12 Beers of Christmas: Flying Dog Sea Salt Caramel Brown

On the 8th day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - Sea Salt Caramel Brown from Flying Dog brewery.

I once knew a girl who was so sweet that she couldn't taste sugar. This beer, however, would definitely have tickled her tastebuds. 

Brown ales tend to be sweet to begin with. Add to that BIG flavors of caramel and vanilla, and this 7% ABV ale feels like dessert in a glass. We actually didn't get much saltiness in it, but the overall effect was something similar to brown sugar. 

By itself, this one can be a bit heavy, but I think it would work well with something like almond cake, or go crazy with a saucy plate of barbecue. Oddly enough, a cigar-aficionado friend who was with us commented that this would go great with a stronger cigar. 

Definitely a fun one to try, particularly if you love sweets. There's not a lot of beer taste to it, so it's even good to share with a casual beer fan.

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian and Eric

12 Beers of Christmas: DuClaw Guilty Filthy Soul Porter

On the 7th day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - Guilty Filthy Soul imperial chocolate rye porter from DuClaw brewery.

That's a mouthful. Fortunately, you'll want a mouthful of this rich beer. Imperial Chocolate Rye Porter is really not something you see often, but "imperial" suggests extra hops flavor, chocolate flavor, some spice flavors from the rye, and a dry, bready finish.

Sure enough, this dark brown porter has all of that, including lots of dark chocolate in the aroma (and aftertaste), with slight hoppiness up front. You get a bit of coffee going on, too, and all of this comes with a solid alcohol content of 7.7% ABV. 

This one is definitely one for chocolate lovers, and its dry character makes for a great beer to pair with dessert. Definitely worth a try if you're into that style. 

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian and Eric

12 Beers of Christmas: New Belgium Trippel Belgian Ale

On the 6th day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - Trippel Belgian ale from the New Belgium brewery.

If you're a fan of Belgian-style beers, you may be aware of one known as a, "Tripel". They're named for the huge amounts of extra malt that is used (sometimes triple the amount) which creates a heavier, usually sweeter beer with all the great things about Belgian beers cranked up a few notches. You also tend to get much higher alcohol content (because of the extra sugar).

In the case of New Belgium's "Trippel", you get all of the above! It pours a dark good color with good carbonation, albeit with a high alcohol of 8.5% ABV, which is actually less than the typical 9-12% you tend to find in a tripel.

The taste is wonderfully Belgian - aromas of banana and bubble gum, along with the typical cloves and smokiness you often get with them. One surprising thing is that it tastes deceptively smooth, and you'd never guess it was that high in alcohol.

Overall, this is an excellent beer that's easy to find (and affordable) that you could line up against much higher-end tripels. Definitely one for Belgian beer fans.

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian and Eric

Day 5

On the 5th day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - Peg Leg imperial stout from Heavy Seas brewery.

Imperial stouts (sometimes also called Russian Imperial stouts) tend to be boozy, English-style stouts with a more pronounced hops flavor. They were originally brewed for the Russian monarchs who, at the time, preferred the British beers, but also wanted a higher alcohol content since they were used to distilled spirits like vodka. Because travel across Europe took a while, the Brits added extra hops, which helped keep the beer fresher for longer.

Peg Leg checks these boxes with a dark color, mild carbonation and a heavier alcohol content of 8% ABV.

The taste is mildly sweet from the malt, and there's not a lot of the chocolate or coffee flavors that show up in a lot of stouts these days. This is typical of an English stout, as is the dry finish and thin body that this beer has.

Bottom line? This one is spot-on for the style. I personally like a heavier stout with more pronounced coffee or cocoa flavors, but I'd recommend this one to anyone who typically enjoys something like Guinness. 

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian & Eric

Day 4

On the 4th day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - Hash Brown ale from Sweetwater brewery.

An India Brown Ale? That's what intrigued me into picking up this one - and it turned out to be just that. 

Like a brown ale, it poured a dark brown color with good carbonation. These English-style beers tend to be sweeter because of the malts used, and this one definitely has that characteristic, along with an alcohol content of 6.2% ABV.

However, it's the big, IPA-level of hops that really makes this one stand out. You get the sweetness from the brown ale, complemented nicely by west coast style citrusy hops. 

This is really one of the more interesting beers I've tried in a while - and you should, too, particularly if you like pale ales and IPAs. This one is really tasty.

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian & Eric

Day 3

On the 3rd day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - K-9 Winter Warmer from Flying Dog Brewery.

Winter beers are typically darker and made with a variety of spices and flavors that don't typically show up in beer any other time of the year.

In the case of K-9 Winter Warmer, it's a dark, brownish-red English ale that features, among other things, cardamom (a spice typically found in SE Asian cuisine). It has medium carbonation, and is a toasty 7.4% ABV alcohol content.

The label describes the taste as having notes of chocolate and vanilla. To be honest, I didn't notice any vanilla, but there was some chocolate in the aftertaste. As you can imagine, the predominant flavor is the cardamom, which tastes like a cross between nutmeg and a variant of ginger. I honestly would have liked more chocolate flavor to balance it out a bit - but keep reading.

I'll admit this was initially a "miss" for me, until a dinner mate offered me some vanilla ice cream. With chocolate sauce.

Holy. Crap.

Suddenly, everything came together, and the overly sweet ice cream meshed beautifully with the herbal spices of the beer, and it was DELICIOUS.

Bottom line? By itself, it really may not appeal to you but, if that's the case, try pairing it with some strong-flavored food (like ice cream or salty nuts) and see how well this beer goes with it. You'll be pleasantly surprised. 

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian & Eric

Day 2

On the 2nd day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - Penn Quarter Porter from DC Brau Brewing Company's brewery.

Named after a famous neighborhood in Washington, DC, Penn Quarter Porter is a dark, malty beer with good carbonation and a mild, though on-par for a porter, alcohol content of 5.5% ABV.

This actually smells great - it's a sweet, chocolatey goodness that continues to the taste. Once sipping it, you start to taste dark chocolate, hints of coffee, and even a sweetness that I'd describe as brown sugar. It is a bit bitter, and has a slightly dry finish. 

It's actually not as thick as porters typically are, but it's certainly not a reason you shouldn't try this limited release. In fact, it gets exponentially better when paired with a sweet dessert (I had it with creme brûlée), so definitely keep that in mind. Overall, I think it's a good one to start with if you wanted to try getting into a porter. 

Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.

Cheers!

Christian & Eric