The next few days are going to be about family, traditions and festive celebration. There will definitely be beer involved, trust me. But it does mean a few days of internet silence – as it should be. So allow me to quickly offer a Happy Holidays to all my readers, both casual and regular. I hope the next few days are satisfying and enjoyable for you. Plus I hope you got some great beer for presents!
For what it is worth, my personal Xmas beer list will include a number of beer. Among my homebrew it includes a new Belgian Dubbel which seems quite nice, plus the leftovers of my latest Steam beer and an American Brown. Commercially I have picked up some Alley Kat Old Deuteronomy, Pike Auld Acquaintance and my new favourite Red Racer IPA. Also, I must admit, I got a couple of bottles of Alley Kat’s Xmas gift of an Orange Chocolate Porter, which is not available for sale. I won’t review it, as that seems unfair to those of you who didn’t get a bottle, but I do appreciate being able to sip on this one of a kind beer.
That said, Merry Christmas to all of you and here is to a 2011 full of great beer! See you in a few days.
Jason
December 24, 2010 at 12:37 PM
Thanks for the great and interesting blog posts! I just subscribed recently, and I’m looking forward to what comes in the new year.
December 24, 2010 at 12:48 PM
Happy Holidays to da man who helped to make 2010 a beery good year in Edmonton!
Your early Xmas gift via WikiLeaks:
The Jan. 4th cask at the NextAct is full of beans. Some are dark roasted, while others are often turned into a “a rather plain” extract….
Cheers,
Scott
December 26, 2010 at 10:28 PM
Happy Holidays Jason! Stouts & Porters start my 2011…I hope to squeeze in both Dieu Du Ciel’s Barley Wine & Pepper’d Rye beer(& of course some of Big Rock’s Magpie as well as a bottle or 2 of Sherbrooke’s Heartstopper). So it’s looking like a beery good start to the new year!
Enjoyed reading & usually being informed by the blog. All thebest to you & yours in ’11!
December 31, 2010 at 2:14 AM
Oh a somewhat unexpected pre-New Years Eve discovery(actually a couple of ’em). I stopped by Keg’n’Cork to pick up my Solstice d’Hiver & Route des Epices-the aforementioned Barleywine & peppered rye beer. I also picked up a couple 500ml bottles from Quebec’s Microbrasserie Charlevoix-a Belgian-style wheat beer & a milk(brewed with lactose)stout. The Dominus Vobiscum spiced wheat beer is an outstanding Belgian-style wheat ale – distinct citrus, softened/rounded-out by chamomile. Seriously this could very likely be my ‘regular’ wheat beer or at least ‘semi-regular’ ‘w/b’.
I credit Chris for pointing out the He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.-a rye-based IPA. Wow, very impressive & not just for the 10%ABV. I’m not really partial to IPA’s…this being the only real exception I can think of(then again, it is kind of a ‘hybrid’ IPA). But a very rich & flavourful beer…*sigh*however I only have three more. So a beery good ending to the old year & hopefully a beery beery good start to the new one!