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HHM’sTap Room

Top 10 Holiday Beers to enjoy over the season

Greetings beer lovers!

I am a certified Craft beer fanatic, known to beer lovers everywhere as the 100 beers. 30 days. gal. I live and breathe Craft beer, and it makes me the happiest girl in the world. My blog, 100 beers. 30 days. looks at Craft beers of a style or movement in groups of 100. Yes people, I drink and review 100 beers in just 30 days. Call me crazy, but hey, I believe in extreme living. While my background is in years of wine tasting, teaching, and making, I began delving into the delicious world of Craft Beer a year ago, and I've never looked back.

What makes a good beer? Simply put, a good beer is any one you enjoy drinking! On a deeper level, it's one that has enticing aromas and flavors, is well balanced, and is pleasing to your happy palate. Whether it is light, dark, spicy, smooth, hoppy, or malty, everything should lie in wonderful liquid harmony. Everything in its place, I like to say.

Beer, particularly Craft beer, makes a wonderful accompaniment to food, sometimes better than wine!

Here are my Top 10 Holiday Beers to enjoy over the season. Cheers!

ALASKAN WHITE, 5.3% ABV: Aromas and flavors of light citrus, peppercorn, mild spice, wheat and orange peel. Finishes with a light wheaty finish. A great holiday brew for fans of lighter beers and those just entering Craft beer heaven.
Holiday Food Pairings: Ambrosia salad, light hors d'oeuvres, orange-cranberry spinach salad, mashed potatoes.

DOGFISH HEAD PUNKIN ALE, 7% ABV: A wonderfully mild and balanced spiced Pumpkin beer. A comforting noseful of nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and baking spice. Rich, yet not overbearing like many Pumpkin beers. This is a natural match for holiday foods!
Holiday Food Pairings: Pumpkin pie (of course!), carrot cake, clove studded ham, herbed stuffing.

OMMEGANG ABBEY ALE, 8.5% ABV: This is a delicious Dubbel, and is one of my favorite American versions of the style. Classic notes of caramel, brown sugar, dried date and fig. Lovely! Add to that a wonderful nuttiness and roasty toastiness, and it adds a whole new layer of complexity and enjoyment.
Holiday Food Pairings: Banana bread, brown sugar glazed ham, rum cake, fig tart/pudding.

MOYLAN’S KILT LIFTER SCOTCH ALE, 8.5% ABV: Aromas of toffee, Werther's Originals, and orange peel. Mmmm! Not normally a Scotch Ale fan, I think this one is balanced and not overbearing and syrupy. Nice hoppy bitterness on the finish.
Holiday Food Pairings: Sweet potato casserole, orange poppy seed muffins, apricot cream tart.

ALESMITH YULESMITH IMPERIAL RED ALE, 9.5% ABV: One of my new favorite styles of beer. Comforting, yet vibrant hoppy nose. Subtle aromas and flavors of cardamon, vanilla, spice, citrus, and toasted nuts along a caramel malty backbone. Love the balance of the nose with the palate.
Holiday Food Pairings: Spiced nuts, Rosemary/Sage stuffed turkey, herb potatoes.

HUMBOLDT HEMP ALE, 5.7% ABV: Full, rich aromas and flavors of caramel, brown sugar, chocolate, pecans, and yes, a definite earthy, herbed quality. More complexity and character in both aroma and flavor than a Newcastle, this has been a great cross-over beer for customers venturing into darker beers.
Holiday Food Pairings: Pulled pork, pecan pie, zucchini bread, candied pecans.

GOOSE ISLAND CHRISTMAS ALE, 5.7% ABV: Made to age over a period of 5 years, the recipe for this brew changes each year. The 2009, now at 10 months, has lovely aromas and flavors of caramel malt, piquant and baking spices, orange peel, and citrus, with a nice hop nudge in the finish. It's like standing in the kitchen during Christmas cooking! Everything melds and balances beautifully for a comforting, yet enticing holiday ale. I don't think Goose Island makes a bad beer. And guess what? This brew isn't being produced this year, so make sure you get your hands on the 2009. It's a collector's item!!
Holiday Food Pairings: Pepper-crusted ham, herbed rice pilaf, 3-cheese scalloped potatoes.

AECHT SCHLENKERLA RAUCHBIER URBOCK, 6.6% ABV: Like it smoky? More of a griller during the holidays? This might be your beer. When I smell this, I feel like I am standing in a smokehouse. The nose is intense…of bacon, and aged meats. Pepper and spice, with a slight sweet note, that is buried just beneath the surface of the spice.
Holiday Food Pairings: Grilled and smoked meats, dark chocolate, spiced cake, spiced cheese straws.

GREAT DIVIDE YETI IMPERIAL STOUT, 9.5% ABV: One of my favorite Imperial Stouts. Aromas of dark Caro syrup, molasses, mocha, coffee and pepper combined with a burst of hoppiness. A punch of espresso on the palate, along with tobacco on the finish. There is a definite, measurable bitterness here, from both the hops and the roasted malts.
Holiday Food Pairings: Coffee cake, molasses biscuits, flourless chocolate cake

PORT SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER, 10.5% ABV: A perennial favorite of Southern California beer folks. Popular for aging, this one gets pulled from beer cellars year-round. Loads of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, and tobacco, and a bit of smoke that intensifies as it ages. This one is a mouthful!
Holiday Food Pairings: Is its own food group. Enjoy with a cigar and call it a night.