Rhinegeist ‘Dad’: 3.5 – It has the hoppy part of a red ale, but it lacks that characteristic taste and suffers for it. It’s just too pale and not enough spice.
Price Average: $10 for 6-pack
Website: https://rhinegeist.com
Tag: Ale
Smuttynose Brewing Co. Shoals Pale Ale
Shoals Pale Ale: 6.0 – It is a darker and nutty pale ale and has more of a lager feel. Not a complaint who doesnt love a tasty lager, but it ain’t what you would expect asking for a pale ale. Leave it to Smutty to make something nutty though.
Price Average: $9 for 6-Pack
Website: https://smuttynose.com/
Carrig Brewing Co. Cael & Crede Ale
Cael & Crede: 6.0 – Thankfully unlike a bourbon the whiskey aging here actually improves on the taste (likely), and it’s a nice beer. While tasty it’s not stellar.
Price Average: $7
Website: https://carrigbrewing.com/
Spencer Trappist Holiday Ale
Trappist Holiday Ale: 4.0 – it’s a brown spiced ale and it’s a bit sweet, a bit chocolate, and certainly spiced, but it’s not super great overall. It has all the elements there, but it fails to make a good beer, and is subpar as a result.
Price Average: $15
Website: https://spencerbrewery.com/
Trve Brewing Co. This Day Anything Goes Ale
This Day Anything Goes: 6.0 – It’s nice, but it’s very plain. You barely even get pumpkin and its almost like Allagash white with white wine.
Price Average: $11
Website: https://www.trvebrewing.com/
The Bruery ’10 Lords A Leaping’ Dark Imperial Wit Ale
10 Lords A Leaping: 5.0 – Overall the taste is most like a candy black beer. It fits the Christmas theme, but it’s not really a nice beer to drink.
Price Average: $12
Website: https://www.thebruery.com/
Thomas Hardy’s Ale (2017 Vintage)
Thomas Hardy’s Ale: 1.0 – That is like if a british bitter and a porter fucked on a couch made of stale beer and cigarettes. It is horrible. It’s thick and unpleasant, and basically has all that toffee/caramel business in the worst way. It’s like what would hapopen if you burnt the sugar somehow in a bourbon barrel aged beer.
Price Average: $8
Website: http://www.thomashardysale.com/
Ommegang Game of Thrones Mother of Dragons Smoked Porter & Kriek Ale Blend
Mother of Dragons: 7.5 – Much like Daenerys that title is really really long. The beer however is really really good though, so hail to the breaker of chains. Not a huge surprise as Ommegang even with these beers are middling at worst. But that cherry flavor isn’t ruined by a smoked porter flavor, and it really does blend together nicely. The beer color is also amazingly poignant.
Price Average: $13
Website: http://www.ommegang.com/
Founders Curmudgeon Better Half Old Ale
Better Half Old Ale: 3.0 – That is the same problem you always see with a bourbon barrel aged ale. It’s that same over sugar bourbon beer. You get none of that maple syrup or molasses as it’s become pure sugar (shut up we know it’s the same, but it’s not the same)
Price Average: $13
Website: https://foundersbrewing.com/
Almanac Sourdough Wild Ale
Sourdough Wild Ale: 6.0 – This is light and nice because of the rye aspects. However when you start adding that sourdough component it simply adds a bunch of ‘bread’ to this which causes it to falter.
Price Average: $11
Website: https://almanacbeer.com/