The festival of winter with beer is coming!

The Washington Beer Commission's Winter Beer Fest is coming to a (the) Hale's Palladium near you (if you live in Seattle) this weekend! Get your tickets and more information here all quick like if you haven't already done so. After finding out that my day off of work was going to be harshly retracted, I was sad. After fighting the good fight (busted out a smidgen of bitchiness over my non-refundable hotel room) and getting my Saturday off from work sorted back out, I was happy. After reading the beer line up for this weekend, I was SUPER happy. So happy in fact that I'm going to list the beers below for you (with my must have beers in fantastic colored fontitude) and then proceed to begin working on my color coded, prioritized festival beer drinking list. Which I will NOT misplace like I did with my Brewers Festival list of grandness (insert moment of silence).

7 Seas Brewing
1) 2011 Wheelchair Barleywine
Brewed in the tradition of British-style Barley Wines, our 2011 offering displays burgundy/brown hues, a thick off-white head of lacey foam, toasted malt, a strong presence of raisiny, vinous fruit aroma and warming alcohol.  Crafted with British Marris Otter, dark crystal and aromatic malts, liberally hopped with Glacier and East Kent Goldings, we also added 60 LBS of locally sourced Washington State Clover honey to the boil kettle.  With its’ coating, silky rich mouth-feel, and complex interplay of deep caramel malt, ripe fruit aroma and sturdy alcohol, 7 Seas 2011 Wheelchair Barleywine is a colossal, yet refined brew. 10.6% ABV
2) Ballz Deep Double IPA
A mash tun packed mostly with Pale Ale Malt and several different varieties of Crystal malt provide a firm, slightly sweet malt flavor while copious amounts of resiny Yakima Valley hops go berserk on bitterness, flavor and aroma. 8.4% ABV
3) Port Royal Export Style Stout
Port Royal Stout (Foreign Export Style), combines seven different malt varieties to create intriguing flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, and roasted barley. Nugget and Mt. Hood hops offer a soft floral nose and just enough bitterness to balance the creamy, smooth finish. Dark and ominous in appearance, Port Royal Stout is a great sipping companion for any drizzly Northwest afternoon. 6.8% ABV
4) le Havre (the Harbor) Belgian Winter Ale
This seasonal offering is fashioned with reverence towards the long-standing tradition of Trappist Abbey-style beers of Belgium.  Brewed with Pale Ale malt, oats, and dark crystal malts, hopped with Fuggles, and fermented with authentic Belgian Abbey yeast, the ale reveals intricate layers of spice, fig, bitter chocolate and delicate alcohol.  An inviting, yet complex brew that implores us to relax, silence ourselves, and take a moment to appreciate what’s genuine, simple, and beautiful in life.  8% ABV



American Brewing Company (updated by ABC brewer Skip Madsen)
1)Winter Classic - A strong dark ale 8.5% ABV
2) Sour Version of ABC's Brown Ale

Anacortes Brewery
1) Cask Noel Winter Ale
Noel Winter Ale – Brewed to celebrate the holiday season, this winter warmer uses various aromatic specialty malts and has a prominent hop character from mild American Noble varieties. 7.0% ABV  45 IBU
2) Klosterbier
Klosterbier – Originally brewed at the Anacortes Brewery under the guidance of the visiting Brewmaster of Kalt Loch Brewery in Bavaria, this beer is modeled after a dark lager brewed by Kalt Loch for the Engelberg monastery. Our version uses Perle hops and a portion of apple wood smoked malt. 5.3% ABV  35 IBU
3) Broadsword
Broadsword Scottish Ale – This strong Scottish ale has robust malty flavors with subtle smokiness and a balanced bittereness from Perle, Cascade and Mt Hood hops. Broadsword is made with Black Patent, Caramel, Chocolate, Munich and Peat smoked malts for a dark color and rich flavor. 8.3% ABV  35 IBU

Big Al Brewing
1) Winter Warmer 2011
A dark Strong Ale with deep toffee and milk chocolate malt flavors, firm bitterness and a kick that will put the Happy in your Holidays. 7.5% ABV
2) Winter Warmer 2010
The 2010 Vintage of our popular winter seasonal. 7.5% ABV
3) Nut Warmer (long time lover, oh how I heart the Peanut Butter beer by Big Al!)
Our take on the classic & traditional PBDA (that would be a Peanut Butter Dark Ale  for the non-beer geeks out there) 7.5% ABV


Big Time Brewery
1) Yule Fest
A dark Christmas Ale not fk’ed up with spices.  Complex malt character from multiple crystal malts. 7.3% ABV
2) Perspective IPA
Simcoe and Amarillo make this IPA a hop bomb that every hop head loves to detonate in their mouth. 6.1% ABV

Black Raven Brewing
1) Gunpowder Plot Bourbon Nitro Porter (What about the treason??!!)
Porter aged in a bourbon barrel with chocolate and coffee. 6.2% ABV
2) Festivus Seeker
Double IPA with cranberries, ginger and herbs. 9.1% ABV

Boundary Bay Brewery
1) Vintage 2008 Cabin Fever
A strong ale or “Winter Warmer” with dark red-brown color and a very rich malty flavor. Dry-hopped lightly with Cascades for a pleasant aroma and slightly spicy hop finish. This big beer is deceptively strong. yet tastes very smooth thanks to extra long cold conditioning. Three years of aging have transformed this brew in a rich. old-style ale. Original Gravity: 1.072
2) Barrel Aged Scotch Ale
Traditionally strong, this ale is a unique beer with a similar malt profile to its more famous cousin Scotch whiskey. Roasted, unmalted barley provides a distinctive flavor. A thick creamy head and a beautiful red hue are two of the trademark results of its brewing process. Hopped just long enough to achieve balance with the malt, the end product is incredibly smooth with a finish that lingers. This brew was aged in a Dry Fly Distillery Whiskey Barrel. We are thrilled to be collaborating with this new distillery located in Spokane, WA. Original Gravity: 1.064
3) Imperial Oak Aged Oatmeal Stout
Lightly hopped, it is aged for one month to allow the medley of dark malts and oats to celebrate their union. This brew was aged with toasted French oak adding hints of oak & vanilla. Vintage 2010. Original Gravity: 1.090

Chuckanut Brewery
1)Dunkel
Chuckanut's Dunkel has won a total of 5 medals (4 gold & 1 silver) from the GABF, World Beer Cup 2010, and NABA. 5% ABV; 22 IBUs
2) Brewer's Choice TBA 

Diamond Knot Brewery
1) Front Street Bitter
Originally a batch of IPA that went sideways, this one is straw– to light-copper-colored, medium-bodied ale with some grassy, herbal goodness imparted by a generous Willamette dry-hop.  40 IBUs; 6.6% ABV
2) Industrial Ho!Ho!
A robust ‘winter warmer’ ale, ruby brown in color with a slightly sweet, fruity nose. Very hoppy, yet balanced with a sturdy malt foundation. 60 IBUs; 8.5% ABV

Elliott Bay Brewing
1)Organic Noale Holiday Ale
Brewed with a Dunkel Weizenbock recipe in mind, our winter seasonal ale uses 40% wheat malt to achieve its hearty texture and blend of caramel and roasted malts for color. 8.9% ABV
2)Three Threads Barrel-aged Blend
We dug deep in the cellar to fashion this one-of-a-kind blend of three different beers which were aged in oak barrels.

Elysian Brewing
1) Bifröst Winter Ale
Named for the mythical bridge connecting the mortal world to the heavens. Brewed with pale malt and small amounts of Munich and Crystal malts. Bittered with Simcoe and finished with Amarillo, East Kent Goldings and Styrian Goldings hops. Starting gravity 18.4° Plato (1.074), alcohol 6.35% by weight. 58 IBU 7.6% ABV.
2) Bye-Bye Fröst
An extremely strong pale ale made with huge amounts of two row pale and small amounts of Munich and Cara-hell. Bittered with Magnum, Amarillo and Styrian Goldings; finished with Amarillo and Styrian Goldings hops. Additionally dry-hopped with  Amarillo. Starting gravity 23.6° Plato (1.099), alcohol  8.3% by weight, 10.6% ABV.
3) Dragonstooth Stout
The name is referential to the founders of Thebes, warriors who sprang from the earth when the teeth of a slain dragon were sown by Cadmus. Made with 10% rolled oats, roasted barley, Crystal, Munich and chocolate malts. Bittered with Magnum, finished with Cascade and Centennial hops. Starting gravity 20° Plato (1.080), alcohol 6.2% by weight, 60 IBU. 7.45% ABV.

Flyers Restaurant and Brewery
1)Daybreak Breakfast Stout
A rich black oatmeal stout infused with coffee from Fidalgo Bay Roasting Co.. Smooth and very easy to drink, beer for breakfast you bet! English Barley Malts, and a generous portion of oats are used along with English Challenger Hops for balance. 7% ABV
2) Hop Duster IPA
We went with Crisp pale ale malt and lots of Columbus and Cascade hops on this one! When some is good and more is better is concerned this hits the mark, 7% ABV and tons of hops all the way through.

Foggy Noggin Brewing
1) Christmas Duck
A mouthful of sweetened roasty flavors that linger long as a roasty dryness. Satisfying in every respect and a pint of the holiday spirit each time. Everyone deserves to celebrate Christmas year-round. Jingle Beers! Jingle Beers. 6.6% ABV
2) Powder Keg
A Coffee Stout. 7.2% ABV

Fremont Brewing
1) Abominable Ale
A tasty winter ale to snuggle up to, released for the winter months when snow blankets the terrain of the mind and the body craves warmth and…Dark and roasty, chocolatey, malt flavors balanced by Noble hop aroma and subtle hoppy spice. Warm up to it. Don’t be Scared to be Abominable. IBU: 50 8.0% ABV
2) Bourbon Abominable Ale “Bbomb”
The 2011 Kentucky bourbon barrel-aged edition of our winter warmer.  Bourbon, wood and vanilla add to the dark and roasty, chocolatey, malt flavors and subtle hoppy spice.  Aged in 20 year-old bourbon barrels until just right. Warm up to it. Don’t be Scared to be Bbominable. IBU: 50 ABV: 9.5%
3) The Sister Imperial IPA (sister a beast? my male sibling may agree with that sentiment...)
The Sister is a beast. Are You? Brewed with both extract and pellet hops, the Sister will sit on your palette and beat you down. And you’ll like it. Washington Imperial IPA, All Hail The Hops…and Great Head….from the Malted Wheat.  Down and Dirty: Pale Malt, White Wheat, Vienna Malt with Amarillo, Bravo, Calypso and Columbus hops. IBU: Billions and Billions 9.0% ABV

Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub
1) Brewer's Choice TBA
2) Brewer's Choice TBA

Icicle Brewing
1) SnowBockalypse (Doppelbock)
Deep brown lager with ruby highlights. Heavy, rich, and sweet malt notes carry this beer, with a slight warming sensation at the finish. Bocks were originally brewed in Germany, with the Doppelbock variation being attributed to the Paulaner Monks of Munich, who brewed this beer for their fasts when they were not allowed solid food. Doppelbocks served as “liquid bread”.  21 IBU. 7% ABV
2) Priebe Porter
A dark, rich and full bodied ale with a sweet aroma.  Strong malt flavors and character with a dry roasted finish. This Robust American Porter is full of dark chocolate flavor, complemented by the firm presence of Yakima grown hops.  Named for Head Brewer, Dean Priebe, this beer won many home brewing awards for Dean before he started brewing professionally.  Served in an American crafted traditional 16oz. pint glass. 34 IBU. 6.5% ABV

Iron Horse Brewery
1) Cozy Sweater
Vanilla Milk Stout 4.5% ABV
2) Brewer’s Choice TBA (if this equals Mocha Death then it's at the top of my list)

Naked City Brewery & Taphouse
1)Big Lebrewski
The Big Lebrewski is made with copious amounts of 2 row Pale Malt, Chocolate Malts and Roasted Barley along with Magnum and Cascade Hops. Lactose is added for a rich creamy mouth feel. After primary fermentation, the beer is transferred onto 2 lbs of Kahlua soaked medium toast French oak cubes and allowed to condition for an additional month. The resulting beer is bold and rich with roasted coffee and chocolate notes and pleasant alcohol warmth. 9% ABV
2) Bing
English Style Old Ale aged on a combination of Bing and Tart Montmorency Cherries. 8% ABV

Northern Lights Brewing
1) Winter Ale
This hearty seasonal offering is crafted in the likeness of Northwest style winter warmers. We utilize 2-row pale, Munich, and Crystal malts plus 5 kettle additions of hops and dry hopping to create this deliciously hoppy winter ale. Rich maltiness and citrusy hop profiles mingle with fruity esters and alcohol to create a beer with classic northwest characteristics and a great drink for the holidays. 7.5% ABV
2) Frankin Stout
Imperial Stout. 9.5% ABV

Pike Brewing Company
1) Pike Auld Acquaintance
A Winter treat, infused with Curacao and sweet orange peel, cassia bark, nutmeg and coriander. 32 IBU. 5.00% ABV
2) Pike 5X Stout
Malt: Pale, Crystal and Roasted. Hops: Chinook, Willamette, East Kent Goldings. Color: Black IBU 65 7.00% ABV
3) Pike Imperial Stout
Hops: Chinook, Willamette, Columbus, Goldings. Malts: Pale, Crystal and Roasted. IBU 80 9.00% ABV

Port Townsend Brewing
1)Winter Ale
A rusty colored ale created by a multi faceted malt bill with enough cascade hops throughout to let you know it’s winter on the Peninsula. 7% alc/vol
2) Brewer’s Choice, TBA

Ram Restaurant & Brewery
1) Ol’ Mallwalker
“The beer formerly known as Seligher” – A festive strong ale deep copper hued with a sturdy malt backbone and assertive hop character – pouring 2009, 2010 and 2011. 9.5% ABV
2) S’no Angel (she's s'no angel folks, I'm telling ya)
Our Winter Wizenbock features a rich and complex malt profile with hints of fruit, spice and chocolate and a smooth, warming finish. 6.8% ABV

Redhook Brewery
1)Winterhook
Cask Conditioned Spiced Winterhook. We put a twist on our winter seasonal by spicing it up with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and a bit of vanilla, then cask conditioning it! The base liquid is RedhookÂ’s 27th brew of Winterhook which has roasted chocolate notes that smooth out the quick, spicy hop finish. The rich body and nutty, malty backbone make this winter ale slightly naughty and very nice. ABV 6.0% / IBU 45
2) Down Under Stout  (I enjoy anything that's smooth and goes down easy, saves my talents for later)
A“Dark, Smooth and Goes Down Easy.” A smooth and creamy brew that is loosely modeled after Australian and sweeter styled stouts. Brewed with plenty of specialty malts, this stout is dark in color with a rich and decadent taste. ABV 7.0% / IBU 55

Rock Bottom Brewery (Seattle)
1) Saison
2 row, Munich malt and Flaked Rye. Hopped with Nugget and Mt. Hood. Brewed with Lachouffe yeast strain. Crisp, fruity and spicy in the tradition of of French/Belgian Farmhouse Ale. 5.4% ABV, 26 BU.
2)IPA
Pilsner malt. Hopped with Citra, Ahtanum, and Amarillo. Dry-hopped with Amarillo. Dry and aromatic IPA with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. 7.0 % ABV, 65 BU.

Schooner EXACT
1) Hoppy Holidays
A rich, malty beer with an assertive but balanced hop character. This beer greets you with hints of chocolate and dark fruits on the nose. Flavors of rich dark malts with chocolate undertones play over your tongue and finish with a prevalent earthy hop finish.
2) Hoppy the Woodsman (had it, love it)
This bourbon barrel- aged beer gives off an aroma of malty sweet chocolate with vanilla and oak undertones. Flavors of dark pit fruit will conjure up memories of fruitcake are intertwined with vanilla and oak flavors imparted from the barrels. This medium bodied ale finishes smooth and boozy with a good hop bite.
3) Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter
After brewing batch 100 on our 10bbl system, the brewers at Schooner EXACT squirreled away some of the beer to age in bourbon barrels. This very limited-release beer is the happy result.
4) Foxy Mocha Brown
Back by popular demand, this version of our classic brown ale is perfect for those dark Seattle evenings. Malty, rich nutty brown mingles with the energizing flavors of Schooner EXACT’s own hand-roasted espresso.

Scuttlebutt Brewing
1) Oaked 10 Below (I wonder if this will be anything like the Evil Twin Soft Dookie I had in Portland last weekend... 'twas like drinking a melted chocolate bar!)
This Imperial Dunkle is like drinking a chocolate brownie.  Rich chocolate flavors with a hint of vanilla are balanced with molasses.  Very drinkable without being too decadent. The fresh American Oak creates another layer of complexity without compromising the strengths of the beer. 7.4% ABV
2) Sea Hag Scotch Ale
A complex malty brew with a hint of smoke. 7.44% ABV

Silver City Brewery
1) Silver City Winter Bock
Just as old world brewers aged their beer in snow-covered cellars, Silver City stores Winter Bock for five weeks at near freezing temperatures. Cold conditioning makes Winter Bock the smoothest, most flavorful way we know to celebrate the winter season.  7% ABV
2) Silver City Old Scrooge Christmas Ale
Silver City Restaurant and Brewery is proud to present this limited batch of our very own British style barley wine ale. Old Scrooge is a rich and malty ale with all the character of a fine wine. Its character will fully develop over time. Intriguing notes of apple, cherry and apricot occur naturally as a result of its unique fermentation and extended aging. To fully appreciate this special Christmas Ale, we recommend serving it in a brandy glass near 55 F and slowly savored. 8.5% ABV

Slippery Pig Brewery
1)Black Boar
Black Hefeweizen. Made with locally roasted wheat, and a touch of lemon verbena.  6.5% ABV
2) Emasculator
Dark and malty Doppelbock. Brewed with local blackberries.  10% ABV

Snipes Mountain Brewery
1) Miller Reserve: Pumpkin Death ’10 (Oh. Hell. Yes)
A massively drinkable, cherrywood smoked pumpkin imperial stout.  Last year’s vintage is tasting good. 8.0% ABV
2) Julekalender (Imperial Oatmeal Chocolate Stout, are you effing kidding me??!!)
Imperial Oatmeal Chocolate Stout 8.5%
3) Ye Olde Roza
Barleywine 13% ABV

Snoqualmie Falls Brewery
1) Avalanche Winter Ale
Designed to take the chill off of our stormy Northwest winters, Avalanche is the prefect combination of complex malt flavors and distinct hoppy goodness. 6.8% ABV and 48 IBUs
2) Black Frog Irish Oatmeal Stout
Creamy and smooth, a classic nitro stout with chocolaty flavors and a satisfyingly dry finish. 4.8% ABV

Two Beers Brewing
1) Infused 20:20 Blonde
20:20 Blonde infused with lavender, rose, currants and elderberries
2) Infused Evo. IPA
Evo. IPA infused with mango pieces, apple bits, calendula and orange peel
3) Infused Jive Espresso Stout
Jive Espresso Stout infused with coconut shreds, cacao nibs, cinnamon, star anise

Valholl Brewing Company
1) Stouty Stouterson (If you see me running around the festival on Saturday, I'll most likely just be repeating this phrase the whole day.)
Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed with sweet potatoes, raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar. 11% ABV
2) Brewer’s Choice TBA (If this ends up being their Anise Nystagmus Black Licorice IPA, I'll probably wet myself)

Wingman Brewers
1) Stratofortress Belgian Strong Ale
Aged on black rum soaked cedar.  The familiar smell of cedar fills your nose as you breathe in the toasted wood aroma of this ale.  Then strong flavors of fig and fruit give way to a sweet rum and spice finish. 11.4% ABV
2) Cerise Noire Lambic
Brewed with black cherry tea and fermented with cherries.  The tea adds a delicious herbal bite that pairs well with the wild brett flavors. 7% ABV
3) Ace IPA
A Belgian meets American style IPA. Distinctly Belgian malts complement a healthy portioning of Citra, Centennial and Cascade hops. Light malty flavors up front give way to a distinctive hop kick. 7.4% ABV


Check out the good times that were had by everyone (READ: Everyone ='s me, if I had fun then I assume everyone else did too) at the 2010 Winter Beer Fest. Can't wait for dark beers of a strong like fashion & some mistletoe merriment!!!

Ohhhhhhh the weather outside is frightful,

But winter beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers are so delightful!

If ever you loved me soooooOoooo,

I can't think of anything beer related that rhymes with 'oooOooo'!

the pissed liBEERian