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Beer Advent Calendar – Day 4: Goose Island Christmas Ale presented by The Beer Babe

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Beer Advent Calendar – Day 4: Goose Island Christmas Ale presented by The Beer Babe

To celebrate the Holiday Season, 2Beerguys.com and Seacoastbeveragelab.com have teamed up with beer bloggers around the country to host the second annual beer bloggers advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you. 31 Bloggers Blogging – click here for the running list of beers/bloggers.

Let’s see who is spreading holiday cheer today!

Blogger: Carla Companion
Blog Name: The Beer Babe

Twitter/Untappd: twitter @beerbabe; untappd: thebeerbabe
Beer: Christmas Ale
Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co., Chicago, IL
Beer Details:

• Style: American Brown
• ABV: 7.3%
• IBUs: changes from year to year (per website)

Commercial Description:
“Every year to celebrate the holiday season, we brew up our Christmas Ale, and with each year we change the recipe slightly so that you have something special to look forward to.”

Why I selected the Goose Island Christmas Ale
I am a fan of some spiced beers, I enjoy seeking out new seasonal beers, and I really enjoy trying anything new. When I was on the hunt for a Christmas beer to review for this series, I was looking for something that I had not yet tried – which can sometimes be a challenge. When I stopped at The Bier Cellar in Portland to pick up a special release from another brewer, I noticed a four pack of the Goose Island Christmas Ale sitting on the counter. The label drew me in – a classic almost Dickens-era label of a goose in a wreath just seemed classic and right to me. I bought it, barely even questioning what style it was. Goose Island, like several other brewers (including Anchor Brewing in San Fransisco) brew a different Christmas beer each year – with a rather secret recipe variation. So it ends up being a surprise present wrapped in a bottle each year. I can’t recall if I’d had other Goose Island Christmas brews before this one – but I was eager to try it.

Upon close inspection, it appears to be a brown ale brewed with spices. The color is a deep mahogany, and it smells like plums and raisins. There is a little caramel sweetness under that initial aroma, and I was a little surprised by its boldness. The taste is unique – dark fruits without being too heavy, a nice sweetness and a sturdy malty backbone. This isn’t your typical brown ale. It reminds me a little of Dogfish Head Paolo Santo Marron – if it were turned down a notch so that it wasn’t quite as thick, but still sweet. The beer leaves a lacing behind that looks like the first winter frost on your morning windows – and I’m happy to say I loved to see it clinging to the glass. The taste is more sophisticated that I was expecting, and I could easily envision it pairing with a Christmas dinner. It’s also not overly spiced, so it doesn’t taste like a pie or a nutmeg bomb. It has depth of flavor, and that’s a great find among a lot of milder beers coming out this time of year.

In addition to being a pretty tasty brew, a portion of the profits of its sale go to the “Erie Neighborhood House” (www.eriehouse.org) which helps low income Latino families attain skills they need “to reach their fullest potential.” According to the description on the 4-pack, the Erie House helps by teaching at-risk children skills after school, (such as literacy) and helps their parents to gain job skills to support the family. So, I hope that as your holiday season progresses on and the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season grows that you can find a moment to stop, relax, and take a sip of beer. You never know what a difference it may make in someone elses’ life, especially if they are less fortunate to you.

Cheers to all and a happy holiday season.

About the blogger:
The Beer Babe’s Brew reviews covers events and beer happenings in New England and beyond. Carla Companion has been writing about craft beer for over five years and currently resides in Portland, ME.  www.thebeerbabe.com

About Goose Island Brewery:
Founded in 1988, Goose Island is one of the Midwest’s first craft breweries, and is acclaimed for creating world-class ales made with the waters of Lake Michigan and Midwestern malts. Goose Island has captivated the hearts, imaginations and palettes of beer drinkers with award winning ales – including 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Honkers Ale, India Pale Ale, Matilda, Pere Jacques, Sofie, and a selection of seasonal, and barrel-aged releases including Bourbon County Brand Stout, the original bourbon barrel aged beer. For more information, www.gooseisland.com.