3 Nations Banana Nut Bread Porter

I guess some days, you just need a beer that feels like breakfast.  And so we have the wonderful and strong Banana Nut Bread Porter from the good folks at 3 Nations Brewing.  It says it all on the can: vanilla, macadamia nut, coffee, and banana.  The 10% ABV brew pours black with a light tan head and smells like its ingredients, along with some notes of chocolate and toffee.  The flavor is a sweet and rich mix of vanilla, chocolate, banana, and nut with the coffee notes keeping things grounded and making for a perfect holiday beverage, something to sip and sit by the fire to.

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Hitachino Nest Saison du Japon

We've been kid free for the last couple of days due to a couple of groovy grandparents, and Paige and i decided to hit up the wonderful happy hour over at Uchiko for some food and drinks.  Said drink for me came in the form of the Hitachino Nest Saison du Japon from Kiuchi Brewery, a farmhouse ale brewed with local wheat and koji (malted rice).  The 5% ABV brew pours a nice gold with a white head with sweet aromas of lemon, fruit, grass, and some notes of yeast.  The flavor is sweet and citrusy with some notes of rice and sake, and maybe some hints of wheatgrass as well.  It's a perfect dinner beer.

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Angry Santa Spice London Ale

Starting to get myself into the holiday spirit with some holiday ales.  And if the can art of Rahr & Sons' Angry Santa Spiced London Ale doesn't do it for you, maybe the excellent beer will instead.  The 8% brew pours a dark brown with an off-white head and smells of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, toffee, and some notes of apple.  The flavor follows the nose with some additional hints of vanilla, all in a medium bodied brew that really hits the spot.  Let's get festive.

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Dank Hill Double IPA

I found it everybody, what just might be the greatest beer name of all time.  Certainly the best can art.  I give you the Dank Hill Double IPA from the good folks at 903 Brewers.  The 7.3% ABV brew pours a slightly fuzzy gold with a white head and smells of citrus and florals.  The flavor is a well rounded bitter mix of said floral notes and citrus along with some other notes of fruit and spice.  I don't know what that has to do with Hank Hill, but i'm sure glad it's a thing that exists.  Well played everyone.

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Põhjala Öö XO (Cellar Series)

I opened up a bottle of the good stuff over the Halloween weekend as one is wont to do.  Enter the Öö XO (Cellar Series) by Põhjala, a Cognac barrel aged Baltic porter brewed in Estonia.  The 11.5% ABV brew pours a dark black with a brown head and smells of chocolate, dark fruit, cherry, Cognac, and some hints of spice.  The flavor follows the nose, with some added notes of honey, liquorice, coffee, and molasses, everything jiving quite well together under the ever-present notes of Cognac.  A very tasty beverage to wile away the nighttime hours to.

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