Okay, admittedly this series is not going how I intended. I under estimated the craziness of the season, but it is what it is. Let's keep the great holiday beers rolling, shall we?
The fourth beer of Christmas this year was Widmer Brothers Brewing Company's Brrr! Beer Advocate describes this beer as a winter warmer, but it is more of a hoppy red ale. It pours a clear, red-brown with a bubbly off-white head. The nose is a great balance of sweet malts and citrus hops. The flavors were not at all what I expected! The citrus hops are big and forward, holding their own against a lot of IPAs. These hops are followed by just a hint of fruitiness and some sweet caramel flavors. It finishes with just a little bit of bitterness. What a refreshing beer! Though it is their winter beer and called "Brrr," I think this beer has great potential as a year round brew. Its smooth, refreshing, and I could just as easily drink this in the middle of summer as the cold of winter. That was proven the day I had this, because despite it being December we have had weather in the mid 70's (WOOHOO!). I will definitely be getting more of this before the season is out!
Next up is one that a lot of people look out for every year: Anchor Brewing Company's Our Special Ale. Unlike Brrr, Our Special Ale certainly belongs in the Winter Warmer category. It pours a very dark brown/ mahogany with a dark tan head that is thin but lingers. Sweet malts and brown sugar come to the nose. The odor actually reminds me of some pumpkin beers. The first thing I noticed when I sipped this beer is that it is a bit heavy for a beer that is only 5.5% ABV. The sweet malts are at the forefront, along with some spices (I want to say nutmeg and maybe some cinnamon, not sure). It finishes much more smooth than it starts. I really like this beer despite its heaviness. To be honest, I think the only reason that the heaviness bothered me at all is that it was 80 degrees outside. That's IPA weather, not anything with warmer in the name. Still, I think I will be another one of the guys that grabs this annually. Cheers!
The fourth beer of Christmas this year was Widmer Brothers Brewing Company's Brrr! Beer Advocate describes this beer as a winter warmer, but it is more of a hoppy red ale. It pours a clear, red-brown with a bubbly off-white head. The nose is a great balance of sweet malts and citrus hops. The flavors were not at all what I expected! The citrus hops are big and forward, holding their own against a lot of IPAs. These hops are followed by just a hint of fruitiness and some sweet caramel flavors. It finishes with just a little bit of bitterness. What a refreshing beer! Though it is their winter beer and called "Brrr," I think this beer has great potential as a year round brew. Its smooth, refreshing, and I could just as easily drink this in the middle of summer as the cold of winter. That was proven the day I had this, because despite it being December we have had weather in the mid 70's (WOOHOO!). I will definitely be getting more of this before the season is out!
Next up is one that a lot of people look out for every year: Anchor Brewing Company's Our Special Ale. Unlike Brrr, Our Special Ale certainly belongs in the Winter Warmer category. It pours a very dark brown/ mahogany with a dark tan head that is thin but lingers. Sweet malts and brown sugar come to the nose. The odor actually reminds me of some pumpkin beers. The first thing I noticed when I sipped this beer is that it is a bit heavy for a beer that is only 5.5% ABV. The sweet malts are at the forefront, along with some spices (I want to say nutmeg and maybe some cinnamon, not sure). It finishes much more smooth than it starts. I really like this beer despite its heaviness. To be honest, I think the only reason that the heaviness bothered me at all is that it was 80 degrees outside. That's IPA weather, not anything with warmer in the name. Still, I think I will be another one of the guys that grabs this annually. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment