Three of my favorite holiday ales were enjoyed while vacationing at the ocean.
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Delirium Noël, a Belgian Strong Ale by Brouwerij Huyghe
25.4 ounce bottle with meat pizza.
Delirium Noël pours copper red with an ivory head. There is no lacing.
Its nose is of orange zest, cinnamon, coriander, caramel, and brown sugar. Its tongue is of coriander and other spices, an alcohol bite, leathery yeast, the bitter of orange peel, and brown sugar. It is spicy, warming, rich, and excellent.
The sweetness of the pizza's tomato sauce and the greasy juices of the sausage and pepperoni play well with this ale. The brine of the salted sea air also complements.
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Thomas Hardy's Ale, a Barleywine by O'Hanlon's Brewery
This is about as perfect a beer experience as I can imagine having. This is truly my favorite ale of all time.
It is a small bottle (8.5 ounces) that packs a major punch (11.7% alcohol by volume). It is meant to be sipped, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable, as the ale changes as it warms.
This is like rum-soaked, caramelized brown sugar hiding a few raisins. It is full, thick, and heavy on the nose and the palate. In other words, a gift from the gods.
This particular bottle is from the home beer cellar, having resided there for a couple of years. It is of the 2005 "vintage," number P14358. The extra bottle conditioning matured this ale to a place of extreme enjoyment, a moment savored and cherished.
The salted prime rib that accompanied this ale and the company of those around also helped it go down nice and easy.
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Doggie Claws, a Barleywine by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
12 ounce bottle.
This is still a fairly young bottle of Doggie Claws, having been bottled in 2007. It pours a hazy plum-tinted brown with a thin white head. Interestingly, it leaves behind thin bands of intricate lacing, something fairly unusually for a barleywine. Small particulates in the body settle to the bottom of the glass.
The nose is of brandy, raisin, brown sugar, and honey, along with a noticeable hoppiness. The flavor is similar—sweet with a good strong hoppiness in the background.
Some extra bottle conditioning would make it even better than it is, but that is a minor "problem."
Pulled pork sandwiches are a good match for this ale.
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