DRY

I stopped drinking alcohol on January 1, 2024, in what was a one-year commitment to myself. Now, I’ve decided to go permanently dry, so I have a few Deschutes brews that need to be released into the wild, since I’m retiring my beer cellar. I hope to find someone (or a few someones) to enjoy them, as I would have at one time in the past.

FRESH HOP

Fresh Hop Non-Alcoholic IPA by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

When in Portland...

One of my favorite restaurants is Deschutes Brewery. They think about their food and how it pairs with their beer. And they think a lot about their beer, which makes them one of my favorite breweries. So I expected this visit to be more awkward than it was.

Fortunately, their non-alcoholic version of Fresh Hop is close enough to the original that I don't miss the alcohol in it. Plus the food was top notch, as always. The medium-rare flank steak was perfectly prepared. The asparagus was some of the best I've ever had due to the seasoning, which was light by shifted the flavor just enough to be a delight on the tongue. The food and non-alcoholic beer worked well together, so my worries were unfounded.

BLACK BUTTE

Black Butte Non-Alcoholic Porter by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

The non-alcoholic version of Black Butte Porter from Deschutes is very close to its alcoholic sibling. Not exact, but similar enough to pass. I like it.

NØ MØ

NØ MØ Non-Alcoholic IPA by Crux Fermentation Project.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

Today finally felt like the right time to explore a couple of non-alcoholic beer options. Deschutes Brewery and Crux Fermentation Project brew some of my favorite beers, so perhaps their NA brews would follow suit.

I had Crux NØ MØ IPA with homemade tacos. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't very good, either. Perhaps non-alcoholic IPAs are just not generally good?

I'm holding out hope for the non-alcoholic version of Black Butte.

ALCOHOL-FREE in 2024

The Advent Beer Calendar is complete.

I've taken a vow of no alcohol for 2024, for personal and spiritual reasons. I had a couple of recent prayer walks where I lamented the losses associated with this, but I'm ready. Here's to a sober life for at least a year!

LAST MEAL / FLAME / BEER

TWT fired up the Last Flame so the steaks for the Last Meal could be grilled. This year, TWT enjoyed peppery tri-tip steaks, with Rice-a-Roni and white corn. The Wife had a Dungeness crab salad. The Child had pasta-and-cheese, carrots-and-peas casserole.



Teisnacher 1543 Festmärzen. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-four.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.4% abv. • *****

Last Meal was accompanied by the final beer from the 2023 Advent Calendar box.

The pour was orange body and thin white head.

Flavors were broth, nuttiness, light orange, and light bitterness.

Medium mouthfeel leads into a brief bitterness. This was an excellent way to end the box and dinner.



After dinner, we played games: Betrayal at House on the Hill and Dutch Blitz. It was also time for the final beer of the year, as well as the final beer for a year!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Aldersbacher Urhell. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-three.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • ****

On the pour: yellow body and crisp white head.

Notes are leafy hops, yeast, undetermined spices, light butterscotch, biscuit.

Medium mouthfeel. Medium crisp and clean finish. Leaves and biscuits are on the end.

This is a great hell.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Black Forest Dark Lager. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-two.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.7% abv. • *****

 
The pour presents a black body and a thin tan head.

Flavors include cocoa, burnt log, dark chocolate, light spices, cinnamon. Hints of vanilla and cream.

A medium and creamy mouthfeel leads into a brief dry finish.

This is most excellent and one of the best in the box. So enjoyable!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Hallertauer Hopfen-Cuvée. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-one.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • ****

Notes forthcoming.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Herrnbräu Bayerisches Festbier. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.5% abv. • ***½

The pour is a clear yellow body and a white head.

The flavors are crisp and clean, cereal grains, light leaves, and light fruitiness.

The mouthfeel is medium with a bit of buzzy bite. Short finish of light fruitiness.

It's good.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Memminger Brauerei Hell. Advent Beer Calendar day nineteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 4.9% abv. • ****

Clear, clear, clear light yellow body sits beneath a crisp white billowy head on the pour.

Cereal grains, leaves, sage, other light spices, and a hint of toffee are the noticeable flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is short with a bit of lingering leafiness beyond.

This is a bit more subtle than some of the other Hells I've had, but rather enjoyable.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Alte Liebe Dunkle Weisse. Advent Beer Calendar day eighteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.2% abv. • ***½

On the pour, a brick-red-brown body is topped with a thick and bubbly light tan head.

Flavors are bark, broth, berries, earthiness, nuttiness, and light spiciness. 

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is medium and very vegetal. This is interesting but a bit unbalanced.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Schwarze Tinte Collab Stout. Advent Beer Calendar day seventeen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 6.2% abv. • ***½

Pour = black body + tan head.

The flavors are heavy of broth and earthiness, with hints of dark chocolate, cocoa, and coffee.

The mouthfeel is medium, with a short cocoa finish. This is good, but I remember it being more—more flavor, more mouthfeel, more body and fullness.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Klosterbräu Bamberger Rauchbier. Advent Beer Calendar day sixteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • *****

I love me some Rauchbier, and this particular beer does not disappoint!

The pour is a dark brown (almost black) body capped with a thick tan head.

The smell is of smoked sausage. (Yes!)

The flavors are campfire, smoked meat, roasted malts, and a hint of cocoa.

The mouthfeel is medium, with a smoky and dry finish that lingers.

Most excellent. My favorite of the box so far.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Husaren Trunk. Advent Beer Calendar day fifteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • ***½

Golden yellow body and a generous white crown appear on the pour.

Primary notes are graham cracker, bitter leaves, and leather. There are also some light caramel notes.

Medium mouthfeel. Good.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Schnitzlbaumer Lagerbier Hell. Advent Beer Calendar day fourteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****

The pour provides a clear light yellow body and a white head.

The flavors are lemon, light and airy (yes, it's a flavor), leather, hint of leafiness, light spices.

Medium mouthfeel and a short, fleeting finish.

This is good.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Wildbräu Grandauer Weißbier. Advent Beer Calendar day thirteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • ****

There is a hazy orange body and a finger-thick off-white head. The body is very carbonated with many streams of the tiniest bubbles.

There are a lot of flavors at play: broth, berries, biscuit, pretzel, leathery yeast, light spices.

The mouthfeel is medium with a very bubbly bite, followed by a short sweet finish.

This is quite good!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Fürst Carl Kellerbier. Advent Beer Calendar day twelve.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • **

Slightly hazy yellow body (barely) capped with an almost non-existent white head. And what was there on the pour is gone so quick!

The flavors are too faint. What I'm picking up are leaves, buttered bread, and light spices.

Medium -light mouthfeel, with essentially no finish.

There is nothing to offend, but that's the problem: nothing.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Flötzringer Hell auf Rosenheim. Advent Beer Calendar day eleven.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****½

Yellow body and thick white head on the pour.

Leather and light lemon, Seabreeze and sage. Grains of Cheerios.

Medium mouthfeel. There is a short finish that speaks of leafy bitterness.

Excellent.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Gmoastier Weisser Bock. Advent Beer Calendar day ten.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 7.1% abv. • *****

Hazy gold body. Finger-thick white head.

Flavors noticed include butterscotch, dried sage, dried cilantro, summer savory, Fruity Pebbles, leathery yeast. Is there a hint of white grapes? Maybe. Is there a hint of nutmeg? Also maybe.

Medium mouthfeel. The finish moves from sweet to dry, from butterscotch fading into herbs.

This is WOW!

(I also appreciate "Black Philip" on the can!)