Today’s pick is Tannen Bomb from Golden Valley Brewery. I confess I picked it as much because I liked the naming pun as for the fact that it’s a well-received beer. Golden Valley’s description says Tannen Bomb was rated third in the nation by the Beverage Testing Institute two years … Continue reading

Today’s pick is Doggie Claws from Hair of the Dog Brewing, a hefty barleywine that weighs in at 11.5% alcohol. Hair of the Dog brews some distinctive beers and Doggie Claws is no exception. They call it "a Barley Wine made in the West Coast style," which means it will … Continue reading

With Lump of Coal yesterday there might appear to be a theme with today’s Bah Humbug Christmas beer from Wychwood Brewery. This beer is "full of seasonal spices and rich Michaelmas pickings" and holds forth at 6.2% alcohol. There are mixed reviews on BeerAdvocate, but overall the beer scores 82 … Continue reading

This is one lump of coal you wouldn’t mind getting in your stocking: Lump of Coal Stout from Ridgeway Brewing, of the "Bad Elf" beer fame. Yes, that’s the brewer whose labels are creating a stir back east. Billed as a bittersweet chocolate stout, it’ll keep you warm at 8% … Continue reading

Today I selected Papa Noel’s Olde Ale from Alameda Brewhouse. Of it, their website says: Papa Noel’s has a pleasing sweetness from its higher-than-normal alcoholic content, and from its complex malt foundation. This sweetness is balanced by a hint of roasted flavor, as well as a mellow bitterness imparted by … Continue reading

Today’s pick is Bison Brewing‘s Gingerbread Ale. (Insert "run run run just as fast as you can!" joke here.) This sounds really good to me… on their site, they describe it as: Our spiced holiday porter is brewed with ginger, nutmeg, and a touch of cinnamon, yielding the aroma of … Continue reading

It’s time for the Beer Advent Calendar again! Each day from the first through the twenty-fourth I pick a different holiday-themed beer. All for fun, of course, but wouldn’t it be cool if there was a beer-of-the-month club-type service that did this for real? I’m starting this year as I … Continue reading

Well, for the final day on the Advent Calendar, it’s Samichlaus, of course! "Samichlaus" means Santa Claus, so I can’t think of a better beer for our final day and for Christmas Eve. I’ve written about it before, so it’s no surprise I think highly of this beer. In general, … Continue reading

I picked today’s beer simply because I liked the name: Gritty McDuff’s Christmas Ale. I don’t really know much else about it, but the website says: Our Christmas Ale is a robust E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) full of holiday cheer. Christmas Ale has a lovely, dark red/amber color and a … Continue reading

Today’s beer is Holiday Spice Lager from Lakefront Brewery in Wisconsin. You don’t see too many lagers as holiday beers (or at least, I haven’t come across many while doing this), especially one as potent as this: brewed with honey, oranges and spices, it weighs in at an astounding 9.5% … Continue reading