Alaskan Brewing Co. - Winter Ale

For the Eighth Beer of Christmas, we went north to Alaska, north because the rush is on.  Of course, our gold was a little different than Johnny Horton's.

Alaskan is another brewer that has recently made its presence known on my local shelves.  I've had their White and Amber brews. Their short, color coded bottles definitely stand out on the shelves.

The Winter Ale, brewed with spruce tips, pours up an amber gold with a small head.  Now, the photo doesn't really represent the head well. I had camera issues so the head was nearly gone by the time I snapped the photo.  The head, little though it was, dissipated quickly and the low carbonation did nothing to support it.

The aroma is nice.  Sweet with a touch of bread and peach.  It's very mild, though, and took some focused inhaling.

Given the style, I expected a bit more body. The beer feels thin.  I think it's probably the low carbonation.  I like the taste.  Lightly sweet with a touch of bubblegum and lemony hops.  The spruce is also evident.  Not that I've eaten a lot of spruce, but there's a unique flavor on the sides of my tongue and I have to label it as "spruce."  I was surprised that even with the fairly high alcohol content, about like a Winter Warmer, the beer lacked the warming sensation I assumed it would have.

Overall this is a nice beer, but not one I'm likely to go after on a regular basis. Of course, I wouldn't turn it down if it was handed to me.

Aaron & Brandon didn't think it had much carbonation and Brandon added that it tasted like a tree.

Rating:

Aaron: 5
Brandon: 7
Wyatt: (Still out partying for New Years? We might need to send a search party.)
Tracy: 6

Stats
Brewer: Alaskan Brewing Company
Location: Juneau, AK
Website: http://www.AlaskanBeer.com
Style: English Olde Ale
Alcohol Content: 6.4% ABV
Interesting Note: Alaskan put a fair amount of thought and effort into their brewing system to establish a sustainable and "green" system.  I could write all about their efforts to capture and reuse carbon dioxide from fermentation, spent grain fueled grain dryer, and mash filter press.  But they're already done a nice job of that here: http://www.alaskanbeer.com/our-brewery/sustainable-brewing/brewhouse-innovation.html.  Give it a read.

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.