It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, and Magic Hat Starlit

Here are my beers from the last few days.

Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin

Friday night was my company holiday party, after which a bunch of us went to a co-worker's apartment for some continued boozing.  Having had enough whiskey over the course of the night, I decided to drink a beer.  I like beer.  It was a stroke of luck that the guy happened to have some winter beers, including Firestone Walker's Velvet Merlin, an oatmeal stout.  I don't think I've ever met an oatmeal stout I didn't like, and this is one of the better ones I've had.  It's smooth, creamy, and easy to drink, with some chocolate and coffee flavor.  It was a good beer to have at the end of the night.  Plus, it has one of the best names ever given to a beer.

Name:  Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout

Brewery:  Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Location:  Paso Robles, California

ABV:  5.5%

IBU:  27

Good for drinking if:  you need something a little lighter than scotch to end the night.

Rating:  4.5 stars (out of 5)

Breckenridge Christmas Ale

Last night, Jester and I went to two holiday parties, and I drank a variety of winter beers, none of which I captured photographically for some reason.  At the second party of the evening, someone brought one of those five-liter mini kegs of Breckenridge Christmas Ale.  Whoever thought to bring this mini keg should be given a pat on the back, or at least a beer.  I think Breckenridge makes some pretty damn good beers, especially dark ones.  I especially enjoy their 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout, Vanilla Porter, and Oatmeal Stout.  Their Christmas Ale is one of my favorites, too.  It's pretty strong (7.4%), with a nice malty, caramel flavor.  Unlike many Christmas ales, it doesn't have winter spices, like cinnamon or nutmeg, but it doesn't need them.

Name:  Christmas Ale

Brewery:  Breckenridge Brewery

Location:  Denver, Colorado

ABV:  7.4%

IBU:  22

Good for drinking if:  you want a really good winter beer without a lot of spice.

Rating:  4.5 stars (out of 5)

Magic Hat Starlit

Tonight, I tapped into the Magic Hat winter sampler pack I bought a couple weeks ago.  The most intriguing of the beers in the sampler pack was the Starlit Star Anise Porter.  I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, since the word "anise" is in the name of the beer, but Starlit does, in fact, have a pretty strong anise flavor to it.  I don't really like anise, so I'm not sure why I thought I would like this beer.  It is a porter, so it does have some redeeming qualities, but a little bit of anise goes a long way, and it's impossible for me to taste anything else.

Name:  Starlit Star Anise Porter

Brewery:  Magic Hat Brewing Company

Location:  South Burlington, Vermont

ABV:  5.8%

IBU:  28

Good for drinking if:  you've ever thought to yourself, "you know what would make this beer taste better? Sambuca."

Rating:  3 stars (out of 5)