Gingerbread Stout
Shades Brewing

definitely not the kind of beer i have come to expect from these guys, flavored yes, but this isnt a weird pastry sour, which is what they are known for now. first clean one from them i have had in a very very long time, and while its past its season by a ways now, its still delicious, drinking nicely, and i like it for a couple of reasons. the first is that its on the dry side for a beer with a bunch of holiday flavors, these always run sweet, but this one retains some roasty grain bitterness and is fermented down a little more than most, it really works. the second reason is that like a lot of shades beers, there is a high degree of authenticity to the flavors that are added, ginger leaps out, spicy and earthy and real, if somewhat restrained by their standards. there is cinnamon and vanilla and nutmeg too, which all marry well into the base stout, none rising above the others, the vanilla is not at all overdone, and its festive without forcing it, a tough line to walk. finally i like how light the whole thing is, clean on the palate, not crazy viscous, and it hides its abv quite well. it also has enough carbonation to really push through the spices and keep it moving. it comes together extremely well overall, spicy from the ginger, nice and roasty and dry, frothy feeling, delicious, no fade at all. an impressive specimen, i wouldnt mind seeing more clean beers from shades come down the line, love the sours, but they can be fatiguing too. this is excellent.

 

12oz can pours out mostly dark brown with a massive dark khaki head. The gingerbread cookie character is there, with some flashes of molasses and brown sugar, but its mostly cinnamon and ginger and allspice. Cola-ish at times as well. Not my favorite but not bad.