For the Ninth beer of Christmas...

For the 9th beer of Christmas I made a trip down the San Tan Brewing Company in Chandler, AZ to sample a glass of their annual Winter Warmer!

San Tan does a lot of things that I like; the brewery has a very open feel, their beers are

consistently tasty, and their staff are quick and friendly. I would like very much to do a full review of the facilities but for today, I'm going to concentrate on only one beer.

The San Tan's Winter Warmer pours a beautiful deep mahogany in color. It has a thick creamy head and bursts with aroma... The most prominent

components that I noticed were dark cocoa and cream, although there was also a very strong mint flavor (somewhere between candy cane-

spearmint and menthol) and there was also a slight licorice flavor on the finish. It also had a really nice herbal-tea like quality to it.

One complaint that I did have was that it was a bit too hot on the palate. I don't have anything against high-octane beers, but if a brew is going to approach double-digits in ABV, it sure as hell

better have the huge flavor and complexity necessary to back itup. Although this beer a lot going on, there's not enough there to back up the 9.5% ABV.

That said, at 6PM Christmas day (when you've taken in more Christmas spirit than you care to (and need to get out of the house before say something to your mother-in-law that you'll regret) a beer with a little kick might be just the think you want!

Three more to go-Stay Tuned!

-Prost!

D.Lux