Considering the weather as of late, it seems that one of the few signs that autumn’s end is around the corner is the slew of winter seasonal beers showing up on the shelves. And it’s about time. In terms of the craft brew calendar, this is one of my favorite times of the year. So to kick the season off, I’ve got three easy-to-find American winter seasonals worthy of your glass: Magic Hat’s Ravell, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and Stone’s Double Bastard.
As the lightest of the three beers, Magic Hat Brewing Co.’s Ravell, a vanilla porter, seems the appropriate place to begin. Magic Hat, from Burlington, VT, is most commonly known for their flagship ale, #9—an American pale ale brewed with apricot. Before writing this, #9 was one of the few samplings I had tried from this brewery, and to be frank, I wasn’t really that impressed. The last time I had one— maybe two or three years ago— tasted like soap, and I’ve tended to leave their beer on the shelf since. That being said, I was given a bottle of Ravell this week, and— being free and all— decided to give it a shot. And I’m pretty damn glad I did.
