Samichlaus Toast to St. Nicholas

After our enjoyable evening at Capital Ale House, Colleen and I returned home last Friday and realized we had almost missed our traditional drink of Samichlaus Bier on the Feast of St. Nicholas. The beer's name means "Santa Claus" in the Swiss-German dialect of Zürich. Brewed only on December 6 of each year, by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg in Austria, the beer is aged for almost a year and released in time for the following year's feast day. Not to be deterred by the late hour, I dusted off a 2007 bottle and poured a nightcap.

As soon as I removed the cap from the bottle I was struck by the strong sherry-like aroma of dark fruit, molasses, and alcohol. The beer had a translucent reddish-brown color and no head to speak of, although there was some tingling carbonation in the mouthfeel. The flavor is strong, and rich with dark plums and raisons, sweetened ever so slightly by molasses and brown sugar notes. Fresh Samichlaus can be syrupy and sweet, however aging seems to mitigate the cloying sweetness.

While I sipped this amazing 14% ABV lager, I kept muttering to myself, 'Oh, this is so good." While not a beer I could drink every night, it is certainly a treat worthy of honoring the good St. Nicholas. Eventually our glasses were emptied and it was time to enjoy a good night's sleep.

From West to East - An Evening of Great Beer

Each month Capital Ale House taps a special beer that's been aged for the past year. The December "Ales From the Crypt" selection was Stone Brewing 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale. It seemed as good a reason as any for an evening out. I don't recall that I ever had release in the Stone Vertical Series, and the beer could only have gotten better with time.

I always enjoy the appearance of a beer, and the Belgian Strong Ale looked quite appetizing in the snifters. Served a touch too cold for my tastes, I admired the beer and let it come up to temperature as we perused the dinner menu, and Colleen arranged the social media photo shoot.

Stone 12.12.12 had a surprisingly mild aroma. We picked up molasses, vanilla, ginger, along with some Belgian yeast. The flavors came out much the same with a stronger presence. Some dark coffee and roasted notes are added as well. The mouthfeel is thick with a long-lingering, dry finish. The beer was quit enjoyable and the well-blended flavors I suspect were only enhanced by the year spent waiting in the cellar.

On a serendipitous note, a friend of Colleen's on FaceBook saw the above picture posted, and inquired back, "Bottle or draft?" Colleen answered and the reply back was "We're our way!" A bit later in the evening we were joined by another couple. As it turns out, the husband is a craft beer fan AND shooting enthusiast. Any guesses what we talked about most of the evening?

As I looked over the row of tap handles, trying to decide on my next beer, I spied a Blue Mountain Barrel House handle, and learned that Dark Hollow Imperial Stout was behind that lever. Dark Hollow is a Bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout. That aging treatment is apparent in the aroma, as the sweet bourbon and dark coffee notes waft from the glass. The beer is not overly boozy, but neither is the alcohol masked. Tastes of dark chocolate, coffee, molasses and vanilla are also present. The mouthfeel is thick and smooth. This is an exceptional Bourbon barrel stout.

Since we were now joined by friends, it was only sociable that I enjoyed another beer. Also sighted on the tap row was Lickinghole Creek Brewery. I posted on this new new Virginia brewery last year, but have never had the opportunity to enjoy their beers. The beer being poured was Gentleman Farmer Estate Hop Ale. I think this is the first beer from the Goochland brewery to make it to Fredericksburg, so my evening of good beer would conclude with another Virginia-brewed libation.

Gentleman Farmer Estate Hop Ale is an Amber Ale brewed with Cascade, Columbus, Nugget and Chinook hops grown on the brewery's farm. The beer has a thick viscous appearance, and the bubbles seem to rise slowly in the glass. The aroma was very mild, with subtle bready malt and citrus fruit notes. The flavor, and mouthfeel, followed the sights and aromas. I found the beer to have a very clean and refreshing taste. I savored the subtle flavors, especially following the big and bold of the previous beers. I'm looking forward to trying this one again, as well as some of the other Lickinghole Creek beers.

It was a fun evening, filled with good beer and conversation. I enjoyed the California-brewed Stone Epic Ale, but I remain partial to the beers of Virginia. The evening's treats from Blue Mountain and Lickinghole Creek breweries are just two of the reasons for that preference.

With Regard to Today's Weather

For your entertainment, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise, and his rendition of Let It Snow...

Beers of Winter - Sierra Nevada Celebration

This is surely the beer that we most look forward to each year. Long-time readers will know of our love for this Winter seasonal. Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale takes a somewhat different approach to the Winter beer. Instead of bringing dark, roasted flavors to the party, Celebration treats us to citrus, hoppy goodness.

Celebration Ale pours a rich marmalade-orange color with a thick, sticky head. I always tend to pour the first few servings a little too hard, until I again remember the strength of the foam. I think this year I'll keep my 20 ounce Sierra Nevada glass handy to help avoid any overflow. The aroma of grapefruit and pine foretells the flavor enjoyment to come. The bold taste of citrus, in the form of grapefruit and orange pithiness hits first. Freshly harvested Cascade hops are used to add to the richness. A balancing bitterness comes quickly into play, and there's just enough breadiness in the malt to round it all out. The mouthfeel is "thick" and "juicy." (If that  sounds odd, once you've had the beer, you'll understand.) A fair amount of carbonation adds to the body and helps impart a crisp, clean finish.

I have no doubt that the seasonal nature of Sierra Nevada Celebration adds to the enjoyment and desirability. We like this beer, a lot, and if my bulk purchases are influenced by marketing, and knowing I can only buy it for a couple months of the year, I'm comfortable being manipulated in that manner.

Which reminds me, I need to get back to the store...

Foothills Brewing Arrives in Virginia

We saw the news last month that Foothills Brewing was expanding distribution to Virginia. I've enjoyed some of their beers previously during visits to North Carolina. More good beer available locally is always good news, and when I saw a last minute post on their FaceBook page that Capital Ale House was tapping a few Foothills beers this week, we made plans to stop in.

Three Foothills beers were were available; Torch Pilsner, Hoppyum IPA and Stout. Though I heard many folks asking about it, the infamous Sexual Chocolate Stout wasn't on the list. I started out with a glass of the Torch Pilsner. This Czech Pilsener was a golden-yellow color with a thin white head. Our friend made the comment, " Is that a Bud?", to which I replied, "This is what Pilsner is supposed to be." The flavor was grassy with bitter hops. There was a touch of earthiness and a slightly sweet clean finish. After a night (or day) of heavy beers, I often like to "wind down" with a crisp Pilsner, and this is one I'd choose again.

Next up I ordered the Hoppyum IPA. I'd had this one recently during our vacation in the Outer Banks. Back then, the beer was accompanied by spicy wings, this time it was a hot pretzel and spicy mustard appetizer. This pairing worked go well too. Hoppyum has a rich citrus hop aroma. The taste is what one would expect; citrusy, juicy and resinous. It's a good, classic IPA.

I opted out of ordering the third Foothills selection in the interest of time. However, Colleen and "Checkered Flag" had both ordered the Foothills Stout, so I was able to get a few sips, solely for reporting purposes. The stout has a moderately strong aroma of roasted grain and dark coffee. The flavor is bitter, with more roasted, or even burnt, malt, with coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The finish brings some lingering bitterness.

I'm glad to see Foothills beers showing up locally. I hope we'll see more of them on local tap lists in the near future.

How to Talk to Santa

I've been dropping hints. And "thinking out loud." Just hoping that Santa might be inclined to slide a Modern Sporting Rifle down the chimney this Christmas. Recently a friend came by with his new AR and we went out to the range to try it out.

Colleen had never shot an AR rifle before. She stood at the 20 yard line and put a few rounds downrange. "That's fun!" she exclaimed.

Santa might be convinced. Just sayin'

New Fredericksburg Brewery

It's true, Fredericksburg is getting another craft brewery! Spencer Devon Brewing will be located in downtown Fredericksburg at 106 George Street, in the space formerly occupied by Fatty J's restaurant. The owner, Shawn Phillips, is a soon-to-be retired Marine Corps veteran. The restaurant and micro-brewery opening is planned for Spring 2014. 

The brewery was recently named as a finalist in the Made in Fred VA business plan contest. You can follow the brewery's progress on their FaceBook page.

Fredericksburg Business Insider has more on the brewery plans.

Beers of Winter - Anchor "Our Special Ale"

For all intents and purposes, it's Winter in Virginia. The calendar claims three more weeks of "Fall," but it's time to accept the reality of the cold, wet, and dark months to come. As much as I already look forward to warmer days, I still cheerfully anticipate the beers of Winter. As a service to you faithful readers, I thought I'd make a point of enjoying and writing about these beers to help pass the time until the days lengthen and the temperatures rise.

While many brewers have a special beer they brew each Winter, those recipes usually remain unchanged from year to year.  Anchor Brewing "Our Special Ale" is one that changes each year, adding to the anticipation of it showing up on store shelves. Also known as Anchor Christmas Ale, each year's release features a unique tree-themed label. I've missed picking up the beer in some past years, but didn't make that oversight for the 2013 release.

"Our Special Ale" pours a deep mahogany brown color with a beige head. The aroma is roasted malt with notes of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, along with a hint of pine. The flavors follow suit, with caramel and brown sugar coming through as well. Despite the long list of the usual "Christmas spice," the beer doesn't come across as a spiced beer. The spices supplement the winter warmer flavor, without dominating. The 2013 edition checks in at a reasonable 5.5% ABV, making it somewhat unusual compared to a typical "Winter Warmer." There's little alcohol in the flavor, creating a mild but flavorful libation.

I am enjoying the 2013 Anchor "Our Special Ale" very much. If you're looking a Winter-flavor treat, in a balanced, moderately low alcohol beer, pick this one up. A glass of Anchor Christmas Ale, and a slice of leftover pumpkin pie, will had some brightness to a cold (almost) Winter evening.