12 beers to try as the year comes to an end

12 beers to try as the year comes to an end

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As the year comes to a close we checked out a few stragglers on store shelves. This eclectic bunch is quite a range, from lagers to barrel-aged, from 4.8 percent alcohol to a pair of double-digit whoppers. About our reviews: Since we cover local breweries on a regular basis, our regular reviews focus on beers from out-of-region breweries, ones that you can find on store shelves in grocery and specialty stores. We offer flavor profiles rather than take a good-bad approach. We show the beer's color along with its label. All should be available for retail sale in Northeast Ohio. Cheers!

Our Special Ale

Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, holiday seasonal, 6.9 percent alcohol

Each year the ancient brewery (it has roots to the late 1800s) in San Francisco puts out an end-of-the-year spicy ale with some variations in flavor and a different tree on its label. (This year's is a Korean Pine.) The 44th Our Special Ale has a slight sweetness, just a bit of caramel, and is very dark but not heavy. Don't expect Christmas Ale but the spiciness is there. Best one I've tried.

Avalanche

Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, Colorado; Amber Ale, 5 percent alcohol

A little caramel seeps through, but for the style it's not too much. It's billed as having a "caramel malt body with a light hop character." I would add very light when it comes to the hops. Amber is a good inoffensive style for those who don't take extremes in their beer tastes, who don't want big hop bitterness or too much malt.

Baltic Porter

Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon; Baltic Porter, 8 percent alcohol

The 30-year-old brewery's offering has caramel up front but its guts are in its finish - a very long, toasty one, faintly reminiscent of root beer. Solid body but won't knock you off your feet like a double-digit alcohol percentage version of the style.

St. Bernardus Wit

Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Belgium, Belgian Wit, 5.5 percent alcohol

Deliciously crisp, not overly banana in flavor, which the style often yields. Hints of fresh, mild lemon - not tart - precede a dry finish. One of the best Wits I've tasted.

God Save the Pils

Arcadia Brewing Co., Kalamazoo, Michigan (in collaboration with Shepherd Neame, U.K.); English Lager, 4.8 percent alcohol

Hoppy and delicious, could easily drink several of these sessionable sippers.  Delicious with balanced hops on the palate and staying through to the finish. Bonus: Love the label homage to the Sex Pistols' 1977 album.

Chanukah Hannukkah Pass the Beer

Shmaltz Brewing Co., Clifton Park, New York; dark ale brewed with chocolate, 8 percent alcohol

In one of the best-named beers around, the brewery's annual installment of this ale has - appropriately enough - eight malts and eight hops. There's no huge cloying sweetness you often can impart from an ale with chocolate. It's also not heavy. Balanced, tasty and well-made.

Harp

Guinness & Co., Ireland, Lager, 4.5 percent alcohol

A basic lager that I think has fallen prey to better craft offerings for both lager and other styles. While this predates craft, it's not popping through with any great flavor or strong hops. Would be good twice a year: Summer, after cutting the lawn, and winter, after shoveling. Though it's light enough to work well as an aperitif with grilled shrimp and the like. Very inoffensive.

Humulus Nimbus

Seventh Son Brewing Co., Columbus; Pale Ale, 6 percent alcohol

Pine notes and fresh-tasting lemon (not tart) with a dose of hops but not a big bite (it has 53 International Bittering Units), as to be expected from the style. You won't get a citrus burst. Nice-tasting Pale Ale, a style that sometimes get overlooked in today's deluge of India Pale Ales.

Jewbellation

Shmaltz Brewing Co., Clifton Park, New York; dark ale, 11 percent alcohol

It's the 22nd anniversary ale from the brewery, which prides itself on numbers, an irreverent nature and lots of hops and malts. This one has 11 malts and 11 hops to match its alcohol content. Only slightly sweet with alcohol coming through on the finish (but not too boozy). Who would have thought a big, bold beer would come from a bomber can?

Barrel Runner

Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan; barrel-aged ale, 11.1 percent alcohol

From the brewery's barrel-aged series comes this Mosaic-hopped ale aged in rum barrels. It's a big boy, with hint of vanilla. It's very alcoholic tasting and, yes, the rum comes through as powerfully as an Ohio State running back pounding through the line of scrimmage. For those who like BA beers, this is a slow sipper. A bit heavy-handed for me, but others will love.

Stone Fort

Seventh Son Brewing Co., Columbus; Brown Ale, 5 percent alcohol

Light cocoa, good flavor, bit of a thin body, not sweet and long finish. As a non Brown Ale fan I enjoyed. If you're not familiar with the style, Brown Ales are usually on the lighter body side despite their appearance and often not too high in alcohol.

Lagunitas Super Cluster

Lagunitas Brewing Co., Petaluma, California, and Chicago; India Pale Ale, 8 percent alcohol

Incredibly smooth, with a balanced hint of tropical and pine flavors but nothing over the top. Made with Citra hops. Did we mention smooth? Extremely drinkable. Billed as a "mega ale."