Advent Calendar Window One - Commemorative Ale

So this Advent Calendar didn't get off to the greatest of starts. I meant to follow up the introduction with a part 2 yesterday, but due to having a gay old time in wonderful Macclesfield I didn't get round to it. It was a post about a beer tasting of some of the beers I'd bought for this Advent calendar that were ousted by others. I'll maybe post it after Christmas.

Anyway, Window and Beer one in this calendar is Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest Commemorative Ale 8%. I bought this beer much earlier in the year so I'm assuming it's the 2012 edition, but this is not stated on any part of the bottle I can find. It's actually brewed as A New Year celebration beer, but falls into the Christmas theme just for being generally festive.

"You'd see that today holds something special

Something Holy not superficial

So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives...."

Commemorative Ale sits in the glass a thick, hazy orange and instantly hits you with it's spicy nose. There's lots of ginger, marjoram, tarragon and orange. It's a spice sensation you feel glow in your cheeks immediately. The taste retains a ginger dominating, but not in the fiery sense a Ginger beer might produce. It's mellowed by the juicy oranges, coriander stalks, vanilla and a touch of lemongrass. The finish produces a rice wine spice that is familiar in Hitachino Nest beers. More Akemashite Omedetogozaimasu than Auld Lang Syne but that would be the expectancy. It's a near perfect festive beer and winning start to this Calendar. Like many festive favourites, more than one would be trying, but one is more than enough.

Purchased from Beers of Europe, May 2013.

Drunk aside two Advent Calendar chocolates, both in the shape of Father Christmas.

Comments

The Pubs of Stalybridge Part One: The Stalybridge Seven.

And a touch more ... Rififi Nightclub - once the town's cinema - has stood empty and unused for four and a half years This is the continuation of my posts of regular pub crawls to try and get myself in more pubs and discover more. Whilst I grew up in an old hamlet that most were quick to distance themselves from, my address clearly stated that we belonged to Stalybridge. However distant the town centre felt I was a Stalybridger, a Stalybridgian, a Stalyian: you know I don’t think I’ve ever heard us given a name before. I’m going with Stalyian. After a few moves around the country and through various relationships, I didn’t expect to find myself still local to the town in 2017. Whilst my address hasn’t stated Stalybridge for 3 years, I still spend plenty of time in the town – not least as it houses my “local.” To many in the north-west, it is famous for its nickname of Staly Vegas , that came about (as far as I’m aware) through its late Nighties-through-to-N...

WHEN CELEBRITIES DIE - THE INFINITY OF PUBS

Recently I was stood outside Huddersfield Railway Station waiting for my Replacement Bus Service. I was eating much needed food from a nearby fast food outlet and contemplating my next move. Other match-goers had gone home but I had over 50 minutes to wait for my bus. We’d already been to a few of our post-match regular spots and so I was contemplating somewhere new or different to pass the time now. I stood in St George’s Square, behind the statue of Harold Wilson, and pondered where I should waste my next hour. And pondered and pondered. After deliberation that ate into much of my allotted time, I walked down to the familiar setting of The Sportsman, realising that there wasn’t anywhere different to go at all. But whilst I deliberated, I cast my eye over the currently scaffold-covered George hotel opposite the station; a place I had been in once with my Dad. It’s downstairs public bar had stood as a firm and available option to match-goers fo...

Ten Reasons Why I Hate Brewdog

There was a time when I thought beer was subjective, when I believed it was there to be interpreted and commented on from a personal perspective. I used to form my own opinions about beer, pubs and breweries and sometimes I’d even write them in this little blog. Brewdog were no exception; I was happy to praise them when they did right and criticise when I felt they were wrong. Of course I now have seen that I was wrong to do this. You see, it’s not about opinions or personal preferences; it’s about following the crowd, doing what’s cool and avoiding controversy. At present it’s not cool to like Brewdog. Despite the fact that I still really enjoy their beers and bars, people keep telling me why I should hate them. You probably already do, as you are well “in” on what’s hot and what’s not. I wasn’t aware of this, the e-mail never landed in my inbox, but not wanting to fall out of the loop I’ve presented a list of reasons why we should all hate Brewdog so I can fit in with this g...

Beer Compurgation

Search This Blog