Due to all the fun activity around the house this last week, IÂ’m a day behind in my beer review. To make up for it I promise that IÂ’ll do another next weekÂ… Okay, so I do one most weeks, but thatÂ’s the best you are going to get out of me. Tonight IÂ’m reviewing Shiner Holiday Cheer by Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX. I found a six pack of this hidden in a Christmas display at the local grocery store stuffed between a cases of domestic mass brewed beer.

We have our standard 12 oz bottle. The label is a festive red, white and green. The label has a white oval that has “Give Shiner Holiday Cheer”; of course Shiner is the largest name in red. On the back label states the following, “’Tis the season for cheer. Happy holidays from the “Little Brewery” in Shiner, TX. We hope you enjoy your shiner cheer, an old world dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavor of this dark wheat ale are enhance through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Krausening ensures a smoothness that makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying. May your days be merry and bright and your Shiner be cold* Prosit!”

When poured into a glass, an inch thick tan head forms over the dark brown with ruby accented body. The head fades slowly to a ring around the edge of the beer. A nice lacing forms in the glass and lasts all the way until the beer is finished.

The smell is an interesting combination of peaches, pears and nuts. There is a nice hop background to it, which really brings out the sweetness to the scent. ItÂ’s not so sweet that it deters an avid beer drinker from wanting to drink it. The smell sets up the taste. A smooth combination of Malts, peaches and apricots crosses the tongue. A nice nutty finish of pecans rounds off the flavor. The flavor lingers after youÂ’ve finished drinking.

This is a medium bodied beer that is light on the carbonation. ItÂ’s smooth and very easy to drink.

Normally IÂ’m not a fan of fruit beers, but this one was really enjoyable, surprisingly so actually. When I first smelled the beer and the sweetness to it, I figured it would be like drinking fruit juice mixed with beer. It was nothing like that. I found this rather enjoyable to drink. Overall I give this 6.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 428 words, total size 3 kb.

I picked this beer up a couple of days ago at the local grocery store. It was another winter seasonal beer. This time itÂ’s a local brew, Red Bock Winter Ale by Berghoff (The Joseph Huber Brewing Co. Aka Minhas Brewing Company) in Monroe, WI.

It came in the normal 12 Fl oz. bottle. The label is the normal Berghoff shape, what appears to be a barrel with an oval through it. The coloring is crimson and in the middle is a white snowflake. Berghoff in a red script is across the middle with the name of the beer in a smile like arch at the bottom.

The coloring is a beautiful dark amber color with crimson shading. There is no sign of cloudiness to it, light passes through with some difficulty. When you look through you can make out objects on the other side. A thin tan head forms when poured into a glass. The head fades quickly to nothing and there is no lacing on the glass.

The smell is an exquisite caramel and chocolate malt combination with a fruit undertone. The fruit smelled like strawberry or raspberry, but that might the combination of the malts mixing with the fruit to alter the scent. There is a mild sweetness to the smell that is pleasing. The taste is much like the scent, a sweet, but not overly sweet, combination of caramel malts and berries. The flavor is a little weak.

ItÂ’s a smooth, light bodied beer that is very easy to drink.

This is not like most of the winter ales IÂ’ve drank. The flavor isnÂ’t in your face. ItÂ’s mild and soothing. Something that you can drink just about any time you want. This is one of those beers that I could see myself picking up a six pack of on a whim. I give it 7 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:25 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 321 words, total size 2 kb.

Tonight IÂ’m reviewing a beer I found at the store and wanted to try. ItÂ’s a seasonal beer by the Redhook Ale Brewery in Portsmouth, NH called Winterhook Winter Ale. I figured since we are in the Christmas season, I might as well try to do some winter season beers.

Mine came from a 12 oz brown bottle, the label is kind of plain. The top half is blue and the bottom half silver. Then name of the beer is in white letters in the blue and silver letters in the blue portion and the logo of the company in blue and white in the silver portion. Next to the name of the beer is a picture of Old man winter, Jack Frost or some winter spirit blowing a cold breeze onto the name of the beer.

When poured into the glass, it has a nice chestnut brown with garnet highlights. There is no cloudiness to it that can be detected. Light passes through the beer, but it is dark enough that you canÂ’t make out what is seen on the other side. When poured a thin tan head formed that turned into a film that lasted until I was finished with the beer. There was some lacing on the side of the glass.

The scent is mainly of dried dark fruits like prunes and raisins. A touch of citrus and the spicy bitterness of hops rounds off the smell. The first sip mainly consists of the taste combination of caramel malts and hops. There is a citrus hint and a touch of cloves to the finish. The flavor is kind of thin and watery.

This is a medium bodied beer that has a nice carbonation level to it.

ItÂ’s pretty easy to drink. I wouldnÂ’t recommend it as a compliment to a meal. This is definitely a beer that one drinks by itself, preferably while sitting next to a warm fire in the accompaniment of friends. ItÂ’s definitely one I would drink again, most likely on a special occasion. I give it a 5.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 09:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 350 words, total size 2 kb.