Advent Beer Calendar 2012: Day 3: Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale

Advent Beer Calendar 2012: Day 3: Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale

Asheville, North Carolina is a bright star on the craft beer scene that’s been growing brighter in recent years, so much so that Charlie Papazian’s annual “Beer City USA” poll routinely sees Asheville ranked among the best beer cities in the country, not to mention the fact that both Sierra … Continue reading

Advent Beer Calendar 2012: Day 2: Full Sail Wassail

Advent Beer Calendar 2012: Day 2: Full Sail Wassail

One of the long-lasting Yuletide traditions hearkening back to England is the practice of wassailing, more modernly known as caroling: going door-to-door singing Christmas carols and the hopes of receiving figgy pudding and “good cheer” which actually meant wassail, which (of course!) refers to the hot, mulled punch that is … Continue reading

Deschutes Jubelale (2012)

Deschutes Jubelale (2012)

Deschutes Brewery‘s seasonal Winter Warmer, Jubelale, is one of my all-time favorite seasonal beers, and most years I wax rhapsodic about it and this year is no different. Yes, I know it’s only mid-September and this (and other such seasonals) should really be making their appearance in November, but unfortunately … Continue reading

Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 2: Boulevard Nutcracker Ale

Advent Beer Calendar 2011: Day 2: Boulevard Nutcracker Ale

The Christmas season is the traditional time (and setting) for the popular ballet The Nutcracker, and so today’s pick is, accordingly, Boulevard Brewing’s Nutcracker Ale: a rich, malty Winter Warmer that is 5.8% alcohol by volume. Boulevard describes it thusly: Nutcracker Ale is Boulevard’s holiday gift for real beer lovers. … Continue reading

Jubelale (2010)

Jubelale (2010)

This week is the official Deschutes Brewery release of their annual Winter Warmer, Jubelale (the release party at the Portland Pub was yesterday, and the Bend Pub is hold their release party today at 5:30), so to coincide with that I opened up one of the bottles they had sent … Continue reading

Received: Deschutes Jubelale

Received: Deschutes Jubelale

It’s seems a bit early for Christmas, but Deschutes Brewery sent me something anyway: three bottles of the 2009 edition Jubelale, their Winter Warmer. And, what might be an exclusive: first pictures(?) of this year’s label, which I haven’t seen anywhere yet. I knew the beer was being brewed, but … Continue reading