Friday, 5 January 2018

May Your Days Be Merry... Advent Beer Calendar 2017 Part One

Here is the annual tradition of our Advent Beer Calendar - getting though the month leading up to Christmas one day (beer) at a time. He buys me the even numbers and I buy Him Outdoors the odd ones - make of that what you will...

 
Beer 1: Prickly Moses Saboteur IIPA (10.4%) 
A touch grainy with strong citrus hop - 3.75/5
Beer 2: Brew by Numbers 03 Porter Traditional (6.6%)
A lot of roasty coffee flavours but not enough richness or chocolate for me - 3.75/5
Beer 3: Haand Bryggeriet Framboos (8%)
More sour than I was expecting - great fruit flavours and tart funk - 4.25/5
Beer 4: Prickly Moses The Raconteur (6.4%)
Full of hops and malty goodness: a very tasty brew - 4.25/5

Beer 5: Ganstaller Brau Affumicator Smoked Dopplebock (9.6%)
Smoke and dark malt and smoke and leafy freshness and smoke. And did I mention the smoke?

Beer 6: Bacchus India Milk Stout (5%)
Perfect contrast of milky sweetness with hoppy bitterness - 4.5/5

Beer 7: Buxton Brewery Guatemalan Coffee Extra Porter (7.4%)

Very bitter coffee taste from the roasted barley, almost tipping the scales towards astringency; some chocolate comes through as it opens out - 3.5/5
Beer 8: Brouwerij De Molen Amarillo Imperial IPA-ish (9.3%)


Sweetness from alcohol strength and caramel malt with piney earthy hop flavours and a crisp bitter finish - 4.25/5
Beer 9: Temple Brewing Co. Okinawa Sour (4%)
Lemony with sharp citrus zest and a strange aftertaste, which is possibly the top-billed Shikuwasa fruit, but I wouldn't know - 3.5/5
Beer 10: Venom Brewing Black IPA 6%


Tasty, malty and much softer than most black IPAs; I like it - 4/5
Beer 11: Hairyman Brewery Salt Dog Leipzig Gose (4.6%)
It's got more body that I would expect from a gose; more like a salty golden ale - 3.25/5
Beer 12: Brouwerij Emelisse Vanille Ice Cream Stout (5.5%)
Tried it again and I like it more now: there's a decent mouthfeel and well-rounded taste - 3.75/5

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