Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale -- Five Beers

Mmm, two of my favourite things in the world: a seasonal beer, and a hoppy beer. Some winter seasonals don't know how to do it right, but Sierra Nevada does. It's got a fruit/spicy taste that tastes just like Christmas in a bottle--AND, it's got the bitter tang of a well-hopped ale. Makes me feel like celebrating.

[Label Text:  Special beers made for the winter season have been a brewer's tradition for centuries. To honor this heritage, we present this unique offering, Celebration Ale.]

Tree Brewing Co.'s Hop Head IPA -- Four Beers

Not for the faint of hop, "Hop head" is fairly accurate, and I've got to give it points for that (a favourite phrase of mine, by the way). It was almost soapy, but I can't care 'cause I love hop. It could be more balanced with a titch more malt, but I'm still going to give it four. Go local microbreweries knowing what real beer is! And for knowing what the story is and printing it on their label to educate the masses!

Pike Seattle Brewing Co.'s Scotch Style Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale -- Three Beers

A pleasant scotch ale. For those who aren't "in the know," a scotch ale is one where the malt used for the beer is the same as that which would be used to make scotch (simple? obvious? tasty? yes). This particular scotchale is medium-bodied, very lightly carbonated, and more importantly, malty but not too malty. And malty like nothing but a scotch ale could be. My favourite part of the maltiness is that it's dark and spicy, without making the beer overly thick or overly malty. No sickly-sweet caramel malts here; just a hearty, well-balanced-yet-unique beer. While it might not be my favourite beer overall, it's a pleasant beer to come home to after the Coors Lights I'd been drinking as a guest in someone else's home. I can't speak to the price, 'cause I'm still a guest in this home (I'm on the road as I write this), but I'll give it some credit for having a funny name. Three it is!

Green Flash Brewing Co.'s Barleywine Style Ale -- Two Beers

I bought this beer, 'cause I wanted to try out a barleywine, and was in my first real beer-selection alcohol store since good old Half Time in Poughkeepsie (Best. Beer. Store. Ever.). It was interesting, and I could... possibly buy it again. I don't think I would though, but only because it's not exactly my type of beer, though I could clearly see someone else enjoying it, if this were their cup of suds. It had a rich but mild hop flavour (not even close to IPA hops, barely a pale ale hop); and a deep, deep malt flavour, like of a stout or porter. It also had an sweet side to it that was almost enjoyable, only it wasn't enough of a fruity sweet, and too much of a caramel sweet, for me. Even though it had the malt flavours of a stout/porter, it didn't have the thickness, which I enjoyed. But, for $4 for 24 oz., the price was a little steep.

Anderson Valley's Hop-Ottin' IPA -- Six Beers

I didn't write a review of this beer while I was drinking it ('cause I was drinking a lot of it), but apparently I managed to take a couple of pictures of the bottles while I was drinking it, so I figured I'd do a review of it anyways. And I can do a review of this one from memory.

This beer is fantastic. Absolutely fan-freaking-tastic. It is one of the hoppiest beers I have ever tasted--and good, real IPA hops, with "a bite like a rattlesnake"--but nowhere near soapy. Not even close. It is so perfectly blended with gentle, smooth malt, that it comes off thick and rich, while still having that refreshingly bitter bite that makes me want to sit out on the porch with six of these, and watch the sun go down after a hard day's work... Seriously. Never have I ever seen an IPA so dark, nor tasted one so fresh and light. It's a perfect beer, made for hop-heads and gentler-of-palate beer drinkers alike, even for first time beer drinkers that 'til now have thought that beer is gross. Second (and a very very close one) only to Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice; and points for being available year round.