Uinta Brewing Company- Wyld Extra Pale Ale

For the Fourth Beer of Christmas, we're trying something a little bit wyld, wyld, wyld!

Uinta Brewing Company
Wyld Extra Pale Ale

Prior to this year, I hadn't paid any attention to Utah breweries. It wasn't intentional, they just weren't on my radar. Maybe they were just crowded out by the abundant supplies of Colorado, California, Oregon, and Texas (the latter not being so much "abundant" as it is "abundant here in Texas.") Somehow, though, I managed to pick up two brews from Utah for this year's Twelve Beers. I haven't gotten to the second one yet -- that will happen on Day 10 -- but just from the first sips of this one, I'm glad Utah has brewers!

A hazy & pale honey-colored brew, Uinta (pronounced "you-in-tah") Wyld creates a nice 1-finger of foam on top which thins to a wisp of a head that stays with the beer all the way to the bottom of the glass. There is little to no lacing on the glass, although the bubbles cling to the side after each drink before slowly sliding back onto the beer.

Mixing equal parts floral shop and grapefruit, the aroma is light but prevalent. Even though it's definitely a hoppy brew, it's not overwhelming like some of the powerhouse IPAs. However, just opening the can and pouring the glass filled the room with a light, pleasant scent.

While grapefruit is in the aroma, the citrus in the taste seems to be more from limes or lemons. The nice citrus zing at the beginning of the drink is followed by a nice bittering from the hops on the back of the tongue. It's light, almost watery, and crisp with a fine carbonation.

For the IPA drinkers, it's a light weight and session-able drink. For the non-IPA drinkers, it might be a half step. However, my wife doesn't like IPAs and didn't even want to try a drink after smelling the brew. As for me, it was good. And since Lisa won't drink it, I get to have the rest of the six-pack!

Stats
Brewer: Uinta Brewing Company
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Website: http://www.uintabrewing.com
Style: American Pale Ale
Alcohol Content: 4.00% ABV
Interesting Note: Uinta took its name from the Uinta Mountains located in northeastern Utah. This subrange of the Rocky Mountains is notable for being the highest east-west running mountain range in the contiguous United States. The word Uinta is derived from the Ute Indians who used to inhabit the area.

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV - Duvel

For the Tenth Beer of Christmas, we drink the beer that introduced the tulip shaped glass to the beer drinking world.

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Duvel

In the 1960s, the third generation of the Moorgat family (the family that started and still owns Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV) decided that their beer deserved to be served in a unique glass. The tulip shaped beer glass held 33 centiliters (just over 11 oz) and, therefore, a full bottle of Duvel.

The glass is a beautiful, pale golden yellow with a thick head of medium sized bubbles. The head retention is impressive and a thin cap remained even at the end of the glass. Nice clumps of lacing adorned the sides of the glass.

A malty sweetness with notes of pepper and yeast are the main components of the aroma. There's also a little hint of hard apple cider coming from the fruity esters of the ale yeast and from the rather high alcohol component.

Duvel has a crisp and lively carbonation. It's sharp on the tongue, almost like champagne. It's similar to the First Beer (Brouwerij Lindemans' Framboise), but it's a bit stronger. Sweet, fruity flavors (apples and white grapes) and touches of alcohol come through with the first of the drink. Hoppy bitterness follows in the aftertaste. Pepper and other mild spices also come through. Of course, this is typical of most Belgian beers.

Overall, Duvel is a good pale ale. Crisp, clean, and very sessionable. However, like the Obscura from two nights ago, there are other great pale ales that come in at much more affordable prices. But the Belgian PLUS pale ale PLUS strong alcohol content style may be hard to find without dropping a few dollars.

Stats
Brewer: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Location: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
Website: http://www.duvel.com/
Style: Strong Pale Ale
Alcohol Content: 8.5% ABV
Interesting Note: Founded in 1871 by Jan-Leonard Moortgat, the brewery is still controlled by the Moortgat family. Over the years they've expanded their line of beers to include Maredsous (in conjunction with the monks of Maredsous Abbey) and they've purchased Brewery Ommegang, which produced the Third Beer of Christmas for 2013. In late 2013, they purchased another American brewer, Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri.

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.

Smithwick’s (Guinness) – Smithwick’s

For the Ninth Beer of Christmas, we hopped the pond again to visit the most famous brewery in Ireland.

At least I think Guinness is the most famous brewery in Ireland. It’s the only one I can name. Before we get into tonight’s beer, let’s start with a side note … I don’t like Guinness Stout, the brewery’s flagship. In my experience, it’s a love it or leave it drink, and I prefer to leave it. Every so often I try another one (I did on New Year’s Eve), and yet the result is always the same. Consequently, I didn’t have high hopes for this brew. But my low expectations were without merit.

A nice copper-brown, the Smithwick’s kept a nice head and filled the space around the glass with a malty, toffee aroma. A shade of hops adds complexity to the scent. It’s a nice smelling beer. It doesn’t scream “drink me,” but it’s inviting.

The flavor is equally hospitable to the mouth. It’s a medium body beer with a lightly sweet taste. The malt and hops come through and the drink finishes dry.

Smithwick’s is not a great beer, but I was pleasantly surprised given my non-Guinness bias. I’m not likely to run out a buy a 6-pack again any time soon, but I wouldn’t turn one down if it was offered to me. And if I ever wander into an Irish pub, it will probably be first on the list. Yes, if I find a good Irish pub (I’ll have to leave West Texas for that), there will be a list. I’ll probably even have another Guinness Stout (and I still won’t like it).

Stats
Brewer: Smithwick’s (Guinness)
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Website: http://www.Smithwicks.ie and http://www.Guinness.com
Style: Irish Red Ale (Pale Ale)
Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Interesting Note: Smithwick’s is purported to be Ireland’s oldest beer, being brewed since 1710 by John Smithwick. In 1965, Guinness purchased a controlling share in the Smithwick brewery. Up to that time, the brewery had been under the control of the Smithwick family. And at that time, This year, the beer celebrates it’s 300th anniversary.