Holiday Beers – The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

There are a number of very tasty holiday / seasonal beers available to the craft beer drinker and from my perspective it is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”.  Some of the selections are quite hoppy, taking advantage of the recent fall hop harvest; some are quite malty focusing more on the sweet side, and some use holiday spices to make things interesting.  I usually pick up a number of these to enjoy over the holidays and are part of an annual purchase and some of these are new.  There are some very tasty winter / holiday / seasonal beers and go out and pick up something new.  Below are some that I have recently sampled.

Sierra Nevada – Celebration 2012 (6.8% ABV and 65 IBU), is an American IPA and fresh hops are used in the brewing process.  I am currently reading Mitch Steele’s IPA book and he describes Celebration as one of the first IPAs that was brewed by craft brewers.  It is a fantastic beer and one that is on my “buy list” each year.  This is one for the hopheads. 

URL - http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html

Left Hand – Fade to Black Vol. 4 (6.5% ABV and 64 IBU), is a Black IPA or a Rocky Mountain Black Ale as described on the label.  Each year, Left Hand releases a different volume of Fade to Black and this year’s version if for the hop lover.  This one was not too hoppy and I really enjoyed it and yes this is on my “buy list”.  

URL - http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/beers/fade-to-black

Magic Hat – Heart of Darkness (5.7% ABV and 30 IBU), is a Stout and is a very tasty one.  Heart of Darkness is malt forward with notes of chocolate / cocoa, and it is very easy to drink.  This was the first beer I tried from Magic Hat and it made the “buy list”.  I will look for additional offerings from Magic Hat in 2013. 

URL - http://www.magichat.net/heart_of_darkness

Others on the “buy list” – these are just a few and all have been previously reviewed.

Avery – Old Jubilation (8.3% ABV and 45 IBU), is an English Old Ale that is malty and warming – a very tasty beer that is to be savored. 

URL- http://averybrewing.com/our-ales/old-jubilation-ale/

Deschutes – Jubelale (6.7% ABV and 60 IBU), is a Strong Ale that is a mix of malty and hoppy.  One first gets malty sweetness and then the hop bitterness kicks in.  URL - http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/jubelale

Firestone Walker – Velvet Merlin (5.5% ABV and 27 IBU), is a wonderful Oatmeal Stout with a creamy mouth feel and focuses on malts with hints of coffee and chocolate.  URL - http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/velvet-merlin-fall-and-winter

Did not make the list

Goose Island – Christmas Ale (7.3% ABV and ?? IBU), is a Brown Ale that I did not like at all, it is better than macro-beer.  I was really expecting a tasty beer from the Goose as I enjoy some of their other offerings and this beer did not meet expectations.

Wookey Jack & Hop 15

We went to Parry’s the other day for dinner and I tried a couple of new beers. I am a “fan” of Firestone Walker and I had not tried Wookey Jack (8.5% ABV and 60 IBU) that is an unfiltered Black Rye IPA. I also tried Port Brewing’s Hop 15 (9.7% ABV and ?? IBU) that is a Double IPA. So, two beers with the IPA as the base or foundational style and I liked Wookey Jack the best. I thought Wookey Jack was very well-balanced and I liked the combination of Citra and Amarillo hops. I have used both these in home brews and they add great aroma and flavor to the beer. Hop 15 was a good beer and really focused on the hop bitterness, Wookey Jack was just preferable to my palate. I would have either of these again. 

Wookey Jack website description  – “Wookey Jack is our first foray into the dark outer world of black IPAs. Rich dark malts and spicy rye careen into bold citrus laden hops creating a new dimension in IPA flavor. This brew has been left unfiltered and unfined to retain all of its texture and character. At 60 IBUs, Wookey Jack is gnarly on the outside yet complex and refined on the inside.” 

Hop 15  website description – “Welcome to San Diego- Home to Hop Heads on every corner and THE best place in the world to live if you enjoy Humulus Lupulus and the smell of a well hopped beer. This is Southern California, it’s the place where Blind Pig started the Imperial IPA revolution and San Diego Brewers have continued to be at the forefront of its evolution. Today, fans of Double IPA come from every corner of the globe in search of many of the world’s best and most incredibly well hopped beers. It’s no secret that you can find many of them at Port Brewing as well. Like you, we love these beers and mostly we enjoy the happiness they bring us. First brewed in 2002 to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Pizza Port in Solana Beach, Hop 15 was imagined and designed by Tomme Arthur and Jeff Bagby as a celebration of 15 years of “Good Beer Brings Good Cheer.” Hop 15 has 15 different hop varieties added to the beer every 15 minutes. Over the years, Hop 15 has racked up numerous accolades. It has won two silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival. It also was named Alpha King in 2004 and 2008, and received a first place award at the Bistro Double IPA beer festival in Hayward, CA. Hop 15 remains won of the stickiest most resinous beers we have ever tasted and for that, we are thankful it is on tap at our brewery each and every day.”

Firestone Walker - http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/wookey-jack-April-2012-
Port Brewing - http://www.portbrewing.com/our-beers/hop-15/ 

Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar - http://www.parryspizza.com/parrysbar/

Stone at Parry's Pizzeria

Stone is currently conducting a contest called “The Most Bitter Bars – 2012 Challenge” and Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar is hosting a number of Stone beers on tap.  I have tried a number of Stone beers and I have enjoyed everyone they brew.  I decided to try Cali-Belgique (6.9% ABV and 77 IBU), a Belgian IPA and Double Dry Hopped Ruination IPA (7.7% ABV and 100+ IBU), an Imperial IPA.  Both of these beers were just fantastic and I think I liked the Cali-Belgique the best.  They went great with the NY Cheese steak Sandwich.  The contest is running through Father’s day and I think I will need to try a couple of more tomorrow.  I have tried all the other before and I will have to select one of my favs – Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (8.7% ABV and 90 IBU) and probably Stone Ruination IPA (6.9% ABV and 100+ IBU).  If you have one of these events in your area, attend it and try some really good beer from Stone.

Stone Brewing – http://www.stonebrew.com/home.asp

Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar - http://www.parryspizza.com/parrysbar/

Alaskan Brewing Co. – Black IPA

I am a big fan of Alaskan Brewing Co., I have sampled a number of there beers and I toured the brewery a few years ago.  I had tried their Imperial Black IPA about a year ago and thought it was exellent and it was also weel-received by beer reviewers.  When I saw they changed the spring release to a Black IPA (6.4% ABV and 65 IBU), I had to try it.

American Black Ale – “Also referred to as a Black IPA (India Pale Ale) or Cascadian DarkAle, ales of this style range from dark brown to pitch black and showcase malty and light to moderate roasty notes and are often quite hoppy generally with the use of American hops.  Alcholo can range from average to high depending on if the brewery is going for a “double/imperial” version. “ BeerAdvocate

Appearance – This is easy – pitch black with a two-finger dark tan head.

Aroma – Some roasty / toasy notes and citrusy hops – American NW hops.

Taste – Exactly like it’s aroma, there is a nice (but not over-the-top) roast / toast taste from the malt with perhaps just a hint of coffee and then firm citrus (grapefruit) bitterness from the hops.

Overall – B+ This is an excellent, well-balanced Black IPA.  One thing with Alaskan Brewing Co.’s beer is balance and they do a great job of combining the ingredients for a beer that does not emphasize one component.  Is this hop-forward, yes – but the hops play well with the malts. 

Website description – “Alaskan’s spring seasonal release is a new beer experience created from a combination of traditional beer styles. Alaskan Black IPA has the appearance of a porter or stout but combines the roasted malty characters with the refreshing flavor and bright aroma of an American IPA.  Alaskan Black IPA is made from glacier-fed water, generous additions of Cascade, Centennial and other Pacific Northwest hops, and an array of eight different pale, caramel and chocolate malts. ”

URL – http://www.alaskanbeer.com/our-brew/seasonal-beers/spring-release.html

Odell - Mountain Standard

Odell started releasing 4-packs this year and each one has been very good.  First was Double Pilsner, then Myrcenary, and now Mountain Standard.  Mountain Standard (9.5% ABV) is a Double Black IPA and it pours black with a nice head.  Odell does a great job emphasizing aroma and I remember the first time I opened the IPA and was very impressed by the nose.  Mountain Standard tastes great - it is not too roasty and it is not too hoppy - it is just right.  It is one of the best Black IPAs I have every tried and I will warn you that these are easy to drink and high in alcohol.  If you like IPAs and / or Black IPAs, I highly recommend you try Odell's Mountain Standard.  I really liked it and I will need to purchase some more.  Luckily, it is available November through April - during Mountain Standard Time. 

Website description - "As the Colorado hop growers prove they can produce world class hops, we as a Colorado Craft Brewer want to showcase what our state can offer, not only with our hand crafted beers, but also with the ingredients used in creating them. Mountain Standard, Double Black IPA, features the homegrown hops our Brewers helped pick from farms along Colorado’s western slope. MST pours committingly dark with a light tan head and a slightly roasted hoppy nose. An ephemeral bitterness, the result of combining roasted malts with an assertive American hop profile, contributes to MST’s act of balance and harmony. As the season’s darkness sets in, why shouldn’t your beer become darker too?

Deschutes – Hop in the Dark

Deschutes is a fantastic brewer and I have wanted to try their Cascadian Dark Ale called Hop in the Dark (6.5% ABV and 70 IBU) that is seasonal and only available May – September.  Hop in the Dark fits in one of the newer styles recognized by the BJCP named “American-style India Black Ale” and the brewers in the Pacific NW were not too happy about this as they prefer the name Cascadian Dark Ale.  To further complicate matters, some call this style Black IPA.  Regardless, Hop in the Dark is fantastic.  It pours dark with a large head and has a nice hop aroma.  The web site describes Hop in the Dark as, “Can an IPA be black?  Semantics aside, this noir version has subtle coffee undertones born of a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. What emerges is something deeper, less orthodox, and all its own. After 22 trial runs in our Bend and Portland pubs, we got it right.”  This is a really nice beer and after 22 trial runs, I would say Deschutes definitely got it right.