Beer for the Holidays!

No trip up north is complete without making a stop at Jimmy's. It is, despite being located in basically the middle of nowhere, hands down the best beer store in Michigan. I don't really understand who would consistently purchase some of their more expensive and rare beers, but there must be someone purchasing them or else Jimmy would not keep ordering them from his distributor. Breweries that are well represented at Jimmy's are: Bell's, Founders, Rogue, Lindemanns, Victory, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Alpena Brewing Company, Breckenridge Brewing Company, etc. Favorites of mine usually include Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon-Aged Stout - my current favorite beer, a very heavy stout that tastes as dark as it looks, but it's not a bad thing - Victory Storm King Imperial Stout, a few select Alpena beers (Thunder Bay Bock, Paper Maker Pilsner, and Lumber Lager Red usually... the best you can get without going right to the tasting room.) Aside from that, it's usually a toss-up. However, with the recent move to Boston and being in close proximity to what is perhaps the best beer bar in America (The Publick House) I've been changing my tastes away from stouts exclusively towards more Belgian Trappist and Abbey ales. As such, my recent purchases reflect that

1.750 mL Chimay Gran Reserve: Perhaps my favorite beer as of late - a beautiful amber brew that is as refined as it is smooth. This beer exudes quality and, at the same time, is such a joy to drink that you don't even notice when it knocks you down with its high ABV (9.00 ABV.) This is one of the illustrious Trappist ales and lives up to its reputation.

2. 750 mL Westmalle Trippel: I've never tried the Westmalle Trippel, so I'm looking forward to cracking the bottle open here very soon. The reviews about this beer speak relatively highly of it on BeerAdvocate.com, so I'm excited to try it out.

3. 4 Pack Founders' Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout: My current favorite, have to take advantage of it while still in Michigan.

4. 6 Pack Samuel Adams Black Lager: Probably the best thing brewed by the Boston Beer Company (a.k.a Sam Adams, as if that wasn't apparent.) It is a semi-complex, yet smooth beer, and proof that a lager can masquerade as a porter or a stout without much problem.

Also, I'm going to start posting a beer review a week soon! Tomorrow, perhaps, will be my first one. I'll be reviewing Bell's Batch 8000, as I still have 3 left from my recent purchase of a 6 pack. Check back later if you're interested.