What Beer are you Drinking - Winter 09/10

Well with the shortest day of the year and the holidays upon us it is time to start a new thread. The Winter Lagers and Holiday beers are out now. So what are you drinking to stay warm on a cold winters night?

I myself am enjoying a Beligain Ale Kasteel Donker Strong Ale weighing in at 11% ABV. Simply an outstanding beer. There is enough carbonation that it fizzes like Coke a Cola. Any similarity stops there though. Dark brown colored with a medium beige head. Aroma of roasted malts and candy sugar. Taste is also roasted malt, with a sweet aftertaste of candy sugars in it. Light caramel, and some notes of spice. The Bubbles and foam cling to the glass and leave a line with each sip. The Packers have made the playoffs so I think a Delirium Nocturnum at 9% ABV is going to be up next to celebrate.

Yes................m.m.m...m.....

Stone IPA. Man I love IPAs.

The dogfish head brewery is right up the road, and they've got me hooked on hops. I know a lot of people think they overdo it, but that's how I like it! Must be why Stagg neat is one of my favorites. A real kick to the face!

Drinking a Red Hook Winter Hook beer tonight. First tried it at the brewery in Woodinville last year; I will look forward to this offering each winter.

Bourbon County Stout. Never heard of it before, saw it at bevmo and picked it up. It's pretty good stuff.

Today all I had was a Rolling Rock and a Stella Atoris with a Bloody Mary. Happy New Year Everyone!

On tap I currently have a belgian dark strong, a russian imperial stout, a blend of 4 Lost Abbey barrel aged beers, a very hoppy IPA and a hoppy red ale.

Looking to get a chest freezer so I can expand from 5 taps to 10 or 11 taps, all homebrew.

Buddies and I got a Heaven Hill barrel and are now in the process of picking a brew schedule to fill it up with an RIS and let it age for 6 months. make our own bourbon RIS!

I did have a few micro beers at one of my favourite bars Oliver Twist in Stockholm Wednesday before going on a cruise. One of them was Titan IPA that I normally like a lot, but not this time. It had a bad side taste somewhat sweetish of yeast and the hops were very discrete. I have had the exact same problem ones with my Swedish favourite IPA Amarillo from the now closed ölands brewery. I think both were slightly infected. Last but not least I had my all time favourite beer Gordon’s IPA from Oscar Blouse brewery for the first time in a long time. It was so expansive that my lady and I shared it and we both thought it was amazing.

Leif

I'm working my way through a case of Founders Breakfast Stout.

Outstanding!

I just had one of the Kirkland Signature (Costco) Amber Ale. Like the others I have tasted from this assortment, it is superb. These are some of the best beers I have ever had, not even considering the reasonable price.

Tim