HELLO AND CHEERS!!

We at Spencer & Lynn want to sincerely thank you for purchasing our 2020 Beer Advent Box. As our first run on this annual Holiday tradition, we wanted to shoot for the moon, and we think you'll be very pleased with our selections. We were so excited to put together this premium mixed case for you, from the best Connecticut and New England have to offer, to the best of national and international breweries afar. We hope you can tell a lot of love went into this project. Likewise, we hope you like how it looks under your tree, since you can choose to chill only one beer at a time, instead of taking precious fridge space for almost an entire month.

It has been our pleasure to include a complete and balanced range of styles for you to enjoy from December 1st until Christmas Eve, but as is typical of the winter holidays, you'll find many of these seasonal beers highlight the rich flavors of stronger beers to warm you on these cold nights. We tried to be deliberate with the order of the beers, spacing out Stouts, Belgians, IPAs and so on, while also leaving the strongest beers to enjoy on the weekends. We have done the courtesy of wrapping all beers with 7% ABV or higher, in navy blue paper. That way, you can still enjoy the mystery, while not being surprised by a strong beer the evening before an early morning. You may do with that information what you choose!

Each day, we will update this page with a short description about the day's beer, follow along and enjoy this tasting together with us and other craft beer lovers in our community. This definitely isn't your Grandmother's Advent Box! We can't wait to get started, and we look forward to hearing what you think. You can comment, and ask questions on each beer post! We truly hope you enjoy these beers, and this entire holiday season.

Happy Holidays,
Pamela, David, Jules, Kelly, Kim, Bri & Madison

Allagash World on a String

Portland, ME - 9.5% ABV

Without a doubt, Allagash Brewing is singularly responsible for converting countless drinkers into craft beer lovers with its groundbreaking flagship ale Allagash White. What most people don't know, is that they have over 100 beers in their portfolio, and (in our humble opinion) every single one of them is really, really, REALLY good. Allagash Brewing was founded in Portland Maine in 1995, by a man named Rob Tod, who just last year made history by becoming the first ever person in the beer world to earn a prestigious James Beard Award for his work.

Allagash Brewing has always focused on Belgian styles, and to this day all of the beers Allagash produces are bottle conditioned. The technique calls for two fermentations, the first in the fermenting tanks and the second in the bottle itself (a process known as the methode champenoise). Before the beer is bottled, a small amount of yeast and sugar is added and a second fermentation occurs. It's this second fermentation in the actual bottle you have in front of you, which produces a noticeable increase in fluffy carbonation, a softer mouthfeel, and remarkable complexity... And, it's Allagash's commitment to sustainability, dedication to charity, and their respectable ability to grow and expand with integrity and grace that garners the respect and admiration of beer lovers all across the country.

We chose 'World on a String' as a memorable beer to close out the third week of our Advent Calendar. Inspired by the classic cocktail, the Old Fashioned, 'World on a String' is an amber ale brewed with orange peels and aged in ex-Bourbon barrels. At 9.5% ABV, it's surprisingly smooth and drinkable (due to that bottle-conditioning), but you can really feel the weight of this one on your palate. It definitely has that cocktail vibe, but with the pleasant addition of that famous Allagash carbonation. Sticky sweet flavors of Bourbon and candy lead into a long, long finish. Cheers, and enjoy!

pmenschDecember 19, 2020Comment