Shiner Cheer

We're officially into the holiday season and i know this for a multitude of reasons.  Namely, Santa Claus is in a boatload of commercials and Shiner Cheer is now available at the grocery store.  We are known to drink the occasional "dessert beers" around here, and they're usually heavy, syrupy concoctions that taste delicious, but can lay you out for the rest of the evening.  Shiner Cheer is much lighter (5.4% ABV), a Dunkelweizen that's brewed with pecans and peaches.  The peach flavor is very noticeable, almost shockingly so at first, but eventually is backed by hints of pecan and caramel, and some decent hops to give it some bite and depth.  If you're not a peach fan, this brew is not for you, but if you like to shake things up a little with your beer choices, this one won't steer you wrong.  Have one in the kitchen with your family, or watching college football.  Cheers.

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Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale

So, i've just got to get in one more pumpkin beer before the season is officially over.  And what a way to go out.  The Pumpkin Patch Ale from Oregon's Rogue Brewery is one of the best pumpkin ales that i've ever had the fortune of imbibing.  The beer pours a dark amber with a decent, diminishing head on it.  The aroma is a nice mix of pumpkin, malts, and some floral hops, and the taste is a perfect blend of pumpkin spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, malts, and just enough hops to even the whole thing out.  To be honest, the flavor is what knocks this one out of the park.  The balance of all the ingredients is dead on, giving the brew a fantastic taste.  And it goes down smooth.  Chatoe Rogue?  Chatoe indeed.

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Real Ale Brewer's Cut Black Quadruple

Man, even typing out the name of this delicious beer makes me want to drink more of it.  The brilliant brew masters over at Real Ale Brewing Co. have really outdone themselves this time around with their Brewer's Cut Black Quadruple, a malty Belgian-style Quadruple.  The beer is very dark, but amazingly smooth to drink.  It starts out pretty sweet with all the hints of caramel and chocolate mixing very nicely with the malts and subtle hops.  One thing in particular that i really dig about this beer is that as you drink it, you can begin to taste an almost whiskey-like flavor that's not there at first.  Swirl the beer a bit like you would a wine, and you can smell the alcohol as well.  It gives the bottom of the glass a kind of oomph.  And at 10.8% ABV, it's the perfect end for a cold winter night.

If you are able to get a hold of some of this beer, i cannot recommend it enough.

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Rogness Gigantophis Imperial IPA

Since you can't throw a rock without hitting a new upstart brewing company here in the Austin area, i never seem to be at a lack for different local beers to try out.  One of the newest, Rogness Brewing Company, has released an excellent IPA called Gigantophis.  It's delicious.  Unlike most IPA's that i've tried, where the hoppy flavors punch you in the mouth from the get go and then subside, leaving hints of sweetness, Gigantophis starts out sweet at first taste, and then the bitter hops come charging afterwards like the Calvary.  The bitterness lasts to the end, but the initial sweet flavor added with the pine and caramel aromas make for a very drinkable 9% ABV double IPA.  Well done sirs.

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Saint Arnold's Pumpkinator

I love pumpkin beers.  I love stouts.  Do i love the pumpkin stout that is Saint Arnold's Pumpkinator?  You're damn right i do.  All i can say is that there is a reason this stuff sells out so quickly.  The pumpkin pie aroma is evident the second the cap is removed, and it only gets better from there.  The beer pours like a good solid stout with minimum head, and upon first taste is a lovely mix of roasted malt, followed by pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some hints of coffee, chocolate, and sweet, sweet molasses.  The brew weighs in at 10% ABV, but you wouldn't know it at first as it goes down smooth.  As the beer warms, the alcohol content becomes more evident (which is a good thing), and towards the end of the glass you can start to taste some subtle waves of oak and whiskey.  Bar none, this is probably the best pumpkin beer i've ever had, albeit a very difficult one to locate as i'm apparently not the only one who feels this way.  Houston finally does us right.

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