Jubelale - '10 version

There are quite a few beer drinkers in Oregon who consider Jubelale from Deschutes to be as tied to the holidays as turkey, mistletoe, snow, and Santa. For good reason, too: it's an established, well-made, tasty winter ale. This year's version started dropping in various locations around town and I picked up a six-pack a few days ago.

So, just a quick little review on this. I like the new label (there's a new one every year) and the appearance of the beer is pleasing to the eye. Trending toward a darker-amber, it was a smooth pour. About a finger of head and this reduces to a nice glaze over the beer, sticking around as you progress down the glass. Moderate amounts of sweet hop to the nose with some 'warm/roast' malt swirling around in there. Good flavor, but there are some differences this year. Hops, yes. Spice & molasses, yes. But less of that pairing this time around than I've come to associate with this beer and more alcohol burn than I previously recall. Now, the reduction/increase is not wildly pronounced and I don't want to give the impression that the flavors are all out of proportion. Personally, I only noticed the alcohol sprinting to the front of the taste pattern as the beer warmed up. YMMV.

Still - it's Jubelale, man. Even with a few tweaks to the process, you're still in good hands.