Rogue Brewery - Dead Guy Ale

Smoke and Herbs.

Rogue Brewery crafts this wonderful German Maibock style ale with a Northwest twist: the Rogue brewmeisters use their own proprietary "Pacman" yeast! This ale pours a transparent dirty-tangerine with just a medium-light head. The aroma of fruity yeast is the first to hit your nose, followed quickly by the hearty molasses-like scent of malt. This one is a new favorite - the taste is beautifully thick and heavy with lots of smoky malt and overtones of roasted almonds, pistachios and a touch of quince. There's a nice herbal bitterness hiding right beneath the malt so hop-heads need not despair. The finish is a cool, citron tang mellowed by the lingering malt. (Did I mention the malt?!) This would be fantastic alongside a spicy Penne Puttanesca with lots of Kalamata olives and capers covered with fresh-grated Romano.

Brouwerij Huyghe - Delirium Noel

Lemons and Spice.

Brouwerij Huyghe is the Belgian home of this winter-seasonal "strong dark ale" that weighs in at a heavy 10%abv. This pours a semi-cloudy mahogany with a nice, solid head. The nose presents a spicy tang with a hint of traditional Belgian sweetness. On the palate, there is a very strong citrus and walnut element with overtones of persimmons. This one is absolutely delicious with none of the heaviness I usually associate with this style of Belgian ale. The finish is yeasty with winter spice overtones masking the alcohol nicely - tread carefully. You'll want to lay a few bottles up...like I did. This would go nicely with Mom's pot roast, mashed potatoes and steamed, buttered Brussels sprouts.

If you can't find the Noel this time of year, don't fret. In a few days, I'll be tackling a similar brew from Brouwerij Huyghe that's available year-round.

Belhaven - Scottish Ale

A Moderate Beauty.

Belhaven Brewery makes this medium-brown golden ale of medium carbonation that pours with a nice medium-sized persistant head. At first one is lost in searching for the character - not too malty, not too hoppy, not too tart and not too sweet. This ale hits the middle of the road nicely - not too extreme in any one direction, its a good, very drinkable, malty ale that feels "just right" to the palate. A nutty, yeasty nose with just a touch of smoke, this is a real Goldilocks Ale - I could serve it to my Pilsner-loving friends or to friends used to darker fare without fear of reprisals. There's real beauty in moderation. This brew would hit the spot with a medium-spiced German sausage, steamed red cabbage and crabapples.