I may have gone a little hard this Bandcamp Friday.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 24

Burnt City Bourbon Barrel-Aged Golden Pit of Hatred

American-Style Strong Pale Ale
12% ABV

Mostly still, and also pretty boring. Way too sweet, and not particularly interesting. Not much bourbon, lots of sweetness – cloyingly sweet – and not much else. I’m glad they chose to include something fun in the Advent calendar, and I’m sure this was a fun idea, but it lacks a lot for me.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 23

Bold Dog Sugar Bear

Imperial Stout with Marshmallow and Cloudberries
11.0% ABV
44 IBU

Deep brown body, approaching black, beneath a fluffy, moderately diminishing cocoa-colored head. The aroma is nice and not as sweet as I was expecting. Not super roasted or bitter, and definitely sweet, but not what I expected. Definitely some marshmallow, but also some roasted malt, anise, and what I can only assume is cloudberry since I’ve never had one. It’s a bright, acidic scent that leads me to think the fruit presents as sweeter than it is. Full-bodied and smooth, this has the right feel for a stout this big. The beer starts with a present but restrained sweetness before a solid roasted bitterness emerges, then ebbs as a solid alcohol warmth takes over. I like it. I was extremely apprehensive when I saw it, and put off drinking it for a few days, but ultimately this has won me over. I don’t want to immediately dip into a second can, but I can see having this every so often and enjoying it each time.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 22

Around the Bend Vixen

Pistacio Cream Ale with Cinnamon
5.0% ABV
11 IBU

Not my thing. The cinnamon is there, but it’s subdued and not overbearing. That said, adding an odd choice of spice to a style I don’t really dig on its own makes for a beer I still don’t like, apparently.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 21

Casa Humilde Tempestad

American-Style Imperial Stout
9.0% ABV

Jet black body with a healthy, persistent layer of beige foam. Loads of cocoa on the nose, wafts of the foretold vanilla, a bit of brown sugar sweetness, and a dose of spicy booze. It’s not overpowering at all, but it’s definitely there. Moderate to full body, smooth and velvety on the tongue. Thankfully, this is not an overly sweet pastry stout, but a fairly well balanaced stout, despite the addition of cocoa and vanilla. There’s a nice bitterness that emerges, that presents as originating from both a solid hop addition, but also roasted malts. The booze adds that spice at the end as well, giving a fullness to the entire affair. This is a nice sipper on a cool evening.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 20

Burnt City Spruce Moose

German-Style Pilsener with Spruce Tips
5.1% ABV

Clear golden body with a quickly diminishing white head. Really nice pine on the nose, but not in the hopped up pine kind of way. Fresher, and closer to the forest. Also some crackery malt coming through as well. Really a pretty drinkable beer with a mild sweetness as soon as it hits the tongue followed by a nice piney bitterness as it goes down, finishing dry and clean. This is a nice idea and hitting the spot for me.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 19

Bold Dog You Serious, Clark?

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
6.0% ABV
30 IBU

Nice chaulky orange color with a stark-white, quickly diminishing head. Though, there is some lovely lacing as you make your way through the glass. Really nice pine, pineapple juice, and a bit of mango. Orange juice, too. Really quite dank, actually. Surprisingly. Easy drinking and smooth. Not too sweet, nor too bitter. Though the bitterness picks up as warms. All in all, pretty well balanced and definitely enjoyable. Good stuff.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 18

Casa Humilde Nopalli

Specialty Saison
5.0% ABV

Billed as a Farmhouse Ale brewed with Prickly Pear. Sounds good. Bright orange/pink with a fizzy, persistent white head. The aroma is a nice balance of the sweet fruit and the tart esters of the yeast. Really lively carbonation and bright on the tongue. Starts slightly sweet, then finishes pretty dry. Not tart, but trending that way. This probably won’t be a regular, but it’s delightful and enjoyable.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 17

Burnt City Two-Headed Boy

Pilsener
5.0% ABV

This beer definitely works for me. I’ve purchased a few 4-packs in the past, so I’m glad to see it again here. Slightly hazy straw color with a nice white head. The aroma has a solid crackery base with punchy, grassy hops wafting above. Immensely drinkable and satisfying. A light malt sweetness followed by that crisp bitterness at the end. I could drink this all night.

District Brew Yards Advent Calendar: Day 16

Around the Bend Villainous

American-Style India Pale Ale
7.0% ABV
70 IBU

Translucent gold with a foamy, persistent beige head. The aroma is resinous and sweet. Citrus and pine abound, but it also seems like it’s getting a tad long in the tooth. Maybe it’s changing tastes, or some misperception, but I’m finding aromas and flavors I associated with long-lived IPA. Even if I’m wrong, those aromas and flavors don’t impart the best experience. For me, that is. I suppose it’s a take on a traditional American IPA with the acknowledgement of NEIPA style, but it’s not my favorite.