winter beer

New Beer Blog Goose Island Christmas Ale 2011

In this winter beer, we are going to take a look at a beer from my vintage beer closet and the beer is from Goose Island. It is their Christmas Ale 2011. If you read my earlier blog on one of their beers, you know the history of this brewery. If you live in Chicago or the Midwest, you know this brewery and some of their beers. If you do not, please, read the first part of that beer post. Let us get into the beer.

This Christmas beer has a light brown with a semi head on the beer. The smell has a strong caramel with a fade hazel nut to it. The taste has a little caramel with a sweeten carbonation malty to the beer. The aftertaste is a slight malty to it but it is very fade. It is pretty drinkable beer and it aged very well.

Here is a description from their website (www.gooseisland.com):

Brewer’s Notes:Every year to celebrate the holiday season, we brew up our Christmas Ale, and with each year we change the recipe slightly so that you have something special to look forward to.

Recipe Information:

Style: Brown Ale

Alcohol by Volume: 7.3

International Bitterness Units: Change year to year

Color: Chocolate Hops: Change year to year

Malt: Pale, Munich, Caramel

Serving Suggestions:

Preferred Glass: Nonic

Food Pairings: Ham, Turkey, Lamb

Cheese Pairings: Aged Gouda, Dry Jack

Cellaring Notes: 5 years

Availability:

Seasonal (November – December)

Bottles: 6, 12 & 24pks

Draft: 1/6 & 1/2bbl

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.goooseisland.com

Twitter: @gooseisland

In closing, the 2011 Goose Island Christmas Ale was the last to be able to age but I am not going to push it over two years. Over the years, I had to pour out a ton of Christmas Ale because they did not age good. This 2011 age very well and it is better than 2012. When this beer was young in 2011, I really did not like it so I am happy that it aged very well. It is complex with a ton of flavor. It is true that they change this American Brown Ale every year. If you see this on the shelf, I would grab and you will not be disappointed. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Kona Pipeline Porter

In this winter beer blog, we are going to take a look at the Kona Brewing Company and the beer is their winter seasonal called Pipeline Porter. Kona Brewing was founded in 1994 on the Big Island of Hawaii by Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa. They are brewing beer to fit the lifestyle of people who live on the island and the tourist that visit Hawaii. Their Longboard Lager is their flagship beer and is the top-selling craft beer in the state. Kona Brewing is being sold in twenty-eight states in the United States. They brew several brews like a pale ale, brown ale, golden ale, etc. Let us get into the beer.

This winter seasonal from Kona Brewing, which is called Pipeline Porter, has a black color without a head on the beer. The smell is a heavy coffee bean to the beer. The taste is a heavy coffee to a slight chocolate notes with a dry coffee bean aftertaste. The aftertaste is like eating whole coffee bean. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Since 1994, Kona Brewing CO. has been committed to making handcrafted ales and lagers of uncompromised quality. We invite you to visit our Brewery and pubs whenever you visit Hawaii. Mahala! Pipeline Porter is full-bodied with a rich, smooth dark-roasted malt flavor. A selection of premium hops and 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee complete this limited brew.

Here is a description from their website (www.konabrewingco.com):

Rich & Roasty

Pipeline Porter is smooth and dark with a distinctive roasty aroma and earthy complexity from its diverse blends of premium malted barley. This celebration of malt unites with freshly roasted 100% Kona coffee grown at Cornwell Estate on Hawaii’s Big Island, lending a unique roasted aroma and flavor. A delicate blend of hops rounds out this palate-pleasing brew.

Available Fall/Winter

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.konabrewingco.com

Twitter: @konabrewingco

Aloha, this is a great beer. I was excited to hear that they are finally coming to Chicago and this is the first beer to land a shore. When I went to Hawaii on vacation, I was drinking a ton of Big Wave Golden Ale. This porter is smooth and taste is coffee and beer drinker can smelling it. It is not a drinkable beer but it is a beer that will last in your glass and frig for a while. I recommend this beer and get ready for rest of there beers being review here on this blog. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Widmer Brothers Brewing Brrr Seasonal Ale

In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample out another beer from Widmer Brothers Brewing and the beer is their winter seasonal called Brrr Seasonal Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog on their beer, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into brew.

Widmer Brothers Brrr seasonal ale has a light brown color with a semi white head on the beer. The smell is a citrus to it. The taste is a sweet carbonation little malty with a citrus touch to the beer. The aftertaste is a dry aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable hoppy beer for the winter seasonal.

Here is a description from their website (www.widmerbrothers.com):

Warm Up with a Cold One. Or Two. Our winter red ale is the perfect treat, naughty or nice. The deep red body fills your glass and a citrusy hop aroma fills your nose. Then caramel and chocolate malts reward you with a perfectly balanced, malty sweet flavor and velvety finish.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.widmerbrothers.com

Twitter: @widmer_brothers

Closing, this is an awesome beer from the Widmer Brothers. I really like what this brewery is doing. They are going back to roots and pushing the limits of craft beer brewing. This winter seasonal gives the craft beer drinker something you do not get from the other winter seasonal and it is hops and hops and more hops. It has the malty and warming but gives it a hoppy finish. It is like malty winter seasonal India Pale Ale. Plus, it is extremely drinkable and it will get you in trouble so be careful. This is a beer is part a sampler pack with Redhook Winter Hook and Kona Pipeline Porter. It is hard to get so if you see it, you better grab it. I highly recommend this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Redhook Winter Hook

In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample out another beer from the Redhook Brewery and the beer is their winter seasonal called Winter Hook. If you read my earlier beer blog on one of their beers, you know the rich history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into beer.

Redhook Winter Hook has a nice amber color with a semi white head on the beer. It has a sweet caramel. The taste is sweet carbonation caramel with a dry aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable winter seasonal.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Redhook likes a little nip in the air.

Here is a description from their website (www.redhook.com):

Winterhook is the perfect beer to keep warm during cold months after shoveling snow, shredding some powder, or playing hooky to can catch the game. Since it was first brewed, Redhook’s Winterhook has changed slightly each year to celebrate the season and keep everyone on their toes. After all, no one likes getting the same gift twice. The 28th version of Winterhook brewed for this year offers a rich caramel body that balances a big malt backbone with the aggressively dry hopped brew, making this year’s winter ale slightly naughty and very nice.

Style………………….Winter Ale

Abv…………………….6%

IBUs…………………..45 IBU

Original Gravity..15 degrees plato

Brewed Since………1985

Time Frame………..Winter Seasonal

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.redhook.com

Twitter: @redhook_brewery

Closing, this is one of my favorite beers from this brewery and winter seasonals in this season. I love the malty taste this beer gives you in every sip. Redhook Winter Hook is part of that awesome sampler pack with Kona Pipeline Porter and Widmer Brrr Seasonal Ale. This gives you a nice malty and drinkable beer. This beer is perfect for the coldest winter day but yet with a mild winter we are having in the Midwest, it is still perfect. This is a great beer and I am glad to see it back in six packs in the Chicago market. I recommend you trying this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter

In this winter beer blog, we are going to look at another brew from Three Floyds and it is called Klaus Christmas Porter. If you read my earlier beer post on their Robert The Bruce, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please read the first part of that beer post. Let us get into the beer.

It is a jet black color with a tan color head. The smell is an evergreen pine with a touch of toffee in the beer. The taste has a hint of toffee with a ton of pine with a pine cone aftertaste. It is not drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Alpha Klaus is Alpha King’s festive cousin. A big American Christmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt Mexican sugar and of course, tons of strange American hops. Cheers!

Here is a description from their website (www.3floyds.com):

6.0% ABV 38 IBUs

Alpha Klaus is Alpha King’s festive cousin. A big American Christmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar and of course, tons of strange American hops. Cheers! November release.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.3floyds.com

Twitter: @3floyds

Closing, I am a fan of this brewery. I was looking forward to try this beer for while. I do not know what they were trying to do with this brew. I feel they wanted to make a black IPA or black pale ale but wanted a porter. I am a huge porter and hop fan so this beer has some promise. There is not enough of the porter here just a ton of hops. It is like you are smelling a pine cone and then eat it in liquid form. I was really disappoint with the beer because I had to pour it out. I never pour out a beer but this was that bad. If you like this beer, I would like to hear your thoughts. Do not get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale

In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Flying Dog Brewing and the beer is called K-9 Winter Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into this great brewery.

This beer is part of the 12 beers of Christmas from Countryside Bar. It has a hazel copper color without a head on the beer. There is no smell to the beer. The taste is sweet carbonation malty without an aftertaste to it. It is very warmly so it lives up to being a winter warmer. This is a sipping beer.

Here is a descriation from their website (www.flyingdogales.com):

Alchohol By Volume: 7.4%

Availability: Winter release

Hop Bitterness: 30 IBU

Specialty Malts: Changes with each release

Hops: Changes with each release

Yeast: English Ale

If it tastes like Christmas, it probably works with K-9. Flavor notes: Sweet malt base with roasted, nutty, and spicy flavors Pairs with: Buttery cheeses; sweet breads; spice cake; squash, yams, and sweet potatoes; hearty meats and stews.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.flyingdogales.com

Twitter: @flyingdog

Closing, this beer is not a session beer but it is just a great beer. I love how complex the taste of this winter warmer. This is a sipping beer and take your time in the cold winter days. There is a ton going on in the beer. I love the warmth when this beer goes down my throat and how sweet the beer comes across. I love this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale

In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Sierra Nevada. It is their winter seasonal called Celebration Fresh Hop Ale. If you read my earlier blog on their Beer Camper, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer post. Let us get into the beer.

This beer from Sierra Nevada is called Celebration Fresh Hop Ale. It has a deep hazel copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is citrus to the beer. The taste is dry carbonation citrus with a dry aftertaste.

Here is a description from their website (www.sierranevada.com):

Festive fresh hop holiday fun.

The start of Celebration season is a festive event. We can’t start brewing until the first fresh hops have arrived, but once they have the season is officially under way! First brewed in 1981, Celebration Ale is one of the earliest examples of an American-style IPA and one of the few hop-forward holiday beers. Famous for its intense citrus and pine aromas, Celebration is bold and intense, featuring Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops—honoring everything we have at Sierra Nevada.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.sierranevada.com

Twitter: @sierranevada

Closing out, this is one of my favorite beers in the winter season and Sierra Nevada Brewery. This is everything that I want out of a winter seasonal. I love the hoppy taste and a great malty backbone. Most winter seasonals are jacked up with nutmeg or cinnamon and this brew gives you a different side of the season l. I realize that craft breweries are going back to more the traditional beer styles and getting away from the over hop beers. If you have not had this beer, I recommend you picking up a six-pack and try this great beer. Let me know what you think of this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Bell’s Winter White Ale

In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Michigan brewery known as Bell’s. The beer is their winter seasonal which is called Bell’s Winter White Ale. If you read my earlier blog on their Pale Ale, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer post. Let us get into the beer.

This Winter White Ale from Bell’s is part of the 12 Beers of Christmas at Countryside. It has a hazel straw like color without a head on this winter seasonal. There is a yeasty to wheaty smell with a little corridor smell to it. The taste is yeasty and species with a dry slight lemon aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable for the beer style.

Here is a description from their website (www.bellsbeer.com):

Taking its cues from Belgian-style white ales, Bell’s Winter White Ale offers a lighter yet abundantly flavorful alternative to the traditional heavy winter warmers. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley & wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices. Deliberately brewed to retain a cloudy appearance, Bell’s Winter White Ale is a beer for embracing winter.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.bellsbeer.com

Twitter: @bellsbrewery

Closing, I do not know why craft breweries put out White, Wheat, etc in the middle of the winter. It is different then the rest of the craft breweries. I am not saying this is a bad brew. I am not a fan of it but they did a great job on it. I always see this beer in my market in the middle of the summer. The distributor does a really bad job with this brewery’s beer. This brewery will sell more of this liquid in the spring and summer. I recommend this beer, if you are a fan of white, wheats, and hefeweizen. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ska Euphoria Pale Ale

In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Ska Brewing. The winter seasonal is called Ska Brewing Euphoria Pale Ale. If you read my earlier blog on their Ska Mole Stout, you know a little history on this brewery. If you have not, please read the first part of that beer blog post. Let us get into the beer.

This beer is part of the 12 days of Christmas at Countryside Bar. It has a clear copper color with a semi white head on the beer. There is a slight sweet malty citrus smell to it. The taste of the beer is a carbonation citrus with a grapefruit aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.skabrewing.com

Twitter: @skabrewing

In closing, I really enjoyed this beer. I love the fact you can get in cans, which is starting to become a huge trend in the craft beer world. This a good beer for the winter season but I wish it was a beer all year long. I enjoy the beers I had from this brewery asides their Mole Stout. I can only drink 6oz and I need to move onto another beer. It is still good but just do not like the feel that beer does to my throat. If you love pale ales or india pale ales, you will enjoy this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Great Lakes Christmas Ale

In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from this program at Countryside beer. The brew that will be featured is Great Lakes Christmas Ale. Great Lakes Brewery was founded in 1988 by Patrick and Daniel Conway in Cleveland, Ohio. Great Lakes Brewery brews several different beer styles. Let us get into the beer.

It has a nice clear copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is a cinnamon, nutmeg, and candy canes. The taste is a sweet carbonation cinnamon overload. This beer is like drinking a candy cane in a liquid form. There is a little cinnamon aftertaste. It is really not drinkable but it is on the borderline.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Our full-bodied, spirited ale is as festive as the season. Its copper color and flavorful taste are a combination of cinnamon, ginger and honey, so we ask that you “savor the flavor, responsibly ”

This beer is traditionally brewed from all natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast, and water. No chemicals or preservatives are used.

Here is a description from their website (www.greatlakesbrewing.com):

A holiday ale brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.greatlakesbrewing.com

Twitter: @glbc_cleveland

In closing, this beer is one I will have one and I need to move onto another beer. This does not mean this is a bad beer. It is way too sweet to have one or more to me. This beer is perfect for holiday desserts. I did enjoy drinking and I try to have a few during every winter season. If you like winter beers with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, I recommend you trying this beer. I have a feeling you will enjoy this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Merry Christmas and Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

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