11 Beers to Christmas

We are at t-minus 45 minutes.  Zoë's parents are due to arrive from England for Christmas and I need a drink.  

Ahhh, just kidding on the latter.  The drink is simply a requirement of the countdown, nothing more.  Really.

Oddly enough, the one beer I pick from my countdown stash is an imperial ESB (Extra Special Bitter), the quintessential English beer, amped up.  Sort of like me right now.

When I picked Heavy Seas' Winter Storm, I was thinking strong ale, spiced ale, something ale…but not an imperial ESB.  The nose was fairly unremarkable.  My first taste was full of malt, a bit of spice, and a slightly hoppy finish.  ESB's are a wonderful balance between malt and hop and this brew hit the mark.

Winter Storm is very, very English and to my palate, very, very good.  Now, excuse me, I'm off to the airport.