Merry Christmas to all and to all a…. WTF it’s October. Well, if it means drinking beer, I’ll celebrate Christmas a few months early. I was checking out the beer selection at the grocery store last week and came across a winter seasonal beer from Ninkasi (one of my favorite breweries I’ve been turned onto), with a picture of Santa on the label.
Now I’m still trying all of these pumpkin ales and fall seasonals and my first thought was that it’s to early to have a Christmas seasonal. After a few seconds though that thought was quickly dismissed for 2 reasons. The first is this a beer from Ninkasi Brewing out of Eugene, OR, and they have yet to let me down. The other thought is that it’s beer, and that can be celebrated all year long.
So on to the review.
Pouring the Sleigh’r, my mouth started watering instantly. It looked dark, malty, and full of flavor. Without knowing what was in the glass, it could have easily been mistaken for a glass of root beer. There was very little head, even though I poured straight down the middle, although the lacing on the glass was pretty substantial.
The smell wasn’t all that strong with aromas of malt, nuts, fruit, and chocolate chip cookies. Not just any chocolate chip cookie either. I’m talking about those kind that are homemade where you stare at the timer the last few minutes they’re in the oven in anticipation for its glorious entry into the world.
Tasting this beer was probably the highlight of my day. It has an incredibly smooth sweet malt flavor which makes me want to pour a glass, sit by the fire, and sing Christmas carols. This beer has multiple layers of flavors that merge together better than any Christmas choir ever could.
I’m not going to lie, every drink made this beer taste better. That could be the 7.2% ABV, but I think Ninkasi did a great job crafting this seasonal.
If you can find Ninkasi where you live, you have to give this one a try.
My Sleigh’r Review: A-
Here are the details:
ABV: 7.2%
Style: Altbier
What’s your thoughts on Sleigh’r?
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