Beers of Christmas Past: Part 2

So I’ve been finishing up Christmas collection of beers.  The final two weren’t exactly Christmas beers, but were included because they were new to me.  So how did it go?  Not as I expected. 

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale - Barrel aged beers are all the rage right now and Firestone Walker really impressed me when I finally got around to trying their Reserve.  I had high hopes for this beer and waited until the right moment to try this one.  Well, I probably built it up to much because I wasn’t impressed.  An amberish-brown ale, I came away thinking “tastes like beer.”  Now I’m not saying this was a bad beer, by no means, it just wasn’t what I had expected.  If you have the choice between the Reserve and Double Barrel, grab the Reserve.

Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy - Another beer I had high hopes for but in the end I was disappointed.  Very similar to the Double Barrel Ale, Lumpy Gravy was a nice amber in the glass.  Very malty, not much hops to it, I found out after drinking it (thanks to the Lagunitas Seasonal Release Schedule) that it was supposed to be an Imperial amber.  I actually had this beer last week and haven’t wrote about it until now because I really couldn’t think of what to say.  The previous Zappa brew (Kill Ugly Radio) was incredible and I had hoped for more of the same, but it wasn’t meant to be.  Again, this was not a bad beer, but I think was doomed by the expectations I placed on it.

Well, I guess this marks the end of Christmas, hope your New year is treating you well.  Keep drinking those tasty brews.