Anchor Christmas Ale Anchor Brewing Co. San Francisco ABV: 5.5% Because of the year printed on the label, some like to age Anchor Christmas Ale. But sample it fresh and bright flavors jump from the glass, each note standing on its own. I found this year’s offering especially complex: prunes, root beer and licorice come... View Article
Stochasticity Project Master of Disguise Stone Brewing Co. Escondido, CA Type of Beer: Imperial golden stout ABV: 8.8 Yup. You read that right. A golden stout. An imperial one as well. Because, why the hell not? In a beer world where we can have black IPA, black Saison, even a black Kölsch, why shouldn’t we... View Article
Secret Stash Flying Dog Brewery Frederick, MD Style: Harvest Ale ABV: 5.5% This beer demands that you take a break. Be it from work, play, or those other beers—the heavily hopped, the barrel aged, the malt bombs. There is nothing remarkable about this beer, and that’s its great strength. It’s just solidly made. You open... View Article
Espresso Stout Stevens Point Brewery Stevens Point, WI Style: Coffee Stout ABV: 6.5% When served properly, an espresso should have a lemon rind placed on the plate that holds the cup. The understanding being that the drinker will gently rub the peel across the lip of the cup, imparting a slight twinge of citric acid.... View Article
Beer Thousand Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton, DE Style: Lager ABV: 10% It’s a brilliantly golden lager, but it’s not the kind you’re thinking of. Ultimately there is that crisp finish, but before we get to that bit, there is a lot more going on with this beer. There’s the near-syrupy mouthfeel, the slight alcohol heat,... View Article
Harvest Ale Victory Brewing Co. Downington, PA Style: Harvest Ale ABV: 6.5% Drink NOW the label commands, so we must oblige. Good thing too, because this fresh hop ale is a bright shining example of this hop harvest season style and waiting longer than necessary would cause its light to dim. Added to the brew... View Article
Hop Trip Deschutes Brewery Bend, OR Style: India Pale Ale ABV: 5.9% Fresh hop beer, a staple on shelves this time of the year, is typically one that is very heavy handed on the hops. Big aroma, big chewy lupulin flavor that could be anything from citrus to pine, but still there is no mistaking the... View Article
Big Cone Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Buellton, CA Style: Black IPA ABV: 6.5% Sure, you could shove pine needles up your nose, but drinking this is a much more pleasurable experience. The color of a fine cola with a thick, dense near-tan head there is a healthy dose of resin popping up from this ale. But,... View Article
Biere de Menage Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Buellton, CA Style: Farmhouse Ale ABV: 7.5% There is an old saying that it takes a lot of great beer to make a fine wine. The idea being that workers in the vineyards would sustain themselves during long hot afternoons of work by quaffing ales. This combines the... View Article
