Long Ovedue--More Winter Beers!

Hello! While I haven't been posting, I've definitely been enjoying plenty of great beers.
You'll notice I've started a rating system--read more about it here.

Bosteels Brewery, Tripel Karmeliet
Bosteels is legit, the real deal. Located in Belgium, they also make Kwak, that delightful golden Belgian ale.
The Tripel Karmeliet is bottle fermented, and you can taste the bitter/sweet fermented flavor...very unique and memorable. A little lemony, a little hoppy. It contains three types of grain--wheat, oats and barley. If you're in the mood for something a little different, that packs a punch, try this. 8.4% abv.
Rating A: 4
Rating B: 3

New Belgium, Lips of Faith, La Folie Sour Brown Ale
I'm not typically a sour beer drinker, but a good friend said that this was the best beer on tap at Tap House...so I had to try it. Definitely different, I thought it was well above the 6% abv because of the strong flavor...but that's just the sourness.
While I'm glad I tried it, I cant say it's my favorite. I've had other sours (a while back, when I wasn't taking notes) that I remember liking, but they were darker and more malty.
Rating A: 4.5 (although, I think I need to try more for my rating to be relevant)
Rating B: 4

Rogue, Santa's Private Reserve
Great picture, eh? I was being artsy with our tree.
Anyway. I really liked this beer. Rogue rarely disappoints, and you can't go wrong with the man of the season being on your beer bottle. This is a red ale, and tasted like Christmas...a little piney, actually. Their description online says "spruce" finish. Double hopped.
Rating A: 4.5
Rating B: 4

 Ridgeway, Lump of Coal
This is interesting. Lump of Coal is brewed in England by Ridgeway, but imported by Shelton Brothers, a company dedicated to finding craft brews from around the world and bringing them here. Cheers! Lump of Coal is just as it sounds...dark, heavy and sticks with you for a while. At 8% abv, it's sure to cheer you up, if you were, say, to...have been bad :)



 

Deschutes, Jubelale Nitro
I really enjoyed this beer. Settles in the glass like a Guiness (because it's a nitro) and it's just as dark and smooth. Very malty, I would love another! Warming, but not too much, at 6.7%. It's only available for three months, October through December, so get it while you can.
Rating A: 3.5
Rating B: 3

Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Yummmm. Lot's of "m's" on that one. Dark, a little bit bitter, but mostly malty and smooth. Spicey but grounded. This was the one that may have put me over the top...9% abv. This is a top fermented Abbey Style strong dark ale.
Rating A: 4
Rating B: 4

21st Amendment Hop Crisis
Generally agreed, this was hoppy but not overbearing. I recognized, while with a group of beer snobs, that I couldn't very well write a beer blog and state that I don't like hoppy beers. I mean...what is beer made of? So, I'm stepping in to the world of hoppy beers and this was a great start. I've written about 21st Amendment before, when I had a Fireside Chat. Solid brewery, solid beers. I really can't wait to try their Monk's Blood Belgian Dark Ale, coming out on Feb 20th. Just in time for my birthday :)
Rating A: 3.5
Rating B: 4