New Moon Niceties: Better Know Your Brews!

This month’s publication of Better Know Your Brews is highlighting two seasonal beers that are nothing short of exquisite. The American beer featured in this edition is an Imperial Oktoberfest from the Avery Brewery in Boulder, Colorado. High alcohol beers have always interested Adam Avery, brewmaster of the brewery, and The Kaiser is their version of a traditional German Märzen with ABV (alcohol by volume) value of 10.03% this year. As for the recommended international brew, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is an amazing winter seasonal beer from the Belgian Abbey, St. Bernardus. This Belgian Strong Ale is also high in alcohol at 10% ABV. Unless you’re an expert at binge drinking like yours truly or a professional in getting shit-faced like Chris Meyer, share a bottle of these beers with a buddy and take your time.

- Aaron Nielsen


The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest (Oktoberfest/Märzen)
Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado)

The aforementioned Avery Brewery in Boulder, Colorado, is renowned for its high alcohol beers or as they say, “Small Brewery, Big Beers”. There’s the Holy Trinity which includes two Belgian beers and an American Barleywine all at 9% ABV or higher. The Demons series includes three beers over 15% ABV with this year’s The Beast Grand Cru having an ABV of 16.31%. The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest is included in the Dictator series along with The Czar Imperial Stout (to be reviewed next month) and The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale. These beers are also all above 10% ABV. Any one of these beers is an incredible experience even if you find that it doesn’t tickle your taste buds.

The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest costs around $8.99 for a 22 ounce bottle and can be found in larger liquor stores, particularly in Colorado. The Kaiser advertises itself as taking in all that is good in a traditional Oktoberfest and then intensifying the flavors. Oktoberfest beers are traditionally served in a stein, but I choose to use a pint glass instead to better show the beer’s appearance. The Kaiser has a burnt, copper orange appearance with a small orange-white head. There’s a fairly strong sweet, caramel malt scent to the beer with no hint of the high alcohol content. At first taste, there is a sweet malty, toasted flavor. The caramel taste is somewhat dominate over a more typical German lager flavor. The finish is somewhat dry and bitter. There’s a creamy, carbonated mouthfeel that though the high alcohol content isn’t immediately obvious, does cause a mild burning sensation. Although the beer tastes stronger than the typical Oktoberfest beer, the flavor is so full and delicious that it is hard to notice that the beer is high in alcohol. If you can’t afford to go to the real Oktoberfest and instead only make it to your grandmother’s terrace in rural Iowa, zwei Maß of The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest will surely brighten your evening while watching a Lawrence Welk marathon.

Aroma: 11/12 | Appearance: 2/3 | Flavor: 15/20 | Mouthfeel: 4/5 | Overall Impression: 10/10 Total: 42/50 (Excellent)

Aaron’s rating: 8/10


St. Bernardus Christmas Ale (Belgian Strong Ale)
St. Bernard Brouwerij (Watou, Belgium)


Most lists of the world’s best beers include St. Bernardus Abt 12, a Belgian Quadrupel rated in the 100th percentile on RateBeer.com. This beer can be found on tap in the United States at nicer beer bars such as the Cheeky Monk in Denver, Colorado. I also love their Pater 6, an Abbey Dubbel, and Watou Tripel, an Abbey Tripel. In fact, all six beers that I have tasted from St. Bernardus I have rated at 8.0/10.0 or better and St. Bernardus is currently rated my second favorite brewery. It’s hard to say enough about the quality brews from this company.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is Strong Belgian Ale brewed for the holiday season with an ABV of 10% ABV. This beer can be a little hard to find unless you have a nice beer store in your vicinity and costs $9.99 for a 750 mL bottle. Like other Belgian beers, this beer is best served in a tulip glass, which is the path I took for the following rating. The appearance of this beer is a deep brown and pours a thick, cream-colored head. Taking a drive-by, you immediately smell a very complex aroma in addition to a strong alcohol characteristic. This aroma isn’t all that different from what you would expect from a Belgian Ale, notably an Abbey Dubbel. There’s a sweet candy flavor like brown sugar to the beer much like again an Abbey Dubbel. This beer is spiced more strongly than typical Belgian ales. Cinnamon is notably present along with a generous amount of orange peel and coriander. These spices are really what makes this beer special for the holidays. These flavors make this beer a great compliment to gingerbread cookies or other holiday sweets. It is, in fact, a bit piquant. In your mouth, this ale has a smooth, almost tingly feel with the high alcohol content being obvious but not overbearing.

Aroma: 10/12 | Appearance: 3/3 | Flavor: 19/20 | Mouthfeel: 5/5 | Overall Impression: 10/10 Total: 47/50 (Outstanding)

Aaron’s rating: 9/10