Image via Complex Original
December's many festivities and fêtes are the best time to move away from session beers, dig deep into your cellar, and pop open a truly amazing craft beer. Rather than run down the usual suspects of "holiday-themed" or Christmas beers, Jimmy Carbone—owner of Jimmy's No. 43 and host of Beer Sessions Radio on Heritage Radio Network—chooses to seek out “last bottles,” those rare or one-off brews that we've been saving for just the right occasion.
Whether you’re looking to share with your old college roomie or you need to introduce a family member who insists on drinking Heineken from a skunked bottle, we’ve put together a list of 20 beers that are perfect for nearly any holiday activity. From Barrel Aged and Barleywines to Strong Belgians and Lambics, here's what we're drinking and what our friends are drinking as we count down to 2014. What better time of year to enjoy your best beers than the holidays?
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Vertical Epic Ale Series
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif.
Brewdate: Since 2002, every year for 11 years
Style: Varies from year to year—Belgian Strong Ales (Pale and Dark), Witbier, Chile, Belgian IPA
ABV: 7.5-10.0%
Website: stonebrewing.com
Libation celebration: Depending on the number of these you still have on hand and whether or not you have children, you might want to forego drinking them and auction them off to pay for the college of your dreams.
Chances are, you won’t have more than a couple of these, and odds are you’re a serious collector if you have all eleven. There were quite a few vertical tasting events last year when the final 12.12.12 Belgian Strong Dark Ale was released, but even those parties were missing the inaugural 02.02.02 Witbier (Stone CEO and co-founder Greg Koch didn’t dream up this brilliant idea of a vertical series in time to make a 01.01.01 brew). We’ve seen bottles going back to 07.07.07 (a Belgian Pale), so drink ‘em if you got ‘em. And if you have all 11, seriously, sell tickets, or agree to share with the highest bidder.
Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien
Brewery: Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes, Switzerland
Brewdate: 2011
Style: Bière de Garde
ABV: 11.2%
Website: brasseriebfm.ch
Libation celebration: Embrace a beer from a nation with four official languages by attempting to hold a conversation in a foreign tongue while drinking this killer brew; it’s ABV is bound to help you recall your high school Spanish.
One of Jimmy Carbone’s favorites and the 2012 winner of Battle of the Belgians, BFM’s barrel-aged, small-batch beers change every year. The 2011 is a particularly worthy entry, with strong sour taste balanced by sweet malt and very little alcohol flavor. It's one of the most flavorful beers we’ve tried in recent memory, but the high ABV (which might not register before you finish this delicious brew) in mind.
Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Brewdate: Brewed seasonally (winter)
Style: Barleywine
ABV: 9.6%
Website: sierranevada.com
Libation celebration: Drink it after a long day of shopping for gifts in NYC, as you rest your aching feet.
Bigfoot turned 30 this year, and this is a beer that continues to impress year after year. It also ages exceptionally well, so if you haven’t started storing this beer, you can pick up a six pack and put three aside for next year. And while the beer has Sierra Nevada’s typical hop-heavy profile, the Barleywine is extraordinarily well balanced without the overwhelming alcohol nose common with higher ABV Barleywines.
Cruising with Ruben & The Jets
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, Calif.
Brewdate: 2008 (rare)
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.6%
Website: lagunitas.com
Libation celebration: Drink it when the Christmas carols grow stale or you’re out voted on which Pandora channel to listen to.
This Imperial Stout was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Frank Zappa’s fifth studio album, Cruising with Ruben and the Jets. It’s got a delicious balance of pepper and chocolate and has aged extraordinarily well. This is another beer that Lagunitas’ Ryan Tamborski recommends you drink this season. That’s assuming you kept it these past five years.
Santa's Private Reserve
Brewery: Rogue Ales, Ashland, OR
Brewdate: Annual (winter)—2009, 2011 or 2012 are gold medalists
Style: Red Ale
ABV: 6.0%
Website: rogue.com
Libation celebration: Did you miss this year's SantaCon? You can play Santa (or relive your day of pub crawling) drinking this beer
One of the more sessionable beers on our list, Santa’s Private Reserve is a double-hopped red ale with a roasted malt flavor and well-balanced spruce finish. Brewed with Rogue Farms Dare™ and Risk™ Malts, plus Rogue Farms Rebel™ & Freedom™ hops is an easy-drinking beer that comes out each fall. Your best options are the World Beer Championship gold-medal winners from 2009, 2011 and 2012 (2010 took silver). Oh, and be sure to check out the bottle with the lights out. The snowflakes supposedly glow in the dark.
Hairy Eyeball
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA
Brewdate: 2011
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 9.4%
Website: lagunitas.com
Libation celebration: We’ll take the advice of the brewer, and recommend this as your hair of the dog beer.
Ryan Tamborski of Lagunitas reports that the 2013 Hairy Eyeball was just released, meaning it’s time to drink from years past if you’ve got them. The 2011 is at its peak, with chocolaty malt tones and strong fruity body. We haven’t tried it, but it would probably make a great cocktail with coffee or (dark/bitter) hot chocolate. Don’t drink and operate heavy machinery.
XVI (Sixteen)
Brewery: Firestone Walker, Paso Robles, CA
Brewdate: 2012 (limited availability)
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 13.0%
Website: firestonebeer.com
Libation celebration: Drink it while sharing your best fake ID story with your parents. It’s time you came clean anyhow.
Brewed to celebrate their 16th year in business, Firestone Walker’s XVI is a blend of several of their beers aged in oak barrels, including—new with XVI—tequila barrels (from their PNC series). XVI starts innocently enough with a base of FW’s Velvet Merkin (an 8.7% Oatmeal Stout), but adds in another six (!!) beers all at high ABVs before winding back down with a Wookey Jack (8.3% Black Rye IPA) finish. How these eight beers come together to form a new brew is as much art as it is science, but if you can let this beer warm slightly before drinking, you’ll appreciate the nuance of every sip.
Yellow Snow IPA
Brewery: Rogue Ales, Ashland, OR
Brewdate: Annual (winter), 2012 or 2013
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.5%
Website: http://rogue.com
Libation celebration: The name is irreverent, and we can think of no better way to enjoy it than by drinking it while watching Bad Santa. Or you can dip into it half way through the aforementioned Love Actually when Billy Bob Thornton channels Bill Clinton better than even the former President himself could.
According to Rogue Ales, Yellow Snow is brewed using eight ingredients: Cara Foam, Melanoiden, 2-Row & Rogue Farms Dare™ and Risk™ Malts, Amarillo Hops, Free Range Coastal Water and Pacman Yeast. Try the 2012 version that won the Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships, or dip into the 2013, which for the first time is made with barley grown and harvested from Rogue Farms in Tygh Valley, OR.
Fantôme Spéciale De Noël
Brewery: Brasserie Fantôme, Belgium
Brewdate:
Style: Belgian Dark Saison
ABV: 10%
Website: http://www.fantome.be/
Libation celebration: Drink it while making (and then eating) a gingerbread house.
If you’re a purist and prefer your Fantôme Boo! at Halloween, the Speciale Noel is your true love this holiday season. But don’t take our word for it! Let our friends over at Shelton Brothers convince you: The Noël is “a very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer...reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients.”
La Rullés Cuvée Meilleurs Voeux (Bière De Gaume)
Brewery: Brasserie Artisanale De Rullés, Belgium
Brewdate: Annual release; limited quantities (grab the 2013 if you see it!)
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 7.3%
Website: larulles.be
Libation Celebration: Drink this on Christmas Eve as you watch “The Great Billy Mack” delivering what is possibly the best string of profanity ever to open a film (i.e. Love Actually, our favorite Christmas movie).
If there were one true Christmas beer we’d choose to drink this holiday season, this would be the one! Like all of de Rullés’ beers (also imported by B. United), Cuvée Meilleurs Voeux—“Best Wishes” in French—uses only American west coast hops, meaning the hop profile is recognizable to American palates. The Orval Trappist yeast allows the beer to maintain its Belgian roots, and unlike so many Christmas beers, Cuvée Meilleurs Voeux adds no additional spices. Its flavor comes from traditional elements with dark candy sugar adding sweetness to the brew.
Avec les Bons Vœux
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont, Belgium
Brewdate: 2012 or 2013
Style: Belgian Farmhouse Ale/Saison
ABV: 9.5%
Website: brasserie-dupont.com
Libation celebration: Serve at your Christmas/holiday meal (especially if you’re having turkey).
This was on last year’s Complex list of 100 Beers to Try Before You Die, and it’s an annual favorite at Christmas. This brew matures quickly, however, so definitely drink either the 2013 or 2012. Of course, if you have an earlier version, you might as well give it a try because this seasonal beer doesn’t need to age to be enjoyed fully.
Fantôme Boo!
Brewery: Brasserie Fantôme, Belgium
Brewdate: 2012 (limited availability)
Style: Belgian Farmhouse Ale/Saison
ABV: 8.0%
Website: fantome.be
Libation celebration: What’s this? What’s this! A pumpkin beer at Christmas! Drink while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.
One of the reasons why we prefer interesting and unusual beers during the holidays is the plethora of spiced beers from autumn have barely been removed from our palates. In fact, some “Christmas beers” have such similar notes to pumpkin beers that it’s hard to differentiate. Thus, why not just go for the real thing and enjoy this pumpkin ale that doesn’t overwhelm with coriander and cinnamon? It was one of our favorites this fall, and you can still find it on shelves if you look for it.
De Ranke Hop Harvest
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke, Belgium
Brewdate: Brewed seasonally (fall)—we drank the 2012 but the 2013 is generally available.
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 6.0%
Website: deranke.be
Libation celebration: Drink it with that in-law (annoying or otherwise) who refuses to imbibe anything with less than 100 IBUs.
If you like the XX Bitter, you’ll love the Hop Harvest. The brewer starts with their usual Belgian IPA, adding on extra hops (Brewers Gold and Hallertau) for a bright and full aroma that smells as bitter as its tastes. One of our favorite Belgian IPAs, and sure to please the hopheads in your party. We drank the 2012, but the 2013 is out and the 2011 should still be good (but polish it off; this isn’t the best beer to age).
Cantillon Cuvée St. Gilloise (fka Des Champions)
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon, Belgium
Brewdate: Brewed seasonally (spring) since 2010.
Style: Lambic
ABV: 5.0%
Website: cantillon.be
Libation celebration: Share this with your (girl)friend who claims (s)he hates beer; it’ll knock’er… um… socks off.
This Belgian brewery never has a misstep… unless it’s in naming their amazing beers. Take, for example, Cuvée des Champions, which was launched in 2004 to celebrate brewmaster Jean Van Roy’s favorite football (okay, soccer) team, Brussels' Union St. Gilles as they won their division. Sadly, the team didn’t fare so well as the aughts drew to a close, and the brewery felt it disingenuous to continue branding this Lambic the “Beer of Champions.” So, they quickly changed the name to more appropriately market the dry-hopped version of their unblended two-year-aged Lambic. The beer’s quality, unlike its original namesake, has never wavered.
Scaldis Refermentée
Brewery: Brasserie Dubuisson, Belgium
Brewdate: 2008 (rare)
Style: Belgian Ultra Strong Ale
ABV: 12.0%
Website: br-dubuisson.com
Libation celebration: Pair this beer with a high-end steak (or salmon, for you pescetarians) dinner.
According to our friends over at Vanberg & DeWulf, the importers of Scaldis, current brewery manager Hugues Dubuisson wanted to create a special bottle-conditioned version of Scaldis to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the brewery’s signature beer. “Scaldis Refermentée has all the wonderful strength, dryness and warm candied peach notes of the original Scaldis. But because it is bottle-conditioned, it is a bit fuller in the mouth with a little longer finish and creamier, less attacking carbonation. Perfect for cellaring. Collect over years for vertical tastings.”
Cuvée Freddy
Brewery: Picobrouwerij Alvinne, Belgium
Brewdate: Since 2010
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
ABV: 10.0%
Website: alvinne.be
Libation celebration: Drink in front of a roaring fire. Preferably in a fireplace, so your landlord doesn’t get upset.
We checked in with Alvinne’s importer, B. United International, where Jon Lundbom detailed the different versions of Cuvée Freddy, including B. United’s Zymatore series. Jon notes, “Cuvee
Freddy is a blended beer with wood-aged and sour components, and there will be some variation bottle-to-bottle and batch-to-batch. If you are seeing ‘Batch 2’ or ‘Batch 3,’ however, those are Zymatore releases. Alvinne sends us the beer in bulk for kegging, some of each temperature- and climate-controlled container we receive will go into our own wooden barrels for maturation. When we release our own barrel-aged version (Zymatore) we blend from two or three barrels and assign a batch ID.”
Ichor
Brewery: Sly Fox, Pottstown, PA
Brewdate: Available; drink 2011 or earlier
Style: Abbey-style Quadruple
ABV: 10%
Website: slyfoxbeer.com
Libation celebration: Make a drinking game during family gatherings, and sip every time someone references “What does the fox say?” Don’t share with whoever’s making that annoying “Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding” sound.
Speaking of states that we don’t necessarily think of as craft beer meccas, Pennsylvania is home to Sly Fox, and their Ichor is a perfect beer for the holidays. According to the brewery, Ichor is “brewed with German Pils and roast malts and dark candi sugar, hopped with German Tradition hops. Luscious and seductive, Ichor is brewed for both the body and the soul.” It’s better having aged a few years, so if you’re buying the 2013, store it for a couple years to enjoy its flavors more fully. The 2011 bottle is delicious!
Confluence Ale
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Brewdate: Brewed annually in limited quantities
Style: Belgian Dry Hopped Golden Ale
ABV: 7.5%
Website: allagash.com
Libation celebration: Drink it while watching the snow fall (in lieu of real precipitation, you can always rewatch the original Airport and celebrate not being stuck at the airport during a blizzard).
Allagash Brewing is another killer brewery from New England, and their Confluence Ale is one of our favorites. Created with a mixed fermentation using Belgian-style and a proprietary Brettanomyces yeast, the beer has a spicy, fruity flavor that is well balanced. Confluence uses two hops in the brew process (Tettnang and East Kent Golding) before being aged in stainless steel tanks and finally dry hopped with a Glacier hops. This beer will warm you up without knocking you down, thanks to the relatively moderate ABV.
A Night to End All Dawns
Brewery: Kane Brewing Co., Ocean Township, NJ
Brewdate: 2013, after 15 months aged in bourbon barrels; plans to brew annually
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 13.0%
Website: kanebrewing.com
Libation celebration: End your New Year’s Eve celebration with this one while watching the sun rise.
It’s hard to believe that Kane Brewing is a mere two years old or that they’re brewing beers this
mind altering early on. Or that they’re in New Jersey, which is brewing some of the best beers in
the region (between Kane and Carton). According to the brewery, “A Night to End All Dawns began
life as an imperial stout and was transformed into a massive dark ale during 15 months spent in
bourbon barrels. The extended aging allowed seasonal temperature fluctuations in the barrels
to draw bold flavors from the oak that can only develop with time. The heat of the bourbon gave
way to a subtle caramel sweetness, and the bold, sharp edges of the roasted malt mellowed and
married with notes of vanilla and oak. Belgian candi sugar in the kettle created a layer of dark fruit
complexity and a dry finish.”
Super Kitty
Brewery: Keegan Ales, Kingston, N.Y.
Brewdate: Brewed annually; drink past years’ brew (we really like the 2011)
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 12%
Website: keeganales.com
Libation celebration: Drink it as part of a mini-college reunion.
This beer has two things going for it as being celebration-worthy: It’s seasonal, so you can get rid of your bottles from past years while replenishing your cellar with the 2013 version. Secondly, it’s a big beer—12% ABV—so it’s ideal for sharing with craft beer loving friends.