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American Craft Winter Beers |
Allagash Grand Cru |
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Allagash brews this special, deep-golden colored beer each year in limited quantities. It has a full, yet refined malty palate and a gentle fruit and spice aroma.
Pair Grand Cru with full flavored, spicy entrées such as lobster or shrimp diavolo. It is also excellent with curried dishes. For dessert pair with bread pudding, Indian pudding, carrot or spice cake.
Alcohol content: 7.2% |
Anchor Steam Christmas Ale |
Every year since 1975 the brewers at Anchor have brewed a distinctive and unique Christmas Ale, which is available from early November to mid-January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew.
Each year Anchor Steam's Christmas Ale gets a unique label and a unique recipe for the Ale itself. Although their recipes must remain a secret, many enthusiasts save a few bottles from year to year—stored in a cool dark place—to taste later and compare with other vintages. Properly refrigerated, the beer remains intriguing and drinkable for years, with different nuances slowly emerging as the flavor mellows slightly.
Alcohol content: Changes Each Year |
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Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser |
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The psycho in the pack... K-9 Cruiser is a dark, sweet and malty winter warmer that will captivate any adventurous craft brew drinker. A true Flying Dog original, K-9 Cruiser is the perfect brew to warm you up in those cold winter months.
Alcohol content: 6.4% (Brewed strong to warm you up after a long day on the Colorado slopes) |
Geary's Winter Ale |
Geary's Winter Ale is a little different than most witner beers. Geary's Winter Ale is a hearty India Pale Ale; it has a dry maltiness with an intense floral hop finish. The color of the beer is a bright amber leaning towards the dark side. The aroma is mild with light toastiness and caramel malt. The taste is hoppy up front, but not as hoppy as most IPA's. The hops are spicy and meld well with the biscuity British malts. Another terrific session beer from Geary's
Alcohol content: 6.0% |
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Harpoon Winter Warmer |
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Winter Warmer was Harpoon’s first seasonal beer. It was designed to be enjoyed during the holiday season. When you bring a glass of this dark copper ale to your lips to take your first sip you will notice the aroma of cinnamon. There is no aromatic hop added that might overpower the distinct spice scent. The medium body of this beer is formed from caramel and pale malts. These create enough body to support the spices without making the beer excessively rich. Bittering hops are added to counter the sweetness of the malt and spice. The finish of the beer is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination of these two spices results in a balanced, pumpkin-pie flavor.
The overall character is a smooth, medium bodied ale spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Alcohol content: 5.9% |
Magic Hat Roxy Rolles |
In Magic Hat speak this wintry amber ramble of sweet carmelized malt and spicy hops is for those who make their own roads.
For the rest of us it definitely hits upon the American Red Ale with a nose of earthy, almost piney hop notes. One can taste a nice hoppy start on the palate with caramel notes finishing with a dry hoppy flavor on the tongue. There is even a mild sweetness from the malt that really brings things together.
Alcohol content: 5.1% |
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Mendocino Imperial IPA |
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Mendocino's Winter Seasonal Imperial IPA has been delicately crafted for those crisp cool days when the skies are resplendent and the air glistens with the slow fall of a million flakes, when nature gets ready to turn her thermostat way down and your desire for something warm and enthusing is almost a primal urge.
This Imperial India Pale Ale can slake some of that want. The robust, full bodied IPA is brewed with massive amounts of hops and paired with a rich blend of luscious malts. The result is a perfect balance of heady hop flavor and aroma. At 7.5% Alc. by Vol. this India Pale Ale is the perfect winter seasonal!
Alcohol content: 7.5% |
Otter Creek Winter Ale |
Otter Creek Winter Ale is a smooth brown ale, with a touch of raspberry. Rich and toasty with a warming body and light hops, this will be a malty and perfectly fruited beer- very appealing and comforting. Just right for wintertime.
Otter Creeek winter is a nice deep brown in color with a somewhat nutty and sweet aroma. The smell of Raspberries, chocolate appear but are not overly noticeable. The taste is full of flavors from a strong but not overpowering raspberry flavor, cocoa, coffee and a little smokey malt. All this makes the beer quite drinkable and a nice session beer.
Alcohol content: % |
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Rogue Santa's Reserve |
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Rogue has done it again! Rogue’s annual holiday offering, Santa’s Private Reserve, is a variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops. This intense winter double-hopped red pours an amber brown hue with a very large off-white head that stays quite well. This beer has a roasty, caramel flavor balanced by a very citrusy hop flavor. It is quite the hop lover's delight. One might even say, "Santa certainly is a hophead!"
Alcohol content: 6.0% |
Sam Adams Winter Lager |
The first thing one notices in a Samuel Adams Winter Lager is its color: the deep brown of winter. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The warm aroma of cinnamon and ginger which blends with the roasty sweetness of the malted barley and hint of citrus from the orange peel. And after that first sip the promise is fulfilled. On the palate Samuel Adams Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with this season.
Sam Adams Winter is still brewed the way winter beers were in medieval Europe: using more malt per liter to push up the potency of the beer, and to warm a beer drinker's heart on long winter nights. Samuel Adams Winter Lager was one of The Boston Beer Company's first seasonal offerings, a commitment to the tradition of seasonal offerings.
Alcohol content: 5.6 % |
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Stoudt's Winter Ale |
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Stoudts changes this recipe annually. This year they have chosen to be an American Porter. THe beer pours a dark amber brown color and has strong aromas of roasted malts and cocoa. The nice, sweet roasted malt flavor combines with a strong hint of chocolate, a trace of coffee and a bit of caramel all rounded out with a very subtle hint of hops. A crisp smooth medium to full bodied mouthfeel makes this an easy to drink american porter.
Alcohol content: 5.5% |
Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout |
Black in color, with a beautifully creamy head; brewed with organic rolled oats, organic wheat, and of course organic barley and hops.
Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout pours a dark brown color with a medium light-brown head. The yummy aromas of coffee, malt and lots of nutty notes are a great introduction to the incredible flavor this beer has. The taste begins sweet and creamy, then finished almost dry but with lots of mocha chocolate notes, coffee and deep roasted flavors.
Alcohol content: 5.9% |
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Imported Seasonal / Winter Beers |
Corsendonk Christmas Ale |
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Corsendonk Christmsas Ale is brewed every year during the holiday season and is avalable from November until the end of February.
For this reddish brown Christmas beer, the Corsendonk brewer uses roasted special malts, the finest hops and selected yeasts, spiced up with a touch of coriander. Wih its delicate malty nose, Corsendonk Christmas Ale has everything what only the very best Christmas beer could possibly offer: a round, balanced taste with a dry and refined aftertaste.
Alcohol content: 8.5% |
Dupont Les Bons Voeux |
The Bons Vœux is a blond top fermentation beer with refermentation in the bottle.
Since 1970, the brewery has been brewing a special beer to give as a new years present to their best clients. (the name of this beer "Avec les bons Vœux de la brasserie Dupont" means "With the best wishes of the brewery Dupont").
Because of the increasing success, they started to commercialise this “cadeau” but kept the name. Although the demands were considerable, only a small quantity was brewed, so they had to make a reservation list, even months before new year.
This Bons Vœux is coppery blond, has very fine hoparomas and tastes bitter, fruity and mild.The selection of yeasts, in combination with a longduring riping process, on a “dry hopping” base, are creating a typical and complex aroma and taste. A real refermentation in the bottle, which will continue for a long time in your cellar, result in a harmonious and well-balanced beer, full of unexpected and complex aromas.
Alcohol content: 9.5% |
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Scaldi's Noel |
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Brasserie Dubuisson's delightful christmas offering. It's burnished ruby-copper color prepares you well for a spicy aroma and notes of caramel and marzipan. The taste is round with hints of licorice leading to a long, warming finish. A sweet holiday compliment to the famous dry and bracing Scaldis.
Alcohol content: 12.5% |
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome |
British beer of somewhat higher alcohol and richness has been enjoyed during the winter season for generations. Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome is the perfect beer to serve when friends get together to enjoy the season. When orange peel and cinnamon are added, you have an authentic wassail.
Samuel Smith is honey-amber in color with great finesse and complexity. The head is creamy with a mass of tiny bubbles, like special cuvée champagne. Floral aroma and delicious malt flavor with great richness and balance.
Alcohol content: 6.0% |
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