Hertog Jan Doppio Double is the only one of my twenty-four Advent beers to come in a stone cork-stoppered bottle that weighs more than the drink contained within! At 7.3% ABV, it’s also the second-strongest drink in my selection, and hence has a real kick to it. That said, it also has a gorgeous malty aroma, and strong aftertaste which beer lovers will appreciate. So whilst it’s not quite my personal favourite of the twenty-four beers I’ve had the pleasure of sampling this yuletide, it’s certainly an appropriately worthy and warming drink on which to finish.
I’ve been asked to summarise my findings on these beers at the end of the season, and was considering publishing a spreadsheet noting my opinions in various categories (colour, aroma, aftertaste, strength, packaging, cute names…), but having consumed so many fine ales this month, it was beyond me to come up with such a complicated scoring system. Instead, I’ve made an effort to merely triage the beers according to my overall opinion and likelihood of repurchase – those with three stars will be on our shopping list in future, whilst those with one star will be avoided like the plague.
Three-star beers:
Bitter & Twisted
Festive Filly
Fraoch
Hertog Jan
Nightmare
Riggwelter
Schiehallion
Whirlygig
Two-star beers:
Delirium Nocturnum
Jingle Knockers
Rolling Hitch
Rosey Nosey
Leffe Blonde
Nessie’s Monster Mash
Ruby Red
Smuggler’s Ale
Young’s Christmas Pudding Ale
One-star beers:
Crazy Ed’s Cave Creek Chili Beer
Honker’s Ale
Kronenbourg Blanc
Mars Magic
Morocco Ale
Rudolph’s Revenge
Teignworthy Christmas Cracker