Yards Cape of Good Hope IPA

ABV: 8.1%
Style: Imperial IPA

Reactions and Insights
Yeah, this is the stuff. In the words of McDonald’s from late 2003 until sometime very soon, I’m lovin’ it.

(I have probably already told you that I predicted in 2012 that this slogan would be retired in 2015, and that a person involved with McDonald’s branding confirmed it for me last summer. I continue to feel proud about this.)

Cape of Good Hope apparently changes every year. They should keep making this recipe, though, and call it COGH Classic.

Would I drink a case of it? 
Indeed.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
It did. I drank it slowly on an Amtrak train from New York to Philadelphia while listening to podcasts from the New Yorker. It was a cloudy day, and darker skies always feel more festive. A sunny sky in the winter is trying to trick you into thinking it’s warm outside. Plus it’s hard to feel cozy in sunshine, and cozy is my optimal state of existence.

Beth’s Grade
9

Objective Grade
8.75

Label Notes
It’s got a lot going on and it handles it nicely. The background features a ship in a storm along with a compass, because why not. The font is attractive. The color palette is both unusual and classic, like something from someone’s grandparents’ formal living room. I think Yards has taken the bottle color into account here instead of treating it as a neutral, and I give them kudos for that. 8/10

Mikkeller Centennial Single Hop IPA

ABV: 6.8%
Style: IPA

Reactions and Insights
This has a unique flavor and I didn’t immediately peg it for an IPA. But it’s very good. It’s a little sweeter than most IPAs, which makes it holiday appropriate.

Would I drink a case of it? 
Maybe not, only because it’s too different from the standard IPA profile (“profile”) I’m used to.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
Sure.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
Yes. By this time I was listening to my Santa Baby radio station on Pandora. This is the only time of year I listen to Pandora because I have trained that station to play all the classics. But someone who isn’t me used my email address to sign up for Pandora and listens to Michael Buble and Riverdance and Sting, and sometimes I get emails reminding me about my Sting station. “Come back, Elizabeth, and listen to your Sting station!”

Beth’s Grade
8.5

Objective Grade
8.75

Label Notes
I have mixed feelings about this label. I like the abstract shapes in different shades of green, but curving the logo to a shape annoys me. And the placement of the logo versus the beer name feels unbalanced. But then sometimes I think it’s charmingly amateurish. 5/10

Green Bullet Triple IPA

ABV: 10.10%
Style: IPA

Reactions and Insights
Holy crap, this was 10%? I drank it at work and didn’t feel all that affected by it, probably because I had already gained a good deal of weight as a result of this project. (NOTE: I have since rejoined the gym to help undo this. And for less vain reasons, too.)

It’s very hoppy but isn’t overwhelmed by hops. It’s got pine and citrus flavors and is quite good. I recommend it to all IPA fans.

Would I drink a case of it? 
Yes, but that might be a bad idea.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
It’s like two weeks later. I remember feeling like I really had to drink the rest of the beers in my fridge before leaving for my parents’ place, and feeling full all the time (a feeling that has not yet subsided), and being happy to see a bunch of IPAs waiting for me. By December 21st I had started feeling more holidayesque in general and was just going for it with my daytime drinking. I have no regrets.

Beth’s Grade
9.25

Objective Grade
8.75

Label Notes
It’s fine, a definite improvement over their previous label. But the Green Flash logo looks like something you’d see on a bag of lettuce. It throws the whole italicized vibe off. 5/10

Einstök Ölgerð Icelandic Doppelbock

ABV: 6.7%
Style: Doppelbock

Reactions and Insights
I like it because it’s got a weaker flavor than most Doppelbocks. It’s got a nice graininess about it, it isn’t too malty, and it’s somewhat watery. It also has a nice mouthfeel, which is a dumb word. But it does, and that’s rare in many beers. All of this makes it very easy to drink.

Would I drink a case of it? 
As usual, no.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
Yeah, I might. It’d be a great beer to bring to a holiday party.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
I am writing this while drinking it and looking at my Christmas tree as the sun starts to set on a snow-cloudy day. Yes.

Beth’s Grade
7.5

Objective Grade
8.25

Label Notes
It’s a stylishly cute logo. I just noticed that the logo uses Museo, a very of-the-moment font that’s working nicely with the other elements. Good trendy fonts can make you feel excited to be alive. Also the label wrapper has a nice construction papery quality. 9/10

Crown Valley Sleighbell Spiced Ale

ABV: 6.2%
Style: Spiced Ale

Reactions and Insights
Yikes, a lot going on here. It hits you with sourness, then come the herbs and spices. It took me a few minutes to warm up to it, but once I did, it was fun.

Would I drink a case of it? 
No, it’s too specialized.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
Probably not, but I wouldn’t be annoyed if someone brought one over to share.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
Yes, because it’s very much a holiday beer and because of Christmas Angel. A little girl lives with her single mom. The mom works at a bakery and loves college football. The girl just wants her mom to find a husband but the mom thinks it’s realistic not to expect to ever find one. Meanwhile, a depressive (but attractive?-ish?) doctor with kind of gross floppy hair (UPDATE: Kevin Sorbo!) moves in to the abandoned house next door.

You’d think you could write what happens next, but you would forget to include the part about the aging chanteuse with throat cancer (spoiler alert: the angel!!) whom the doctor is secretly treating in his rundown house using a neck brace that emits an experimental blue light technology he invented. (The house also includes a pristine nursery for the baby the doctor always wanted.) An unethical freelance photographer looking for his big break threatens to ruin everything.

Aside from that, things pretty much go as expected.

There’s always so much to think about while watching Christmas movies:

• Acting quality
  • How it varies from actor to actor
  • How it varies for any given actor from scene to scene
  • How bad acting by one person can influence everyone in a scene, and vice versa
• The actors
  • How much they’re getting paid
  • What they’re like in person
  • I wish someone would help this girl be less annoying
• The script, and whether it is taking itself seriously
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

There is a scene at the end in which everyone comes in from the snow and the snow never melts from their clothes or hair, so it looks like they’re all walking around with dandruff.

Beth’s Grade
7

Objective Grade
8

Label Notes
Another classy one. 8/10

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

ABV: 6.5%
Style: IPA

Reactions and Insights
YES. This is the stuff. A perfect amount of hops. It’s not as citrus-y as other IPAs, more woodsy, which helps make it feel like a winter IPA.

Would I drink a case of it? 
Yes. It’s very good.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
Yeah. One time I had a six-pack of Rogue porter in my fridge and some people I didn’t know very well came over to hang out, and I offered the Rogue to someone and he was like, “You’ve got Rogue? Are you sure you want to give it to me?” As if beer by this brewery were some irreplaceable commodity  and/or as if he were unworthy of good beer. I was happy to have some stranger with low self-esteem whom I would never see again think I was especially generous.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
It did! I was drinking it with the Christmas tree all lit up and writing other beer reviews while half-watching Christmas Angel on Netflix without shame. More on this in the next entry.

Beth’s Grade
9.25

Objective Grade
8.75

Label Notes
I don’t totally get the label. It’s of a guy looking at you, hugging a dog, and giving a fist pump. He has a yellow beard and is wearing a bomber jacket and eye goggles. Someone help me make sense of this.

This same guy is on other Rogue labels in different costumes, but that doesn’t really explain anything.

Design-wise, it’s nicely balanced, with good use of color. A skilled person made it. 8/10

Palm Speciale

ABV: 5.4%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Reactions and Insights
Some people in my circle consider Palm to be a great beer. I can’t muster such strong positivity — it’s always struck me as bland — but it’s pleasant and reliable. And it’s certainly good choice for a holiday breather.

Would I drink a case of it? 
Probably not.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
I’ve done it before and I may someday do it again.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
Not really, no.

Beth’s Grade
7

Objective Grade
7.5

Label Notes
I am a huge fan of this label. It reminds me of an ’80s movie about Australia. Not any particular movie, just the concept of such a movie. 9/10

Victory Winter Cheers

ABV: 6.2%
Style: Hefeweizen

Reactions and Insights
I did not realize this was a Hefeweizen while I was drinking it. You would think I would have, what with the picture of two clinking Hefeweizens on the label.

I couldn’t quite make sense of what was weird about it — it had a bunch of Christmas elements (malt, cloves, sweetness) but it didn’t taste like a normal Christmas brew. Everyone on Beer Advocate is mentioning a banana taste. I drank it yesterday and want to be able to say that I tasted bananas, but I can’t remember bananas.

Would I drink a case of it? 
No.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
Nah. This was one of my least favorite, actually, and I was surprised because I usually like everything from Victory. I’d give it another shot, though.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
Mmmm… it did a little, because I kept seeing the phrase “Winter Cheers” whenever I reached for it.

Beth’s Grade
6

Objective Grade
7.25

Label Notes
I like it! It’s got a satisfying looseness about it. The illustration style (better image here) reminds me a little of Garfield with its dark brown outlines and soft radial gradients. 8/10

Yards Rye

ABV: 6.2%
Style: IPA

Reactions and Insights
I’m not big on “Rye PAs” because they’re maltier than regular IPAs. This is just fine but I just want to strip out some of the maltiness.

Would I drink a case of it? 
Nup. (I’m trying to come up with new ways to say no.)

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
Nootch.

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
I’ve been trying to catch up by drinking while I work, but it just makes me sleepy and unfocused and I have to reread my emails four times to make sure I’m not leaving out words or telling anyone I love them by accident. Anyway, this one didn’t bring holiday cheer, but that’s okay — there are 11 more to go!

Beth’s Grade
6.5

Objective Grade
8.25

Label Notes
It’s nice. The word Rye is rendered like it would be in an old storybook; the letters are branches, and behind them are stalks of barley. And I like the colors. I would like to have a front door in either that shade of red or blue. But it’s not totally coming together for me, just like the beer inside. 6/10

Ommegang Adoration Ale

ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Reactions and Insights and Confessions
I’ve gone a little rogue with the calendar. My friend Steve helped me cart the beer from Philadelphia to NYC and I haven’t yet found time to retrieve the five beers he has (his apartment is 40 minutes away). So I’ve messed up the order. Chris didn’t want me to drink two Belgian Strong Dark Ales in a row, but I did. It went fine.

But I’m also behind! It’s hard to fit at-home drinking into my regularly scheduled holiday drinking.  There may need to be some guest entries, or some late-in-the-game speed drinking. We’ll see.

Anyway, Adoration Ale is good. I can tell it’s good. It’s spicy and flavorful, yet refined. It’s not a heavy hitter. But I’m just not into this style of beer.

Would I drink a case of it? 
No.

OK, but would I drink a six-pack of it?
No. I meant to have another catch-up beer after this, but I found myself feeling very sleepy. 10%!

Did it contribute to my holiday spirit?
Yes. I watched an episode of Downton Abbey on PBS while I drank it, and the beer made the show a little better. I remember not minding the last season when it was new, but it was actually pretty bad, wasn’t it? I would like to propose that Mr. Bates die in an accident or get murdered.

Beth’s Grade
7.5

Objective Grade
8.75

Label Notes
It’s a tasteful, attractive label that says, to me, “Good beer for grown-ups.” I expect nothing less from Ommegang. 9/10