Wintry Ale

‘Tis the season for winter ales, and though we may hate the mall traffic, charity guilt trips, and huge bills we ran up over the holidays, we can all agree on one aspect of this chilly season that we love: the beer.

What better way to embrace your inner jolly than to grab a winter ale or two and cozy up to the fire (chestnuts encouraged).  I have tried a few winter beers this season and hope to guide you to a warm-up-your-toes selection in the same way that Rudolph guides Santa’s sleigh. *Disclaimer: I did not drink all these beers in a single sitting.*

Delirium Noel 2009
Fact: Delirium makes great beer.  It is a tad pricey, but this Christmas beer would be perfect for the beer lover on your list or a Secret Santa who enjoys a craft brew.  A 22 oz. will cost around $10, but you get what you pay for.  It has an opaque brown color, a quickly dissipating head, thin lacing, and a spicy aroma.  Medium body, with full flavor.  Most Delirium beer you drink has a very fruity flavor and this is no exception.

Stone/n0gne-0/Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale 2009
Now this is an interesting beer.  Sometimes brewers do a collaboration project with one other brewery, but the three-headed team of Stone, n0gene-0, and Jolly Pumpkin came up with something special.  Of all the Christmas beers, this was the most interesting that I tried.  It has a complex flavor profile which makes it a beer to drink by itself.  It has a decent amount of carbonation, and it tastes like a Bonnaroo tent in your mouth.  This serving of liquid incense contains Caraway, Juniper, White Sage, and Chestnuts flavors.  I highly recommend this for anyone looking to try something outside the box.

Alesmith Yulesmith
A solid Christmas beer that starts with a spicy aroma.  It has a near perfect mouthfeel, not too heavy but not too light.  And the flavor finds a way to balance malt and hops very evenly and ends with a hoppy, dry finish.  A recommendation for anyone who enjoys I.P.A.s, but this would probably turn off the occasional beer drinker.

Anchor Brewing Company Our Special Ale 2010
Every year Anchor tweaks its Christmas beer recipe.  I can respect that.  If Bob Dylan taught us anything it is that the times they are a-changin’.  It has a dark, chocolate brown color with some flecks of ruby when you hold it up to the light.  The aroma contains ginger, caramel, and roasted malt.  A combo of sweetness, ginger, and toffee make you want to keep drinking this beer.  I will be waiting patiently for next year’s release!

Bell’s Christmas Ale
Bell’s is one of my favorite breweries, so I had high hopes for this beer and I was not disappointed.  It is a light brown color, almost amber with a slightly hoppy smell.  The taste has a delicious malt flavor with some citrus and hop notes.  The mouthfeel is smooth and rich.  And it has very well done balanced finish.  I hope my stocking is stuffed with a few of these come Christmas morning.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale
I feel like this is a middle of the road Christmas Ale.  It has a brown, slightly red color with a spicy, cinnamon nose.  The flavor is malty and spicy with a bubbly, carbonated mouthfeel.  One surprise is the amount of alcohol in this beer at 7.4% ABV, which can help you loosen up around those pesky in-laws.

Christian Moerlein Christkindl
A beer that most Cincinnatians hold dear to their hearts.  Moerlein’s Christkindl is a unique take on the Christmas beer.  It plays off the memory association of Christmas and a particular taste, chocolate.  This is not a chocolate beer.  But the chocolate flavor reminds you of being a kid opening presents on Christmas morning.  There is definitely something nostalgic about this beer.  It has an amber color with a spot of gold, and a hoppy, caramel aroma.  The malt taste carries throughout the beer and meshes well with the chocolate.  A great 6-pack gift option for loved ones or yourself.

Christmas comes only once a year which is a bummer that you can only experience some of these beers for a short time.  I have a nagging suspicion that mid-April I will find myself jonesing for Special Holiday Ale 2009.  Luckily spring beers are around the corning.

Cheers to your good health!

- Steve

14 Responses to “Wintry Ale”

1. WineBlogFeed says:

   January 5, 2011 at 9:34 am

   Wintry Ale http://bit.ly/gRfby5 #Wine

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
2. DailyWineNews says:

   January 5, 2011 at 9:34 am

   Wintry Ale: ‘Tis the season for winter ales, and though we may hate the mall traffic, charity guilt trips, and … http://bit.ly/fpCJVj

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
3. writetechnology says:

   January 5, 2011 at 9:35 am

   New on Wine-Girl: Wintry Ale http://dlvr.it/CjsKm

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
4. toquemag says:

   January 5, 2011 at 9:53 am

   Put this list in your purse/wallet. RT @writetechnology: New on Wine-Girl: Wintry Ale http://dlvr.it/CjsKm

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
5. aussie_wine says:

   January 5, 2011 at 10:36 am

   Wintry Ale: ‘Tis the season for winter ales, and though we may hate the mall traffic, charity guilt trips… http://bit.ly/dNlhLp #wine

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
6. TippleRepublic says:

   January 5, 2011 at 11:08 am

   Wintry Ale: ‘Tis the season for winter ales, and though we may hate the mall traffic, charity guilt trips, and … http://bit.ly/hINgVb

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
7. MyWineryGuides says:

   January 5, 2011 at 6:04 pm

   Wintry Ale http://bit.ly/f3euKr

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
8. Rob says:

   January 5, 2011 at 6:10 pm

   First, I love that Wine-Girl.net would do a Christmas/Winter beer post. I also try to diversify my beer blog but haven’t been very good with wine, I’ll admit.

   I’ve had a few of the ones you mentioned, but since many breweries are tiny and beer is ultra regulated, much more than your average wine drinker would ever care to know, I’ll probably never have a chance at some of them.

   This is a great beer season. Try what you can!
9. DailyBeerReview says:

   January 5, 2011 at 6:11 pm

   RT @MyWineryGuides: Wintry Ale http://bit.ly/f3euKr

   This comment was originally posted onTwitter
10. Trip says:

    January 5, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    These beers articles are really growing on me! Are we going to be seeing this stuff regularly? I sure hope.
11. Rabbit says:

    January 5, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    Awesome selection: Jolly Pumpkin, Nogne-O, Alesmith, Delirium… Can’t wait to see what you try next!
12. Liz says:

    January 5, 2011 at 6:52 pm

    Great season, great post! Thanks Steve.
13. moerleinbeers says:

    January 5, 2011 at 8:05 pm

    The Christkindl Ale is still getting some love in the month of January, check out The Wine Girl’s thoughts http://bit.ly/i67OV2

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter
14. home says:

    November 28, 2012 at 12:05 pm

    Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after
    I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.
    Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!
    home

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