Since these brews only come out once a year, I sampled a couple more of them starting with the Jubelale. Nice hoppy quality with a pronounced bitterness on the back end (too much so for the Mrs) but very good with bar-type food (ie, Tater Tots with tartar sauce).
I also sampled a Belgian brew, Gouden Carolus Noel which was on special at Whole Foods. Rich chocolatety hoppy flavor with a creamy quality on the palate.
Finally, one of my favorite breweries from the Bay Area; Anchor Steam. They always produce a Christmas special brew. One year it had a distinct Christmas tree/pine quality to it, another year it had a distinct egg-noggy quality. This year it was spicy with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove notes almost a little like a spicy fruitcake. It was great as an after dinner brew.
There's a couple more days... actually weeks since retailers won't immediately remove these brews from their shelves on the 26th so grab em' now while you still can!
Comments