What are you drinking - Xmas Edition!

[Greig McGill]

Here's a thread we can use once a year, and then entirely forget about for the rest of it.

So, when doing your seasonal thing with family and friends, what beers (or other beverages) will make your day complete? Do you have an elaborate drinking ritual? Or do you just slam down a few to feel festive? Tell us what does it for you to enhance your yuletide celebrations.

[MrC]

I started off Xmas day with an Invercargill Brewery Boysenbeery at the BBQ. It tasted different to what I remembered it to be, have they changed to a Belgian yeast recently or has it always been that way? Didn't enjoy it as much as I have previously.

From there I turned to my home brew for the remainder of of the day, APA & Foreign Extra Stout. Drinking of carbonated beverages was limited by the vast mount of food consumed. Finished off with a couple of glasses of red wine late in the evening.

[Pilgrim]

Unpacked the pressies on Christmas Morning to find my wife had visited the local New World and bought me some imported beers:
Hen's Tooth;
Green King Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale;
Young's Special London Ale;
Black Sheep Ale.
I decided to try each of them on a fresh (sober) palate, so had the Hen's tooth on Christmas Day. Not overly wrapped in this one, considering the hype on the bottle.
Had the Green King Strong Suffolk last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Huge Caramel/Toffee flavour with a hint of coffee after.
Looking forward to trying the rest over the next week or so, as the mood takes me.

[Martin Bridges]

The Strong Suffolk is definitely the best beer that Greene King still produce. A real classic. The Hen's Tooth was always a bit of a 'meh' beer, so I doubt it gets any better with travel, especially in a clear bottle.

I won't pre-empt your tasting of the other 2 beers, although I do have an opinion!

[Mike Neilson]

This reminds me, on Christmas Eve the old man pulled out a bottle of my Dubbel, 11 months old and tasted absolutely superb!! Its not the my first Belgian with age on it, I can see why the Belgians age there beers for 6 months before bottling the flavors seems to come together and get allot deeper and the fruits come through more and the esters seem to dissipate a bit, and the foam was amazing!! I can now see why the beer done well at the NHBC. Pitty theres none more of this ;(

[Pilgrim]

The Black Sheep was very nice, but the young's Special London Ale was the bee's knees :-)

[Greig McGill]

Hrm. It must have improved. When we first got it in NZ, it was a stunner. All grapefruity hops and biscuity malt. After the brewery relocated to Bedfordshire, I feel it's never been the same beer. I think it even dropped in alcohol content, though that may have been pre-move. Having drunk Young's Ordinary Bitter and Special Bitter in the UK on handpull before and after the move (same pub even), I have to say, I *don't* agree that the move has ruined those fine beers at all. Just as good as ever, although it was two years between tastings, so I may be mistaken.