WBM Day 16: First Sunday

December 16:  Behold the first "First Sunday" of my Winter Beer Month.  Born out of a common love of beer and my need for a home cooked meal, this monthly meet up with the Js is close to celebrating its one year anniversary.  As expected, I came fully equipped with two growlers freshly filled with winter brews.

Double Mountain's Fa La La La La
Dark amber in color, this winter beer out of Hood River, Oregon demonstrates an ability to uniquely showcase a keen balance of malt and hops.  Nutty and malty with 85 IBUs, Fa La La La La seemed to get better with every sip.  Even JJ, who isn't that fond of overly hoppy beers, was able to attest that this beer was hoppy in all the right ways.  In my opinion, Double Mountain can't brew a bad beer.  That was once again found to be true with this seasonal.

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale
Once upon a time, last year to be exact, Lagunitas Brewing Company out of Petaluma, CA ran into a bit of a snafu with their brewing capacity due to construction.  This inhibited the production of their regular seasonal, Brown Shugga.  The result?  An Imperial IPA to please the masses.  This ale had a strong hoppy aroma that made my eyes light up at the impending hop explosion.  MJ, my hophead sister, was also expecting a hop bomb.  However, the aroma gave way to a smooth, citrusy, mildly hopped pale ale.  At 7.85% ABV and 60 some IBUs, this IPA could be enjoyed any time of the year.

doublemountainbrewery.com               www.lagunitas.com