Quick Riffs: More Winter/Holiday Seasonals

My original intent in creating the “quick riff” posting was to add content to my beer diary without an undue amount of blathering, editorializing or navel gazing. My initial attempts at quick riffs have not really been successful in this regard and, given the length of this introduction, I’m worried that this installment of quick riffs is also going to be a failure. Something to work on in the New Year.

Anyway, with the Christmas and New Year season over (but certainly not the winter season) I thought I’d give a quick run down of some more of the holiday/Christmas style beers that I’ve sampled recently.

Avery
Old Jubilation Ale
Sampled on December 11, 2008
Seems a bit hoppy in the bottle. Pours dark bronze with a robust head and tastes slightly sweet with hints of citrus. Definitely has a warming quality and a slight alcohol bite. There is no alcohol percentage listed on the label, but seems to be fairly strong. Gets better as it warms in the glass, but only to a point, so don’t dilly-dally, scooter.

Abita
Christmas Ale
Sampled December 8, 2008
Smells malty in the bottle and of sweet malt in the glass. Bronze in color with medium lacing and a grainy corn taste. Probably not worth mentioning in your Christmas or New Years cards, but certainly worth a try each year when it rolls around. I've learned that they also make root beer. Hmm.

Anchor
Merry Christmas…
Sampled December 4, 2008
Gives off a sour spice smell in the bottle; maybe licorice. Poured a light coffee color that bordered on red. Thin head with light lacing. There is definitely a taste of licorice and a hint of something roasted there as well. This one gives a definite warming effect and a very slight alcohol bite. Finishes with a hint of almonds or some other nut . This beer seems worthy of a try every year simply because it's become something of a tradition, I think

Breckenridge
Christmas Ale
Sampled on December 7, 2008 (Day of Infamy)
Grassy smelling in the bottle but more malty smelling in the glass. Pours a dark tea color with a nice tan head. The taste is sweet with a medium mouth feel. I'm frequently underwhelmed by this brewer and I only recall being bowled over by their Small Batch IPA.

Lost Coast
Winterbraun
Sampled on December 7, 2008 (Day of Infamy)
This one smells sweet in the glass and pours a dark brown – but not opaque. Flavor hints at fruit an licorice with a thick mouth feel. Like many of the late year seasonals, this one has a slight alcohol bite, too. Again, I'm hard pressed to remember a beer from this brewer that really knocked my socks off, but the fun is in the trying, right?

I’m still waiting to sample (again) Hibernation Ale and New Belgium’s 2 Below. (Both of which I've enjoyed in past years.) Meanwhile, I’m finagling a beer trade with a fellow beer nut in Arkansas, nosing into the rumor of a small brewery scheduled to open less than a mile from Beer Rant HQ and giving some thought to all the folks who I have crossed paths with this year in connection with my new found appreciation of beer and things beer-related.
Happy New Year!