December 11th and this is what was in my two X-mas calendars:

The Great Mikkeller X-mas Calendar

K:rlek Höst/vinter (2019) by Mikkeller - Nelson hops are very evident in the nose paired with different kinds of fruit. Tropical, floral and hoppy flavors are center stage in taste on top of a quite crisp, but still juicy and smooth pale ale. This beer has enough bitterness to stand out in the modern crowd of very sweet New England pale ales. Nice change of pace.

My wife's homemade X-mas calendar

Confirmation Bias by Cloudwater Brew Co. - Fruity, tropical and floral notes tickles the nose with a bit of malt sweetness as a sidedish. Taste is very juicy fruits in a nicely balanced double IPA. Mouthfeel is soft and smooth with enough bitterness to make this beer almost dangerously easy-drinking. This is a killer DIPA!

Today’s beers are all about hops. Both beers are loaded with nice fruity hops. K:rlek Höst/vinter (2019) has the bitterness to make it a welcome change from sticky and sweet X-mas beers. Confirmation Bias is a double IPA as I like them. Great hop flavors on a wall of malt and smoothness that’s not overwhelmingly sweet. It a very balanced DIPA without that boozy or cloyingly sweet feeling that sometimes make me regret that I opened another DIPA. As you probably know by now I like my hoppy beers with enough bitterness to make them shy a bit away from being pure juice.

All through December, I'm opening my two X-mas beer calendars. The two calendars are The Great Mikkeller X-mas Calendar and my wife's homemade X-mas calendar.

See you tomorrow!