2010 winter/holiday beers

So i am heading back home soon and looking for this year holiday/winter beers that are on your must try list.

more the merrier

Just had Troegs Mad Elf for the first time. Loved it.

Sweetwater Festive Ale (Atlanta GA)
Sam Adam's Holiday Porter
Sam Adam's Chocolate Bock

^^ All wonderful Holiday beers.

Anchors Christmas ale is fantastic this year.

jbgd825 said:

Anchors Christmas ale is fantastic this year.

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Do you notice a smokey taste to it this year?

I just picked up four to try:

Redhook Eisbock
Full Sail Wreck the Halls
Samischlaus
Widmer Brothers Reserve Bourbon Barrel

Have not opened any yet, comments welcome!

Loved
Southern Tier Pumpking

Liked
Fort Collins Big Shot Hazelnut Brown Ale
Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Finished it but won't order again
Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

Did not finish
Tommyknocker Cocoa Winter Porter (there may have been a contamination issue or something, downright nasty imo).

I love Bourbon beers, but Bourbon Cask Ale is just a poor excuse for a beer.

I should have known it would suck being a product of Anheuser-Busch.

Troegs Mad Elf - Amazing
Anchors Christmas Ale - Best one they have ever done
Full Sail Wreck the Halls - First beer I ever had from Full Sail. Great choice

kjung said:

Do you notice a smokey taste to it this year?

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Only had one bottle but I'll let you know when I'm able to get more in me

USMCYoder said:

Troegs Mad Elf - Amazing
Anchors Christmas Ale - Best one they have ever done
Full Sail Wreck the Halls - First beer I ever had from Full Sail. Great choice

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Look for the annual release of the Full Sail Top Sail bourbon porter, sets the standard for the style, in my most humble of opinions.

Anybody know when the 2011 Bigfoot Barleywine is going to be released? Bigfoot Ale is always a wonderful brew to be sipping during the holidays.

Had a Brooklyn Brewery Cuvee Noire on tap last night and thought it was extremely good. It's basically a RIS but made with Belgian yeast.

Ace_Club said:

Anybody know when the 2011 Bigfoot Barleywine is going to be released? Bigfoot Ale is always a wonderful brew to be sipping during the holidays.

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aren't most barleywines released in jan/feb?

jbgd825 said:

Anchors Christmas ale is fantastic this year.

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Oh man....just cracked open my first ones tonight and they're delicious!

kjung said:

Do you notice a smokey taste to it this year?

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I actually picked up an undertone of sassafras. Giving it....in my opinion, a very slight root beer taste.

At least to my taste buds.

Like others have said the Troeggs Mad Elf is a must try. Real unique, haven't had it this year but remember a lot of honey and almost cranberry flavor. This is my wifes favorite beer.

Another one that screams christmas to me is New Belgium Frambozen. It's a dark brown ale/Framboise. Incredible. Rich. Most New Belgium beers are very pedestrian to me(ie. 2below, 1554, fat tire) but this beer has some extreme flavor.

Does the Anchor Christmas ale have honey in it? Ive tried a few Christmas beers that list honey and dont really like them. If it doesn't have honey I will make a point of getting a six pack.

So I took a chance on the Anchor Christmas ale and picked up the last six pack at the grocery store. Turns out it is from 2009. Tastes good, but quite a bit different from what Im used to. I had picked up a single bottle of Sierra Nevada summer lager from the same chain grocery store, different location and later realized that too was from 2009.

Lakefront Brewery Holiday Spice - Didn't like the first bottle, googled reviews, realized was 10-11% ABV, did like second bottle realizing ABV... lol

Just had a little holiday get together at the Cheeky Monk, a Belgian beer bar here in Denver; had the Three French Hens, Delirium Noel, and I believe the St. Bernardus (all on draft), however, as the first two were 10% ABV my memory of the third is a bit hazy.

just got back to the states and purchased some anchor xmas ale. awesome stuff. glad i am back to enjoy it

Drinking an anchor xmas 2010 while I brew a stout. I want to say the anchor xmas might have some molasses in it. It seems a bit sweeter than normal. I'm going to compare it to some 2009 later on. I would love to crack their secret recipe.

I still like it, but Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale did not blow me away this year.

I've also tried Two Brother's Northwind (an imperial stout) and that was very good.

I enjoyed Scaldis Noel, Harpoon Winter and Rahr Winter Warmer. I had several I did not enjoy.

widmer brrrbon, full sail wreck the halls, anderson valley winter solstice ale.

did anyone have the abita xmas ale? the bottle I had tasted like raw malt so I gave away the rest of my sixer.

Bought a case of Trader Joe's 2010 Vintage Ale. It's really good, subtle spiciness, nice and dark. I'll drink a couple this winter and age the rest so I can do a vertical tasting starting from my 2008 bottle.

Oh, I also had the NB Frambozen which I found to be pretty good. The raspberry seems a little artificial and overly tart when the beer is very cold but as it warms up (seriously warms up) it gets a very nice and much more complex flavor.

corsendonk christmas ROCKS! here's a video review: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Tjf9EkGJo]Corsendonk Christmas Ale - Epic Beer Dude w/ a special guest cameo by the Bag Lady - YouTube[/ame]