Bavik - Petrus

Brouwerij Bavik

Petrus Oud Bruin - Ale aged in oak barrels

This is the last of the 12 beers of Christmas my wife got me.  12 drummers drumming are represented by the oak drums.  Well done my dear.  I am sad the beers of Christmas are over now.

The color of this beer is a nice chestnut color at the core, but fades out to a mahogany as it reaches the edge of the glass.  It is a translucent beer that you can see through, but the color of the beer makes it hard.  

The aroma of this beer gives off hints of candied sugar sweetness.  There is a wine like funk to the smell, probably from the aging process in the oak barrels. You can get a slight sourness and tartness of cherries as well.  It's a very interesting aroma.  There is a lot going on here.  

On the palate there is a mild, prickly carbonation.  This beer has hints of sourness that are reflected in the smell.  The sourness has a hint of cherries that has a little funkiness to it.  There is a slight maltiness that comes through with a very mild roast essence.  This beer is very similar to a sour, but it doesn't go over board with the sour flavor and it nicely balanced between sour, sweet, and the bitterness.  The fruitiness is very nice, and the beer goes down pretty easily.

Overall this is a nice brew.  The sour is a welcomed change of pace and refreshing.  This beer is like a sour mixed with a nice amber ale.  It's a different kind of beer, but very good and worth a try.

Breckinridge - Christmas Ale

Breckinridge Brewery

Christmas Ale - Seasonal winter ale

This is the 11th beer out of the 12 beers of Christmas.  There was nothing about pipers piping, so I got a Christmas Ale.

This beer gives off a mahogany color.  It has a nice play between brown and red.  It' a translucent brew, with a nice fading of color when you hold it up to the light.  

The aroma of this brew has a nice malty note with hints of caramel.  There is a slight fruitiness in the aroma that has a raisin scent.  There is also a bit of piney hops in the aroma.  Nothing in this aroma is overpowering, but mild and balanced.

On the palate the piney hop flavor is the first thing that hits the tongue.  After the piney flavor goes away your tongue gets hit with some fruity sweetness, then there is a little bit of hop again, and then it finishes with a note of caramel.  The flavor is kind of crazy how it bounces around like that.  After I first tasted the beer I was like, wow, there is a ton going on.  As I kept drinking it, I kept saying that to myself.  

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  It has a nice mild aroma, that leads you to a beer that has a bunch of flavor.  The flavor is layered, and to strong.  It is a nice warming ale that keeps on warming your throat well after you drink it.  It's worth a try for sure.

Ommegang - Adoration

Brewery Ommegang 

Adoration - Dark Winter Ale

This is beer 10 from the 12 beers of Christmas my wife got me.  I know I am behind on posting these.  The 10 lords-a-leaping are represented by the kings on the bottle.

The color of this beer is a nice brownish mahogany.  It is slightly transparent allowing a little bit of light through it.  There is a slight reddish haze in the color as well.  

The aroma of this beer gives of hints of sugared candy, raisins and yeast.  There is also a slight hint of molasses.  The aroma is sweet without being overpowering.  It has a slight alcohol bite to it as well.

On the palate this beer is smooth and a little creamy.  There is a raisin and citrus blend going on that plays well with the molasses flavor.  There is a slight bitterness on the backend of this beer that is covered up a little bit by the alcohol essence of this brew.  The after taste is a bitter fruitiness that lingers on the tongue for a while.  There is a lot of flavor in this beer.  Adoration does a nice job of keeping the flavors under control.

Overall this is a nice winter ale.  It has a nice warming affect on the body, with out you noticing that there is a ton of alcohol in this beer.  For how sweet it is up front is has a nice contrast on the backend with the mild bitterness.  I wish the after taste didn't linger as long as it does, but it's not a deal breaker for me.  It is another nicely done brew by Ommegang.

Coronado - Island IPA

Coronado Brewing Co.

Island IPA

This is the 9th beer of the 12 beers of Christmas from my wife.  She had trouble finding a beer I never had before with a dancing lady in it, so this one has a mermaid.  

The color of this beer is a nice a wonderful golden orange.  It had a nice light white head.  The beer is completely transparent, there is no cloudiness and you can read ( up side down ) when you look through this beer.

The aroma of this brew gives off a nice sweet grapefruit smell.  The smell gives off some mild hints if piney hops and the slightest note of that traditional IPA bitterness.

On the palate Islander IPA has a mild prickley carbonation.  The grapefruit flavor has that slight sweetness you notice in the smell.  There seems to be an other citrus fruit like mango that mixes with the grapefruit that adds to the flavor if this beer.  There is a nice hit of piney hops on the front side of this beer and it resurfaces on the backend a second or two after you finish your swallow.  The beer is nice a smooth for an IPA.

On the first sip of this beer I knew it was good and the more I drank it the more I liked it.  The flavors continue to develop the more you drink the beer.  It's a fantastic brew and worth a try. 

Southern Tier - Creme Brulee

Southern Tier Brewing Co.

Creme Brulee - A stout brewed with vanilla beans

This is the 8th beer in the 12 beers of Christmas my wife got me.  8 maids a milking and I got a Creme Brulee Stout with a cow on the bottle!!!

The color of this brew is a wonderfully deep brown, it's almost black in color.  The head is a nice white with hints of brown in it.  It's a complete solid beer that lets no light through. 

The aroma of this beer is amazing.  This beer hits the nose with wonderful scents of vanilla and custard.  You also get little bit of sugary sweetness hidden in with main smells.  The vanilla and custard smells are most prominent and are extremely enticing.

On the palate this beer is full of layered flavor and well balanced.  This beer has wonderful stoutiness that is blended with vanilla and milkiness.  There is also a nice caramelized sugar flavor that adds to the Creme Brulee aspect of the beer.  The carbonation is mild and the beer is very smooth and goes down a little to easily.  

Overall this is a sweeter stout.  It has a ton of flavor and it has a very enticing aroma.  This is another quality beer by Southern Tier.  It's a cool twist on a stout and definitely worth a try!!!

DuClaw - Retribution 2013

DuClaw Brewing Co.

Retribution - Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels

The color of this beer is a thick, rich black with a nice dark brown head.  On light at all can be seen through this beer, not even on the edges.  It looks like melted dark chocolate syrup, but an adult version of it.

The aroma this beer gives off is a nice balanced smell of alcohol and roasted malt.  There is also a hint of coffee and chocolate.  All these scents combined really make this beer enticing to drink.

On the palate the beer has a mild carbonation that helps make this a smooth beer to drink.  This beer has nice flavors of chocolate and coffee that balance well with the alcohol flavor this beer gives off from aging in the bourbon barrels.  There is also a sweetness in this beer, a little hint of sugary candy.  The finish leaves my tongue a little dry and the beer warms the mouth and throat long after you finish your swallow.

This is the second year I have had a bottle of Retribution for News Years day.  If this beer keeps being this good, I will have to continue with this new tradition long into the future.  It's a fantastic brew with tons if flavor and nice body.