The fifth beer of Christmas

Brew Dog Santa Paws

 

 

 

Christmas Scotch ale infused with heather honey is what the bottle says, and at 4.5% you could probably call it a session Scotch ale. It's deep mahogany, almost porter coloured and dominated by robust stone fruits, dry heather and resiny hops with a central sweetness. It has a rough and ready sort of feel about it and finish has that typical Brew Dog dry bitterness and no sticky sweet malt heaviness usually associated with the style.

 

All round this is a good drinkable characterful stuff, and an interesting take on festive beer. If you like your Christmas beer on the more angry side and less malty-spicy/cuddly this is an obvious choice.     

Panda Frog Makarov

Russian Caravan Tea

Well, until now I can't say I've ever brewed a tea beer before. Makarov (named after the ex-Russian army service pistol) is a 6.4% brown ale heavily hopped with Northdown and SPALT hops before being infused with Russian Caravan Tea. This is a blended tea that features the smokey Lapsang Souchong variety.

To me all my Panda Frogs are like my children, so coming back from a weekend break after the blending to try the final version was certainly interesting. Makarov is a big cedary, woody, bulky brown ale. The tea appears in subtle nuances with smoke, pine and earthy hops over a central big almond like malt sweetness. It might not be your typical December seasonal, but I cant wait to get this bottled and home for Christmas.  

The fourth beer of Christmas

Samuel Smiths Organic Chocolate Stout 

A new one from the old school Yorkshire outfit, and by no means the first Sam Smiths beer to be featured on the twelve beers of Christmas. This 5% Chocolate stout pours opaque black with an obvious nose of fresh cocoa. Its medium bodied, creamy and smooth with a predominant Cadbury's instant hot chocolate sort of flavour over underpinning roast grain and liqorish. A very tasty, instantly likeable little number but in all honesty probably not my favourite Sam Smiths Stout/Porter.

The only problem I have with it is that about half way through it started coming across a little fake, a little overdone. Hell they nailed the 'chocolate' bit on the head but somehow the 'stout' bit seems a tad lost. Like some very commercial fruit lambics it seems to grow tiringly sweet and two dimensional after a while. On the other hand if I wanted a beer to match say a chocolate cheesecake or similar this is what I would turn to.

The third beer of Christmas

Mordue Brewery Howay in a Manger

 

You probably guessed I'd put a Mordue one in somewhere. But wait, is that the new glass featuring the official new logo? You saw it first here on Rob's Beer Quest. This batch of 'Howay' was brought to you in part by Mordue apprentice Josh ('shamone' Josh) on one of his first brew days ever, and a splendid job he did indeed. Basically Howay is a straight to the balls Mordue classic. Straight down the middle best bitter with a citric hop influence in short. Biscuity toffee smooth malt over citric hop underpinnings. Almond hints and a finish that's bready grainy and soft. It's tasting mighty fresh, you might want to buy a bottle. Howay buy a bottle. Howwaaayyy!

The second beer of Christmas

Staffordshire Brewery Cheddlelton Christmas Ale

 

Coming in at number two is this deep, ruby-hued, 4.6% festive ale obtained from a farm shop way down south. For some reason the brewery likes to emphasise on the bottle that the beer is triple filtered (as if it's a good thing) yet the product doesn't suffer from it so much. This one opens up malt heavy with sweet toffee apple meeting prickly winter spice and bitter English hops and liquorish. Slightly bittersweet, rich but with an ashy dryness that's almost astringent in the finish. Not a bad seasonal beer at all.