11 People, 11 Winter Seasonal Beers, 1 winner
We held a seasonal ale taste-test and had a big party, much like last year, but 11 people instead of just 3. We poured little glasses of many seasonal ales and had people rank them in order of preference. Ties were strictly forbidden. There were 11 beers:
- Anderson Valley Winter Solstice - Perennial medal winner, Tracy's favorite of last year, and a very tasty brown ale with a vanilla taste.
- Bridgeport Ebeneezer Ale - Lighter, and Allison's favorite beer last year by a wide margin.
- Full Sail Wassail - New entrant.
- Alaskan Winter Ale - Wasn't a big winner last year, but tastes change. It's light in color and tastes of spruce.
- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Anchor Steam - Another old favorite, a dark beer that won me over last year.
- Dick's Double ◆ - New entrant. Amber color.
- New Belgium 2 Below - Seasonal ale from the people who brought us Fat Tire and a very tasty summer beer whose name escapes me.
- Hopbonkle Special - A very small-batch beer from a pro-am brewery in Seattle, made in the tradition of the Anchor Steam recipe.
There were three late entrants, so these get mixed in to our data, but if you are performing an independent analysis, feel free to discard them:
- Deschutes Jubelale - Was a middle of the road seasonal last year.
- Sierra Nevada Celebration - New entrant.
- Brown Shugga - The beer that bites back. Brown and strange and strong.
5
7 ● 3 ● 1 ● 1 ● 1 Dick's Double ◆ ● 3 10 4 8 8 6 ● 2 7 11● 310 New Belgium 2 Below 10 11 7 5 6 8 8 8 7 48 Hopbonkle Special 8 ● 3 11 ● 3 5 9 ● 3 6 4 56 Deschutes Jubelale 5 7 ● 2 ● 1 10● 2 94 Sierra Nevada Celebration 9 5 8 5 1089 Brown Shugga 6 4 10 ● 2 ● 2 6 67
Anchor Steam Wins!
On a funny note, there is literally no more Anchor Steam seasonal within Eugene city limits. Victor, who brought it to the party, bought the last 12 bottles in the last store in town to have any. I hope you've all had a bright solstice and happy Chanukkah, and have a merry Christmas. And don't forget: Science Rules!