Once again, we had a blast putting together our annual Craft Beer Advent Calendar!! We've thoughtfully chosen twenty-four of the best beers to enjoy in December 2021, and wrapped them up together as the best advent calendar ever: one that surprises you with a new, limited, seasonal beer every day!

We've represented many of the best cans and bottles coming from our amazing local craft beer scene, alongside some ancient, traditional brews from across the planet, and even included some new and unexpected flavors and styles as well. With an array of IPAs, a smattering of sours, some crisp clean lagers, some way more obscure and nerdy lagers, plus all the roasty malty dark beers you could possibly want to keep you cozy throughout this holiday season... this year's selection is sure to delight any craft beer drinker, from novice to connoisseur.

We thank you for joining us for our second annual Beer Advent Calendar, and invite you to sip along with these daily tasting notes that we’ve put together for each individual beer. Once again for your convenience we saved the heaviest-hitters - those with alcohol contents over 7% - for the weekends. We sincerely hope you enjoy these selected seasonal offerings as much as we really do too!!

Cheers to you, cheers to craft beer, and cheers to the 2021 holidays!
Kim, James, Kelly, Jules, Jessica, Kathryn, Ashley, David & Pamela

Outer Light Brewing Company Trolling Atlantis

Groton, Connecticut - 5.6% abv

One great malt-forward yet refreshing style we love is the ESB, also known as the Extra Special Bitter or English-style Pale Ale. This style, when brewed successfully, tends to be straight-forward and uncomplicated, representing the crowd-pleasing middle ground between the richer sweet styles and the more intensely bitter hoppy ales.

Outer Light’s version is a great example: the bready maltiness and toffee/caramel flavors are perfectly balanced by the gentle floral bitterness, easily making it one of our recent favorites from our talented Groton neighbors over at Outer Light Brewing Company. Trolling Atlantis is refreshing, light-bodied and crisp, with tantalizing citrus notes and a definite floral aroma. With today’s craft beer styles trending towards strong and intense, we can’t help but appreciate the moderate 5.6%abv and the incredibly smooth mouthfeel.

This is just one of those special beers that’s both full-flavored and easy drinking. Your sixteen ounces will disappear before your eyes, but you’ll feel satisfied thanks to the lingering finish.

pmenschDecember 16, 2021KimComment