I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big fan of lagers in general.  Nothing against them, specifically, it’s just that they’re often not particularly interesting.   As lagers go, however, Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams Winter Lager is a pretty nice one.  It’s spiced, which adds a bit of holiday cheer, and a bit of bitter goodness to the middle.  The nose and the finish are pretty standard lager.  It’s a light to medium bodied beer, which is also a bit of a nice occasional change-up from all of the heavy winter warmers that define the season.

I recently reviewed, and didn’t particularly like Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Ale.   I’m happy to report that their Blackberry Witbier is, in my opinion, a much better example of a fruit beer.  I like the wheat ale base for a fruit beer as it’s nice and mild, and really lets the fruit shine.  In the case of the Blackberry Witbier, there’s just the right amount of blackberry there.  It’s every present, but not overpowering.  There’s a bit of blackberry in the nose, plenty in the middle, and it fades to a balanced finish.  Fruit beers aren’t my favorite, but this is a pretty good one.

The winter seasonal from the Boulder Brewing Company is a Strong Ale named Never Summer Ale.  The nose is a bit hoppy, with the predominate scent being pine.  The middle, however, is malty, with sweet caramel and a finish that’s balanced, but leaning slightly back towards the hoppy side with some trailing bitterness.   I’d say that this is actually a winter beer that’s going to appeal more to the folks (like me) who are hop fans.   A good solid effort from the folks in Colorado.

I’ve reached my 100th beer review for OpenCraftBeer, and I dare say I picked a good beer for the mark.   Ovila Sasion is Farmhouse Ale created by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in collaboration with the Abbey of New Clairvaux.  It’s a tangy ale, with a yeasty nose and orange in the middle.   It’s a lighter ale, with a light to medium body and a flavor that’s more refreshing than full.  I’m no expert in Sasions, so I can’t speak to how it represents the style, or any uniqueness it brings, but it’s a nice, light, refreshing ale, and I’m enjoying every sip.

Harpoon Brewery hasn’t messed about with the name.   They call this beer “Winter Warmer” which to me, means it’s a Winter Warmer.  That said, to me, everything from the nose to the middle to the finish screams “Pumpkin Ale.”   The nose has a bit of pumpkin, the middle is most predominately pumpkin and pie spices, and the finish is sweet pumpkin.  A good recipe for a winter warmer?  Sure, I suppose, and it’s a decent pumpkin ale, but I’d feel more at home drinking this beer in November rather than deep in winter.   If you like spicy pumpkin ales, this might be a beer you’d want to try.

Wassail is a Winter Warmer from Full Sail Brewing in Oregon.   It’s a medium bodied ale with a fruity, caramel scent.  The flavor is excellent, with a fruitiness that reminds me of Belgian yeast, but not too sweet.   It’s some spice, of indeterminate variety, and the finish is bitter with piney hops.   This has been one of my favorite beers this winter.

I don’t know what it is about the holiday season, but there are so many good beers!   Brooklyn Brewing’s seasonal Imperial Stout, called Black Chocolate Stout is yet another.  At 10% ABV it’s a big, and heavy beer, excellent for the deep winter evenings.  The nose is roasted cocoa, and the middle is sweet with chocolate malt, bitter with coffee, and finished with a warming alcohol and sweet chocolate. The sweet and the bitter notes seem to stand strongly on their own…I would prefer it a bit more if they were blended and balanced each other out a bit better instead, but that aside, this is a good, strong winter stout.

The 2011 version of Anchor Christmas Ale is the 37th version, different every year since Anchor Brewing started making it in the holiday season of 1975.   They won’t say what malts or hops are in it, and I’m not good enough to discern them on my own, but based on the taste profile I’d call it a winter warmer.  It’s a medium to heavy bodied ale, with roasted chocolate on the nose, chocolate and cherry in the middle and a sweet fruity finish.  I think they’ve come up with a winner in this year’s recipe.

It’s Boxing Day, which calls for a…Holiday IPA?   Well, I guess it does!   Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. calls Celebration Ale a special holiday ale, and an IPA featuring the first hops of the growing season.  I call it the very definition of a classic IPA, with fresh pine scents, and a hoppy bitter middle with some citrus zest and more pine in the finish.  Holiday special or not, this is a truly stellar IPA.

Merry Christmas!  What better treat on Christmas Day than Bell’s Brewery’s Christmas Ale?  Bell’s Christmas Ale is a winter seasonal that is unusual for a holiday beer in that there are no spices at all.  It’s strictly a barley and hops beer, that’s very well balanced with a hit of sweet malt in the middle and bitter hops on the finish. It’s fruity, with orange in the nose, and both orange and cherries in the middle that remind me of a Belgian.  A really outstanding Christmas treat.