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Written by Donovan Henderson
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Thursday, 21 December 2006 |
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Leading up to the Great American Beer Festival in September, NEXTnc staff writer Erin Frustaci and I toured all the breweries in northern Colorado. Tough job, I know.
But our series was so popular, there’s been demonstrations in the street calling for us to pick our favorite seasonal beers. OK, I received one e-mail, but it’s a great excuse to drink some more beer and call it “work.”
To get started, we turned to Jeff “The Beer Guy” Matson at Wilbur’s Total Beverage in Fort Collins.
When we asked for suggestions, he rattled off six beers and called it his “holiday six pack.” All right, easy enough. I loaded up the mix-and-match “holiday six pack” for $7.49 and headed home for the taste test.
See my review to the left.
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Old Jubilation Ale
By Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder. This one is tops on my list. Has an unusual smell (this will be a theme) but that doesn’t detract. Dark rules the day for seasonal beers. Has a hoppiness like an IPA, but it’s smooth and doesn’t have the 30-second-after after bite. Pleasant maltiness sneaks up on you and makes you want to say “Merry Christmas!”
Hibernation Ale
Chocolatey nose. Has some back bite. Brown ale that’s not too sweet, but still has a punch. Would go great with a Christmas batch of chili, or would go great in the chili. Or, with a big fat piece of ham. Starts off sweet, but its aftertaste is burpingly pleasing. Great name, too. By Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver.
Ebenezer Ale
Again, that strange seasonal smell. Less of a stout color and more dark brown. Distinctive, somewhat fruity first taste. Great with a Christmas dessert: bread pudding, egg nog (if you can handle egg nog and beer).... The fruity taste sticks around. I liked this one. By Bridgeport Brewing Co. in Portland, Ore.
Sierra Nevada’s
Celebration Ale
Hoppy. Very hoppy. Nonbeer drinkers need not apply. Dark golden color. Would be a great companion to your after-dinner scotch by the fire.
Winter Warlock
Oatmeal Stout
By Briston Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs. Starts like your traditional stout, but it’s not creamy and has a spicy finish that lets you know it’s a seasonal brew.
Full Sail Wassail
From the Hood River, Ore., brewery. It’s a dark beer, but it’s not a stout. That same unusual aroma. I just can’t place it. It’s possibly a traditional spice that I don’t know about. Not robust and lacked any kind of finish. Meh. Wasn’t a huge fan. | Only registered users can write comments.
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|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
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|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
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