Bridgeport Brewing Company's Ebenezer Ale

With the holidays quickly approaching, craft brewers have begun to roll out their Christmas Ales, Holiday Ales, and Winter Ales.  I have reviewed a few of them last year, such as the Great Lakes Christmas Ale, the Abita Christmas Ale and the Breuwerij Huyghe Delirium Noel.  This year, it is Bridgeport Brewing Company's Ebenezer Ale. 

Bridgeport Brewery is Oregon's oldest craft brewery. The origins of the brewery lie with one of the families in Oregon's well established wine movement, the Ponzis.  Richard and Nancy Ponzi worked with brewer Karl Ockert to establish Columbia River Brewing in 1984.  Columbia River Brewing eventually became Bridgeport Brewing Company.  Today, Bridgeport Brewing Company has grown in size and capacity, producing more than 100,000 barrels of beer per year.

My beautiful Angel and I visited the Bridgeport Brewpub and Bakery during our honeymoon. When I planned our honeymoon, it was to be a foodie, craft beer and wine experience.  The craft beer part of the experience appropriately began with the first craft brewer in Oregon.  We stopped in for a couple of beers, such as the India Pale Ale and the Blue Heron.  We both enjoyed the beers a lot.  Unfortunately, we have not been able to enjoy Bridgeport beers since our honeymoon because the craft brewer does not distribute to the East Coast.  However, I was able to find Bridgeport Brewing Company's Ebenezer Ale during a recent trip to Chicago.  So, I bought a six pack for the holiday. 

The Ebenezer Ale is a beer produced in the Winter Warmer Ale.  The brewer uses four different roasted malts and a few different hops. The beer pours an orangish-brown in color with a thin layer of foam.  The aroma of the beer highlights the roasted malts, with hints of the hops.  There is also an aroma of caramel.  The taste of the beer suggests cinnamon and, perhaps, a faint cardamom, nutmeg and/or clove flavor.    The flavors of this beer are lighter and more subtle than I expected.  This is not a bad thing, because it provides a contrast to other holiday ales or winter warmers that I have tried. 

Generally speaking, winter warmer ales are meant to be enjoyed alone, not necessarily paired with food.  These ales are usually a digestive, enjoyed after a good meal. Nevertheless, if you have some Christmas cookies, there is nothing wrong with having a couple with a beer like the Ebenezer Ale. 

Bridgeport Brewing Company's Ebenezer Ale has an ABV of 6.4% with an IBU of 40.  I found this beer at a Binny's outside of Chicago, Illinois, where a six-pack sold for about $8.99.

ENJOY!

Widmer Brothers Barrel Aged Brrrbon

Oregon is home to a lot of craft breweries.  And I mean, a lot.  Like the most craft breweries per capita of any state in the nation.  One of the more well known Oregonian craft brewers is Widmer Brothers.  The Widmer Brothers -- Kurt and Rob Widmer -- have been brewing beer since 1984.  Their claim to fame is that they pioneered the American-style Hefeweizen.  That beer is quite successful, because you can find it at a lot of restaurants and bars across the country, not to mention in six packs in beer and wine stores.

Yet, Widmer Brothers Brewing is about more than a Hefeweizen.  The two brothers have what they call their Brothers' Reserve, which is a series of one-time beers.  The first two beers were Cherry Oak Dopplebock and the Prickley Pear Braggot.  But, as the days get shorter and colder, fruity beers are no longer "in season."  Instead, winter brews are in, and the third Brothers Reserve is a winter brew called Barrel Aged Brrrbon.

As the name suggests, this beer is aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. But before one gets to aging the beer, the brewery starts with 2-Row Pale, Carapils, Caramel 10-L, Caramel 80-L, and Dark Chocolate malts, as well as Alchemy Hops for bittering, along with Simcoe and Cascade hops for aroma.  Once the brewing is completed, the beer is aged for four months in the bourbon barrels.

According to Widmer, when you drink this beer, you should be able to smell caramel and vanilla and taste the soft oak flavors with a sweet but subtly dry finish.  When one takes a sniff of this beer, they are greeted with a subtle, boozy whiff of bourbon, with the vanilla aroma.  As you stare into the dark brown beer before you, the beer looks like it has been aged.  The brown color has a look that suggests something more like a hard liquor than a beer.  Despite the aroma and the look, the beer does not overwhelm you with a bourbon taste (unlike some other bourbon-barrel aged beers that I've tried).  The bourbon flavor is smooth and complements the flavors that are typically found in a beer.  I have to say this is one of the better barrel aged beers that I've ever had and I would recommend it to someone who has not tried this style of beer before. 

As one would expect, the Barrel Aged Brrrbon has an ABV of 9.4%.  It comes in a 22 ounce bottle for about $12.99.  I found this beer at Whole Foods Market.  Given it is a limited, one-time production, it will become harder to find as time goes by. 

For more information about this beer, check out Widmer Brothers.

ENJOY!