Brew Dog "Libertine Black Ale" Black IPA - Scotland (ABV 7.2%)

I am a big fan of the "Black IPA" and have tasted some very good versions, this one is up with the best.

This beer works in a similar way to bittersweet dark chocolate, some sweetness but also some toasted savory spiciness.

Pours a very dark chocolate colour with a tan head, it looks like a porter in the glass. Has a distinctly spicy hop aroma. The taste is quite complex with citrus hop (grapefruit), chocolate/caramel malt and even a hint of liquorice. It has been brewed with just Simcoe hops but with four different malts ( Extra Pale, Caramalt, Cristal and Carafa Malts).

An excellent tasty Black IPA, if you haven't tried one this ale makes a very good benchmark.

My Festive Beers 2011

Mikkeller Red/White Christmas - Denmark (8% ABV)
What can I say about this quirky beer, a blend of Belgian style "Wit Bier" with "Red Ale" with added bitter tropical orange peel & loaded up with American hops (Tomahawk, Simcoe, Saaz & Amarillo).

A lovely hazy orange amber colour, spicy citrus aroma and flavour but with some caramel malt taste. Quite a crisp slightly bitter hop finish but it is not a bitter beer. Love the large chunky head and really couldn't taste the 8% alcohol content.

I certainly felt quite festive enjoying this super tasty ale, but I always enjoy Mikkeller's Beers.

Mikkeller "Happy Lovin' Christmas"- Denmark (7.8% ABV)
A very festive nicely balanced IPA with added pine needles & ginger. Nice slightly hazy amber with incredible, almost champagne like, lacing in the glass. I couldn't taste the adjuncts (pine & ginger), to me it was just a hoppy IPA taste. A special easy to drink festive IPA with a crisp rather than bitter finish.



Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale - USA (6.8% ABV)
Another orange amber coloured festive IPA with a frothy white head. Brewed with Two-Row pale malt & English Caramel malt and loaded up with hops this is a real cold climate Christmas beer.

This ale has been dry hopped with Cascade & Centennial hops and bittered using Chinook hops. A very tasty bitter IPA with a crisp dry finish (Cascade hops give a lovely citrus flavour but can also be bitter). I loved the taste of this ale but was drinking it on a warm Australian Christmas day probably better suited to a different style of beer.

A wonderful festive American IPA.



Brew Dog "Trashy Blonde" - Scotland (4.1% ABV)
Don't be fooled by the name , this is nothing like a Belgian Blonde. It is brewed with Pale Malt, Caramalt & Munich Malt and flavoured with American Hops (Amarillo, Simcoe & New Zealand bred Motueka hops).

It is advertised as having  "sassy passion fruit hop" flavour, but I got more the spicy bitter citrus taste I would expect from Amarillo hops.

A pretty good session able beer well suited to a warmer Australian Christmas. I may be doing this beer a disservice comparing it to some flavour heavyweights but is was the poor cousin in my Christmas beers pack.