Nov 2011 Featured Beers | Beer of the Month Club

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November

Brasserie Fantôme - Magic Ghost

Telegraph Brewing Company - Winter Ale

Ridgeway Brewing Company - Santa’s Butt

Ridgeway Brewing Company - Pickled Santa

Christian Moerlein Brewing Company - Barbarossa Double Dark Lager

Christian Moerlein Brewing Company - Christkindl

Mad River Brewing Company - Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

Mad River Brewing Company - Jamaica Red Ale

Featured Brewery & Beer	The U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club			The Hop-Heads Beer Club - New!
	4 styles: 12 bottles	4 styles: 12 bottles	3 styles: 12 bottles	2 styles: 12 bottles	2 styles: 2, 4 or 6 btls
Brasserie Fantôme - Magic Ghost
Telegraph Brewing Company - Winter Ale
Ridgeway Brewing Company - Santa’s Butt
Ridgeway Brewing Company - Pickled Santa
Christian Moerlein Brewing Company - Barbarossa Double Dark Lager
Christian Moerlein Brewing Company - Christkindl
Mad River Brewing Company - Steelhead Extra Pale Ale
Mad River Brewing Company - Jamaica Red Ale

Brasserie Fantôme - Magic Ghost

Style: Belgian Strong Herbed Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 8.00%
Serving Temperature: 45-55° F
Suggested Glassware: Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Country: Belgium

A green bottle? Uh-oh, aren’t we told to fear green bottles? Well, if you have a thing against green, you might be in trouble. More on that later… The label seems to be telling us something in its own quirky, quaint, noueau-vintage vaudevillian sort of way. Depicted is a magician, conjuring up a series of ghosts or Fantômes—what does it mean? By opening this bottle, are you going to physically manifest these spirits? Wouldn’t it be hilarious if t...

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Rare Beer Club

Telegraph Brewing Company - Winter Ale

Style: Spiced Strong Porter
Alcohol by Volume: 7.50%
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Tulip
Country: United States

Winter Ales run the gamut in terms of flavors, aromas, colors, etc.; it can be difficult to know what you’re getting. Still, despite the disparate options out there, there’s something familiar that calls us to them each year. Telegraph’s Winter Ale is one of our favorites, and it too makes us feel a sense of the familiar—like coming home for the holidays. That’s because the folks at Telegraph set out once each year to “put the holidays in a glass...

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Rare Beer Club

Ridgeway Brewing Company - Santa’s Butt

Alcohol by Volume: 6.00%
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Suggested Glassware: English Pint Glass, Mug or Stein
Country: England

Get your minds out of the gutter, people! A “butt,” though admittedly archaic today, is actually a term for a barrel holding 108 imperial gallons. Fans of the Porter style may recognize the word from its use in the original term for the style, “Entire Butt.” Alright, alright, obviously the name’s a double entendre, and it wasn’t lost on us. For instance, here’s the original first line from our selection panel’s notes: “We really loved the tas...

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International Beer Club U.S. & International Variety Beer Club

Ridgeway Brewing Company - Pickled Santa

Alcohol by Volume: 6.00%
Serving Temperature: 45-50°F
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Oversized Red Wine Glass
Country: England

Well, this somewhat strangely named beer is much tastier than one might expect from its name. The name reflects that the beer is spiced, but don’t worry – there’s no dill in this beer nor does it present any other pickle-like qualities. Many winter beers are spiced, and the catch-all term for the style is “Winter Warmer” due to the rather high (especially by traditional British standards) alcohol percentage that often exceeds 6% ABV. Ridgeway ...

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International Beer Club U.S. & International Variety Beer Club

Christian Moerlein Brewing Company - Barbarossa Double Dark Lager

Alcohol by Volume: 5.60%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 18
Serving Temperature: 47-52° F
Suggested Glassware: Mug, Stein or Pint Glass
Hops: Galena, Saaz
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Light Munich, Dark Munich, Chocolate, Black
Country: United States

According to our sources, this was the first beer brewed by Christian Moerlein back in 1853. While the label mentions “Double Dark,” it’s really only double dark if you’re thinking Natty Light, not if you’re expecting something like a doppelbock. On the nose, look for notes of toasted crackers and fresh bread dough, with a bit of coffee and supporting hints of fig-like fruit and a touch of rum. We found the palate presented a more caramelly an...

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U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club

Christian Moerlein Brewing Company - Christkindl

Alcohol by Volume: 7.80%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 30
Serving Temperature: 45-52° F
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Tulip
Hops: Saaz, Cascade, Centennial
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Caramel 60, Mild, Chocolate, Vienna
Country: United States

Christian Moerlein’s winter offering pours an attractive, deep, reddish amber color. On the nose, expect aromas of caramel malts with a toasty, somewhat bready note, overlaid by a rather spicy hop profile and touches of holiday spice akin to nutmeg and cinnamon. In the flavor department, we found Christkindl decidedly malt-centric, with notes of caramel, toasted bread, nuttiness, and mild toffee. Chocolate malt contributes a nice cocoa charact...

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U.S. & International Variety Beer Club U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club

Mad River Brewing Company - Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

Alcohol by Volume: 5.60%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 26.2
Serving Temperature: 45-50°F
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug
Hops: Columbus, Cascade, Amarillo, Willamette, Glacier
Malts: 2-Row Pale, White Wheat, Carapils
Country: United States

This brew may be extra pale in color, but it’s certainly not light on flavor. Expect a golden yellow on the pour with a light haziness. Malt aromas are crisp and clean, while the five hop varietals provide a floral aroma with an underlying citric character and a certain earthy edge. On the palate, look for the malts to again come through crisp and direct, providing a nice backdrop for the hop flavors which, like in the aroma, present a floral ...

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U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club

Mad River Brewing Company - Jamaica Red Ale

Alcohol by Volume: 6.50%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 45.3
Serving Temperature: 45-50°F
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug
Hops: Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, Willamette, Summit
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Crystal 70/80, Wheat, Black Patent
Country: United States

The red or amber ale style category is in many ways a sort of catch-all for beers of a certain hue that don’t neatly fall into other categories. They can be hop-focused, though typically not as much as an IPA. They can be malty, almost like märzens or Vienna lagers, but brewed with ale yeast. When high in ABV, they can begin hinting toward barleywines. Or they can be both hoppy and malty in the very bold, powerful way that this red ale is. C...

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U.S. & International Variety Beer Club U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club

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Featured Beers - November 2011

Featured Brewery & Beer