The Brew Site » Beer Advent Calendar http://www.thebrewsite.com It's all about the beer. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:03:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 24: Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-santas-little-helper/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-santas-little-helper/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:00:33 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5802 Port Brewing Santa's Little HelperToday is the final day of the Beer Advent Calendar, and for this Christmas Eve I’ve picked something that every “Santa” might well need this very evening: Port Brewing‘s Santa’s Little Helper. This is a 10.5% abv Imperial Stout that hits the shelves around December (I picked up a bottle in Southern California over Thanksgiving last month) and is a long-standing Port Brewing tradition, having first been brewed in 1997 (14 years ago!).

Made from copious amounts of Roasted and Black Barleys, our stout invites you to share a silky black body with hints of freshly pulled espresso from the coffee house, melding with dark bitter sweet chocolate from a Belgian Chocolateer and the ash of a smoldering fire on a dark winters night.

Just remember that somewhere out there, the jolly old fat man is making a list and checking it twice. He knows who’s been naughty and nice… Might we suggest that you forgo the Milk with the cookies this year and leave him of bottle of something incredibly nice- Say like Santa’s Little Helper? Mrs. Claus would probably like some as well. That is if Rudolph doesn’t drink it all himself. Bad Reindeer.

A big and rich Imperial Stout is exactly what you’ll need as you contemplate stockings, gifts under the tree, plates full of cookies, and whatever else Santa needs helps with.

Merry Christmas!!

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 89/100. RateBeer: 3.91/5, 99th percentile.

]]> Port Brewing Santa's Little HelperToday is the final day of the Beer Advent Calendar, and for this Christmas Eve I’ve picked something that every “Santa” might well need this very evening: Port Brewing‘s Santa’s Little Helper. This is a 10.5% abv Imperial Stout that hits the shelves around December (I picked up a bottle in Southern California over Thanksgiving last month) and is a long-standing Port Brewing tradition, having first been brewed in 1997 (14 years ago!).

Made from copious amounts of Roasted and Black Barleys, our stout invites you to share a silky black body with hints of freshly pulled espresso from the coffee house, melding with dark bitter sweet chocolate from a Belgian Chocolateer and the ash of a smoldering fire on a dark winters night.

Just remember that somewhere out there, the jolly old fat man is making a list and checking it twice. He knows who’s been naughty and nice… Might we suggest that you forgo the Milk with the cookies this year and leave him of bottle of something incredibly nice- Say like Santa’s Little Helper? Mrs. Claus would probably like some as well. That is if Rudolph doesn’t drink it all himself. Bad Reindeer.

A big and rich Imperial Stout is exactly what you’ll need as you contemplate stockings, gifts under the tree, plates full of cookies, and whatever else Santa needs helps with.

Merry Christmas!!

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 89/100. RateBeer: 3.91/5, 99th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-santas-little-helper/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 23: Mother of All Storms http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-mother-of-all-storms/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-mother-of-all-storms/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:00:11 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5780 Pelican Pub Mother of All StormsToday is my birthday! And as is traditional with the Brew Site Beer Advent Calendar, today’s beer is entirely a vanity pick: it may not be a Christmas beer per se (or at all), but it’s one I pick “for myself” and it’s always something special. For this year, since I have a soft spot for barleywines, and for Oregon breweries (who would have guessed?), I’ve picked Pelican Pub & Brewery‘s Mother of All Storms: a huge bourbon-barrel aged barleywine that is released once a year by the Pacific City brewery and is extremely limited—a single bottle of this 13.5% abv beer retails for $25 and before this year was (I believe) only available from the brewery itself.

There are many storms out there, all of them perfect in their own way. But there is only one Mother of all Storms and it only happens in Pacific City, Oregon. Based on Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, our English-style barleywine, Mother of all Storms spent many months aging in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Now at its peak, Mother of all Storms delivers deep flavors of toasted malt, bourbon and oak. The finish rewards with whispers of vanilla, toffee and caramel. Best enjoyed with gusts exceeding 60 mph.

This 2011 vintage is comprised of 2010 Stormwatcher’s Winterfest aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels; previous vintages were aged in Evan Williams bourbon barrels. (Previous years’ vintages were named “The Perfect Storm” which had to be changed due to trademark issues.) The Stormwatcher’s Winterfest is a fantastic beer on its own, rich and malty and lush, already hard to improve. But the barrel aging under the deft hand of Brewmaster Darren Welch puts “Mother” right over the top.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 98/100. RateBeer: 4.03/5, 100th percentile.

]]> Pelican Pub Mother of All StormsToday is my birthday! And as is traditional with the Brew Site Beer Advent Calendar, today’s beer is entirely a vanity pick: it may not be a Christmas beer per se (or at all), but it’s one I pick “for myself” and it’s always something special. For this year, since I have a soft spot for barleywines, and for Oregon breweries (who would have guessed?), I’ve picked Pelican Pub & Brewery‘s Mother of All Storms: a huge bourbon-barrel aged barleywine that is released once a year by the Pacific City brewery and is extremely limited—a single bottle of this 13.5% abv beer retails for $25 and before this year was (I believe) only available from the brewery itself.

There are many storms out there, all of them perfect in their own way. But there is only one Mother of all Storms and it only happens in Pacific City, Oregon. Based on Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, our English-style barleywine, Mother of all Storms spent many months aging in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Now at its peak, Mother of all Storms delivers deep flavors of toasted malt, bourbon and oak. The finish rewards with whispers of vanilla, toffee and caramel. Best enjoyed with gusts exceeding 60 mph.

This 2011 vintage is comprised of 2010 Stormwatcher’s Winterfest aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels; previous vintages were aged in Evan Williams bourbon barrels. (Previous years’ vintages were named “The Perfect Storm” which had to be changed due to trademark issues.) The Stormwatcher’s Winterfest is a fantastic beer on its own, rich and malty and lush, already hard to improve. But the barrel aging under the deft hand of Brewmaster Darren Welch puts “Mother” right over the top.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 98/100. RateBeer: 4.03/5, 100th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-mother-of-all-storms/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 22: Brooklyn Winter Ale http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-brooklyn-winter-ale/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-brooklyn-winter-ale/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:00:53 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5764 Brooklyn Winter AleToday’s beer pick comes from New York’s venerable Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Winter Ale. I’ve been looking forward to including Brooklyn Brewery in the Advent Calendar since 2006, when I featured their Monster Ale barleywine; they are one of what I consider to be the “Old Guard” of American microbreweries and including their Winter Ale is especially fitting since Brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s The Oxford Companion to Beer also came out this year.

Brooklyn Winter Ale is a Scottish-style ale brewed to 6% alcohol by volume, and is malty, rich and creamy with a delicious selection of malts including Scottish Floor-malted Maris Otter, crystal malts, Aromatic malt, roasted malts, and oats.

When the days grow short and the beach recedes into our dreams, we need a very nice beer to get us through the long winter. Based on the satisfying malty ales of blustery Scotland, Brooklyn Winter Ale will have you looking on the bright side of things. Rich Scottish malts bring deep bready flavors to a beer with a full copper color, a round, smooth palate, and brisk hopping that pulls the sweet malts into balance. See – things are looking up already!

What better beer to enjoy on this first full day of winter?

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 83/100. RateBeer: 3.15/5, 64th percentile.

]]> Brooklyn Winter AleToday’s beer pick comes from New York’s venerable Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Winter Ale. I’ve been looking forward to including Brooklyn Brewery in the Advent Calendar since 2006, when I featured their Monster Ale barleywine; they are one of what I consider to be the “Old Guard” of American microbreweries and including their Winter Ale is especially fitting since Brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s The Oxford Companion to Beer also came out this year.

Brooklyn Winter Ale is a Scottish-style ale brewed to 6% alcohol by volume, and is malty, rich and creamy with a delicious selection of malts including Scottish Floor-malted Maris Otter, crystal malts, Aromatic malt, roasted malts, and oats.

When the days grow short and the beach recedes into our dreams, we need a very nice beer to get us through the long winter. Based on the satisfying malty ales of blustery Scotland, Brooklyn Winter Ale will have you looking on the bright side of things. Rich Scottish malts bring deep bready flavors to a beer with a full copper color, a round, smooth palate, and brisk hopping that pulls the sweet malts into balance. See – things are looking up already!

What better beer to enjoy on this first full day of winter?

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 83/100. RateBeer: 3.15/5, 64th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-brooklyn-winter-ale/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 21: Hook Norton Twelve Days http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-hook-norton-twelve-days/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-hook-norton-twelve-days/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:00:24 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5743 Hook Norton Twelve DaysToday’s beer comes from the Hook Norton Brewery in England: their Twelve Days, a festive brown ale billed as a “Strong Ale” (at 5.5% abv that’s strong for English ales). While a nutty, malty presence gives it that warming Christmas character, it also (somewhat amusingly to me) looks the part, according to the Brewery, being the color of “perfect Christmas pudding.”

Twelve Days has a dominant malty palate with nutty flavours. The use of roasted chocolate malt creates the rich colour. Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke said: “Anyone drinking a glass of Twelve Days will quickly discover that it has the depth of character to warm even the coldest winter’s night.”

“The hop character is present in the aftertaste, which is dominated by a refreshing sweetness. It goes well with a log fire, or blue cheese, or maybe rich Christmas cake or pudding.”

While the bottled version is available year-round, the draft version makes its appearance in pubs the first of December and lasts only through the holidays—though hopefully long enough to toast the true Twelve Days of Christmas (which begin on the 25th and end on January 5th)!

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 86/100. RateBeer: 3.43/5, 90th percentile.

]]> Hook Norton Twelve DaysToday’s beer comes from the Hook Norton Brewery in England: their Twelve Days, a festive brown ale billed as a “Strong Ale” (at 5.5% abv that’s strong for English ales). While a nutty, malty presence gives it that warming Christmas character, it also (somewhat amusingly to me) looks the part, according to the Brewery, being the color of “perfect Christmas pudding.”

Twelve Days has a dominant malty palate with nutty flavours. The use of roasted chocolate malt creates the rich colour. Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke said: “Anyone drinking a glass of Twelve Days will quickly discover that it has the depth of character to warm even the coldest winter’s night.”

“The hop character is present in the aftertaste, which is dominated by a refreshing sweetness. It goes well with a log fire, or blue cheese, or maybe rich Christmas cake or pudding.”

While the bottled version is available year-round, the draft version makes its appearance in pubs the first of December and lasts only through the holidays—though hopefully long enough to toast the true Twelve Days of Christmas (which begin on the 25th and end on January 5th)!

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 86/100. RateBeer: 3.43/5, 90th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-hook-norton-twelve-days/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 20: Jewbelation 15 and 8 Malty Nights http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-jewbelation-15-8-malty-nights/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-jewbelation-15-8-malty-nights/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:00:20 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5722 Jewbelation 15 and 8 Malty NightsToday to commemorate the first day of Hanukkah (which begins at sunset) I have picked not one but two Hanukkah beers (the only two that I’m aware of, in fact): Shmaltz Brewing’s Jewbelation 15, and Lompoc Brewing’s 8 Malty Nights. Picking the two of them together was actually inspired by the teaming up of both breweries in Portland earlier this month for “The Ultimate Chanukah Beer Release” of these two beers so it seemed fitting to do the same here.

Jewbelation 15 is the 15th anniversary powerhouse of an ale from Shmaltz (of San Francisco and New York), and “15″s abound: 15 malts used, 15 hop varieties over 15 additions, and 15% alcohol by volume.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 87/100. RateBeer: 3.87/5.

8 Malty Nights is a Chocolate Rye Porter from Lompoc of Portland (Oregon), a 6.5% abv beer that (in the past at least) has been aged in bourbon barrels. It’s Portland’s first (and only) Hanukkah beer.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 85/100 (approx). RateBeer: 3.75/5.

L’Chaim!

]]> Jewbelation 15 and 8 Malty NightsToday to commemorate the first day of Hanukkah (which begins at sunset) I have picked not one but two Hanukkah beers (the only two that I’m aware of, in fact): Shmaltz Brewing’s Jewbelation 15, and Lompoc Brewing’s 8 Malty Nights. Picking the two of them together was actually inspired by the teaming up of both breweries in Portland earlier this month for “The Ultimate Chanukah Beer Release” of these two beers so it seemed fitting to do the same here.

Jewbelation 15 is the 15th anniversary powerhouse of an ale from Shmaltz (of San Francisco and New York), and “15″s abound: 15 malts used, 15 hop varieties over 15 additions, and 15% alcohol by volume.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 87/100. RateBeer: 3.87/5.

8 Malty Nights is a Chocolate Rye Porter from Lompoc of Portland (Oregon), a 6.5% abv beer that (in the past at least) has been aged in bourbon barrels. It’s Portland’s first (and only) Hanukkah beer.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 85/100 (approx). RateBeer: 3.75/5.

L’Chaim!

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-jewbelation-15-8-malty-nights/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 18: Terminal Gravity Festivale http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-terminal-gravity-festivale/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-terminal-gravity-festivale/#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5697 Terminal Gravity Festivale, from Oregon Beer ProjectToday’s beer pick comes from Terminal Gravity Brewing in the remote, tiny Oregon town of Enterprise: their Festivale, a strong ale brewed to 8.3% alcohol by volume.

Terminal Gravity’s Festivale is in the style of British strong or “old” ales.  We brewed it to be fairly dry so that it is completely drinkable and not cloying.  It has huge and complex malt and hops flavors with a nice little alcoholic warmth in the finish.  The color is deep ruby brown and it produces a fine cream colored cascading head.  If you like strong ales, this might be one of your new favorites!

Only a handful of Terminal Gravity’s brews are bottled for distribution, and fortunately Festivale is one of them—otherwise you’d have to make the trek into the far northeastern interior of Oregon to track this one down.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: B. RateBeer: 3.73/5, 96th percentile.

]]> Terminal Gravity Festivale, from Oregon Beer ProjectToday’s beer pick comes from Terminal Gravity Brewing in the remote, tiny Oregon town of Enterprise: their Festivale, a strong ale brewed to 8.3% alcohol by volume.

Terminal Gravity’s Festivale is in the style of British strong or “old” ales.  We brewed it to be fairly dry so that it is completely drinkable and not cloying.  It has huge and complex malt and hops flavors with a nice little alcoholic warmth in the finish.  The color is deep ruby brown and it produces a fine cream colored cascading head.  If you like strong ales, this might be one of your new favorites!

Only a handful of Terminal Gravity’s brews are bottled for distribution, and fortunately Festivale is one of them—otherwise you’d have to make the trek into the far northeastern interior of Oregon to track this one down.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: B. RateBeer: 3.73/5, 96th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-terminal-gravity-festivale/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 17: Moerlein Christkindl http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-moerlein-christkindl/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-moerlein-christkindl/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:00:21 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5689 Moerlein Christkindl Winter Warmer AleToday’s beer selection comes from the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio: their Christkindl Winter Warmer Ale. Cincinnati has a rich German heritage which is reflected in the Moerlein beers, and Christkindl is no exception: the name literally means “Christmas” in German (as does “Weihnacht”).

This is a malty and sweetly rich Winter Warmer, weighing in at 6.95% alcohol by volume. Their description:

You’ve discovered Moerlein Christkindl – a Winter Warmer inspired by the German spirit of Holiday gift-giving. Unwrap this large malt-bodied ale with the essence of chocolate sweetness. The balanced hop finish creates a subtle spice flavor sure to excite your taste buds and bring you that cozy, warm feeling for those crisp, wintry nights. Share the warmth and enjoy the perfect brew for the season with the gift of Moerlein Christkindl Winter Ale.

Moerlein notably had the first American beer to “certifiably pass” the Reinheitsgebot purity law, and while I don’t know if Christkindl is brewed to a Reinheitsgebot-approved recipe, I’m quite sure it will have you saying, “Frohe Christkindl!” come Christmas day.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: B. RateBeer: 3.24/5, 76th percentile.

]]> Moerlein Christkindl Winter Warmer AleToday’s beer selection comes from the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio: their Christkindl Winter Warmer Ale. Cincinnati has a rich German heritage which is reflected in the Moerlein beers, and Christkindl is no exception: the name literally means “Christmas” in German (as does “Weihnacht”).

This is a malty and sweetly rich Winter Warmer, weighing in at 6.95% alcohol by volume. Their description:

You’ve discovered Moerlein Christkindl – a Winter Warmer inspired by the German spirit of Holiday gift-giving. Unwrap this large malt-bodied ale with the essence of chocolate sweetness. The balanced hop finish creates a subtle spice flavor sure to excite your taste buds and bring you that cozy, warm feeling for those crisp, wintry nights. Share the warmth and enjoy the perfect brew for the season with the gift of Moerlein Christkindl Winter Ale.

Moerlein notably had the first American beer to “certifiably pass” the Reinheitsgebot purity law, and while I don’t know if Christkindl is brewed to a Reinheitsgebot-approved recipe, I’m quite sure it will have you saying, “Frohe Christkindl!” come Christmas day.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: B. RateBeer: 3.24/5, 76th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-moerlein-christkindl/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 16: Grand Teton Coming Home http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-grand-teton-coming-home/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-grand-teton-coming-home/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:00:06 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5668 Grand Teton Coming Home 2011Today’s beer pick comes from the base of the Teton Mountains in eastern Idaho: Grand Teton Brewing’s Coming Home Holiday Ale 2011. This is the second vintage in Grand Teton’s annual Holiday Ale program—featuring a different cellar-able beer each year—and this 2011 edition is brewed in the style of a Belgian Tripel (the Brewery calls it a Golden Ale) that is 9% abv.

This Belgian-Style Golden Ale is rich in flavor and is designed to be a smooth and soothing sipping beer. Deep blonde in color, Coming Home 2011 uses rich malts balanced by a special Belgian yeast strain which adds notes of soft, peppery, clove-like spice character to the beer. Belgian candi sugar is used during the brewing process to give this ale a clean, easy drinking appeal. True to the Belgian tripel style, it carries deceivingly soft alcohol aromas. Don’t let the innocence fool you, this holiday ale is one to be respected. It will delight when shared with your favorite people during the holiday season and can also be cellared to warm you on any cold winter’s day. This beer should age gracefully and can be cellared for a year or more.

Each year’s edition features a different label, as well, and I have to say I rather love this year’s label featuring the vintage car being loaded up for the trip home for the holidays. Christmas in the mountains? It’s hard to beat that.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: B+. RateBeer: 3.74/5.

]]> Grand Teton Coming Home 2011Today’s beer pick comes from the base of the Teton Mountains in eastern Idaho: Grand Teton Brewing’s Coming Home Holiday Ale 2011. This is the second vintage in Grand Teton’s annual Holiday Ale program—featuring a different cellar-able beer each year—and this 2011 edition is brewed in the style of a Belgian Tripel (the Brewery calls it a Golden Ale) that is 9% abv.

This Belgian-Style Golden Ale is rich in flavor and is designed to be a smooth and soothing sipping beer. Deep blonde in color, Coming Home 2011 uses rich malts balanced by a special Belgian yeast strain which adds notes of soft, peppery, clove-like spice character to the beer. Belgian candi sugar is used during the brewing process to give this ale a clean, easy drinking appeal. True to the Belgian tripel style, it carries deceivingly soft alcohol aromas. Don’t let the innocence fool you, this holiday ale is one to be respected. It will delight when shared with your favorite people during the holiday season and can also be cellared to warm you on any cold winter’s day. This beer should age gracefully and can be cellared for a year or more.

Each year’s edition features a different label, as well, and I have to say I rather love this year’s label featuring the vintage car being loaded up for the trip home for the holidays. Christmas in the mountains? It’s hard to beat that.

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: B+. RateBeer: 3.74/5.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-grand-teton-coming-home/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 15: Scaldis Noël http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-scaldis-noel/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-scaldis-noel/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:00:31 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5646 Scaldis NoëlToday’s beer pick is a Belgian Christmas classic: Scaldis Noël, also known as Bush de Noël in its native country, from Brasserie Dubuisson in western Belgium. Admittedly, “classic” might be a bit of a misnomer, as even though Dubuisson was founded in 1769, Scaldis Noël was introduced only two decades ago, in 1991—marking this year as the 20th anniversary of this Christmas beer.

This is also one of the strongest of the Christmas beers on this year’s Advent Calendar, second only to Samichlaus: Scaldis weighs in at 12% alcohol by volume. For all its strength, this is an incredibly smooth, rich beer to drink, made with generous amounts of caramel malts and candi sugar, and is pleasantly warming without the alcohol burn one would expect from such a volume.

This is also the perfect stocking-stuffer-sized bottle: 25 centiliters, or approximately 8.5 fluid ounces (one third less than the American standard bottle size of 12 ounces). With its festive packaging it would fit right in on Christmas morning!

Untappd. BeerAdvocate: B+. RateBeer: 3.67/5, 97th percentile.

]]> Scaldis NoëlToday’s beer pick is a Belgian Christmas classic: Scaldis Noël, also known as Bush de Noël in its native country, from Brasserie Dubuisson in western Belgium. Admittedly, “classic” might be a bit of a misnomer, as even though Dubuisson was founded in 1769, Scaldis Noël was introduced only two decades ago, in 1991—marking this year as the 20th anniversary of this Christmas beer.

This is also one of the strongest of the Christmas beers on this year’s Advent Calendar, second only to Samichlaus: Scaldis weighs in at 12% alcohol by volume. For all its strength, this is an incredibly smooth, rich beer to drink, made with generous amounts of caramel malts and candi sugar, and is pleasantly warming without the alcohol burn one would expect from such a volume.

This is also the perfect stocking-stuffer-sized bottle: 25 centiliters, or approximately 8.5 fluid ounces (one third less than the American standard bottle size of 12 ounces). With its festive packaging it would fit right in on Christmas morning!

Untappd. BeerAdvocate: B+. RateBeer: 3.67/5, 97th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-scaldis-noel/feed/ 0 Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 14: Page 24 Bière de Noël http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-page-24-biere-de-noel/ http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-page-24-biere-de-noel/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:00:42 +0000 Jon http://www.thebrewsite.com/?p=5622 Page 24 Bière de NoëlToday’s beer is another Christmas ale from France: Page 24 Bière de Noël from Brasserie Saint-Germain in the northern region of the country. Like Jenlain’s beer, this one is brewed “in the great tradition of the North”—which led me to dig around a bit and discover that the French tradition of Christmas/holiday beer originated in Northern France. (I had thought the Jenlain entry was claiming that Christmas beers in general originated there.)

This Bière de Noël is a traditional strong Bière de Garde brewed for the holidays to a warming 6.9% alcohol by volume. Malty and rich with roasted malts, the brewery suggests it will pair well with wild game (think venison) and beef kidney, chicken stew, and other regional dishes.

In fact I’d wager this would pair even better with a bûche de Noël, the traditional French Christmas dessert (literally, “Yule log”—a special rolled cake). A warm fire, a slice of the Yule cake, and a goblet of Bière de Noël—it’s tough to get any better than that.

Untappd. BeerAdvocate: A-. RateBeer: 3.19/5, 69th percentile.

]]> Page 24 Bière de NoëlToday’s beer is another Christmas ale from France: Page 24 Bière de Noël from Brasserie Saint-Germain in the northern region of the country. Like Jenlain’s beer, this one is brewed “in the great tradition of the North”—which led me to dig around a bit and discover that the French tradition of Christmas/holiday beer originated in Northern France. (I had thought the Jenlain entry was claiming that Christmas beers in general originated there.)

This Bière de Noël is a traditional strong Bière de Garde brewed for the holidays to a warming 6.9% alcohol by volume. Malty and rich with roasted malts, the brewery suggests it will pair well with wild game (think venison) and beef kidney, chicken stew, and other regional dishes.

In fact I’d wager this would pair even better with a bûche de Noël, the traditional French Christmas dessert (literally, “Yule log”—a special rolled cake). A warm fire, a slice of the Yule cake, and a goblet of Bière de Noël—it’s tough to get any better than that.

Untappd. BeerAdvocate: A-. RateBeer: 3.19/5, 69th percentile.

]]> http://www.thebrewsite.com/advent-2011-page-24-biere-de-noel/feed/ 1