REVIEW: Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale & Doctor Who

I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of posting here every other weekday. So, today we soldier on with the Christmas parings! This fine Wednesday I'm looking at Winter Welcome Ale, a winter warmer from Samuel Smith's. A brewer that has always seemed to me to be quintessentially British. I'm not sure if that's actually their actual perception within the UK but to me when I think of British beer a bottle of Taddy Porter immediately springs to mind. But today, in the spirit of the season, we have Winter Welcome Ale, and to pair with it, something as essentially British and as essentially Christmassy, the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe!

REVIEW: Country Boy 3 Hos

Another Christmas post! So this morning's beer was somewhat of a disappointment. But Christmas presents are like that sometimes. Sometimes a gift doesn't fit, sometimes it's the wrong color, sometimes it's just downright lame. I can assure you that this beer is the exact opposite. I was in Lexington last weekend and made it a point to make a trip to Country Boy's tap room. I had read on twitter that they had recently released their. new Christmas ale, and knowing that it would likely make for a good post for the blog, i brought my growler along. I know i've said it before, but if you go to Lexington and leave without checking out Country Boy then you are a damn fool. Every time I go in there I am incredibly impressed by the quality and creativity of their beers. And as you will soon see, 3 Hos is no exception. To the beer!

REVIEW: Listermann White Death

Merry Christmas!! I know Christmas falls on a Tuesday and Tuesday isn't one of my usual days to post content on here. But in the spirit of the season here is my gift to you, my dear readers, extra content! I'll be honest, as much as I do appreciate all of you folks who do check in here and check out my rambling thoughts on beer, and I really do, it's awesome. But this is just as much for me as it is for you guys. I have had too much fun talking about Christmas beers and I'm not quite ready to give them up just yet. So, you guys get more stuff to read and I get to drink and talk about more Christmas ales. It's a win win for everybody. A Christmas miracle! As I sit here writing this it's currently Christmas Eve and I'm watching It's A Wonderful Life and drinking a beer. Life doesn't get much better. Adding to the lovely evening is the fact that the beer I'm currently drinking comes from Listermann. Careful followers of this blog will recognize that name as the name of the shop I get my homebrew supplies from. The beer is called White Death and is brewed with Saigon cinnamon and fermented in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Now that sounds right up my alley. To the beer!

REVIEW: Anderson Valley Winter Solstice

So, let's get this out of the way right up front. The world is not ending today, the Mayans were wrong. Sorry if I'm bursting anybody's bubble. This reminds me, I remember watching a movie about the Mayans in spanish class in I think it was the second or third grade. There was a bit in there about how the Mayans predicted that the world would end in 2012. All of this was accompanied by this giant stone clock grinding to a halt. It kind of freaked me the hell out. But now I'm older and wiser, well at least older, and I know that the apocalypse is not yet at hand. What today actually is, is the first day of winter, the winter solstice. And what better beer to check out today than the winter seasonal from Anderson Valley, Winter Solstice! It checks in at 6.9% ABV and only 6 IBUs. To the beer!

REVIEW: Mt. Carmel Winter Ale

Today's beer, Mt. Carmel's Winter Ale, is the fourth and final in the Cincinnati brewery's seasonal series. I took a look at the Springtime ale, Summer wheat, and Harvest ale (Hey, I did them in order too!) and enjoyed them all a whole lot. You can check out all of those posts my exploring the Mt. Carmel tag here. The Winter seasonal is a Winter Warmer brewed with spices and honey. Hmm, seems to be a bit of a pattern. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. As far as I'm concerned, that's a winning recipe. Anyways, this has been a bit of a stressful week what with moving and all so I was awfully ready to sit down with this beer last night. Winter Ale checks in at 8% ABV and 38 IBUs. To the beer!

REVIEW: Great Lakes Christmas Ale

So the Christmas season is finally upon us. If you are a friend of mine you know how much I love Christmas and all that goes along with it, the music, the movies, the tv specials, the decorations, the tree, all of it. Also, the beer. I think winter/ Christmas seasonals are my favorite of the year. Nothing against spring, summer, and fall beers, there are certainly many that I love dearly. But the beers that come out this time of year? I can't get enough of them. Rich, dark, malty, spicy, most of them rather boozy. Right up my alley. Today's beer is a favorite in this part of the country, Great Lakes Christmas Ale. It's a winter warmer, which is kind of a nebulous style. Anyways, it checks in at 7.5% ABV, 30 IBUs and is brewed with honey, ginger, and cinnamon. To the beer!