The Tenth Beer of Christmas 2019 - Irish Wheat

When I think Guinness, I always think of Guinness Stout. From now on, I'll definitely think Guinness the next time I want something light, too.

Summary

• Appearance: Hazy straw with lots of chunky floaters
• Aroma: Lemons, bananas, white pepper, coriander, cloves, cracker
• Taste: Yeast, graham cracker, banana, a little lemon, and a little pepper
• Feel: Creamy texture, medium body

Stats

• Brewer: Guinness & Company
• Location: Dublin, Ireland
• Website: https://www.guinness.com/
• Style: Hefeweizen
• Alcohol Content: 5.3%

The Sixth Beer of Christmas - √225 Saison

Packed so full of lemon that the aroma will waft through the entire room.

Summary

• Appearance: Hazy yellow/gold with hints of orange, a bit of lacing.
• Aroma: Big burst of lemon fills the room as soon as you pop open the bottle. Yeast and a touch of apple cider vinegar are also present.
• Taste: Strong lemon zest with the funk of wild yeast. Some white pepper and a bit of oak.
• Feel: Light with sharp carbonation. It finishes with a tart pear or granny smith apple feel around the edge of the tongue.

Stats

• Brewer: Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes
• Location: Saignelégier, Switzerland
• Website: https://www.brasseriebfm.ch/
• Style: Belgian Saison
• Alcohol Content: 5.0%

Big Bend Brewing - National Park Hefeweizen

The Second Beer of Christmas 2017 is National Park Hefeweizen from Big Bend Brewing in Alpine, Texas.

Summary
My favorite beer from Big Bend and one of my favorite hefeweizens. Delicious and refreshing.

• Appearance: Hazy gold, small head, very little lacing
• Aroma: Yeast and spice, a bit of straw
• Taste: Lots of cloves, some banana. Citrusy lemon. Yeasty & filling.
• Feel: Rich feeling for a light to medium bodied beer.

Stats

• Brewer: Big Bend Brewing
• Location: Alpine, Texas
• Website: http://bigbendbrewing.com/
• Style: Hefeweizen 
• Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV

Audacity Brew House - Repercussion

The First Beer of Christmas for 2017 is Repercussion from Audacity BrewHouse in Denton, Texas.

Summary
Tasty beer with a nice aroma and a fruity flavor.

• Appearance: Hazy amber, decent head, no lacing
• Aroma: Fruity and yeasty aroma, almost a touch sour.
• Taste: Lightly sweet. Lightly smokey. Mild hop. Yeasty. Sharp finish.
• Feel: Rich with a medium body.

Stats

• Brewer: Audacity Brew House
• Location: Denton, Texas
• Website: http://www.audacitybrewhouse.com
• Style: Altbier
• Alcohol Content: 5.0% ABV

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

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.

Cedar Creek Brewery - Scruffy's Smoked Alt

For the Second Beer of Christmas, we went old school. Or, rather, alten Schule.

Cedar Creek Brewery
Scruffy's Smoked Alt

At only two years of age, Cedar Creek Brewery creates session-able beers with complex flavors. Scruffy's Smoked Alt is my favorite from their line up.

Golden-amber, the 16 ounce can makes for a full glass, especially with the head of large bubbles that form on top and quickly give way to a thin cap of small bubbles. The cap clears away quickly, though, and leaves little to no lacing on the glass and only the slightest ring of bubbles around the edge.

A faint campfire smell, like when you burn a light wood, wafts from the glass. It's pleasant and accompanies subtle floral hops and the sweetness of apples.

Some smoke beers - Rauchbiers, if you're German - are overpowering. But, true to Cedar Creek's mission of creating session-able drinks, the smoke is in the background and adds to the flavor rather than ruling it. Semi-sweet malt, pears, and fresh yeast make up most of the flavor of this medium body beer.

Even though this is definitely a session beer, the smoke flavor does build. Similar, I suppose, to how some spicy foods build until your mouth is on fire. It's not that bad, but after a couple, you'll probably want some water before you open a third. And you will want a third.

Stats
Brewer: Cedar Creek Brewery
Location: Kemp, Texas
Website: http://www.cedarcreekbrewery.com
Style: Smoked Beer
Alcohol Content: 5.10% ABV
Interesting Note: Located an hour southeast of downtown Dallas, Cedar Creek Brewery welcomes two and four legged visitors. They are dedicated to the proper care and treatment of animals and support local animal shelters. The really cool thing is that we can help them in their mission while enjoying their tasty beers.

Avery Brewing Company - White Rascal

For the First Beer of Christmas, someone devilishly naughty made it onto Santa's nice list.

Avery Brewing
White Rascal

On their third visit to the Twelve Beers in five years, Avery Brewing's Belgian style white ale is a change of pace from 2013's Old Jubilation, and English Olde Ale, and 2011's Hog Heaven, a barley wine with IPA tendencies.

Pouring fills the glass with a hazy, straw colored beer with a thin cap of foam. There's very little lacing and the head dissipated quickly, leaving small swirls of bubbles on top and around the edge where the beer meets the glass.

The aroma is full of fresh yeast with lemon zest, coriander, and a little bit of freshly cracked peppercorn. The smell reminds me of fresh hay in the barn.

The carbonation is lightly crisp with a zip of small, tight bubbles across the tongue.  There's orange and lemon citrus flavors along with a soft zing of spice - pepper, coriander, and ginger - with a light yeasty finish.

The light body and crisp finish makes it extremely refreshing and sessionable. I'm kind of wishing it was summer right now so I could sit out in the back yard with this. But then I'd have to mow (or, rather, pay the neighbor kid to mow,) so I guess I'll just sit here in the house and drink it with the heater running. This will definitely be on my list for this coming summer.

Stats
Brewer: Avery Brewing Company
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Website: http://www.averybrewing.com
Style: Witbier
Alcohol Content: 5.60% ABV
Interesting Note: White Rascal is an unfiltered beer. So yes, that stuff in the bottom of the can is live yeast. Pour out most of the can, give it a good swirl, and then pour the rest into the glass. Brewer's yeast is a good source of B-complex vitamins but it does not contain B-12 (per the University of Maryland Medical Center: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/brewers-yeast.) There appear to be all kinds of health benefits, but beware of the side effects. Drink too much and you might be a bit gassy. Not that it's ever happened to me. I'm just sayin' ...

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.

Brouwerij Huyghe - Delirium Noël

For the Twelfth Beer of Christmas, we went back to where we started the year. But we must have had a few too many because we're seeing pink elephants.

At 358 years of age, Brouwerij Huyghe has a history of numerous names, owners, and beers.  But the current incarnation is certainly the most celebrated.

Deep mahogany with a light haze, the beer forms a nice head due to strong carbonation.  However, the head doesn't stick around and quickly slips away to a thin white cap.  The lacing is minimal and leaves a fine mesh that washes away with the tilting of the glass.

The strong aroma floats free of the glass and filled the space around me.  It's a very nice mix of sweet malt with heavy splashes of spice. Mostly black pepper and cinnamon.

The flavor matched the aroma: sweet with pepper and cinnamon.  There was a yeastiness to each drink, too.  Given the very high alcohol content, 10%, the esters were much lighter than I would have believed.  It came through, of course, but more as a mildly warming aftertaste than an overarching characteristic.  Be warned, though, the alcohol is definitely there.  By the bottom of the bottle, my ears and cheeks were a little flush.

Brandon commented on the yeast in both the smell and taste.  Aaron remarked on the warming alcohol finish.  And Wyatt said the finish was surprisingly tart.  He added that this was an "I'll just have one" kind of beer for him.

Ratings

Aaron: 9.5
Brandon: 9.5
Wyatt: 9.5
Tracy: 9

Stats
Brewer: Brouwerij Huyghe
Location: Melle, Belgium
Website: http://www.Delirium.be
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Alcohol Content: 10.0% ABV
Interesting Note: Nearly 21 years ago, in April of 1992, "Confrerie van de Roze Olifant" (Brotherhood of the Pink Elephant) was formed to promote the ancient brewing traditions of Melle and, especially, Brouwerij Huyghe's flagship beer, Delirium Tremens.  In addition, they do charitable work and wear snazzy outfits.  There are currently on 23 members, but I'm going to send in my application to be an absentee professor.

New Belgium Brewing – Abbey

For the Sixth Beer of Christmas, we stopped in Colorado for a Belgian Dubbel (okay … obviously I’m not going out of town, this was another trip to World Market … I should get them to sponsor the Twelve Beers of Christmas).

New Belgium Brewing is the creator of one of my favorite beers, 1554, a Belgium Dark Ale. Even though Abbey has been around for a while, I hadn’t noticed the bottles on the shelf until we started shopping for our Twelve Beers.  I was excited to see this addition to the New Belgium lineup since Fat Tire, Skinny Dip, 2° Below, and especially 1554 are in regular rotation at my house.

The beer began with a strongly spiced smell, cloves, maybe coriander, and a suggestion of pepper, with a light touch of alcohol peaking through.  Even though it’s not a Christmas beer, per se, it had an aroma that whispered “Christmas” into my nose.  Hmm … that’s an odd statement.  Anyway, it’s a pleasant and inviting scent.

The taste carries a touch of the spice that came through in the smell along with a large dose of yeast, almost like rising bread dough.  With a medium body and a light hint of carbonation, the Abbey finishes with a warming caress of alcohol.  Yes, that 7% ABV actually does come through in the taste.

Overall, I enjoyed New Belgium’s Abbey, but I doubt I buy this one very often.  For me, 1554 is just too good to pass up when I mosey past the New Belgium section of the store.

Stats
Brewer: New Belgium Brewing
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Website: http://www.NewBelgium.com
Style: Dubbel
Alcohol Content: 7.0% ABV
Interesting Note: If you get a chance, read through their employee perks (http://www.newbelgium.com/Files/nbb_employee_perks.pdf).  I’ve heard people say that New Belgium is one of those few companies with a culture that combines hard work with a love of the job and a lot of fun.  Their “perks” highlight this with things like:

• A “Fat Tire” bicycle on your one year anniversary
• An on site Cyclocross course
• A 12-pack of Employee beer per week
• And … yes, it’s awesome … one “shift beer” after you clock out!

Oh … and I hear the brewery tour is really cool.  I haven’t been, but if you get close to Ft. Collins, stop by for the tour and let me know how it is.