2016 Craft Beer Cellar Advent Box Day 10

Advent Beer Day 10:

Bam di Castagna from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

One of the joys of the Advent box is that I get to try things I wouldn't normally buy. I said before that I don't gravitate toward sour beers. Except for the excellent label, I would never have picked up this beer. The label describes it as a "sour ale brewed with chestnuts, oak aged farmhouse saison." It sounds like a perfect Christmas beer.

I've had a few sour beers in this advent box, all of which I've liked ... unfortunately, except this one. I'm sure it was good, it just wasn't my thing. To me it was very bitter and astringent like chewing apple seeds with a level of sour that was more than I could appreciate. I could certainly see why some people would love this beer, but it wasn't for me.

Craft Beer Cellar 2014 Advent Beer 4

I mentioned in my previous post that I struggled to drink a beer each day last year, and that I had a plan for that. Now the plan can be revealed. I'm sharing the beer box with my two (grown) daughters. Since they've been out of the house, we've sent them a present for each day of December, just like this beer Advent box. And so this year, I split the beer three ways.

Now on day 4 I had my second beer, an Allagash Saison. While saison is not my favorite style, this was a good example.  It was easy drinking and dry, with pepper and grapefruit notes. I would have rather had either of the beers my daughters got. Day two was a Firestone Velvet Merlin, an oatmeal stout with coffee/chocolate flavors. Day three was a Scaldis Noel, which I remember fondly from last year as one of the highlights.

As any good father would say, I'm glad my daughters got the best of this cycle.