The Tenth Beer of Christmas 2018 is Melon Cart from Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, California. It smells and tastes like the melon tray on a breakfast buffet.
Summary
Appearance: Hazy yellow, half a finger of foam which quickly disappeared
Aroma: Atrong cantaloupe and honeydew. Smells like the melon tray on a buffet line.
Taste: Lots of cantaloupes and some watermelon. A bit of yeast. Medium sweet.
Feel: Dry finish. Smooth. Light carbonation. Light to medium body.
The Seventh Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Saint Arnold Ale Wagger:
Summary
An American Brown Ale with a sweet, almost fruitcake aroma with a taste that brings the fruit and sweet malt back to the front. A good brew for a good cause. A portion of the proceeds of Ale Wagger sales goes to animal rescue charities.
The Sixth Beer of Christmas for 2016 is Uinta Brewing 23rd Anniversary Birthday Suit:
Summary
A soft, sour raspberry ale with a champagne-like finish. Those who are new to sours will like this. There's just a little bit of pucker and a whole lot of flavor.
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.
