Holiday Beers (2025)

First time I saw this. I knew I had to get it for this thread. Definitely Christmas spiced porter.
Cheers!

 

2021 Samichlaus. Another holiday classic that ages very well. Huge depth of flavor: Sweet, dark fruit - fig, raisin, and plum, along with brown sugar and sweet brown bread. There are also earthy notes and hints of tobacco. Fantastic!

 

Love most holiday beers. Afraid this one isn't my thang. It does taste like sugar cookies though so kudos for that

 

First one from my 3rd twelve pack

Cheers all!

 

Spruce tips up the wazoo!


I lurve this beer!

 

really enjoyed this one from Virginia. Spices keep it from being too sweet. Cheers

 

I think that’s the thing — the mouthfeel is so watered down and thin that even letting this warm a bit isn’t likely to add much of anything. Good thing for singles, yes?

 

An old favorite brewed on the Oregon Coast of the Pacific Ocean.
A Cascadian Dark Ale, "CDA" for short. In the BA database, it's a Black IPA. Under any name, a fine beer for a winter's eve.

 

Amazing the balance of this Paulaner Salvator Dopplebock compared with many domestics that often lean sweet. Glorious! (Hope I’m not blurring the lines of “holiday” beers with some of these that just fit with the calendar.)

 

New one to me. Red Sweater by Founders. Cheers.

 

This has always been one of my holiday faves.

 

At my work holiday party the other night I drank four bottles of Modela Negra and I would say that beer is definitely better than the Noche Especial.

 

First time I've seen this available in Minnesota. I had to buy a six pack after enjoying many Juleøls (Christmas Ale/beer) a couple of years ago during a trip to Iceland--I had Icelandic, Danish, and even a Faroese one. It's a fun Scandinavian beer tradition I thoroughly enjoyed. Most of them were some form of a Vienna or dark lager.

This beer is a very tasty malty-sweet lager perfect for the freezing day we had (high was 3).

Happy Holidays to all BAs!

 

Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus (2009)

Still a few bottles left from the case that I've had of this year's vintage in the cellar since it was fresh. Now at 16 years, still complex fig, leather, and tobacco - but seems on the down slide as there is a little negative oxidation in the finish.

 

Back with an import. And a seasonal favorite, at that. Hofbräu Delicator. Molasses, dark fruit, brown bread, some dark chocolate. Just a fantastic dopplebock. And how (dangerously) smooth it drinks for its 8.4% heft is remarkable. A seasonal treat. Was lucky to find it locally on sale for 8.99 a sixer so I consider it an early Christmas present from the retail gods (for once perhaps ). Cheers all.

Just as an aside, love all the seasonal decorations folks are including in their posts. Beautiful & cheery stuff. Thank you!

 

This Krampus stein artwork is insanely cool.

This is one thing which is great about these tasting threads. And it's happened to me a number of times. Branching out to a beer or beer style which I normally do not purchase or have purchased in the past. Not always going to result positively but seems you found a keeper. Nicely done.

 

I’m still in search of this fresh. Brought home a 6er last week from TW and realized then that the 10.25 date was the best-by instead of the packaged-on. (Returned it) Same lot at a TW 25 miles away, so prob a distro issue.

 

Yeah, BBD. Mine are showing 10-01-2026. Sorry to hear about your experience. Distributor seems to be asleep on checking their product, unfortunately. Hope you are able to find this year's release.

 

St. Bernardus for the theme of the day. Can was a gusher upon opening, I’m guessing because of the can-conditioning.

 

I like the fact that this is a pale Belgian winter/Christmas ale (It's called Noël in Belgium--I wonder why they changed the label for the US market). A nice change of pace that has all of the characteristic yeasty-phenols along with dried fruit and some caramel.