Winter Warmer

21st Amendment Fireside Chat Arrives!

The newest from can evangelists 21st Amendment Brewing (San Francisco, CA) is here.  Good for fall, perfect for winter.  It’s a spiced English style ale with a lot of flavor to get you through these not so cold Georgia nights. Continue Reading →

Posted in 21st Amendment Brewing, New Releases

21st Amendment Fireside Chat Arrives!

The newest from can evangelists 21st Amendment Brewing (San Francisco, CA) is here.  Good for fall, perfect for winter.  It’s a spiced English style ale with a lot of flavor to get you through these not so cold Georgia nights.  21st Amendment does well with spices.  You’ll see soon with Monk’s Blood.

Commercial Description:
Like FDR’s Depression-era radio addresses, which were like a kick in the butt and a hug at the same time, our Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. We begin with a rich, dark, English-style ale and then we improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation.  Fireside Chat is our early winter seasonal brew available from October through December in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like a classic, warming Strong Ale but with a subtle blend of hand-selected spices for just the right festive flair.

Beer Rundown:
Style: Winter Warmer
Hops: Magnum, Goldings
Malts: Munich, Wheat, Crystal, Aromatic, De Bittered Black
Spices, Cocoa Nibs

Taste Expectations: Spices, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg.  Hints of cocoa.  Caramel & toffee malts.  Slightly citrus hops, nice dry finish.

Availability: 12 oz/6 pk cans.  Draft.  October-December.  Seasonal

7.9% ABV

Looking for this? In Stock: Tower.  Hop City, & Greens on Thursday.  Have it?  Leave a comment. I’ll add you.

Thanks Tower Beer, Wine, & Spirts for the photo!

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, RJ Rockers

New Bottle Offering – RJ Rocker’s First Snow

2009-11-25 13.33.55New from RJ Rocker’s out of Spartanburg, South Carolina is First Snow Ale.   This is first offering of this winter ale by the brewer.

First Snow is a pale ale, (Pale ale is a major beer style brewed with Pale malts) that weighs in at 6% ABV.   In addition to the pale malts, honey and “every spice in the cabinet thrown in.”

Described as the winter version of RJ’s  popular Patriot Pale Ale, with different hop varieties.

Available now in Atlanta.


Tasting notes to follow…

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anchor Brewing, Now Tapping

Anchor Christmas 2008/2009 Tapping @ Taco Mac Metropolis

Anchor Christmas - 2009

Anchor Christmas – 2009

It was 1975 when Anchor Brewing (San Francisco, CA) starting releasing a “Christmas Ale.” I use parenthesis because Christmas ale isn’t exactly a style like say — IPA or Bock. Anchor Christmas is actually considered a “winter warmer” style ale.

Winter warmers are English strong ales, brewed during the winter months. Winter warmers have a strong malt presence, dark in color, with a touch of sweet taste on the palette. You won’t find winter warmers under 5% ABV. Glancing over as list of warmer ales, many begin at 6% and go to 8% or higher. The higher ABV makes these ales a good candidate for cellaring.

Anchor Christmas is a different recipe every year, as it has been since ’75. The bottle label traditionally depicts a tree, which is also different with each year. Christmas ’09 has already hit shelves in 6 packs — (yes, its almost Halloween) — 6 pack — 9.49, Magnum bottles — 14.99 @ Hop City.

Tonight — October 29th, Taco Mac Metropolis is tapping Anchor Christmas 2008, and 2009 side by side to compare changes in the recipe. Typically, this beer cellars very well, and I bet the ’08 will not disappoint.

Tapping @ 6 pm.
Merry Christmas, and Happy Halloween…

by Reid Ramsay