It is that time of year when every week there’s another big meal with friends or colleagues. This weekend it was friends gathering for a holiday feast. There would be food, wine, and, of course, beer.
Surprisingly, I was in charge of the turkey and not the beer. I think I roast a nice turkey, so that’s not the surprising part, but my friends know of me as the beer geek. The hostess for the party asked for suggestions, but what I would eventually find upon arrival would remain to be seen.
While roasting the turkey, I ran out of beer to baste and make my gravy with, so a trip to the grocery store was in order. I had to search the selection for an appropriate beer to cook with but I kept turning to stare longingly at the display of Brown Shugga and Jubelale on sale. For my turkey I settled on Gordon Biersch’s Märzen, leaving behind those other beers.
Upon arriving at the party, turkey in hand, I checked the selection of beer in the fridge and was pleasantly surprised; Deschutes Jubelale, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Anchor’s Our Special Ale, and Lagunitas Brown Shugga.
I started with the one I had not had yet this season, Jubelale. Dry malty aroma with a touch of yeast and spice. They flavor is very chocolatey with a ream creamy mouth feel. The subtle spice comes back in the finish along with a light hopping. Different than the typical holiday brew, Jubelale is a a sweet creamy brown. I really like this one as it stands out as a different approach to the holiday seasonal. Also, I love the bottle and packaging. I’m no art critic, but it reminds me of Starry Night, and that can’t be a bad thing, right?
All four of these beers are a treat. I had my share and was actually sent home with quite a few “leftovers” which I wasn’t going to complain about. If I were to arrange a tasting of these beers, I would recommend trying them in the following order; Celebration, Jubelale, Anchor then Brown Shugga. thanks to Kayla for having us over and providing such a great selection of beer to go with great food and company.
The picture was taken at home the following day. I have to say, leftovers taste just as good the day after as they do when fresh.
