It’s December 1, and that means it’s the first day of the annual tradition for the blog that first ran in 2005—the Beer Advent Calendar! As a virtual Advent calendar, every day through December 24 I’ll feature a different holiday beer from a wide variety of breweries.

To start things off, today is National Peppermint Bark Day—because why not?—so I picked a fitting seasonal specialty from right here in my home state of Oregon: Barrel-Aged Peppermint Bark Imperial Stout from Oakshire Brewing of Eugene. This is an insanely decadent candy-themed imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels that weighs in at a hefty 14.53% alcohol by volume!

Here’s the brewery’s description of this year’s edition:

Our Barrel-Aged Peppermint Bark Stout returns to bring holiday cheer for its fourth year! Brewed in March of 2022, the base Rye Imperial Stout was laid to rest in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. After aging gracefully for 20 months, we blended and finished the beer on peppermint bark candy, peppermint sticks, and cocoa nibs. This jet-black beer features notes of peppermint and chocolate in the nose. Mint, chocolate, and spice flavors converge with the complex bourbon character. The combination creates a unique drinking experience best paired with friends and family. One of our favorite iterations yet, Barrel-aged Peppermint Bark Stout 2023 is the perfect holiday sipper.

I enjoyed this beer last year, and I have a can of it in my fridge to open this holiday season; it’s a beer that manages to balance the peppermint with the chocolate quite nicely and drinks like liquid dessert. It’s a great way to kick off this year’s Advent calendar!

Find Oakshire Barrel-Aged Peppermint Bark Imperial Stout on:

• Untappd
• Facebook

Image credits: Oakshire’s Facebook page and website.