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With Winter, Christmas, Chanukah and a whole mess of other holidays right around the corner, it's time to start getting into the festive mood! And, what better way to do that then to drink some winter or holiday craft beers! We went through a whole mess of seasonal brews so that we could tell you the official DrinkCraftBeer.com Winter/Holiday Beer Recommendations. Without further ado, here's the beer:  Sam Adams Winter Lager
This venerable favorite often goes overlooked in the world of craft beer. Sure Sam Adams is the 800lb gorilla in the industry, but that doesn't mean they still aren't putting out some good beer. We're all about helping the little guy, but that doesn't mean we should ignore good beer from the bigger guys.
Appearance: Clear dark amber with a light head
Smell: Smooth typical lager, slight breadiness, slight sweetness
Taste: This is a great winter session beer and is very balanced, not spiced and is overall very smooth. There's nothing extreme about it, and that's why it works. Sure winter is a great time for big stouts, barley wines and robust porters, but you don't always want one of those. Mild roastiness evolves into a smooth sweetness. An excellent winter drinking beer.
 Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale Appearance: Dark Amber fluffy off white head with large bubbles
Smell: Grassy hops with a slight hint of malt
Taste: Nice up front hops, which fade off to a smooth finish. This isn't what you'd normally expect from a winter or Christmas themed beer. This beer offers nice grassy hoppiness without being overwhelming in any way. Hoppy beers generally aren't this smooth and that's what really makes this beer fit in for the later months of the year. The hops add a bit of slickness to the mouthfeel, and the fact that it seems to disappear shortly after drinking make Rogue Santa's Private Reserve a good session beer for the winter months! Available in both 6 packs and bombers it fits in for almost any occasion and with a fun label to boot it's great to bring to your friend’s holiday parties.
 Smuttynose Robust Porter
Appearance: Dark dark brown almost black, medium tan head
Smell: Awesome, bittersweet chocolate with hints of licorice. This smell makes us think of Christmas in front of a fireplace with cocoa...
Taste: Fairly strong notes of licorice and anise so, if that's not your thing, this isn't for you... but if it is you're in for a treat. The initial licorice notes are followed by a distinct roastiness with a surprisingly light mouth feel; the smell and initial taste are indicative of a much bigger beer so the mouth feel can be surprising. Also, as it warms, the hop flavor comes out more than you'd expect in a beer this dark. Pairs amazingly well with Christmas cookies...we had oatmeal cranberry, though we assume other varieties would work well too. A robust beer for when you need to warm up.
 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale Appearance: Golden orange hues with a white head
Smell: Low hop and malt aroma... expected more hops in the smell.
Taste: It's like a hop party in your mouth and Cascade is invited... Hey, we're allowed to be really cheesy now and again. The fact is this is a VERY aggressively hoppy beer. How do you make a Christmas IPA? Throw a Christmas tree into your beer, or add a lot of piney hops and round it off with a nice citrusy finish. That'd give you this beer. If you want your Christmas or Chanukah gift to be hops, then this is the beer for you.
 He'Brew Lenny's RIPA (Rye Double IPA)
This beer is brewed Kosher. With other irreverent beers in their line-up such as Jewbilation, Genesis 10:10, Origin Ale and Messiah Stout, they don't take religion TOO seriously. But they make sure to toe that line and stay this side of humorous. Plus these are some delicious brews. Great to bring to any Chanukah gathering! Appearance: Ruby red with an off white head that sticks around
Smell: Spicy rye... hoppy spiciness and a bit of alcohol.
Taste: It's slick... almost creamy smooth. It's not sweet, but it's not bitter. The hops make it seriously hoppy, but the malt rounds it out. This is a big, but seriously balanced, beer. At $4.99 this is a great deal! Make sure you check it out for yourself. Plus, it's got some great label artwork. So that wraps it up for us! Tell us what you think over in the forum though.
Beer Reviews 
Chanakah Beer 
Chanukah Beer 
Christmas Beer 
Craft Beer Recommendations 
Holiday Beer 
Rogue 
Sam Adams 
Samuel Adams 
Sierra Nevada 
Smuttynose 
Winter Beer 
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