Kona Brewing Co. - Big Wave Golden Ale

For the Twelfth Beer of Christmas, I dreamed of warm, sunshiny days far away from the snow in my yard.

Kona Brewing
Big Wave

This year my snow shovel learned its true purpose. It's a week after the snowfall and there's still snow everywhere. This in a city that's usually clear of snow in a day or two. What better way to get my mind off the snow than to drink a cold beer from a warm locale?

Golden certainly describes this one as it creates a glass of transparent gold with a head of solid white foam. Moderate lacing lines the glass as the head fritters away to almost nothing after just a few drinks.

The aroma is lightly sweet with a strong peach component. Other scents that come to mind are lime and toast on the lowest setting of my toaster.

With a light to medium body, Big Wave starts out lightly sweet and finishes with a distinct wash of lime. Have you ever had a sour lime at Sonic? That's lime and carbonated water. It's kind of like that. It leaves your mouth clean and ready for the next drink. At 4.4% ABV, this is a dangerous combination. You could accidentally drink 6 or 8 after mowing the yard on a hot Saturday afternoon. But hey, you earned those 6 or 8, right? Of course you did. Enjoy!

Light, clean, and refreshing. This is another that any beer drinker will enjoy.

Stats
Brewer: Kona Brewing Company
Location: Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Website: http://www.KonaBrewingCo.com/
Style: American Blonde Ale
Alcohol Content: 4.40% ABV
Interesting Note: I have two interesting notes for this. First, about the brewery, you may be thinking as I did, "Isn't it expensive to ship beer from Hawaii to the mainland?" Yes, yes it is. Consequently Kona joined the Craft Brew Alliance along with founders Redhook and Widmer Brothers to expand their brewing footprint and share other resources. So that Kona you're drinking, while designed in Hawaii, probably came from Portland.

Second, I was introduced by my friend Wyatt who had it while on one of his trips to Hawaii. Wyatt is also a homebrewer and liked it so much that he decided to try to brew his own. As many homebrewers are wont to do, he tinkered with the clone recipe until he came up with a bigger & bolder Big Wave. He named it Tsunami. While still clean, crisp and citrusy refreshing, it is medium bodied and clocks in around 7% ABV. Yes, also dangerous after mowing the lawn Or watching TV.

Wyatt brewing his Tsunami

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

For the Eleventh Beer of Christmas, I opened a big ol' beer.

Lagunitas Brewing Co.
A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

Lagunitas rolls out hit after hit. I've never tried this one before but it's definitely up to spec with the rest of the line up.

This one needs an over-sized glass. The medium gold beer quickly foams up a large, soft-white head that leaves outrageous lacing. Check out the picture at the bottom.  Here's why: wheat has higher protein levels which contribute to foam stability. That means better, longer-lasting head on the beer and it gives the beer a fuller feel.

It smells of orange juice, spices, and sweet malt. At first it made me think of wassail. Piney hops continue to enhance the Christmasy feel. There's enough of a hop punch to ward off non-IPA drinkers.

The taste clocks in a little closer to that of an American IPA except smoother and thicker. Floral and fruity hops give it an IPA punch in the mid- and after-taste. However, the edges are rounded off making this beer very sessionable. Light alcohol esters come out as the beer warms and become more obvious in the taste.

Carbonation streams out to the last drink keeping the body crisp and the head charged.

The style proclaims it as an American Pale Wheat Ale, but I'd call it more of an India Pale Wheat Ale. Just fuller and softer. It's a great drink.

Stats
Brewer: Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Location: Petaluma, California
Website: http://www.Lagunitas.com/
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Alcohol Content: 7.50% ABV
Interesting Note: Back in the early days of Lagunitas, the brewery used to throw parties every Thursday afternoon at 4:20pm. Yes, that 4:20. On Thursday, March 17, 2005 - St. Patrick's Day - the brewery got a surprise visit from the police. The small company survived that encounter and every spring they brew Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale to commemorate what they now call the St. Patrick's Day Massacre. Check out the video below for the whole story.

Lots of lacing on this Little Sumpin' Sumpin'

Nebraska Brewing Co. - Brunette Nut Brown Ale

For the Tenth Beer of Christmas, I thought the bartender tore open my can.

Nebraska Brewing
Brunette Nut Brown Ale

The first time I had a beer from Nebraska it was their hefeweizen while at The Boot, a Cajun restaurant in Houston. BTW, I highly recommend it if you have the chance to go there. Anyway, the bartender opened the can and I thought she'd tore the whole top of the can off. Picture at the bottom of this post.

Rust colored and murky, the beer has an ominous look. But it's the kind of ominous that you know you have to investigate. The head is cream colored with big bubbles. It disappears quickly (about three to five sips in) leaving no notable lacing and a light ring of tiny bubbles where the beer meets the glass.

Lightly scented, the beer's aroma combines hazelnut with a bit of sweet toast, sort of like brown sugar on bread and toasted just long enough to get it to caramelize.

The taste follows the nose with sweet, caramel malts and a hazelnut coffee flavor. There's also a light hoppy bitterness at the end. This light bodied beer carried only a tiny amount of carbonation through to the last third of the glass giving it a very smooth finish.

What can I say, I'm a fan. Over the last six months, this has become my go-to brown ale. I randomly pick up a six pack every month or so. Their hefeweizen and IPA are also good, just not as good (in my opinion) as their brown ale.

Stats
Brewer: Nebraska Brewing Company
Location: Papillion, Nebraska
Website: http://www.NebraskaBrewingCo.com/
Style: English Brown Ale
Alcohol Content: 4.80% ABV
Interesting Note: In September 2015, Nebraska Brewing received a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for their Mélange a Trois Belgian Golden Strong Ale (it comes in a bottle, not a can.) I noticed that Nebraska has won a lot of awards.

My first beer from Nebraska Brewing

Founders Brewing Co. - Founders Porter

For the Ninth Beer of Christmas, we turn to the dark side.

Founders Brewing Company
Founders Porter

Maybe Palpatine offered this to Anakin. If so, who could blame him for going to the dark side?

Disclaimer: Porters are my favorite style of beer. That doesn't mean I love all porters, but I do want to try them all.

This one pours up almost as black as Vader's helmet. Can you tell that I haven't been to see The Force Awakens yet? Held up to a light, there are some coffee brown edges, but other than that it's like looking into a starless night sky. The head is tan and composed of tiny bubbles that leave only minimal lacing along the glass.

Dark chocolate is the primary scent. Floral hops combine with smokey malts and toasted pumpernickel to round out the aroma palette. The smoke and toast are faint while the chocolate and hops are pronounced and combine for a robust experience.

The flavor profile starts smooth and finishes robust. Bitter dark chocolate and roasted chocolate malts make up most of the flavor with bittering hops and smoke filling in the gaps. Big and bold, thick and chewy, Founders Porter defines the style "robust porter."

This isn't a starter porter. If you don't love a strong, dark beer, pass by this one. It might not be for you. However, if you like or love porter or stouts, grab a six pack of this. The Force is strong with this one.


Stats
Brewer: Founders Brewing Company
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Website: http://www.FoundersBrewing.com/
Style: Porter (American)
Alcohol Content: 6.50% ABV
Interesting Note: Founders takes it upon themselves to educate people about the craft beer. If you're in Grand Rapids, check out one of their classes: Sensory Evaluation, Palate Exploration, and Beer 101. If you can't make it up there for a class, you can at least download a desktop, phone, or tablet wallpaper: http://foundersbrewing.com/downloadables/.

Prairie Artisan Ales - Prairie Standard

For the Eighth Beer of Christmas, we were drinking on Tulsa Time.

Prairie Artisan Ales
Prairie Standard

Or if you're a little more rock n roll, maybe you'd prefer this Sheryl Crow & Eric Clapton version.

This was another beer with a quick forming head that had me sipping it to prevent an overflow during picture time. Pure white, the big bubbles formed quickly and left chunky lacing as I drank it. If you pour the beer quickly, it's a clear, pale gold. However, they've left lots of great yeast in the bottom of the bottle. When you get it about 3/4's poured, stop and give the bottle a big swirl to pick up that yeast and then pour it in.* That will turn your clear beer cloudy and give you lots of little floaters. That's just extra flavor ... enjoy!

The aroma is full of lime with pepper and star anise. I couldn't put a name on that last one until Lisa opened up the spice cabinet and made me smell different things. Word of caution ... don't inhale too deeply when you're smelling a container of star anise.

Rather than lime, I tasted lemon zest as a major part of the beer. It's starts out lightly sweet, carries a wash of white pepper as most of the spiciness, and then finish with a bitter lemon zest. With a light body and crisp, effervescent sensation with each drink, don't be surprised when you're opening a second just before you finish your first.

This is a highly drinkable beer and the brewery is on my must visit list for my next trip to Tulsa.


Stats
Brewer: Prairie Artisan Ales
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Website: http://www.PrairieAles.com/
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.20% ABV
Interesting Note: At just over 3 years old, Prairie is pretty young. Until two years ago, they borrowed brewing time at Choc Beers in Krebs, Oklahoma. As near as I can tell from my searching, Choc Beer is brewed a Pete's Place, an Italian restaurant and brew pub. This is on my "to visit" list, too.

* For most of my homebrewed beers, I tend to avoid the "stuff" in the bottom of the bottle. However, if a professional brewer leaves something in the bottle, it's meant to be swirled up into suspension and enjoyed.

Epic Brewing Co. - Brainless Raspberries

For the Seventh Beer of Christmas (New Year's Eve!,) I found a great replacement for that flute of champagne you're considering.

Epic Brewing
Brainless Raspberries

I have never been a fan of champagne. I know, some of you will think that's crazy but that's just me. On New Year's I will typically drink the obligatory flute of champagne, but I think tonight I'll simple fill that glass with another serving of Brainless Raspberries. It's a tart, sweet, and fruity bubblicious brew that would be at home in a pint glass or champagne flute.

The glass looked like a dark, fizzy glass of Cherry 7-Up as I pour out of the 12 ounce can. A loose cluster of large bubbles formed on the top of the beer, but quickly dissipated. In fact, it was gone by the time I finished taking my pictures. However, like champagne, it continued to bubble and fizz a bit as I drank to the bottom of the glass.

The predominant smell is, of course, raspberries. It reminds me a bit of a lightly sweetened compote: mostly tart but a bit of sweet. Yeast bread dough comes through, too.

Raspberries are the taste. It starts out sweet and finishes tart. There's also a big bubblegum flavor. It makes me think of Hubba Bubba from back when I was in high school and I chewed bubble gum all the time. The flavor rounds out with a bit of yeast, vanilla, and orange rind. I found it interesting that the flavor overrode and hid the high alcohol content. I barely noticed the 9.7% ABV.

The mouthfeel is interesting. This is when the champagne replacement hit me. After each drink, there was a refreshing wash of carbonation throughout my whole mouth leaving a lightly astringent sensation.

Fruit beers are a nice change of pace once in a while, but they'll never be my go-to beer. However, I could see myself going back to this one now and then to break up my typical porter/stout line-up.

Stats
Brewer: Epic Brewing Company
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Website: http://www.EpicBrewing.com/
Style: Fruit / Vegetable Beer
Alcohol Content: 9.70% ABV
Interesting Note: Founders David Cole and Peter Erickson started business together in 1992 as an aquaculture company. When Utah's beer laws became more relaxed in 2008, the pair started a craft brewery.

Redhook Brewery - Redhook ESB

For the Sixth Beer of Christmas, I drank a better version of Harry Potter's butterbeer.

Redhook Brewery
Redhook ESB

While snowed in over the weekend, we puttered around while the Harry Potter movies played on the TV in an all day marathon. Drinking this, I thought back to the movies but I would much prefer this buttery treat.

The white head that forms is first made of large while bubbles, but those quickly break down into a thin cap of bubbles to tiny that they almost look like whipped cream. The beer itself is bright copper in color and clear enough that I can read my computer screen through the glass. Fine wisps of  lacing hug the glass with each drink, leaving a cascade of white lines and the beer disappears.

The aroma is a mix of light floral hops, sweet caramel malts, and butter. The technical term for the latter is diacetyl (DIE-a-see-till.) This rather interesting article will help you learn to discern it if you do not detect it on your own.

Starting out sweet, the taste carries forward the caramel of the aroma along with some biscuit and citrus fruits. The finish brought on the hop bitterness with a very grapefruity flavor. Medium bodied, this brew is definitely thirst quenching and sessionable. The buttery scent carries into the taste only a bit, but a creamy butter-like smoothness is prevalent with each drink.

Redhook describes their ESB as smooth and bold. I think that's apt. And I think I'll have another.

Stats
Brewer: Redhook Brewery
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Website: http://www.RedHook.com/
Style: Extra Special Bitter
Alcohol Content: 5.80% ABV
Interesting Note: Like many breweries, Redhook has a humble origin. The brewery began in a transmission shop in Seattle, Washington. Before long, demand led them to build an east coast location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Big Bend Brewing - Big Bend Hefeweizen

For the Fifth Beer of Christmas, I drank a new favorite.

Big Bend Brewing
Big Bend Hefeweizen

I drank my first Big Bend beer (22 Porter) just over a year ago. Shortly thereafter I tried the rest of the lineup and then made the four hour drive to Alpine to visit the brewery. Given the complete lack of a craft beer brewer (other than brew pubs) in Lubbock, I now think of Big Bend as my hometown brewery.

The Big Big Hefeweizen is my favorite beer of theirs and my all-time favorite hefeweizen.

A pale straw color, the beer pours with a large, quickly forming head. So quick, in fact, that I had to take a drink just before I took the picture to keep it from overflowing. The head is a clean white with the normal hazy hefeweizen appearance of the beer itself. Small trails of bubbles continue to emerge all the way to the final drink leaving a small cap of foam even at the bottom of the glass.

The rich aromas of bananas, lemons and cloves fill the nose. A bit of black pepper and yeast ride the edges on a big sniff .

The taste follows the aroma with sweet bananas (almost fried,) cloves, and tart lemon. A lot of people will place a lemon in their hefeweizen. This one doesn't need a lemon. However, I have had it with a lemon wedge before and that is great, too.

A medium-weight body with a sharp carbonation, the beer is absolutely revitalizing and refreshing. Perfect on a hot summer day or next to a fire in the winter.

Big Bend recommends it with a number of foods including Mexican. I'll definitely be giving this a try on our next taco night.

With it's somewhat limited distribution (Western Texas and New Mexico,) you'll have to look hard or travel to find it. And it's worth the effort.


Stats
Brewer: Big Bend Brewing
Location: Alpine, Texas
Website: http://www.BigBendBrewing.com/
Style: Hefeweizen
Alcohol Content: 5.60% ABV
Interesting Note: Well, this is an epic bummer. Last January, I met Steve Anderson, Big Bend's brew master and the living legend who grew Live Oak (in Austin) to prominence. I Googled him just now to get a few facts about him because he's an interesting guy. I mean, he was the first brew master in the first brew pub in Texas.

I found this out 5 minutes before I typed these words: prostate cancer took Steve's life on November 25, 2015.

I feel abnormally sad at the passing of a man I hardly even know. In our brief encounter (just the two of us visiting for maybe 5 minutes during my private tour which was cut short by a freak snow storm,) I got the sense of a soft spoken, passionate, and giving man.

The brewery suggests that a donation to Pints for Prostates would be a good tribute to Steve.

Steve Anderson
January 13, 1962 - November 25, 2015
Photo from Big Bend's Website

Grupo Modelo - Negra Modelo

For the Fourth Beer of Christmas, we slipped across the southern border for my favorite beer from Mexico.

Grupo Modelo
Negra Modelo

While I rarely buy this to drink at home, it is a frequent purchase at Mexican restaurants. It goes nicely with most Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes and is generally available. It's also a far cry better than most of the Mexican selections (Corona, Tecate, Dos Equis, etc.)

Crystal clear and medium brown, Negra Modelo pours up with a fine body of carbonation that barely stuck around long enough for me to snap photos. While the carbonation did stick around, there was little to no lacing.

The aroma is sweet - a combination of malt and caramel. Mild and not particularly impressive, you'll barely notice the smell unless you attempt to find it. Especially if you're in a Mexican food restaurant with the chilis and fajitas wafting in the air.

The taste is extremely smooth and refreshing. Lightly sweet, like the aroma, the beer is also a bit thin in the body, almost watery. This, of course, makes it very thirst quenching. However, unlike many of it's Mexican counterparts, Negra has a partially concealed complexity that won't be obvious unless you're focused on it. Hints of lemon and toasted bread abound.

Crisp carbonation finishes the drink and leaves a mild, semi-sweet taste - perfectly cleansing the palate for another bit of enchiladas.

The flavor is good and I wouldn't mar it by putting a lime in it. Unlike it's cousins, you don't need to mask the taste of this beer. Next time you're at your favorite Mexican, Tex-Mex, or New Mexican restaurant, trade in your Corona, Tecate, or Dos Equis or this one. Now, in all fairness, Dos Equis is also good and it's my 2nd choice at Mexican restaurants.

Stats
Brewer: Grupo Modelo (Parent: Anheuser-Busch InBev)
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Website: http://www.gmodelo.com.mx/
Style: Munich Dunkel
Alcohol Content: 5.4%
Interesting Note: In 1993, Anheuser-Busch bought a 14% stake in Grupo Modelo and continued to make further purchases until they hit 50.2% in 1997.  In 2013, Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased the remaining 49.8% and Grupo Modelo flies under the flag of the world's largest brewer. I'm a little tired of AB InBev. Between their attempts to force the market to submit to them and their continued purchases of craft brewers, they are squeezing the life out of craft brewing. AB InBev owns Modelo & Corona. Heineken owns Dos Equis and Tecate. Does this mean I'll stop drinking Negra Modelo? No. But it does mean that I will try a little harder to find an alternative so I can support the small breweries that bring such variety to my palate.

Victory Brewing Co. - Golden Monkey

For the Third Beer of Christmas, I had to be very careful because this beer is like Teddy Roosevelt, it speaks softly and carries a big stick.

Victory Brewing
Golden Monkey

Well, it doesn't speak that softly. It's a flavorful and intensely drinkable beer. And because of that, the 9.5% ABV will sneak up on you and whack you in the back of the head with the aforementioned big stick.

This is a beautiful golden beer. A light haze keeps it from being completely clear, but it's still transparent enough to see through. Tiny bubbles continued to flow to the surface up until my very last drink. Originally, the head formed with large bubbles that quickly dissipated leaving only a small swirl of bubbles across the top. Even though there was no lacing, the small bubbles leaving the brew did cling to the glass at every sip.

Packed with yeasty goodness, the aroma is also lightly floral (not IPA floral) with a hint of caramel and lemon. Digging deep into the smell, there's also just a bit of banana mixed in with that sweet caramel.

Like most tripels, there's a clove-like spice at the forefront along with a sweetness that is much like a saison or farmhouse ale. Drinking at a normal pace, you'll miss the high alcohol esters. So, please, sip this and enjoy them because they are there. Also, if you sip it you'll realize that it is carrying a big stick!

Somewhere between medium and full bodied, the beer leaves a bit of a sweet aftertaste that doesn't quite clear despite the sharp, lingering carbonation.

I had to think about this one. It's not quite what I expect of a tripel. It misses the mark just a bit. However, it's still a wonderful drink. A bastard, if you will, that resembles it's father but also stands on its own. I would definitely drink this again. Scratch that, I will drink this again.


Stats
Brewer: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Website: http://www.VictoryBeer.com
Style: Tripel
Alcohol Content: 9.50% ABV
Interesting Note: A lot of brewers have blogs and I'm sure some (that I haven't run across) do this also, but Victory is the first I've seen that uses its blog to celebrate it's employees. As far back and June 2011, their blog contains "Meet Victory ..." posts which introduce you to every from the co-founders to the brewers to the human resources staff to the house band (the Dirty Firkins.) Sure, the blog contains other cool information, but I love that they celebrate their employees with these spotlight articles.

Boulevard Brewing Co. - Unfiltered Wheat

For the Second Beer of Christmas, I decided to turn off my filter, too. No, wait, that's probably not a good idea.

Boulevard Brewing
Unfiltered Wheat

Boulevard Brewing's Unfiltered Wheat is a crisp, clean beer that anyone (from a IPA-fan to a stout heavyweight, to a Budweiser drinker) can enjoy.

Pouring up a deep yellow, almost gold, the beer is predictably cloudy. A thick head formed in the glass and I had to pause to keep it from overflowing. Very little lacing was left behind and the head fizzled away by the time I was halfway through the glass.

Unlike a hefeweizen or Belgian wit, this wheat beer lacks the scent of bananas and cloves that I usually associate with wheat beers. However, it is fresh if you focus you'll get a touch of floral, a bit of yeast, and a lemony undertone. If you're trying to convert a Bud/Coors drinker, the smell of this beer will not scare them away.

Similarly, the taste is very smooth and clean with a light touch of lemon. It was a bit too clean and too understated for me. Not bad, just not enough there for me. Perhaps I've grown too accustomed to the hefes and wits. However, it is extremely refreshing and is not a challenge, especially for new craft beer drinkers. If my local pub, which I frequent every week, had this on tap, I'd would just as often have this as the usual Shiner Bock that I order. The clean taste is finished off by a slight dryness which makes this light-bodied beer extremely drinkable. On a hot day, it would be a definite thirst quencher.

Keep this one in your refrigerator and any beer drinker who stops by will enjoy it.

Stats
Brewer: Boulevard Brewing Co.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Website: http://www.boulevard.com/
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Alcohol Content: 4.40% ABV
Interesting Note: I haven't visited this brewery but I can already tell that I would enjoy it. I like breweries that like to be involved with their patrons. From their blog, sponsored events, and tours, you can tell they like to be involved. They take it a step further, though, with brewery rentals. That's right. You could get married or have a party or even hold your conference right in the brewery. I've seen lots of wineries that offer that kind of event service, but this is one of the few breweries that seem to. I'm looking forward to visiting sometime soon.

Odell Brewing Co. - 90 Shilling Ale

For the First Beer of Christmas, Colorado emulated Scotland and sunk a hole in one!

Odell Brewing
90 Shilling Ale

Years ago when I first saw an Odell beer, my mind read as "O'Doul's" and I thought, "I don't want that crap." I am glad I took a second look at the label and realized my mistake because Odell has a fantastic line up of beers and is on my short list of breweries to visit the next time I'm in Colorado.

90 Shilling Ale is Odell's flagship brew and it's definitely a standard around which their entire selection can rally. The style is Scottish Ale, but it's a light Scottish that comes across as a bold American Amber.

A coppery-amber, the beer pours up with a half inch head of off-white foam. Light to moderate lacing clings to the glass all the way to the bottom of the drink. This, of course, is erased when you pour your next glass. And you will. Trust me. I only got to this paragraph before popping the top off number two.

At first the aroma hit me as almost Belgian with a bit of yeast and spice and some grass thrown in to boot. However, after a bit it became more clear that these were more of an evergreen aroma. Spicy, floral (somewhat hop-like,) and lightly malty with a biscuit finish. My wife (who generally dislikes IPAs) was afraid the floral/evergreen aroma meant she was in for something she wouldn't like, was surprised when she took her first sip.

Despite that floral-ness that often accompanies an IPA, the flavor lacks that hop bite and is, instead, mildly sweet with caramel malt. There is a bit of citrus and pine - to go along with the evergreen aroma - that balance the malt and make this drink thoroughly sessionable due to it's medium body and effervescent carbonation.

Wow! What a way to begin the Twelve Beers. Hey ... you other eleven ... the bar has been set very high.

Stats
Brewer: Odell Brewing Company
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Website: http://www.odellbrewing.com/
Style: Scottish Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.30% ABV
Interesting Note: We've all heard of pairing beer (or wine) with food, but Odell takes the concept to a new level with Mood Pairing (http://www.odellbrewing.com/mood-pairing/ .) After a nine question survey (from What Time Is It to Whose Spirit Are You Currently Channeling to What's the Weather Doin') Odell will kindly tell you what kind of beer you're in the mood to drink. It turns out that I'm always in the mood for a beer.

The Twelve Beers of Christmas 2015

After five years and 60 different beers (61 total beers but I accidentally reviewed one beer in two different years,) I decided to make a list so as not to repeat a beer. In the process, this year's theme became a simple one: beers from breweries that I've never reviewed before.

It didn't take long to realize that many beers I enjoy come from breweries that have never appeared on the Twelve Beers list before. Let's fix that!

All beers were purchased at Spec's in Lubbock, Texas, and the total for the 12 six-pack (actually, one is a four pack) was just under $110.

Buy them now and we'll start drinking and reviewing them on the First Day of Christmas (aka, December 25, 2015.)

Your beers, in the order we'll drink them, are ...

Click for full size photo

1. Odell 90 Shilling Ale by Odell Brewing Company
2. Unfiltered Wheat by Boulevard Brewing Co.
3. Golden Monkey by Victory Brewing Company
4. Negra Modelo by Grupo Modelo
5. Big Bend Hefeweizen by Big Bend Brewing
6. Redhook ESB by Redhook Brewery

Click for full size photo

7. Brainless Raspberries by Epic Brewing Company
8. Prairie Standard by Prairie Artisan Ales
9. Founders Porter by Founders Brewing Company
10. Brunette Nut Brown Ale by Nebraska Brewing Co.
11. A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale by Lagunitas Brewing Co.
12. Big Wave Golden Ale by Kona Brewing Co.

Get your beers and get ready! It's almost the most wonderful time of the year!