The Twelve Beers of Christmas Day 2: Samuel Adams Merry Maker

After the spicy ale of day one, it seemed like going for a stout would be a nice change of pace for my second Christmas beer. I love me a good stout, and Sam Adams’ Merry Maker certainly delivered. I’ll admit, I only got it because of three factors: 1.) It’s a stout, 2.) It was on the Christmas list at the bar of which I was patronizing, 3.) It’s Sam Adams. All signs pointed to yes. And the beer was exactly what I was looking for: a good, festive stout to have as my dessert drink.

Upon looking up more info on it as I write this, I discovered that it was actually a gingerbread stout. This made me a bit upset, because I realize that I don’t recall smelling or tasting anything really close to a gingerbread flavor. I’m sure that’s probably for the best for most people, but it would have been nice to taste the ginger and spicy elements in a thick, flavorful stout. Nonetheless, it was still enjoyable. I also found it to be not very sweet, though I’ve seen many others fault it for being overly sweet. I guess it’s just my taste buds!

Overall: 4.5/5  I always enjoy a tasty stout, but I would have preferred to taste more of the gingerbread and spices. Perhaps I’ll have to give it another try.

The Twelve Beers of Christmas Day 1: Southern Tier 2XMas

“It tastes like potpourri… but in a good way.”

That’s a fairly accurate description of drinking a glass of Southern Tier 2XMas. A herbed/spiced ale brewed with figs, orange peels, and spices, two varieties of hops and four types of malts at 8.00% ABV, it is certainly not short on spice or flavor. It’s a dark amber in color with a frothy head, with very little lacing, that gives it an almost porter or stout-like appearance, though it is certainly not either of the two. The smell is strongly of spice, namely cinnamon and cardamom which does a fine job of preparing you for the taste to follow. The first sip gives off strong flavors of nutmeg, cardamom and clove. I could see the initial taste potentially turning people off, but it actually became more and more sessionable with each sip. It’s also rather thin in mouthfeel with low carbonation, which adds to its drinkability.

Overall, it’s a very festive beer. It serves it’s purpose well as a Christmas beer, while also being enjoyable to drink. Pares surprisingly well with food, too. I had it along with a pepperoni mushroom pizza and it actually complemented it quite nicely.

OVERALL: 4/5  The spices take a little getting used to, but once your palate accommodates them, it’s a great, festive drinking beer.