A Racy Stout

Get ready for some whiplash. Speedway Stout by Alesmith might be the world's most perfect stout. They have perfected the integration of flavors to create a remarkably smooth and intensely dark craft brew. I have had this twice so far, and am thinking about picking up a third bottle. It's that good. Dark coffee, roasted hops, deep malt, chocolate all add to the palate but nothing dominates the effort. Instead you are left with a strong desire for more to try to explain what you just drank. This is the perfect winter drink.

German Forest Fire in a Bottle!

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock to you I say! Can you repeat that? No, the smoke in front of this Urbock German bottle must be too thick I guess. This ale is a pure smoke lover's delight. Do you like Islay Single Malt Scotch? Then, this beer is for you. It is a dark brew with a slightly sweet and powerfully smokey profile. Roasted hops and warmth are apparent too. I need to pair this with a glass of Lagavulin and some roasted, smokey lamb shanks (or tandoori chicken).

Another Spanish Gem

Here is one more to add to the list, be it your Holiday list, grocery list or debauchery list. This Spanish beauty is affordable, relatively unknown and very tasty. This one goes down so easy, it can be quite dangerous. Why does my glass keep filling itself? I don't know, but I won't argue. It's a dark, rich and smooth red wine with deep dark fruit flavors from 20-40 year old vines, not too acidic, very little tannins, and a wonderful herb and earthy undertone to bring power and refinement the structure of the wine. A real winner. Castro Ventosa "El Castro de Valtuille" Mencia Joven Bierzo, 2007 is the culprit. Buy a case without hesitation and enjoy with family and friends.

Home For The Holiday Ale

Home For the Holidays is a wonderful winter ale with a very present flavor of burnt toffee/caramel on the body of a mouth-warming smooth dark ale. I immediately wanted to drink a second bottle. The first I split. This is from the High & Mighty Beer Company.

Note: Too good to share. Hoard for self!

Commercial Description:

Home for the Holidays is a smooth, malty, warming brown ale, brewed with loads of roasted malts to give hints of chocolate and raisin, liberally dosed with noble Halletauer and Saaz hops, and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. It’s perfect for evenings with that special someone (or your dog, or ideally, both) in front of the fire, or to celebrate the return of a family member who’s been away . . . Profits from the sale of this product will be donated to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.iava.org).

Norwegian Winter Wonder

I had my first Norwegian beer as of date and I am hooked. This particular brewery, Nøgne-ø, is excellent. It was Thanksgiving night, I was out in the snow watching my brother-in-law frying a turkey in peanut oil. We proceeded to open this unsuspecting bottle of God Jul and pour it into our glasses, smell the nose, then sip this dark liquid. What a surprise it was. Dark, burnt toffee, cocoa and massive licorice taste with a warm enveloping flavor profile, unlike any other dark beer I have had. I will drink this seasonal again. Pairing: drink with strong gamey meats, richly marinated meats (lamb with Guinness sauce, and especially, lots of rich chocolate and coffee desserts.

SPECS FROM WEBSITE:

GOD JUL 19°P, 30 IBU, 8.5 % ALC/VOL

A dark ale brewed specially for the Christmas season, with a rich, complex taste of caramel. This is a strong, dark and rather sweet Christmas Beer – just the way we think a Christmas beer should be. Recommended serving temperature 12°C/53°F. Great with cheese or nuts. Ingredients:Lager, Munich, caramel, black, and chocolate malt; Chinook, Columbus, and Centennial hops; English ale yeast, and our local Grimstad water.

Spanish Wine Fest

I am in the middle of drinking some new bottles of Spanish wine, not all in one night, but tonight I have tasted two out of the bunch, and thought that there was one worth trying because of its unique flavor profile. It is a dark spanish Ribera Del Duero wine with strong flavors of dried dark fruit (almost Italian in flavor) and slightly earthy/smokey. This is rare for most Spanish wines I have tried, especially one for $15. It is called Villacampa del Marques Crianza 1999. I found this at K&L Wines (also at klwines.com).

A Mysterious Stouty Imperial Russian!

KGB? The Kremlin? What? A red commy you say? Hey, after all the wall is down and their oil is in demand. Spread some of the legacy of Catherine the Great this way my friend. All the way to California. Here we have a little gem of a brewery (one of many hundreds actually on the westcoast) called North Brewing Company who happens to make the famous Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Although this is good, they have an annual limited edition ale called the Old Rasputin XII, Twelfth Year Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout. This is the best RIs I have ever tried. It is so incredibly outstanding that I had to buy three more to try. Only two are left. It tastes of the most decadent and superbly rich flavors you can imagine, all in a 500ml bottle–dark chocolate, dark dried fruit, toffee, espresso, roasted goodness and deep hops. This is flat out my current favorite dark ale. Have this for dessert with a chocolate flourless cake or by itself. Either way you can't go wrong.

A Mammoth Ale

Literally, a beer from Mammoth Mountain. Mammoth, CA has a fantastic line up of beers out of which is a spectacular IPA. The 365 IPA from Mammoth Brewing Company pairs incredible well with poultry and most hearty foods, but should do well with most anything because of it's very unique flavor profile. It is made with desert sage, mountain juniper and local hops. It is fantastic, but not to easy to get your hands on. I am trying to get my local wine shop & beer shop to stock it. ummmmmm……yum.