1 Beer to Christmas
Noel de Calabaza. I saved the biggest, most interesting bottle Zoe selected, for tonight. This brew comes from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales.
Although a pumpkin figures prominently on the label and in the name of the beer, it's not a pumpkin ale. On the contrary, it's a strong Belgian ale. The nose is sweet, and the taste of the oak fermentation barrels quickly asserts itself in the the first taste. After the oak gives way, I get the wonderful taste of raisins, and something slighly sour I can't put my finger on.
This is another high ABV beer at 9%, and it is simply wonderful. Only one slight problem for the evening. The bottle was over carbonated. I popped the cap and the beer shot out like a fountain. It wasn't just a little burb, it was like a continuous pump. Unfortunately, it took about 15 minutes for it to settle, and another 10 minutes to fill a pint glass. In the end though, the wait and mess was well worth it.
Well here's the roundup:
It's been a crazy 12 days. I now know why I don't/can't blog daily. Suffice to say, drinking a beer is a lot easier than cooking a meal, and I'm having trouble with just the beer! This year has been a nice collection of beers. It certainly is fun to branch out and try new things. Some I will rush back to and others...maybe a slow skip, with some subdued jazz hands. I hope you have enjoyed the ride, I know I have!
Although a pumpkin figures prominently on the label and in the name of the beer, it's not a pumpkin ale. On the contrary, it's a strong Belgian ale. The nose is sweet, and the taste of the oak fermentation barrels quickly asserts itself in the the first taste. After the oak gives way, I get the wonderful taste of raisins, and something slighly sour I can't put my finger on.
This is another high ABV beer at 9%, and it is simply wonderful. Only one slight problem for the evening. The bottle was over carbonated. I popped the cap and the beer shot out like a fountain. It wasn't just a little burb, it was like a continuous pump. Unfortunately, it took about 15 minutes for it to settle, and another 10 minutes to fill a pint glass. In the end though, the wait and mess was well worth it.
Well here's the roundup:
It's been a crazy 12 days. I now know why I don't/can't blog daily. Suffice to say, drinking a beer is a lot easier than cooking a meal, and I'm having trouble with just the beer! This year has been a nice collection of beers. It certainly is fun to branch out and try new things. Some I will rush back to and others...maybe a slow skip, with some subdued jazz hands. I hope you have enjoyed the ride, I know I have!
Mike Lang
