Just prior to the most wonderful time of the year for beer drinkers

I felt it was necessary to also mention the other two winter beers that I tried prior to Thanksgiving, which was the kickoff for my Christmas/winter beer tasting frenzy. There were only two, but I felt like I was punishing them for arriving to the party a little early.

I tried Magic Hat Howl, a 4.6% ABV schwarzbier from Vermont, the night before Halloween. I knew it was a winter seasonal when I tried it, but the somewhat scary label drew me in. It may not be the best example of a winter warmer, but with its low alcohol content and full flavor it does make for a nice session beer. It was roasty with with notes of coffee, a little chocolate and some nuttiness. It was flavorful but fairly light and easy to drink.

I tried Founders Backwoods Bastard the weekend before Thanksgiving because I just couldn't wait. When I bought the four pack, I knew it was a bourbon barrel-aged scotch ale and I assumed that it was just a bourbon barrel-aged version of their year-round Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale, but it wasn't. The Dirty Bastard is 8.3% ABV and big enough, but the Backwoods Bastard trumps it at 10.2% ABV. You gotta love an American brewery that puts out two scotch ales. Everything I've tried from Founders, which is based in Michigan, has been great, and this was no exception. It is currently in my top five beers that I tried for the first time this year. (But who knows if that will stick with all the great Christmas/winter beers I still have to try.) Backwoods isn't really marketed as a winter beer, but is only available from November to January. It had tons of flavor and the alcohol was noticeable, but not nearly as evident as you would think for the ABV. There is caramel malt, cherry, whiskey, wood and lots of vanilla. It isn't very heavy either and while it is a sipper, it does go down easy. Keep watching to see if this one hangs around to make my top 13 beers I tried this year.

Well, now I've told you about all the new winter/Christmas beers I've tried so far this season. Tomorrow I'll start trying more. Until then you might want to check out some of these other Christmas/winter beer lists that I've discovered over the past few days: The Beer Advent Calendar at The Brew Site and Draft Magazine's 25 Holiday Beers.

Drink it in.