Lagunitas Brewing 'The Waldos' Special Ale. 11.9% abv. 100+ IBU. Dark yellow color. Hazy. Finger of soapy white head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of pine, tropical fruit, cantaloupe. 

Front taste of abundant fruity hops, light fruit candy, honeydew melon, berry pastry, sweet start with dry finish. Aftertaste of ample bitter fruity hops, pineapple, banana peel, distant cloves. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, astringent, thick, clingy.

This is an extraordinary beer, a TIPA that delivers a truckload of hops in a fruity bitter bundle, held together with light stone fruits, melons, tall pine, and a ribbon of sweet light malt underneath it all. The abv shines throughout, yet there is a balance in the flavor profile that keeps the booze in check, grouping it well with the other tastes. Outstanding. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"In 1971, the Waldos met one afternoon at 4:20 in the front courtyard of their school near the statue of Louis Pasteur. They set out in a '66 Impala armed with a "treasure map" on a journey to find a secret garden near Point Reyes. They met there at the same time every day and continued their quest. They never found the secret garden....But they keep lookin'. The dankest and hoppiest beer ever brewed at Lagunitas was made with help of the Waldos for all treasure hunters."
[source: lagunitas.com]

Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale 2017. 6.7% abv. Dark brown in color, nearly black, dense, blocks all light. Finger of foamy beige head. Superb retention and excellent thick lace. Nose of cold black coffee, nutmeg, faint plum. Tart berry and toasted buttery nutty aromas emerge as the temp rises to room.

First taste is dark roasted malt, bittersweet dark cocoa, light woodsy hops, faint pepper on the back end, dry finish. Aftertaste is bitter fruity hops, red berry, cloves, allspice. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, sticky, clingy, round.

This is an excellent winter beer, another solid fall offering from Anchor. Each year, I eagerly await the arrive of certain limited holiday beers, and Anchor's annual "Our Special Ale" (aka Christmas Ale) is among the first to cross my palate. The roasty taste is surely present but subdued, balanced well with the dark fruits and bitter herbal hop profile. The myriad aroma of coffee, chocolate, and fruit is dense and dank, blended well, with no one flavor standing front and center. A superb, well-crafted brew. Grab one or two bottles while they are available. Highly recommended.


From the brewery:

"A smooth and creamy winter warmer with rich flavors of cacao, toffee and roasted nuts, and subtle hints of honey and herbal spice, this year’s brew marks the 43rd annual release of this Anchor tradition.... It is sold only 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. With a heavily guarded, secret recipe, Christmas Ale is a highly anticipated seasonal delight, complex and full in flavor with a velvety texture and alluring, yet subtle, spiced aroma.... Our 2017 Christmas Ale has a strong malt profile that is enhanced with wintry spices. The beer pours a deep, dark, mahogany brown with a creamy, tan head. It has flavors of creamy bittersweet chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and toasted nuts, with a rich, smooth, velvety mouthfeel. The combination of malts, spices, and hops add layers of complexity to the beer and bring this year’s ale to a new level."

[source: anchorbrewing.com]

Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale 2016. 6.5% abv. Deep ruby color with a finger of bubbly tan head that gradually falls to a thick sustaining collar. Moderate retention, excellent lace. Nose of anise, allspice, pine, dark fruit, some coriander. 

Front taste of cola, sweet bread, licorice, notes of evergreen on the back end. Aftertaste is dark chocolate, botanicals, caramel, bittersweet herbal hoppy sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, bright, carby, rich, slightly creamy.

This is a wonderful winter beer. The spice and pine are expressed throughout the complex profile of rich sweet, malty, and fruity tastes. Flavors of warm spiced bread, bubbly cola, and molasses are among the myriad of tastes that emerge as the temperature rises to room.

Like many craft beer enthusiasts, I eagerly await this annual holiday favorite, one of the first of its kind going back 42 years. I've been enjoying it for 26 of those years, making it a beloved Christmas tradition for me. With its ever-changing secret recipe, each year's release is an entirely new brew, for better or worse. I can say that they've been mostly better - a joy - and this year ranks among the better recipes. 

I look forward setting up a flight of several consecutive aged years for a truly unique journey., something I've done for the past several years. Until then, I will surely be having the 2016 ale again before the season's supply runs out, and I suggest you do likewise. Strongly recommended. 

From the brewery:

"2016 Anchor Christmas Ale. New tree. New recipe. Same traditions. A deliciously smooth winter warmer with notes of seasonal spices and a malty backbone, our 2016 Christmas Ale marks the 42nd annual release of this celebrated Anchor tradition.

It is sold only 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. With a heavily guarded, secret recipe, Christmas Ale is a highly anticipated seasonal delight, complex and full in flavor with a velvety texture and alluring, yet subtle, spiced aroma.

The 2016 Christmas Ale is a deep mahogany brown with a creamy, tan head and boasts aromas of fruitcake, molasses, and fresh cut wood. The beer tastes of a roasted caramel malt, with notes of spiced chocolate and nuts. And it has a rich, smooth, and velvety mouthfeel. Every year the Anchor brewers look forward to formulating a new Christmas Ale recipe and tasting the fruits of their labors. We are always excited to please beer fans with its ever-changing recipe and label. Cheers from the Anchor brewers!"

[source: anchorbrewing.com]

Duvel 'Tripel Hop' Special Edition Belgian Golden Ale 2014. 9.5% abv. Pale lemon color. Hazy. Two fingers of bubbly head. Good retention, fair lace. Nose of bright tropical, pineapple, grapefruit, floral spice notes. Front taste of pine, abundant floral hops, bitter citrus rind. Aftertaste is tall bitter floral hops, grapefruit, white bread, white wine, dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, juicy, resiny, tangy, hop sting on the back of the tongue.

This is a wonderful little big beer, a golden ale with a bushel of floral citrus hops in every sip. The aroma is an overflowing garden of flowers, tropical fruits, and fresh hops. The taste is juicy and bittersweet throughout, with the hop bill leading you every moment.

I had the 2014 special edition, a full two years from its bottling. Hoppy brews are normally not meant to be aged, and so I'm curious how this would taste closer to birth. Nevertheless, it was an excellent beer all around, one that makes me want to try the younger years. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"For this 2014 edition, our brewers have selected Mosaic. This new U.S. hop variety enhances the beer with a tangerine sweetness, hints of tropical fruit, and an interesting blueberry flavor."

[source: bottle]

"Duvel is traditionally brewed with two hop varieties. Duvel Tripel Hop is brewed with three hop varieties and each year the third hop is changed to provide its own unique taste and aroma. This keeps the final flavor profile surprisingly exciting for any true beer lover. For 2016 our brewers selected HBC 291 from the Yakima Valley in the USA. By using three instead of two hop varieties to brew, we obtain additional hop aromas and an increased bitterness. The typical Duvel palate is enriched with HBC 291 hops providing fresh notes of citrus, black pepper, lavender and roses. HBC 291 hops are added again during ‘dry-hopping’, extracting additional hop aromas into the beer. The higher aromatic intensity rounds out the beer, backing the final alcohol content of 9.5%."

[source: duvel.com]

Warsteiner 'Winter Special Edition' Ale. 5.6% abv. Copper color. Thin ivory head that quickly recedes to a bubbly collar. Moderate retention and little lace. Nose of herbal dank spice, nutmeg, cloves. Aroma improves with light caramel as the temp rises. Front taste of light malt, brown sugar, treacle, woodsy back end. Aftertaste of light maple, earthy hops, coriander. Light body. Mouthfeel is cool, thin, slightly sticky.

I tasted this beer on two different days, and arrived at two very different conclusions. At the end of the first tasting, I noted that its aroma was unpleasant at first, becoming slightly better with the change in temp. However, upon a second tasting on a different day, the aroma was more enjoyable. Perhaps I had a bad bottle that first time.

The flavor profile includes dull spice notes that are surely present but never quite impress. Fortunately, the understated spice is elevated by the malty caramel taste. 

From my first tasting, which may have been from a compromised bottle, I thought that this beer was merely adequate compared to other winter/Xmas ales, and I suggested a "pass" on this beer. However, from my second tasting, more of the sweet malt backbone is present, along with an more enjoyable spice profile. It's still not a great beer, but my second (and third) tasting was a marked improvement. Mildly recommended.

NOTE: Photos are from both tastings.

From the brewery: 

"Rich with a warm finish. A seasonal, full-bodied winter beer with a warm and rich copper-red amber color. A satisfying malty taste sensation masterfully balanced with subtle hoppy bitterness. A perfect fit for celebrating the Winter season."

[source: warsteiner.us]

Oliva 'Serie G' Special. 3.75x48. Excellent build with a perfecto foot. Dark roasted brown wrap. Cut and lit very well. Draw was hard pre-light, easier along the burn, partially due to the narrow foot at the start. First half tastes of sweated leaf, charred hard wood, bitter herbal. Second half is roasted tobacco, black coffee, rich botanical, pepper notes. Aroma is toasted spice, pepper, dark coffee grounds. Burn was mostly even throughout. Ash was shades of medium-dark gray at initial burn, lighter shades down toward the band. Ash held an inch before the drop.

This is a good brief smoke. The taste is dark and peppery for what I anticipated would be a milder Cameroon stick, and the ash was not as clean as I'd like. I've reviewed cigars from this line before and based on those prior sessions today's nitpicks may be due to storage issues. I'm familiar with Oliva cigars, going back decades, so I'm eager to try yet another 'G' as a follow-up. Still, it was a nice half-hour smoke, aggressive but rich and flavorful. Recommended.

From the company:

“Serie G is a medium body blend made with an African-Cameroon wrapper. The unique flavor notes of this wrapper are complemented by the natural richness of Nicaraguan Habano fillers. Blending Notes: Medium body with notes of cedar and coffee. Aging: Cameroon is a thin wrapper with little oils, its flavor will change little from aging.”

[source: olivacigar.com]

“​Flavorful, well-made Nicaraguans. Oliva Serie ’G’ is a good-looking Nicaraguan premium cigar made with an authentic African Cameroon wrapper. This leaf imparts a pleasant, nutty flavor, adding to the rich bouquet presented by the Nicaraguan Habano long-fillers inside. Overall, a rich, medium-bodied cigar with hints of coffee, nuts and wo​od on the aftertaste. Serie ’G’ cigars received a stellar ’91’ rating.”

[source: cigarsinternational.com]

Full Sail Brewing 'ESB' Extra Special Bitter Ale. 6.5% abv. 35 IBU. Deep copper color. Thin tan bubbly head. Good retention, excellent lacing. Nose of caramel, malt, herbal. Front taste of caramel, ample earthy hops, biscuit. Aftertaste of bitter herbal hops, bitter fruit, light malt sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, sharp, dry.

This is a good ESB brew. The hops are present throughout, joined by light caramel malty flavors. Faint fruit notes and a dry finish round out this pleasant beer. Compared to other ESB's, this beer is merely adequate. On its own, outside of category, it's a nice hoppy, somewhat malty beer worth your time. Recommended.

This beer is quite limited, offered for only 90 days each year. If you're a fan of ESB's, grab one while you can.

From the brewery:

"A medium bodied ale with caramel complexity and a crisp finish. Available for 90 days only - April to June. The telltale signs of Spring arrive in the Gorge as mountain bikers begin to replace snowboarders and the snow melt feeds the rivers as white water rafters and kayakers anticipate the first runs of the year. Flowers cover the mountain meadows and blooms fill the orchards in the valley. Our pub staff knows that our ESB will be just the right beer to welcome Spring in the Gorge. This three time gold medal winner is a traditional ale brewed with attention to balance, highlighting both malt and hops. A combination of crystal malts give this beer its orange hue, and caramel complexities. UK and US Challenger hops were used exclusively throughout. Aromas of dry caramel and herbs are followed by a malty, medium bodied palate finishing with caramel flavors and a crisp bitterness."

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

Shipyard Brewing 'Old Thumper' Extra Special Ale. 5.6% abv. 35 IBU. Dark amber color. Thin white head. Moderate retention, excellent lace. Nose of caramel, honey, sweet malt. Front taste of caramel, sweet bread. Aftertaste of mild earthy hops, sweet light malt, yeasty sustain. Thin body. Mouthfeel is warm, thin, slightly sticky.

This is a nice malty beer with an easy-drinking body. It feels thinner that it tastes, similar to a low shilling Scotch ale. I enjoyed the flavors of this brew, but I prefer more body with a high malt profile, and more retention would have been nice. These notes are personal preference. You may very well enjoy the combination of easy-drinking body with a malty backbone. Try a bottle. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"A Beast of a Beer. Old Thumper Extra Special Ale was created by veteran British brewer, Peter Austin, founder of Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire, England and mentor to Shipyard’s master brewer is a non-traditional English bitter, brewed in the US solely by Shipyard."

[source: shipyard.com]