Winter beers

Billed as “a holiday ale for the rest of us,” each sip brings different waves of flavor, with the holiday spices hitting the palate on the first sip, then giving way to a rich molasses taste with a vanilla twist. You’ll definitely be able to taste the bourbon-tinged alcohol content in this winter warmer, and at 9 percent ABV, a couple of these will prime you for any and all feats of strength. In stark contrast, the Wanderlust is Anthem’s core porter, and it’s one that tastes like the brewer took time with it, tweaking and dialing in the ingredients and flavor for a strong, solid showing of the style.

The unofficial complementary companion line to the Smooshie line, Fluffy Fingers goes heavy and dark. They’ve done peanut butter, turtle and orange in this series of double-mashed stouts, but the pumpkin pie might just be the best so far. This dessert stout is also brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, graham crackers, and maple, so if you didn’t save room for a slice of the real thing, this one will fill in the gaps. Best to consume it on a full stomach indeed, as this one comes in at 14 percent ABV.

When dropping in to Freeman’s Liquor Mart to peruse the new beers, these were the first non-local selections that resident beer guru Kyle Edmondson pointed out. Komes, a Polish brewery, took the bronze in the World Beer Cup with this Baltic porter, which was also awarded the gold European Beer Star in 2013. The beer changes color and flavor the longer you store it (up to 36 months), but good luck keeping your hands off this one for three years. If you want to take the porter flavor down a notch while keeping its essence, the raspberry variety is brewed with juice, Indian chili peppers and Madagascar vanilla, which cuts through but doesn’t overtake the malts.

An ugly Christmas sweater party in your mouth, Prairie’s holiday beer is chock full of cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. While this American wild ale may sound a bit overbearing from the outset, the flavors get cozy on your tongue after a few sips, making this one a lot more crushable than it sounds, and with 4.8 percent ABV, you can slow-roll through a couple at holiday functions without worrying about behavior that might put you on Santa’s naughty list.

Many of us cut our teeth on Belgian abbey ales with St. Bernardus, and it might have spoiled us for life from the get-go. The brewery was founded in 1946, and the local hops and yeast are brewed with well water from the Watou province of Belgium. The Abt 12 is a quadrupel, meaning it comes in at 10 percent ABV, so make sure to share the larger bottle with a loved one unless you’re parked in front of the fireplace. If you’re looking for the same quality with a little less bite, try the Wit on for size. It’s an unfiltered wheat beer brewed in collaboration with a European legend and its 5.5 percent ABV makes it go down smoothly.

Another Edmondson pick, Hoppebräu may not fit neatly into the seasonal beer category with its helles and weissbier varieties, but they’re worth noting since they just hit shelves. This German brewery was started in 2010, but it tastes like it’s been around for a century, and as Kyle pointed out, tastes like there’s one brewer finetuning the creations. If you’re looking for something a little lighter this season, you’ve found it.

If you really like sour (and we mean sour) beers, then Duchesse du Bourgogne is for you. Technically a Flanders red ale by style, this World Beer Cup gold winner will make you pucker when it hits the palate before breaking into a wave of sweetness on the finish. While the cherry version may make you think that the sensation would be reversed, the flavor is still far more tart than fruity. The beers are also aged in oak casks, so expect that taste also to be tossed into the mix.