The Eleventh Beer of Christmas 2019 - Xingu

Xingu (pronounced shin-goo) is a 20th century beer based upon a recipe from 1557. That original recipe called for corn and yuca to be used in the beer.

Summary

• Appearance: Deep chestnut brown
• Aroma: Chocolate and licorice
• Taste: Less extreme than the dark color would make you think. Chocolate and licorice in the flavor, too, along with mild coffee and grass. A bit earthy and a bit sweet.
• Feel: Creamy like cream soda

Stats

• Brewer: Cervejaria Kaiser
• Location: Jacarei, Brazil
• Website: http://www.xingubeer.com/
• Style: Schwarzbier
• Alcohol Content: 4.7%

The Ninth Beer of Christmas 2019 - Old Engine Oil

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Summary

• Appearance: Black, just like used motor oil
• Aroma: Dark chocolate, medium roast coffee, and figs
• Taste: Not as heavy and filling as you'd think. Medium-heavy body. Lightly sweet. Lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.
• Feel: Good carbonation.

Stats

• Brewer: Harviestoun Brewery
• Location: Alva, Scotland
• Website: https://harviestoun.com/
• Style: English Porter
• Alcohol Content: 6.0%

The Seventh Beer of Christmas 2019 - The Oak Balthazar

Strong, sweet, and oaky. It's beer's version of delicious French toast.

Summary

• Appearance: Medium to dark brown like a chestnut-stained piece of furniture.
• Aroma: Sugar and spice and everything nice. It smells a little bit like French toast.
• Taste: Sweet and boozy with a strong oak aftertaste. There's also a bit of chia tea flavor that builds as you drink.
• Feel: Thanks to the sharp carbonation, the body is a little lighter than you would expect given the rich flavor.

Stats

• Brewer: Picobrouwerij Alvinne
• Location:  Zwevegem, Belgium
• Website: https://www.alvinne.com/
• Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
• Alcohol Content: 9.0%

The Fifth Beer of Christmas - Eisbock

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Summary

• Appearance: Clear, medium-dark brown with ruby highlights
• Aroma: Full of bread dough, dark cherries, dates, molasses, walnut, and licorice
• Taste: Medium body with a chewy feel, not boozy despite the alcohol content
• Feel: Light bittering on the end, smooth

Stats

• Brewer: Kulmbacher Brauerei
• Location: Kulmbach, Germany
• Website: https://www.kulmbacher.de/
• Style: Eisbock
• Alcohol Content: 9.2%

The Fourth Beer of Christmas 2019 - Russian Imperial Stout

From Russia with love, Baltika Breweries' Russian Imperial Stout sets a high bar for other Russian imperial stouts to follow. This is simply amazing.

Summary

• Appearance: Opaque black/brown with a nice head of tan bubbles that leave a lot of lacing
• Aroma: Unsweetened chocolate, dark fruit, charred coffee
• Taste: Dark roasted toffee, bittersweet chocolate, dark coffee, star anise, dates, cabernet sauvignon
• Feel: A touch short of really heavy, nice carbonation, dry finish, robust & complex

Stats

• Brewer: Baltika Breweries
• Location: St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
• Website: https://corporate.baltika.ru/
• Style: Russian Imperial Stout
• Alcohol Content: 10.0%

The First Beer of Christmas 2019 - Hitachino Nest Extra High

The First Beer of Christmas for 2019 is Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Next Extra High (XH) from Japan. Aged in shochu casks, this Belgian strong dark ale has a bright flavor and is delicious.

Summary

• Appearance: Dark copper with orange highlights, big bubbles that quickly dissipate
• Aroma: Caramel, plums, raisins, oak, and a kick of sake
• Taste: Brown sugar, toffee, oak, sake or sherry (probably shochu but I don't know what that tastes like), butterscotch, and a bit of spice
• Feel: Medium body, boozy feel, bright taste despite the dark coloring, dry finish, lightly tart

Stats

• Brewer: Kiuchi Brewery
• Location: Ibaraki-ken Naka-gun, Japan
• Website: http://kodawari.cc/
• Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
• Alcohol Content: 8.0%

Rahr & Sons - Winter Warmer

The Seventh Beer of Christmas 2017 is Winter Warmer from Rahr & Sons Brewing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Summary
Spiced just right with an extra dash of alcohol, perfect for warming you up on the inside.

• Appearance: Dark brown, burgundy around the edges.
• Aroma: Malty sweet, cinnamon, cherry pie
• Taste: Malty sweet, chocolate and toasted grain, cinnamon, raisins, crasins, & prunes, and warm gingersnap cookies. Finishes with spice and a warming boozy kick.
• Feel: Medium body, dry finish.

Stats

• Brewer: Rahr & Sons Brewing
• Location: Fort Worth, Texas
• Website: https://rahrbrewing.com/
• Style: Winter Warmer
• Alcohol Content: 8.0% ABV

Lakewood Brewing - Sin Mint Temptress

The Sixth Beer of Christmas 2017 is Sin Mint Temptress from Lakewood Brewing in Garland, Texas.

Summary
If it looks like a cookie, smells like a cookie, and tastes like a cookie, it's got to be a pretty tasty beer!

• Appearance: Nearly opaque black. Beige head of fine bubbles.
• Aroma: Smells like a Thin Mint along with some alcohol esters and toasted grains.
• Taste: Up front, sweet dark chocolate and that 9% alcohol. Finishes with a strong Thin Mint flavor.
• Feel: Medium to heavy body. Not ask silky smooth as their regular Temptress. I think the mint flavor breaks the silkiness.

Stats

• Brewer: Lakewood Brewing
• Location: Garland, Texas
• Website: http://lakewoodbrewing.com/
• Style: Imperial Milk Stout
• Alcohol Content: 9.1% ABV

Left Hand Brewing - Wake Up Dead Nitro

The Twelfth Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Left Hand Brewing's Wake Up Dead Nitro:

Summary
Cocoa, caramel, and licorice ... on nitro. A great combination.

Stats
Brewer: Left Hand Brewing
Location: Longmont, Colorado
Website: http://LeftHandBrewing.com/
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol Content: 10.20% ABV

Oskar Blues - Death by Coconut

The Eleventh Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Oskar Blues Death by Coconut:

Summary
A suprisingly delicious combination of two of my favorite things: porters and Almond Joys.

Stats
Brewer: Oskar Blues
Location: Longmont, Colorado
Website: https://www.OskarBlues.com/
Style: Porter
Alcohol Content: 6.50% ABV

Wasatch Brewery - The Devastator

The Tenth Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Wasatch Brewery's The Devastator:

Summary
Dangerously delicious, the Devastator is smooth brew that comes in at 8% ABV. Be careful!

Stats
Brewer: Wasatch Brewery
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Website: http://www.WasatchBeers.com/
Style: Doppelbock
Alcohol Content: 8.00% ABV

Belhaven Brewery - Belhaven Scottish Ale

The Ninth Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Belhaven Scottish Ale:

Summary
One of my early craft beers, Belhaven Scottish Ale has long been a favorite. Smokey and delicious, this one is sure to please.

Stats
Brewer: Belhaven Brewery
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
Website: http://www.Belhaven.co.uk/
Style: Scottish Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.20% ABV

Brouwerij Westmalle - Westmalle Dubbel

The Eighth Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Westmalle Dubbel:

Summary
The original dubbel, Westmalle set a bar for excellence in brewing and this is it. This fantastically complex beer is a world class drink that you won't want to share.

Stats
Brewer: Brouwerij Westmalle
Location: Malle, Belgium
Website: http://www.TrappistWestmalle.be/
Style: Dubbel
Alcohol Content: 7.00% ABV

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/.

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.

Santa Fe Brewing - Imperial Java Stout

For the Thirteenth Beer of Christmas, our final night in this Brewer's Dozen Celebration, we salute the Land of Enchantment with a beer that's worthy to come from such a magically named place.

Santa Fe Brewing
Imperial Java Stout

In October 2013 I visited Santa Fe, New Mexico, to attend a conference. The #2 item on my list for that trip, just below giving my presentation at said conference, was to visit the brewery that makes the magically delicious Imperial Java Stout. Yes, I know, I'm mixing geographic genres with Ireland's leprechauns with New Mexico's general air of enchantment.

Filled with a rich, cola colored brew that's capped with a thick, chocolate milk colored head of bubbles, you might think you've just poured yourself a coke float. Don't let the look fool you, this is much, much better tasting than any coke float! The head settles down and is just minimal traces across the top by the time you're halfway done. Lacing on the glass is spotty.

The aroma is a mix of roasted malts and roasted coffee beans. It's dark and rich with a bit of dark chocolate and a touch of sweet caramel to round it out. Despite being 8% ABV, there is little to no alcohol scent.

Similarly, the high alcohol content is masked by the intense flavor explosion of coffee and roasted malt. Coffee comes through at the forefront - fitting with "java" in the name - with roasted malts coming in not far behind. There's a bit of bittersweet baking chocolate in there, too. Hop flavor is minimal. Medium to full bodied with low to moderate carbonation, the drink clears the back of the tongue with a bittering that is more coffee than anything else.

The low alcohol feel and the subdued hops make me think this is more "coffee stout" than "imperial stout." However, the body and actual alcohol content tell a different story.

This is one of my all time favorite beers, which is why I chose to make it the final beer in this year's special Brewer's Dozen. If you're in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, or planning a trip to New Mexico, you owe it to yourself to stop by Santa Fe Brewing. It will be a treat. Try the Chicken Killer Barley Wine, too. I'm not generally a barley wine fan, but they made me a believer.

Stats
Brewer: Santa Fe Brewing Company
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Website: http://www.santafebrewing.com
Style: Imperial Stout
Alcohol Content: 8.00% ABV

Interesting Note: Possibly because this beer is so good and so coffee flavored, the folks at Santa Fe Brewing added some helpful instructions to the can. As seen in the picture above, there's a beer mug on the can with the words "after noon." On the opposite side of the can as seen to the right, there's a coffee cup with the words "before noon." So, coffee before noon and this beer after noon. Or, maybe they mean that in the mornings you should drink this from a coffee cup so that no one realizes what you're drinking. Yeah, I think that's a pretty good plan!

Ska Brewing - Autumnal Molé Stout

For the Ninth Beer of Christmas, we picked a drink that was nearly as black as the can in came in.

Ska Brewing Company
Autumnal Molé Stout

Brewed in Durango, Colorado, just across the border from New Mexico, the Molé Stout was inspired by Mexican and New Mexican cuisine. Along with cocoa nibs and spices, Ska Brewing uses three types of chili peppers (ancho, guajillo and New Mexico's own Hatch green chiles) when brewing this one.

A few people have suggested that on occasion I drink tar. Or, at the very least, motor oil. Pouring this beer into a glass, I can see their confusion. The Molé Stout pours up an opaque black with dark tan head almost half an inch thick. However, the head quickly fades to nothing, not even a ring around the glass. There's no lacing to speak of while drinking it.

Despite being a chili beer, the chili peppers take the background in the aroma. Which is nice. Some chili beers, such as Billy's Chilies from Twisted Pines Brewing in Boulder, Colorado, overwhelm you with the chilies, thereby making it a novelty beer and not one you want on a regular basis. However, the Molé Stout brings toasted dark malts, chocolate, vanilla and a little cinnamon to the forefront while letting the spiciness seep through in the background. It's very pleasant.

The peppers are a little more prevalent in the taste than in the nose. They're well balanced with dark chocolate, toasted malts, and a touch of nutmeg (not the cinnamon that I expected from the aroma.) The body is heavy and rich feeling. There's very little carbonation, which I think adds to the full body feel.

The beer was not only inspired by Mexican/New Mexican cuisine, but also designed to compliment them. I guess I'm going to have to see if I can find some Santa Fe style enchiladas here in Lubbock and try them with this stout.

Stats
Brewer: Ska Brewing Co.
Location: Durango, Colorado
Website: http://www.skabrewing.com
Style: Part Chile Beer and part Stout
Alcohol Content: 5.50% ABV
Interesting Note: Dedicated to their community (along with craft beer,) Ska is happy to donate beer to charitable causes in Southwest Colorado. There are a number of rules (read here) that outline the requirements, but if you're a 501(c)(3) in Southwestern Colorado and you aren't a children's or motor sporting event, you just might score some free Ska beer.

SanTan Brewing Company - Sex Panther

For the Eighth Beer of Christmas, we went with a beer that promises to work 60 percent of the time every time.

SanTan Brewing Company
Sex Panther

Even though this is named for the famed cologne from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, I'm fairly certain the beer does not contain actual bits of panther. However, it does have colonial rosewood cocoa and lots of chocolate malt that account for the double chocolate in the name.

A deep chocolate brown with mahogany highlights around the edge, a nice head for small tan bubbles forms on top sticks around for most of the drink. Near the end, it thins out to wispy patterns across the top of the glass.

Roasted malts make up the most prevalent aroma coming from the glass. Underlying scents include toasted walnuts and some sweet caramel. I don't smell as much in the way of cocoa or chocolate. Especially considering the double treatment this brew received.

However, the taste does have a healthy dose of bittersweet chocolate. The bitter roasted malt aftertaste similar to other porters, but overall the flavor reminds me a little more of a brown ale with porter tendencies.  Maybe a medium bodied winter warmer with a lower alcohol ester factor and no spices.

While it doesn't scream "traditional porter," it's definitely a drinkable brew. I like the roasted aftertaste. And I like the name as well as the can design. SanTan claims to brew southwestern style ales. What I did note about this beer is that for a porter, it seems very light. So maybe it is a porter, just a southwest porter that's very light and drinkable in hotter weather.

Stats
Brewer: SanTan Brewing Co.
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Website: http://www.santanbrewing.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol Content: 6.90% ABV
Interesting Note: Like a number of other breweries, including Dogfish Head (one of my favorites,) SanTan also operates a brewpub. At the brewpub they have a Randall the Enamel Animal - a hop inducer invented by none other than Dogfish Head. However, rather than just dry hopping beers, they use the Randall to impart mango flavoring to their Sunspot Golden Ale and peanut butter flavor to the double chocolate Sex Panther. Alright, this decides it. Either I have to buy a Randall for myself or I'm going to have to make a trip to Chandler, AZ, to try the creations at SanTan.

Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery - Old Chub NITRO

For the Sixth Beer of Christmas we ran into an old friend with a whole new groove.

Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Old Chub NITRO

As noted back during Christmas 2011, Oskar Blue's Old Chub was the first craft beer I ever drank that came in a can. There's been plenty since, including most of the Oskar Blues family, but Old Chub will always have a special "first place" in my heart. Now this first comes with a new twist ... nitrogen.

Like all nitrogenated beers, the can opened with a crisp release of pressurized air. I really enjoy watching the foam on a nitro beer. The thick creamy head sits on top like foam on a cappuccino with thousands of tiny bubbles rising in sheets. The head settled to an 1/8" cap and never went away. After each and every drink, all the way to the bottom, it blanketed the side of the glass with a flowing cascade of lacing.

Chocolate and roasted grain form most of the aroma. There's a bit of sweetness underneath as well as a touch of alcohol. However, I only got the alcohol scent after enjoying several long sniffs from the glass.

The mouth feel is extremely smooth and creamy, almost like a coke float after most of the ice cream has melted and the carbonation has left the coke. There is a lot of sweet caramel in the taste along with some semi-sweet chocolate and bread in the beginning and dark bitter chocolates at the finish.

I have one can left from the four-pack I purchased. I'm going to save it until I can get back to Spec's and buy some of the original Old Chub. I'd like to try them side-by-side and see how they compare.

Stats
Brewer: Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
Location: Lyons, Colorado
Website: http://www.oskarblues.com
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Alcohol Content: 8.00% ABV
Interesting Note: Despite what I've heard said a few times, nitro beers are not "nitro" due to nitrous oxide - what your dentist uses on your and what rockets & race cars use for that extra oomph. Good thing, too, as Vin Diesel will be needing all the NOS he can get for Fast & Furious 8 (you know it's coming sooner or later.) The nitro in nitro beers is pure nitrogen, but it's a mixture of both nitrogen and traditional carbon dioxide that creates the bubbles. The mixture varies, but it tends to be around 30% nitrogen and 70% carbon dioxide.

Anderson Valley Brewing - Winter Solstice

For the Fifth Beer of Christmas, we prepare for snow & ice with a winter warmer.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

This is the first beer I've had from Anderson Valley, but based upon tonight's results, others will certainly follow.

The beer pours up a nice chestnut amber-brown with a frothy, light beige head that subsides to a thin cap with scattered webs of chunky lacing. The head adds volume to the aromatics, allowing the smell of sweet malt with pine and cloves. Even a light touch of vanilla.

The mouth-feel is thick with much of the aroma coming through in the taste. The sweet malt is at the forefront. It's a bit roasted and the bittering that comes with that and the hops hits the back of the tongue on the finish. Before that, though, cloves and black pepper cut the sweetness of the malt and join a nice alcohol ester that warms despite the drink being cold.

After the Twelve Beers is over, I'll be running by Spec's to see what other Anderson Valley varieties they carry.

Stats
Brewer: Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Location: Boonville, California
Website: http://www.avbc.com
Style: Winter Warmer
Alcohol Content: 6.90% ABV
Interesting Note: Anderson Valley (the valley, not the brewery) is the origin of the Boontling language, a homegrown language or jargon developed about the time of the beginning of the 20th century. You can read more about Boontling at it's Wikipedia entry or watch this YouTube video.