Solstice- More Dark, Less Light, Times Twelve... the Rogue's notes.

"Heaped up on the floor, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, 

great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, 

plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked 

apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and 

seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their 

delicious steam."   -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.                                                                

Atlantic "Oh" aglow in Christmas and an early December sunrise. Malibu Beach, Surf Ave. 12/2021.

      Playing football in college, our "in-season" workouts were designed to maintain and work out the kinks. "Post-season" workouts were light...designed to heal. I would hang then (good to be young). I slack now. I didn't maintain this past summer and my surfing suffered. Between November, and now I may have been to the gym three, maybe four times. Sore knee and shoulder (and head) after falling off a ladder putting up the lights on the house, holidays, travel. Good excuses all. Just that- excuses. Sounds like a New Year's resolution in development. Not sure if all the food and drink of the season was what the doctor ordered, but Christmas is always healing. Been a tough year. Like the Winter Solstice, more dark than light. However, it was a very smooth Yule. Salve for the soul. Family, food, and beer...to be sure. From the top...most dark, all strong. The festive twelve:

     Thanksgiving, opening day of the Holidays. Dinner at my Brother's in Smyrna, DE always brings a few bragging brews. Mentioned a couple earlier. There was another. Flying Dog's Freezin' Season. Winter Warmer that poured a clear reddish amber, with a less than one-finger thick, white, fizzy head. Bready aromas, toffee, cinnamon, and vanilla. Flavors of caramel, raisins, and biscuits with cinnamon jam and nutmeg. Lightly sweet, malty finish with 25 IBUs of balancing hop bitterness. 7.4% ABV, so no holiday driving. Rated a B+.

   Putting up the outside lights proved more danger close than in years past. Fortunately, after the fall, I had an excellent Christmas bomber waitin' to soothe the bumps and bruises which turned out to be more abundant than wanted. Tellin' y'all- gotta take ladder safety seriously. Especially in the advancing years. Brewery Huyghe provided Delirium Noel. Belgian Strong Ale. Dark ruby-auburn color. Little haze. Big 2+ finger foamy off-white head. Notes of plum, candied sugar, Belgian yeast, and nutty malts. Tasted of figs, some cherry, a little cinnamon, pear, vanilla spice, and more of the classic Belgian yeasts. At 10% alcohol there was some booziness in the finish, but smooth and a nice 25 IBU bite. Rated this Delirium offering an A-.

   Decking the halls, usually requires a couple brews to get through it. Add in Anchor's Our Special Ale. Goes without sayin'. Must include an official "Christmas Winter Warmer." Rated Anchor's Christmas beer a few years ago. Always a bit bitter in the finish. More to the style. And, this year's brew had the quintessential Solstice evergreen; western California's Joshua Tree.  Aromas of bittersweet chocolate, mulling spices, and raspberries. Tasted of raspberries and cranberries, porter-esk (spelling?) chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Dark-tan foam head. Darker, cola-brown pour. Thick, sticky lacing. 7%ABV. Maybe 30-40 IBUs. Good to see that Sapporo has held to the Anchor traditions. Rated a B/B-. 

 

Berlin's annual Christmas Parade made a triumphal return.

Lights at a price. No hazard pay.

   Headed west to what has become an annual tradition for us...Lake Geneva, WI. Uphill into the Alleghenys. Twisting along the PA turnpike. The tedium of Ohio and Indiana. Racing through the night along Chicago's Dan Ryan. Coasted along the pine and trail lined roads of Geneva National. Slower paced. Polished style. The Lake Geneva area was decked in the stoke of the holiday.

December diamonds. Lake Como, WI. 12/20/2021.

Her cottage style home dressed out, our good friend was on point. Hors d'oeuvres, liquor and a much needed beer welcomed us. Always the consummate hostess, she executed an excellent weekend start to our Midwest session. True to her Welsh roots...or Scots...or Celtic...no fire, but plenty of candles to bring in the Happy Christmas beer. Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale. Poured a bright, ruby-brown. Thin, creamy head. Thin lace. Aromas of caramel, some grainy malts, light herbal hops. Flavors of stone fruit, plum, brown sugar, and toffee-caramel. Roasted malt. The 24 IBUs lent a nice balancing bitterness on the back end. Did not taste as strong as the 7.5% ABV would assume. Dangerous. Rated a B+.

   You can't be in Wisconsin and not partake in at least one New Glarus brew. Their "Thumbprint" series included a great example of holiday excess. Blueberry Cocoa Stout. Murky, blackish-brown silky surge. Big 2-finger plus dark tan head. Tangy blueberry scents infused with milk chocolate. Some vanilla bean. Roasted mocha. Definitely tasted  the sweet berries. Melded well with the creamy milk-chocolate. Light bitter offset. Rich, but only 5% ABV. Maybe 30 IBUs. The wife loved this one. I liked it. Every sip was festive and smooth. Gave it a B/B+ rating.

Wings, pizza, Spotted Cow, and Rock 'n Roll, the perfect Holiday jam.
DJ's In The Drink, Lakeshore Dr., Lake Geneva, WI

City by the Lake-Michigan's star.

   South to Chi-Town, mi Esposa's hometown. Devastated by the pandemic and the recent racial unrest, this awe inspiring city was making a Christmas comeback. Slow, but sure. No holiday trip to Chicago is ever complete without a stop to the Christkindle Market. Open again. Crowded again. German wares and food and beer and gluhwein (mulled wine). Again.

Comeback of the Christmas "El" (evated).

Chicago Theatre

                                                                

A newbie on tap...Obscurity Brewing outta Elburn, IL. Island of Misfit Beers series. In this case, everybody wants a Charlie In The Box. Holiday Red Ale. Aromas are full of cinnamon, and cherry. Very festival-like. Makes me wanna put on Christmas movies... maybe later. Hint of sweet maple syrup in the taste. Burnt toast. Lose the cherry at this point. Definitely got the cinnamon. And nutmeg maybe. Earthy bitterness in the close. 5.5% ABV. Estimated IBUs at 35. Not a bad brew. Cool series for the Season. Rated a B-.

Git your German pants on! Christkindle all the way.

Macy's/Marshall Fields

Downtown

   Naperville's SOB...Solemn Oath Brewery. Love their brew names. Butterfly Flashmob Belgian IPA. Poured a clear golden orange with a thick, 2+ finger, off-white, fluffy head. Tons of Belgian yeast and fruity esters in the nose. Mild pepper. Flavors of white grapes, apricots, pear, and yeasty bread. Smooth and silky going down. Mild spicy hops in the finish. 75 big IBUs. Maybe because I haven't had SOB in a while. Maybe it was that it was paired with an incredible Chilean Sea Bass at Hugo's in Naperville. Maybe the 7.3% ABV. Don't know. Rated it an A/A-. Garcon! Another if you please!

Christmas Sunset, waterside at Farmington Lakes, Oswego, IL. 12/25/2021

 The Western Suburbs. Oswego. Home of the In-Laws. One might call it the Wild West. These folks know how to get their festival on! Oswego Brewing. Newness abounds. Visited the taproom. Industrially furbished. Gleaming. Plenty on the pour list. Favorite was the Advent Of Hayz. Holiday New England style IPA. 6.8% ABV. 18 IBUs. Poured a very murky amber-orange. Finger+, off-white head. Thick, sticky lacing. Smelled of sweet mango and orange. Very citrusy. Tell-tale hop grapefruit in the flavors. More mango. Pineapple. Lemon-orange. Creamy feel equally balanced by the carbonation. Really enjoyed the brew both in the taproom, and in a crowler on Christmas Day. Rated an A.

Number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine ...Beatles, Revolution 9. As the song eludes, the ninth brew. Another Misfit. Bumble. Holiday Coffee Stout. Brewed in collaboration with Soul Loco Coffee Roasters in Maple Park, IL. Opaque black pour.

Velvety 2-finger brown head. Very coffee forward aromas. Some cocao nibs, and roasted malt as well. Flavors of coffee for sure. Some sweet cream. Dark chocolate. Hints of hoppy bitterness to close it out. 5.5% ABV. Estimate about 20 IBUs. Rated a solid B. What can I say? Anything with coffee is a winner!

A good night in the Wild West.

         

               

       

   Back in the Pines. New Year's Day comin' up. Several beers to close out the holidays. Flying Fish Brewing's Winter Cru. Belgian Strong Ale. Aromas of toasted malts and honey. Belgian yeasts and seasonal spices. Cinnamon (popular huh?). Nutmeg. Maybe some allspice. Flavors of banana and clove. Light cinnamon, toffee, sweet malts. Yes- honey. Enough hoppinss to offset the sweetness in the flavor. Some graininess. Not boozy, but ya feel it after the first. Brother got me this one. At 10.4 IBUs and 7% alcohol, a nice offering. Rated a B+/B.   

                                        Turbo Prop. A German brewed Imperial Pilsner. Courtesy of Propeller Bier. Clear golden pour with a finger, or so, fizzy white head. Thin lacing. Smelled of saltine crackers, lemongrass and green apples. Nice carbonation on  the first sip. Lot more apple juicy in the flavors. Light maltiness. Bready. Sweet grains. Very bitter ending. Another gift of my brother. From an Advent collection. 35 IBUs. 6.5% ABV. Rated a C+.

Time to learn to fly.

Winterfest close-out with a splash.

Bright lights on the houses

down the street.

Stockings full of all the

Christmas treats.

-Yabba Dabba Yuletide, B. Setzer

   Clearly a healing Christmas. A New Year with the promise of building back up to resolute expectations. Twelvetide. When promise is fulfilled. Gifts of the Magi. An upside down world given perspective. Number 12...appropriate. A follow-on beer for the feast. That's My Baby. Barleywine by Oswego Brewing. Strong Ale. At 9.6% ABV, an ass-kicker. Bourbon barrel aged. Which meant bourbon in the aroma. And sweet malt. Flavors of molasses and brown sugar. Stone fruit. Malted candy. More bourbon. Poured a dusky dark reddish-brown with a thin tan head. Balancing bitterness- 38 IBUs, offset the booziness by just a smidge. Still, I've always enjoyed this style. Whiskey and beer, go figure. Perfect end to the list. Rated an A. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year y'all... Wassail!

"Off-Season" - time for getting stronger;

building back up for the new year. OC Inlet, 2021,

year's end.