Tonight’s Bud Light is just like last night’s.  Although this can was dented when I dropped the 30-pack in the parking lot at Wal-Mart.”

The taste brings on bitter chocolates, a brown sugar-esque sweetness, and roasted malt.  As with the aroma, the hops are there, but are subdued.  The medium body balances all of the above with a dry finish.

Just the other day I was talking with Aubrey about how I never say “I’m ready for winter.”  In January I regularly say, “I’m ready for spring” or “I’m ready for summer.”  And when it’s 110 in August, I frequently mention that I’m ready for fall.

This is a great fall beer and I will likely start mentioning that I’m ready for fall in May or June because I know that fall brings out the Tumbler.  Grab some of these for a night around the fire place or sitting on the back porch under a blanket.

Stats
Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Location: Chico, CA
Website: http://www.SierraNevada.com
Style: American Brown Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Interesting Note: Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale is the second highest selling craft beer in the United States (Sam Adam’s Boston Lager being #1). The brewery is the 6th largest brewer in the U.S. and the 2nd largest craft brewer. And all this is accomplished while also being environmentally friendly. They were awarded “Green Business of the Year” in 2010 by the U.S. EPA for their practices in sustainability.

Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery – Old Chub

Apparently we got a little excited about New Year’s Day and got our beers out of order.  Here’s #8 in place of last night’s #9.

For the Eighth Beer of Christmas, we tried something strange.  A canned craft beer.

I was about to pass by this when Aubrey’s friend at World Market suggested it.  I was skeptical.  Every quality beer I’ve had has come from a keg or bottle.  Cans are for Coors, Budweiser, and other mass produced beers.  But Oskar Blues’ Old Chub puts those to shame and plants a new flag for quality canned beers.  (See the interesting note below for more canned goodness info.

Old Chub fills a glass with a deep brown liquid which forms a medium-thick, cream colored head.  It holds for a long time but eventually disappears complete.  But the aroma … wow.   It wafts several feet out of the glass with chocolate, malt, and hints of smokey wood.  As I poured out the can, I was still doubtful that the beer would be good.  But this beer called out to be consumed.  I had to hold myself at bay while taking the photos (I’m not a great photographer … each night it takes me 3 or 4 shots to get one I like).

This Scotch Ale fills out a medium body with a creamy, smooth feel.  The taste brings the previously mentioned chocolate (maybe a semi-sweet, not milk chocolate) and malt to life.  A light coffee taste with a touch of spice compliments the overall character of the beer.  At 8% ABV, this one sneaks up on you, too.  But it’s very filling so you won’t get too many in you before start feeling like it’s an hour after lunch on Thanksgiving Day.

This was a great beer.  Please, do not drink this out of the can. Pour it into a glass so you can get full effect.

As a side note, I love that they included references to “So I Married an Axe Murderer” on the can.

Stats
Brewer: Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Location: Lyons, CO
Website: http://www.OskarBlues.com
Style: Scotch Ale
Alcohol Content: 8.0% ABV
Interesting Note: Craft beer in a can? I know. Kind of bizarre. But Oskar Blues launched their “Canned Beer Apocalypse” in 2002 by starting with a hand canning their brews with a machine that sealed one can at a time. To me, beer in a can is synonymous with Coors/Budweiser (which I drank plenty of before learning better). But this puts a new (and tasty) spin on this bottle drinker’s view. Oskar Blues, I salute you! Can On!

Breckenridge Brewery – Agave Wheat

For the Ninth Beer of Christmas, we combined beer with another of my favorite ingredients: agave (aka … the source of Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Tequila).

Before we get started, let’s disclose a little fact.  The agave in this is (agave salmiana) not quite the same as the agave that is used in tequila (agave tequilana or agave azul).  But let’s not worry too much about that …

We’ve already had one wheat beer (see Style below) on the list this Christmas, Napa Smith’s Wheat Beer.  The nice thing about wheat (IMHO) is that it’s a nice pallet to color upon.  Some of my homebrew friends have made wheats with peach, raspberry, and even jalapenos.  It makes for a nice backdrop for an additional flavoring.

The difference between this wheat and Napa Smith’s is that Napa went with a straight forward what while Breckenridge experimented a little.  And their experimentation paid off.

The beer pours out in an attractive hazy golden.  The head builds up to a medium height and rapidly dissipates.  But it sheds an enticing floral smell that’s laced with lemon and what I can only describe as a “backyard sweetness.”  I’m going to call it honeysuckle.  When I was young, my mom had two giant honeysuckle plants in her backyard.  At the height of summer, the yard smelled so good.  That’s what this beer brings to the table.

Now, the taste is less exciting than the smell, but it’s still very good.  The wheat base comes through along with a light fruit zest that seems to be from a combination of melon and lemon.  And, of course, there’s an extra layer of sweet from the agave. Hops plays little to no part in this brew’s palate.

Definitely a summer backyard BBQ beer.  This would go great with hot wings on the grill, basketball on the driveway, and the smell of freshly cut grass wafting through the air.

Stats
Brewer: Breckenridge Brewery
Location: Denver, CO
Website: http://www.BreckenridgeBrewery.com
Style: Wheat Beer
Alcohol Content: 4.2% ABV
Interesting Note: Chalk up another one for the home brewers. In 1980, Breckenridge founder Richard Squire just wanted to ski and drink great beer. Skiing was easy in Breckenridge, but great beer was in short supply so he began home brewing his own. Unfortunately (not really), his beers were so good that he was soon spending more time brewing than skiing.

New Belgium Brewing – Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale

For the Seventh Beer of Christmas, we got a sweet treat.

New Belgium is one of my favorite breweries. Any time I see a new beer from New Belgium (or Shiner or Saint Arnold), I put it into my shopping basket. I was excited to find this one prominently displayed at World Market. It was the first beer we grabbed.

This brown ale creates a beautiful brown glass with just a hit of red. Sort of like the tinge of red that a cherry coke has. The head foams up to a relatively thin cap, but once it thins out, it remains as a thin cap atop the beer. The mild, pleasant bouquet includes raspberries, a bit of a floral essence, and a touch of vanilla. There’s a sweetness to smell that comes to life rather strongly in the first taste.

The sweet taste slams you pretty hard at first. Given that beers lean towards the bitter, more than just a malty sweetness tends to stick out and this one is well beyond just malty sweet. There’s a chocolaty taste, too. It’s a little bit like a raspberry filled Valentine’s Day chocolate.

The medium body holds the carbonation but also allows the sweetness to hang around and each drink finishes like an over syruped Coca-Cola.

Good? Yes. A favorite beer? No. This was nice to try, but I’ll probably only buy this again if I’m planning to share it with friends at a beer tasting (which usually happens during homebrew days).

Stats
Brewer: New Belgium Brewing
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Website: http://www.NewBelgium.com
Style: Frambozenbier
Alcohol Content: 6.5% ABV
Interesting Note: Last year I mentioned a number of interesting tidbits about New Belgium when I reviewed their Abbey beer. To add to that, New Belgium is an environmentally friendly brewer.  Their website runs on wind power.  And every summer they host a Bike-In Cinema and donate the proceeds to a local non-profit.

Napa Smith Brewery – Wheat Beer

For the Sixth Beer of Christmas, we visit the home of fine wines.

Napa Smith offers up the idea that the world renown home of wine can also be the home of great beer. I hope, for their sake, that their other brews are significantly better than the Wheat Beer which is a nice beer, but really only better than the mass market swill (Coors, Budweiser, Miller, etc).

The beer pours out in a clean, clear golden color with a nearly white head that dissolves so rapidly that I missed the first photo op and had to top off the glass and take the picture very quickly. The aroma is very faint. Pleasant, but faint. A mild wheat with a little citrus. Maybe lemon. It didn’t scream “drink me!” like the previous five beers.

The taste is clean and crisp. But a little lacking in the flavor department. A little lemon, a touch of coriander, and a bit of, no surprise, wheat.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a light bodied beer that’s easy to drink. It’s not one I’m going to grab when I want to sit back with friends or just watch some TV. But, on a hot day when I just want something to quench my thirst, this would do the trick. But, honestly, last year’s Lawnmower from Saint Arnold’s is my mowing and working outside beer. But I would definitely drink this if someone brought it over.

By the way … I have some fence to build this coming summer. Come on over and help. And if you bring some Napa Smith Wheat Beer, I’ll be happy to drink it with you!

Stats
Brewer: Napa Smith Brewery
Location: Napa, CA
Website: http://www.NapaSmithBrewery.com
Style: Wheat Beer
Alcohol Content: 4.8% ABV
Interesting Note: The Napa Smith beers only recently (July 2011) made their way to Texas. They make their home in one of the most famous wine regions in the world, Napa Valley, California.

Dogfish Head Brewery – Raison D’Être

For the Fifth Beer of Christmas, we may have discovered the meaning of life. At least that was the translation (more or less).

The label states that the beer is brewed with green raisins. Given that my French only extends to fries, I assumed the name had something to do with raisins. Raison = raisin? Seems plausible. But via Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge), I found out that it means “reason for existence.”

Raison D’Être frothed up a nice, fine head, but it quickly dissipated to a thin veneer. Low to no lacing on the glass. The aroma is mild but hints at sweet fruit. Not a hoppy fruit, but something like cherries and candied orange slices. There’s also a light undertone of alcohol. But given the 8.0% ABV, that’s not surprising.

The surprising part was the very mild alcohol taste and warming. With the alcohol by volume strength, I expected a stronger bite, but was pleasantly surprised. The sweet malt and raisin (not raison) flavors accompany other complex essences: cloves, smokiness, molasses, mild rum, and brown sugar. Every drink is slightly different as I try to analyze it. I think this would go well with spicy foods or steak.

Coming to the end of my third, I finally found the alcohol warming that I expected in the taste, but it’s in my cheeks and forehead. The taste is so smooth that the 8% ABV sneaks up on you.

By now your turkey leftovers should be running short. Grab a six pack of Raison D’Être and fire up the grill for some steaks.

Stats
Brewer: Dogfish Head Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Website: http://www.Dogfish.com
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Alcohol Content: 8.0% ABV
Interesting Note: Similar to last night, I got interested in Dogfish Head’s brews after watching the documentary Beer Wars. But unlike Stone Brewery’s beers, which I’d already sampled, I’d never had a Dogfish Head beer before seeing that movie. Founder Sam Calagione was featured prominently and was such an engaging character that I went out the next day to find some Dogfish beer.

Stone Brewing – Arrogant Bastard Ale

For the Fourth Beer of Christmas, we got a little arrogant.  Please don’t tell Santa.

This one was a lighter weight echo of last night’s beer.  It’s classified as a Strong Ale (see Style below) bur reminds me a lot of a Pale Ale (and coincidentally, Strong Ale is a sub-class of Pale Ale).

The Arrogant Bastard builds up a nice head that quickly dissipates leaving a strong fruity hops scent frothing out of the glass.  The aroma of this beer is bolder than last night’s Hog Heaven.  It makes a beautiful mahogany brown glass.

The beer’s strong flavor bursts through the medium bodied beer with a caramel sweetness that accompanies the strong hops and warming alcohol flavors.  I thought the intense aroma might also mean a more intense flavor, but it was lighter, sweeter, and more complex than the Hog Heaven.

This is not for the faint of tongue, but it’s a nice change to my regular line up of beers.  Don’t plan on sharing this one.  Grab a big ol’ 22 oz. bottle for yourself and hang on tight for a strong, wild ride.

Stats
Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Location: Escondido, CA
Website: http://www.StoneBrew.com
Style: American Strong Ale
Alcohol Content: 7.2% ABV
Interesting Note: I’ve had a few beers from Stone Brewing before (their gargoyle logo and 22 oz. bottles make them stand out at the local beer stores), but I really got interested in their brews after watching the documentary Beer Wars which featured an interview with Co-Founder Greg Koch. The movie is available on Netflix (streaming and DVD) and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in craft beers.

Avery Brewing – Hog Heaven

For the Third Beer of Christmas, we tried a Barley Wine (see Style below).

I’ve only had two other Barley Wines in my life and didn’t like either.  Although during my days of homebrewing I always wanted to try to make one.  This one came highly recommended from a clerk my daughter knows at World Market.

The Hog Heaven pours out as a dark, golden orange color with a high level of fine carbonation.  The head built quickly and the crispness of the carbonation stayed in the feel of the beer until I was well near the bottom of the glass.  Which, in all honesty, took a while.  And that’s because …

Whoa!  This beer is a handful.  Or mouthful, rather.  You might need to brace yourself for this one.
The lightly fruity citrus aroma is accompanied by a strong whiff of alcohol.  Almost like if someone a couple of feet from you opened up a bottle of Cabo Wabo Anejo Tequila and you caught a light whiff of it.  These two smells can be compared to an old west gunslinger showing you his two six-guns when you meet in the street for a gun fight.  When you taste the beer, he’s just drawn on you and fired.

The intense hop taste followed by an alcohol warming in the throat is nearly overwhelming at first.  But over 5 or 6 drinks, it became more comfortable.  Possibly because it killed my taste buds.
It reminded me of an extra strong Double IPA.  Aubrey was not a fan of this one.  But, she’s not a fan of regular IPAs, much less doubles.

Give it a try, but you might want to be prepared to share the big 22 oz. bottle.  I have a second one in my refrigerator.  Wyatt … I’m bringing this to your house to share on your next Brew Day.

Stats
Brewer: Avery Brewing Company
Location: Boulder, CO
Website: http://www.AveryBrewing.com
Style: Barley Wine
Alcohol Content: 9.2% ABV
Interesting Note: Founder Adam Avery started Avery Brewing Company in 1993 after 7 years of home brewing experience.  To my home brewing friends out there … yes, you can turn your hobby into a career!  Please consider this to be my application to be your official alpha-taster!

Cervejaria Sul Brasileira – Xingu

The Second Beer of Christmas is a little difficult to pronounce, but well worth the effort.  Straight up from Brazil (where Christmas is in the middle of summer … crazy, I know), Cervejaria Sul Brasileira’s Xingu is pronounced shin-goo.

The first thing any drinker will notice is that this beer pours out an intimidating opaque black. I’ve had dark beers before, but this was a new level.  A moderate head developed and a chocolate/licorice scent peeked out of the glass.

But as bold as the beer looked, the flavor is moderate, especially compared to last night’s porter.  The chocolate and licorice come through subtly in the taste as well as mild coffee and even grass flavors.

Given that the beer is a lager (see the style Schwarzbier below), it’s no surprise that its light carbonation finishes off with a very smooth & creamy feel.  But even with the lighter and smoother taste (compared to last night’s porter), this isn’t one you’ll drink a lot of before you find yourself pretty full.

Don’t let the color scare you off.  Pour a glass and enjoy.

Stats
Brewer: Cervejaria Sul Brasileira
Location: Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Website: http://www.XinguBeer.com
Style: Schwarzbier
Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
Interesting Note: The beer is named for the 1,230-mile long Xingu River which flows nearby the brewery.

Deschutes Brewery – Black Butte Porter

For the First Beer of Christmas of the 2011 holiday season, we start with a style that I keep telling myself I don’t like.  The porter.  But somehow I keep liking every porter I try.  I guess I’m going to have to stop saying that.   (Side note … I also say this about brussels sprouts but on that count, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

Last year’s Sierra Nevada Porter and Real Ale Coffee Porter were both very tasty.  And since Christmas last year I’ve racked up another couple of porters, but I have to say that the Porter Crown goes to Black Butte.  Not only is this the best porter I’ve ever had, this ranks among the best beers I’ve ever drank.

The beer pours with a dark mahogany color and a thick, aromatic head that clings to the glass leaving a light caramel lacing.  Now … why is lacing important?  Beats me.  But I keep hearing that it is.  What the lacing seemed to reinforce was the thick, full bodied feel of the beer.  It was rich and thick.  Not like motor oil, but like a strong and delicious coffee.   And the remnants clung to the glass as a reminder.  I kept turning the glass as I drank to pick up those left over flavors.

The roasted malt and hops compliment each other in both the taste and smell.  The flavors of coffee and caramelized sugar underwrite the hops and mild to moderate bitterness.

You won’t want to drink a six pack of these.  And you won’t want one after mowing the lawn.  But this is a great replacement for a cabernet sauvignon or other rich wine.  In front of a fire or just relaxing on the couch, this is a glassful of pleasure.

Stats
Brewer: Deschutes Brewery
Location: Bend, OR
Website: http://www.DeschutesBrewery.com
Style: Porter (American)
Alcohol Content: 5.2% ABV
Interesting Note: Deschutes offers classes at the Deschutes Brewery University. They teach everything from the culture and science of beer to topics like oak aged barrels and “extraordinary ingredients.” The first class is coming up soon (Jan 3, 2012) so get a reservation soon if you’re in the Bend, OR, area.

The Twelve of 2011 – Go Buy ‘em!

It’s cold outside.  The mall parking lot is full.  And everywhere I go Alvin and the Chipmunks are singing carols.  So rejoice!  It’s time for the Twelve Beers of Christmas!

This year we’re going to do things a bit different.  We want you to join us.  We went out and bought the Twelve ahead of time and they are listed below along with the days that we’ll be drinking them.   All the beers were purchased at World Market so they should be easy to find just about anywhere you live (except in Omaha … you guys will have to run over to Des Moines or find another store that carries them).

Black Butte Porter, Xingu, Hog Heaven, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Raison D'Etre, Wheat Beer

This year’s Twelve Beers (in drinking order) are:

• Dec 25th – Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon
• Dec 26th – Xingu from Cervejaria Sul Brasileira in Brazil
• Dec 27th – Hog Heaven from Avery Brewing in Bolder, Colorado
• Dec 28th – Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing in Escondido, California
• Dec 29th – Raison D’Etre from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware
• Dec 30th – Wheat Beer from Napa Smith in Napa, California
• Dec 31st – Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale from New Belgium Brewing in Ft. Collins, Colorado
• Jan 1st – Old Chub Scotch Ale from Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery in Lyons, Colorado
• Jan 2nd – Agave Wheat from Breckenridge Brewery in Denver, Colorado
• Jan 3rd – Tumbler from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California
• Jan 4th – Samuel Adams Winter Lager from the Boston Beer Co. in Boston, Massachusetts
• Jan 5th – Chimay Grande Reserve from Bières de Chimay in Belgium

Frambozen, Old Chub, Agave Wheat, Tumbler, Winter Lager, Grande Reserve

 

We’ll post our thoughts sometime in the evening of each day and welcome you to drink along and post your thoughts in the comments section.

 

So … take a deep breath, run out and fight throuh the Christmas shoppers at World Market, buy yourself some beer, and join us on Christmas Day for the First Beer of Christmas.

Until then, prosit!

PS – The nice thing about World Market is that you can buy the beer in singles (at least you can here) instead of having to buy a six-pack of everything.

PPS – I have no idea why the Twelve are so heavily populated by Colorado (4) and California (3) beers.  Last year I tried to spread them around geographically. This year I just picked up beers that looked interesting and that I either hadn’t tried or hadn’t tried in a while.