Our Special Ale 2010 - Anchor Steam (CA)
VERDICT: Good winter beer (B+)
Every year, Anchor Steam's Christmas Ale (aka Our Special Ale) is apparently slightly different — I don't know how different, but I do know that 2009's and 2010's have been two of the tastiest winter beers I've had. This "winter warmer" is sweet and rich, with a sort of malty, spicy molasses taste not far removed from a Belgian double, but toned down for drinkability. Despite the dark mahogany color, the Special Ale is relatively light, almost creamy, with only a slightly sticky mouthfeel hindering its smoothness. The spices manage to create a distinct Christmas flavor, and while I remember liking 2009's recipe maybe slightly more, this is still a delicious seasonal beer that I highly recommend grabbing if you find it.
Saranac Vanilla Stout - The Matt Brewing Company (NY)
VERDICT: Good stout, could use more vanilla (B)
Saranac (aka Matt Brewing Co) is one of my most trusted breweries, consistent and workmanlike as the Adirondack mountains they call home, but their lineup can be surprisingly adventurous too. Their caramel porter really impressed me, so I was excited to find a vanilla stout in my winter mix pack. The idea of a vanilla stout is as appealing to me as a folk-influenced post-rock band comprised entirely of bears, but I've only found one other example — Southern Tier's Creme Brule Stout, which is incredibly delicious. Saranac's vanilla stout is much more down-to-earth, as one might expect from the brewery, and the vanilla flavor is just not strong enough. It's there, making for a smoother, cleaner mouthfeel (and giving the beer a pleasant smell), but it doesn't do enough to distinguish this beer from other stouts. It's like a milk stout but not quite as smooth — in fact, the vanilla seems to somehow blend in with the slightly-bitter hop notes rather than smothering them. It's not that this beer is lacking in taste, though — beer drinkers who prefer their experiments on the subtle side should enjoy this one, as it's an all-around good stout, well-balanced, drinkable and very tasty.
Pumpkin Ale - Kennebunkport (ME)
VERDICT: Pumpkin-flavored soda (C-)
At six dollars for a sixpack, Kennebunkport's pumpkin ale is the cheapest pumpkin beer I've ever seen, but since I got it at Trader Joe's, that didn't seem too unusual until I realized that it was brewed by a genuine brewery from Maine. Then I noticed that the bottle reads "ale with natural flavor added," which makes this the only pumpkin beer I know of where the pumpkin flavor is added via some kind of syrup, instead of incorporating it into the brewing process (or skipping pumpkin altogether and just throwing in pumpkin pie spices, as most do.) At first, I was surprised — cheating on the pumpkin at least gives this beer a stronger flavor than most, and the pumpkin taste is extremely pronounced. Unfortunately, it's just not very good. The beer is so light, the syrupy pumpkin flavor so clear, it's more like drinking soda than beer. There's a sort of sticky sweetness that might be initially pleasing, but wears out its welcome quickly. Pumpkin flavor is inherently too subtle to be overpowering, but this is the pumpkin ale most likely to disgust avid beer drinkers.
Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen - Trader Joe's (CA)
VERDICT: Good, and cheap (B)
If you've had any of Trader Joe's store-brand beers before, you should know what to expect: solid representations of traditional styles that taste better than they have any right to, while remaining ludicrously cheap. Their hefeweizen remains one of my favorite American takes on the style, so I'm not surprised that their recently released dunkel similarly impresses. Appropriately dark and rich, this dunkel isn't notably different from the hefeweizen except in color and a heightened reliance upon malts. Which is not unusual for the style, though some might knock it for not being bolder, and for being slightly watery. Personally, the taste and mouthfeel are pleasant enough that I don't mind it being a little unadventurous — it's hard to imagine a beer with as nice of a flavor as this being any more drinkable (or cheaper.) Sure, I'm grading this beer on a scale. Nonetheless, it's delicious and a great deal.
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