Schell's Snowstorm (2014 Edition) Review

Name: Schell's Snowstorm (2014 Edition)
Style: Grand Cru/Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Every winter, Schell's Brewing releases their Snowstorm Ale, which changes style every year. Last year it was a Belgian Golden Ale, and now this year it is a Grand Cru; Which is a term normally used to describe wine but it's also used to describe something that has no set category. However I've seen this also described as a Belgian Strong Ale, so I will be using both terminologies in the description.

Snowstorm pours a clear dark orange color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head is quite fizzy at first but retains a thin foamy appearance throughout. I am not picking up on any lacing though.

The nose has a nice aroma of coriander & orange peels upfront followed by citrus hops and caramel malts in the back.

The flavor treats you to a nice mix orange peel, belgian yeasts and coriander; While the second half of the flavor is citrus hops, spices and a caramel maltiness. The flavor is surprisingly complex for what it is.

I have to say that this was quite good. I like the flavor and the overall drinkability; It's beers like this that make me look forward to the annual Snowstorm release. Be sure to pick this up while it's still in rotation

Schell's Snowstorm (2014) - 9/10

Corsendonk Christmas Ale Review

Name: Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 8.1%

Every year for Christmas, I celebrate by having one of my favorite Christmas beers courtesy of Brouwerij Corsendonk, which is simply called Christmas Ale. I had this on tap a few years ago at the Nomad World Pub right after Christmas and found it to be pretty good. Since then I've made it a tradition to drink it every year, so I figured it makes sense to give it a proper review.

The beer pours a pitch black color with some high visible carbonation. The head is quite foamy and khaki colored in appearance. The lacing is also very good.

The nose consists mainly of dark licorice, caramel/chocolate malts and dark fruit. This is followed by some bitter hoppiness and some light roastiness.

The taste starts out with a strong black licorice flavor up front with some very strong caramel maltiness. The 2nd half is a mix of dark fruitiness and bitter hoppiness. The aftertaste is dark licorice, some mild roastiness and bitter hops.

With its complex and robust flavor profile, this continues to be a favorite holiday beer for myself. Should you ever get the chance to try this out, I would highly recommend doing so!

Corsendonk Christmas Ale - 9.5/10

Fulton Lonely Blonde Review

Name: Fulton Lonely Blonde
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.8%

It's time to look at another offering from Fulton Brewing and this time, I have their Lonely Blonde. As you may have guessed from the name, this is indeed a Blonde Ale. I remember having this a couple years ago and found it to be pretty good so I decided to try this out and give it a proper review.

Lonely Blonde pours a hazy dark yellow color with a high amount of visible carbonation. The head has a thin white appearance and I'm not picking up on any lacing.

The nose is fairly standard in terms of blonde ales go. You have some pale maltiness with a some lager yeasts to back it on. On the very back, there is also a bit of citra hops to give it a slight kick.

As for the taste, you've got some pale malts, barley & lager yeasts right away before giving away to a and mild floral & citra hoppiness. The aftertaste, however, is quite dry. The body is also nice and crisp.

Lonely Blonde is a textbook example of how to make a good blonde ale. It won't knock anyone's socks off, but it's a pretty good yet simple tasting beer. Be sure to check it out should you get the chance.

Fulton Lonely Blonde - 8/10

Deschutes Jubelale Review

Name: Deschutes Jubelale
Style: Winter Warmer
ABV: 6.7%

It's getting colder and darker outside around this time of the year, much like the beers that many craft beer enthusiasts will be drinking in the coming months. So tonight I've decided to look at what is considered by many to be a staple of winter ales: Jubelale from Deschutes Brewing.

I remember when I first had this beer about 3 years ago, back when I was a senior in college. I had just finished my last final for the fall semester when I stopped by Zipp's Liquor in the Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood as it was on my way back to my home. While I was scanning the aisles, I noticed Jubelale was on sale for $7.99 for a six-pack and the clerk highly recommended it to me.

That night while I was playing Gears of War 3 online, I decided to crack open a bottle of Jubelale. What I was treated to was a mesmerizing and robust tasting beer. Today I'll be revisiting this beer to see how well it has held up compared to when I first had it.

Jubelale pours a clear dark crimson color with some mild visible carbonation. The head takes on a foamy khaki colored appearance and the lacing is both abundant and sticky.

In the nose, I'm picking up on some strong caramel maltiness with a distinct smoky quality. I'm also getting some black licorice & chocolate notes and some mild bitter hoppiness.

The flavor starts out very caramel & smoked malt forward. The second half of the flavor settles into a roasted barley, dark fruit and bitter hop taste.

Out of all the Winter Warmer style ales out there, this ranks up there as one of my favorites. It has held up wonderfully and the flavor is just as complex and robust as I remember it. Be sure to check this.

Deschutes Jubelale - 9.5/10

Southern Tier Krampus Review

Name: Southern Tier Krampus
Style: Imperial Helles Lager
ABV: 9%

In honor of the upcoming holidays, I will be looking at Krampus from Southern Tier Brewing, which is their winter seasonal release. What's a Krampus, you ask? According the German tradition, the Krampus is the counterpart to St. Nicholas and is described as being half-goat/half-demon.

While St. Nicholas rewards good children with presents, the Krampus rewards the bad children by whipping them with rods and rusty chains. According to legend, the Krampus will sometimes kidnap, eat and/or take the really bad children with him to hell. And you thought a lump of coal was scary idea as a kid.

Krampus pours a dark orange color with some mild visible carbonation. The head takes on a nice, white foamy appearance with some pretty good lacing.

Starting out in the aroma, I'm getting some fairly strong pale maltiness which is paired with an almost-as-strong hop profile of citrus & bitter hops. I'm also picking up on some boozy notes here too.

As for the taste, there is some fairly prominent pale malt and toffee sweetness up front. This is followed up by some mild roasted barley notes & strong bitter and citra hoppiness. The aftertaste is made of a bitter hoppiness and light booziness.

I think Krampus is a pretty good beer and a nice change of pace compared to other seasonal styles out on the market during the winter season. On top of that, it's very reasonably priced so be sure to pick this up should you get the chance.

Southern Tier Krampus - 8.5/10

Sam Adams Boston Lager Review

Name: Sam Adams Boston Lager
Style: Vienna Lager
ABV: 4.9%

Since I've started this blog, I have looked at some beers that not a lot of people have heard of before. On the flipside, there have been beers that everyone had that I haven't looked at yet. Such is the case with Sam Adams Boston Lager, which is the final beer from this year's fall sampler pack.

What can be said about Boston Lager? Well for starters, it is arguably the most well known craft beer out there (Yes, I do consider Sam Adams to be a craft brewer.) and it can be found in pretty much every part of the country. As of late, they have been using the song "I'm Shipping up to Boston" by The Dropkick Murphys in both their radio and TV spots. It was also the first recipe that Jim Koch came up with when he started Sam Adams 30 years ago.

Boston Lager pours a clear amber/dark orange color with some mild carbonation. The head is thin and white in appearance and the lacing is rather sparse.

The nose has some Munich maltiness upfront along with mild some roasted barley and toffee sweetness with a floral & bitter hop profile encompassing the aroma.

The flavor starts out fairly malty with some toffee and Munich malt sweetness. The floral hops are a bit more pronounced here while the bitter hops make up what is an otherwise dry aftertaste.

The body has a bit of weight to it but not overly so. The carbonation has a bit of a kick to it as well but it feels rather crisp as a whole.

Even though it's 30 years old and is one of the most widely produced beers on the market right now, I still consider this to be a good beer that has held up well. It is, by no means, the best craft beer out there. However you aren't making a bad choice by having this either, which is more than what I can say about some other craft beers I've had before this.

Sam Adams Boston Lager - 8/10

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale Review

Name: Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Style: Pumpkin Beer
ABV: 5.7%

Next up on Sam Adams Fall Sampler pack is their Harvest Pumpkin Ale. I have had a their Fat Jack from before but this is the first time I've had this particular beer. Not really much else to say, so let's get right to it.

Harvest Pumpkin pours a clear crimson color with some moderate visible carbonation. The head pours a soapy khaki-colored head with some soapy lacing.

The nose starts out with some cinnamon & nutmeg notes which is followed by some pumpkin pie sweetness. There's also some mild toffee maltiness and faint floral hoppiness tucked away in the back.

Flavor-wise, the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg notes all seem to come at you at once. After this, it finishes with a bitter floral hoppiness and a light spicy yeastiness.

This is a decent pumpkin beer but it leaves something to desired. At the same time, it isn't what I would consider terrible. My advice would be to get this as part of a mix-a-six and decide for yourself.

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale - 7.5/10