Mmmmm, Jubelale… one of my favorites from Deschutes. This is one of the beers I look forward to every year, and the release of Jubelale is the herald of the winter/holiday season. Or at least the herald of seasonal beers…

I’ve already written a bit about this year’s Jubel from the Brewery’s launch party for it; I even have a poster of this year’s label. (Each year, the Brewery commissions a local artist to paint a label for the beer.) This year is a winner—for both the beer and the label.

The beer itself is a Winter Warmer at 6.7%, and—trivia time—it was the first beer ever bottled by Deschutes.

Appearance: Amber brown in color with a tan head… orange highlights when held up to the light.

Smell: Malty, rich, and warm… sweet notes like a Belgian candi sugar. A bit of an alcohol note. Dark fruits, molasses.

Taste: Spicy essence (nutmeg, cinnamon, “winter” spices) blending with a rich and warming, malty brew. Very tasty, satisfying. A little spike of alcohol heat, and a Belgian strong dark thing going on.

Mouthfeel: Nice and chewy, not as full as a stout but more body than “medium.” Pleasant warmth in the aftertaste.

Overall: The best Jubelale in recent years, and still one of my favorite Winter Warmers. One of the best.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores an overall grade of A-. (RateBeer is still unavailable.)