Christmas Ale Party

5 Hops each!



Today I am tasting 3 Northwest Winter/Christmas Ales. I thought a side by side comparison of 3 would give you a range of choices for beers of the season.

First up is Bridgeport 'Ebenezer'. This is brewed in Portland, OR and would be considered an English Strong Ale. Bridgeport makes a tasty traditional IPA as well. Ebenezer pours a rich amber color with scents of malts and fruit with a small hint of hops. Taste is on the malty/toffee side with only a hint of hop bitterness. At only 40 IBU, it is not a Hop Killer. I think it has a mellow refined taste and very enjoyable. I cannot find the hops used other than being "local and imported hops" according to the brewery. I don't detect a lot of late addition hops for flavor and aroma, so I would assume most are early boil for bitterness.

Next up is Rogue Ales 'Santa's Private Reserve' from Newport, OR. Rogue is by far one of my favorite breweries. They brew amazing beers that transcend boundaries and styles. All their beers are class acts. So Santa pours a light red hue with awesome citrus hop and malt aromas. Flavor is a hop fest in your mouth. Not overpowering at 65 IBU, but enough to get your attention; especially at the finish. This is in the range of an IPA for reference. Bittering is courtesy of Chinook hops with flavor and aroma by Centennial and the mystery "Rudolph" hops. The 3 C's hops: Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook are west coast favorites producing evergreen sprucey and citrus flavors/aromas. Mmmm...bitter never tasted so good. Abv is around 6%.

Last but certainly not least is 'Jolly Roger Christmas Ale' by Maritime Brewing in Seattle/Ballard, WA. This is one of my early holiday beers I first tasted in 2006. I even brewed a half decent clone of it last year. This 8-9% brew pours a red/amber color with complex malt aroma. For me, this is a rich, delicious, alcohol laced treat each year. The malt profile and hops are perfectly balanced in my opinion. It may be high in the IBU department; upper 80's I estimate, but I love the taste as a confirmed Hop Head. Bitterness, Flavor, and Aroma hops used are Chinook and Cascade alternatively with Chinook doing the bittering. Don't listen to any naysayers, pick one of these up ASAP and support Seattle!

I believe these selections present a variety of flavors that can be enjoyed by all. For those who prefer a milder, smooth and malty ale, try the Ebenezer. If you prefer a solid hoppy seasonal, go for the Santa. And if you enjoy a winter warmer with extra warmth and more malt, grab a Jolly Roger. Cheers!

Browar Amber "Grand Imperial Porter"

3 out of 5 Hops





Unique Baltic Porter from Poland. I think this is my first Polish Beer. Its a dark brown with a sweet fruitlike smell. At first sniff, I thought it smelled like a flat Pepsi. Funny how we all have our own unique smell-abilities. The taste at first is sweet Port Wine with a slight hop bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel is thin which seems odd for a Porter until you learn that this brew is bottom fermented according to the Brewery. A bottom fermenting beer is made with lager yeast. There is not much of a "lager" taste; much the way a New Belgium 1554 (also lager yeast) is not lager-y either. Maybe the dark and chocolate roast grains offset the taste. I like the dry, light aftertaste This beer is 8% and very drinkable; albeit unique to my palate. I cannot find the hop info for this one but I would guess they are mostly early boil since I don't detect much aroma.

Boundary Bay "Cabin Fever Winter Ale"

4 out of 5



Boundary Bay is located in Bellingham, WA. It is an incredible Brew Pub with several outstanding beers and awesome food to boot(try the mac n cheese or the tarragon chicken with orange cream sauce). My wife got me a T-shirt and a 22oz of Cabin Fever for X-mas. Cabin fever is like an Imperial Scotch Ale/Winter Ale. It has a strong malt and peat taste with a note of Cascade dry-hop. Alcohol level is around 7.2%. This beer tastes great out the gate, but if you drink the 22 alone, the peat flavor may wear on you a bit. For me, that is always an issue with any scotch type ale. I usually max out with a 12oz bottle. But hey, I recommend picking up this fine NW Winter Warmer and enjoy. Its complex with notes of toffee, caramel and NW hops; Mount Hood, Warrior and Crystal. I found the Mt Hood alot in NW Winter Beers and Stouts. I love you Boundary Bay!

Pelican Pub & Brewery "India Pelican Ale"

4 out of 5















On our last trip to the Oregon coast we drove down to this brewery in Pacific City. The brewpub, Pelican Pub & Brewery is located on the beach and has a great view. I sat on the sand with a pint while my pups played. Great place. Highly recommended. This IPA has a crisp grapefruit/citrus aroma courtesy of Cascade Hops. Bitterness is a strong 85 IBU made possible by Magnum and Centennial hops. I may be a hop wimp, but this is my limit for hop bitterness in a everyday brew. Malt hints are faint which is fine for an IPA of this stature. Now that I have procured the taste, its time for a frozen pizza to satisfy my appetite and a watching of Brewmasters on Discover. Cheers!

Three Sheets Rover Irish Red Ale

5 out of 5 Hops!


This is another fine homebrew from my buddy Luke. This being a homebrew, it is a unique experience for every beer made. Sorry, not commercially available.....yet. This creation is a dark, hoppy red with a strong hop character and carbonation. Traditionally, most reds tend to be on the lighter, amber side. I love this bold in your face black beauty. It has a chocolate and coffee taste to me at the front and finishes dry with a moderate hop bitterness that works for me. Being a hop fiend, I appreciate a unique take on styles. Not sure what the ABV is but at half a glass so far I am warm and happy. Cheers brothers!

Redhook Late Harvest Autumn Ale

4 out of 5 Hops

Redhook is a local Seattle icon in Beer History. What began in Ballard in 1982 has continued to be a staple brewery. Redhook ESB is a definite grocery store "go-to" beer in my book. This is a moderately hopped ale at 32 IBU, great dark amber color, and a nose of malt and subtle Chinook hops. This is brew is made with 4 different grains and 3 hops: Willamette, Saaz, and Chinook. At 5.9%, its a decent ABV beer to toss a few back while tossing the football or raking the fall leaves. The aftertaste is clean and not oily or thick in the mouth. Great beer in Autumn to get ready for hopped up stronger Winter Ales. Cheers! www.redhook.com

Stone Brewing "Oaked" Arrogant Bastard

4 out of 5 Hops


Another Great Brew from the folks at Stone Brewing (www.stonebrew.com). I've long been a fan of their many tasty beers. This of course is the oak barrel aged the Arrogant Bastard ale which falls somewhere between an Amber and an IPA...like an Anabolic Amber. Rumor has it the IBU is somewhere in the 100-102 range with all Chinook hops. This bad boy runs 7.2% ABV and has a smokey hopped aroma. Taste is smoother than regular Arrogant with a distilled liquor after taste. Careful chuggin these down, they are addicting. Its a sit and relax and sip kinda brew for me. Damn fine beer.