Beer Advent: Days 11-14

Day 11
Two Hearted - Bells Brewing Company
ABV - 7.0%

Down the Hall - Bell's Two Hearted Ale!  What an all around excellent brew.  I have to say this is one of those beers that I've been familiar with for a long time and it really never gets old.  Great balance, great aroma, really everything you'd want in an IPA.  Plus, it's not so overpoweringly bitter as to chase any hop-averse drinkers away.  What do you think, a good gateway to IPAs? 

I also love the label.  It's so delightfully random.  As it turns out, the beer is named after the Two Hearted River in Michigan's upper peninsula.  So I guess that helps make sense of the fish.

Beer Advent: Days 8-10

Day 8
Whale's Tale Pale Ale
ABV - 5.6%

Hacksaw
Whale's Tale Pale Ale brought a solid experience for me. Thankfully it was brewed without the harming of whale's anywhere! I found more malty flavors than I was expecting in a pale, but the slight hop flavor and mild bitterness were there on the finish. I felt like Moby Dick was splashing my taste buds with a wave as I was swallowing each time.

Down the Hall
Yeah, looks like the Whale's Tale Pale Ale substituted rhyming for actual whale parts.  Probably for the best there.  Definitely more of an English pale ale with more malt body and slightly understated hop character.  I can't really say anything bad about it, it was a solid pale, easy drinking, and a really pretty pour to boot.  I love the canned craft beer wave, so extra props for that.  But it wasn't particularly inspiring.  I do like gaining experience with some of these beers I've seen before but never tried.  It does make me curious to try some more of Cisco's brews.  On a separate note, with this beer I crested 500 unique check-ins on Untappd!  I'm now legendary or something apparently.

Homebrew Recipe: New Year's Hopsolution IPA (All Grain)

There's nothing quite like hop puns in beer names is there?  Next time you're a little bored, try to think of some that haven't been used.  Then hit the Google and see how you did.  At any rate, not wanting to be left behind in the hop and holiday pun category, last year's New Year's IPA got it's own pun.  Truth be told, I never checked to see if that one had been used before...

Beer Advent: Days 5-7

Day 5
Namaste - Dogfish Head
ABV - 4.8%
Hacksaw
It looks like at long last I've found a Dogfish Head that I'm not super happy with. Namaste was refreshing and bubbly but the spices were overpowering. I think I'd prefer a little less spice and a little more of the Belgiany fruitiness some White Ales put forward. Was it too much for you?

Down the Hall
I didn't mind the Namaste too much.  I think the spice kind of complimented the season a bit, invoking the feel of a warm fire rather than a summer cookout.  That said, the style itself is not my favorite, and this one didn't win me over.  I would say I appreciated this beer, and enjoyed it even though it won't make it on to my list of go-to's.
On a separate but related note, Namaste was one of the several Dogfish Head offerings that I'd been curious about, but unwilling to drop $10-$11 on a six-pack just to try out.  So from that perspective, it was instructional and an worthy addition to the pack.

Beer Advent: Days 2-4

Day 2
Wookey Jack Black IPA - Firestone Walker 
ABV - 8.3%

Hacksaw
Day 2 brings Wookey Jack from Firestone Walker. Although I personally have not fallen in love with the Black IPA style this beer was very enjoyable. The sniff test revealed loads of citrusy hops and the taste seemed like a pot of coffee had been poured over a bowl of fruit. Except it managed to all blend fairly well and be balanced.

Homebrew Recipe: The Great Thanksgiving Porter

The Great Thanksgiving Porter

Thanksgiving at the Hacksaw Household. Expecting 17 people total with 10 of them likely to be consuming some beer I vowed to have 2 dedicated kegs for this grand event. It was the big unveiling of many of our projects and a time to show off my beer cave and home brewing expertise. Several family members had suggested a nice smooth porter and I tried to craft this recipe to fit that bill. As an indicator of this beer’s success – let me just share that the full 5 gallons were gone before the weekend was over. A keg kicking is sometimes sad, but other times it is satisfying to know people enjoyed the brew. This was the latter without a doubt.

Beer Advent: Day 1

Rude Elf's Reserve - Fegleys Brew Works
ABV - 10.5%
Beer Advent Day: 1

Down the Hall
Happy December, Hacksaw!  More importantly, Happy Beer Advent!  I'm glad your calendar showed up just in the nick of time to get started.  And Jiminy Christmas did it get started.

Beer Advent: An Introduction

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone.  I can no longer fight the Christmas season.  The first week of December comprises the acceptance phase for me, and I'll eventually get excited about the coming holiday.  One thing helps though... Beer Advent.

Whether you've grown up punching out the days on the advent calendar and getting your chocolate fix or you've only seen the calendar on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, you're probably familiar with the concept.  In a traditional advent calendar, there's a little cover over each day, and behind that cover there's a piece of chocolate to eat that day.  The beer advent calendar is exactly the same thing, just a different beer every day of December leading up to Christmas.

Last year, a friend of mine told me about this idea that his brother had concocted.  As soon as I heard the details it was a no-brainer, I wanted in.  After last year's fantastic beer selection, I didn't even mind a price increase to get back on that wagon this year.  I even convinced Hacksaw to join in since field was expanded from 24 to 48 participants.  Formally styled "ADVENTures in Beer," the beer advent calendar is a great opportunity to try a variety of new beers and even discuss them among the other participants (also an excuse to have a beer every day of December).

One of my favorite parts last year was the surprise each day.  The case is wrapped such that with a tiny bit of self-control, you can avoid revealing which beer is up for the day until it's actually time to partake.  My wife actually played a big part in this, placing each brew in the refrigerator in the morning after I left for work.  Then when I got home, that sweet mystery brew would be sitting right in the front of my fridge waiting for me.  A beautiful thing.  This year the Christmas day entry is a bomber with construction paper strategically taped over the label.  It's basically a present under the tree!

This year, in addition to padding our Untapd stats, Ben and I will post our reactions and progress a couple of times per week so that you, dear reader, can come along on this journey with us.  Even though today is already the first of the month, it's not too late to set a goal to try one new beer every day in December!  I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to wrangle up 25 quality brews for your holiday enjoyment.

So happy December to everyone and check back in to see what craft brewed excellence we encounter along the road to Christmas Day.  I am already getting excited to try beer number one this evening.

Cheers,
Jacob