While most beer enthusiasts will defend their year-round brews of choice, it almost can’t be denied that most lovers of beer also possess a fascination with seasonal beers; that is, beers brewed with specifications in mind that associate them with whatever respective season in which they were brewed.
For the most part, it seems that distribution in general of limited release beers (in particular for the fall) such as Samuel Adams Octoberfest and the increasingly popular Shipyard Pumpkinhead, is the determining factor in their time period in retail coolers & bars. For while demand seems only to increase, supply remains stagnant, until eventually production and shipping cease, and the last few stalwart fans of these Autumnal brews deplete package store inventories until the winter brews arrive.
It is winter beers, however, that are the easiest to “pair” with the season, so to speak. They typically are made dark, rich, and strong. In fact, in terms of strength and nomenclature there is perhaps no beer more relatable to Winter & the Holidays than Samichlaus Bier by Schloss Eggenberg, whose name translates from Zurich German to English to mean “Santa Clause”, and whose ABV is typically 14% (though sometimes approaching 15%). However, at an average retail price of over $20.00 for a four-pack, this malt-liquor has a greater propensity for collecting dust than for whetting whistles.
There is, however, a pantheon of slightly more affordable & practical winter beers to look forward to enjoying this holiday season, which include the staples Sam Adams Winter Lager, Blue Moon Full Moon Ale, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and now a newcomer which has only recently hit package stores, despite its availability on tap for some time:
Magic Hat Howl
| For 2009, Magic Hat has replaced Jinx with a new Schwarzbier or Black Lager called Howl. Its label is reminiscent of the foggy streets of London, and can call to mind simultaneously both imagery from a Dickens novel and disturbing tales of Jack the Ripper. It doesn’t hurt that Magic Hat has also devoted an entire page on their website to the new brew, complete with the recitation of a dark poem, and the ambient sort of music that one would expect to find in a classic horror film. The beer itself is nearly as dark as it is presented; a brown so bleak as to be confused with black, and an aroma too that can only best be described as dark. It is all roasted malt, with enough hop to provide something of an edge. It as is smooth as it is dark, not hurt by the fact that its ABV is unusually low for a wintry beer at 4.6% ABV. |  |
Other than Sam Adams Black Lager and to some extent Saranac Black Forest, there is a scarcity of this dark style in the U.S. market. Many American beer enthusiasts welcome the new Black Lager, and Magic Hat’s Howl provides a solid vessel through which to reintroduce Americans to the Schwarzbier.
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