Three...count' em, 3 reviews of festive beers!

It's the end of the year so to finish out strong we are going all in with a festive triple header. That's right folks. We are bringing you 3 reviews of festive beers to finish out December.

Port City Tidings

I drank this from my new Spiegelau tulip glass from a freshly filled growler (10 minutes from the tap at the brewery to my glass at home.) It poured slightly hazy with a white fluffy head filling the glass with a bright sunny golden color. It is crisp, clean, and mildly sweet on the tongue as you drink it; though the aftertaste has a faint spicy weight to it. I think it is atypical to Belgian style golden ale, but it is delicious.

I have been drinking Tidings over the last week and I have been consistently surprised at how refreshing this beer is. It is not like all the other festive beers I have been drinking at or reviewing. It clocks in with a sly 7.8% ABV but the alcohol is hidden very well. I could easily see myself enjoying this on a hot summer day. I do hope this will be a reoccurring seasonal because I will purchase it without hesitation again.

Full disclosure, I have a bias for Port City Brewing, they are my local, only about a block away from where I hang my hat. I recently started getting growlers filled there, they are wonderful people, and I hope they are successful.

Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale

It poured a bronze color, clear, with a light tannish head that stuck around longer than expected. (It was a hard pour, but worth it for the blast of caramel that filled the air.) I drank this out of a lager glass. It has a smooth, malty taste that stays with you through the drink and into the aftertaste. This is also when the alcohol reveals itself, but it doesn’t stay around long. It comes in a winter sessionable 6.4% ABV.

Overall Ebenezer Ale is an easy to drink beer, not as rich or with as much caramel taste as I expected when poured but definitely enjoyable and a good party companion. You could work through several bottles of this in a row and not get bored.

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale

My first thought when I drank this was, well that is different, particularly from the other two beers that I had reviewed earlier. It poured a clear copper color in the lager glass, the head dissipating quickly. It has a nice carbonation on the tongue and a fair share of hops that stand up as you swallow the ale and mingle with the bitterness in the aftertaste. They are never at the forefront though. This ale is not heavy on the drink. You could easily session this ale, and while lighter than expected, it has a nice body to it for winter drinking. I only had one bottle of the Winter Welcome Ale and this is disappointing because I would like to try a few more to form a more thorough opinion.

Normally I would include the "propaganda" on each beer from the brewery, but this has been long enough. Enjoy the rest of the holiday season and thanks for stopping by!