Holly Jolly Christmas

It was a Christmas beer weekend. It's one of my Christmas traditions to have a little Christmas Cheer as the house gets decorated for the Holidays. In the past it has been Stone's Double Bastard, but this year I had Anchor's Our Special Ale and The Bruery's Partridge in a Pear Tree. (Earlier this month I had The Lost Abbey's Gift of the Magi, but will post on that after I have a second bottle.)

I was going to be aggressive and have both Anchor's and The Bruery's Christmas offerings on the same night but ended up splitting them up over two nights. First up was Our Special Ale. I have not had this beer in four or five years. Anchor makes it different every year, and I had several years' editions that, to me, were undrinkable. The thought of licking a pine tree sticks in my mind when I think of a few past versions of Our Special Ale. Mike from The Olive Tree Marketplace said this year's was an excellent version, and he was right. It was a dark, but clear beer and poured with big foam that quickly disappeared. Despite its dark appearance, its flavor was surprisingly light. It had a mild, roasted flavor and spices were prevalent, but not overwhelming. I could not read the label to see what tree was the featured ingredient this year, but I caught the subtle taste of gingerbread, which is OK with me. This is a drinkable beer, and it would be easy to drink three or four without much of a thought or ruining you for the evening. Our Special Ale has been out of my Christmas beer rotation for the past few years, but I am glad I tried this year's offering.

It's an understatement to call The Bruery's Partridge in a Pear Tree a big beer. This is the case, almost by definition, since it's in the Belgian quadrupel style. I had this beer tonight, and have now had two of these, and my opinion on it is still out. I had high hopes for this beer, as everything I have had from The Bruery has been a home run. I am not, by a long shot, an expert on the Belgian quadrupel style so it's hard for me to judge the technical merits of Partridge in a Pear Tree. I am just going to judge it on its taste.

It poured opaque and its color was rust. It had no foam and no carbonation. (This is different from the picture on The Bruery's website that showed sizable foam.) I was surprised by the lack of carbonation because other Bruery beers have had massive foam and high levels of carbonation. The initial taste was sweet and the yeast was present. It had a strong malt backbone. I sipped this beer slowly over several hours, which was dictacted by its 11% alcohol. Over the session I caught various flavors, including raisins, wine, and a sourness that I was not expecting. The taste of alcohol did not dominate, despite the 11% ABV. This beer makes one think, and I like that, but I am not sure I'll have another. Its a show stopper and demands your attention.