It's that time of year again: As the nights get darker so do the ales, and you're not sure if you should curse winter for its coldness or celebrate it for the beers it provide.
We semi-celebrated Deschutes Jubelale last year, a trend that continues here in 2010.
This time around I actually feel the Jubelale is a wee step up, and more reminiscent of the Jubel 2010 special reserve. It pours a deep dark red with a fairly good head. A quick whiff reveals a nice aroma of malts and spices. It smells like Christmas. Heck, it even tastes like Christmas.
The spicy maltiness does carry over in the flavor, and there are subtle floral hints of orange in there too. Its finish is almost surprisingly dry. This is a very drinkable beer if you enjoy robust flavors, and the semi-creamy medium body makes Jubelale a good winter warmer. Had it had a bit more body I'd say it would have been pretty perfect actually.
Plus, at 6.7%, you can kick back one or two without getting completely tanked, which is, you know, kind of a good thing.