Strong beers to get you through the long, dark winter

Editor's note: This column has been updated. Founders Brewing's CBS Imperial Stout is once again being brewed and sold.

Tis' the season for rich, complex beers!

Looking for something with baking spices and a warming glow that’ll have you feeling merry? Whether it’s called Christmas or Winter beer, these styles are just the tipple to warm you up.

According to the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines, “Winter Seasonal Beers are beers that suggest cold weather and the Christmas holiday season, and may include holiday spices, specialty sugars, and other products that are reminiscent of the festive season.

Typically, a stronger, darker, spiced beer that has a rich body and warming finish suggests a good accompaniment for the cold winter season.”

Some of these big beers come in smaller bottles called nips, that are perfect for pairing with a late-night snack of gingerbread men. The bigger bottles would enhance a festive dinner of cherry Bourbon glazed baked ham with all the trimmings.

These high-octane beers generally age gracefully. But unlike wine, cellar them upright. Here’s a few favorites:

New Belgium Holiday Ale captures that winter warming sensation with a little bit of holiday spice. Rich and flavorful with cranberries, oranges and cinnamon, this holiday treat is at the low end of ABV at 7.5%.

Elysian Brewing BiFrost Winter Ale smells sweet like a caramel apple with a little baking spice and a good amount of orange zest. Flavored with ginger, warm spices and molasses, a gingerbread couple would be a great match. 8.3% ABV, 58 IBU.

Old Scrooge Christmas Ale is Silver City’s take on the classic Old Ale style. It’s malt-forward with intriguing notes of apple, cherry and apricot from the long boil, cool fermentation and extended aging. Save a few for next year’s celebrations as it ages gracefully. 9% ABV, 60 IBU.

Rogue Ales Santa’s Private Reserve is a Belgian Dark Ale. Each year, at Santa's request, a special ale is brewed. This year, Rogue added Honey Mama's (a company that makes cocoa truffle bars) to the holiday batch. This tahini, tangerine, and chocolate-flavored stout would be perfect with a plate of Scottish shortbread. 6.5% ABV, 19 IBU.

The Black Raven Festivus Pale Ale is a copper-colored holiday ale brewed with orange peels, northwest cranberries, galangal root and other festive spices that should wrap you in the warm winter hearth. Weighs in at 7.3%.

Delirium Christmas is Belgian where some of my favorite beers are produced. For the holiday season, Delirium Christmas or Noël ale is loaded with flavors of caramel candy, dried fruits and holiday spices. At 10% ABV, it has a nice warm finish. 26 IBU.

Brewing a festive beer since 1946, Brouwerji St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is from the West Flemish region of Belgium. This abbey ale is dark, rich with malty flavors that are typical of a quadruple. Paired with figgy pudding, you’ll want to be sitting down with this 10% ABV top-fermented beer.

Doppelbock is a big beer, known as liquid bread because it sustained the monks through long days of fasting. Ayinger Celebrator’s is from the original recipe brewed in the 17th century Bavarian monks. This is a classic that’s rich, malty with dark fruit and coffee flavors. An ideal pairing for savory holiday dinner.

Rogue Old Crustacean is a big Barleywine-style brew that had been bottled in 1999. The huge maltiness and massive IBUs all mellowed together in a rich, warming treat. 11.5% ABV 110 IBU

Old Foghorn Barleywine from Anchor Brewing is a Barleywine-style ale. Cellar-aged, it brimmed with flavors of toffee, dates and a touch of pine. Unfortunately, the fate of Anchor Brewing is yet to be determined.

Bourbon barrels can only be used once for bourbon. After that, many craft brewers use these oak barrels to impart more flavors and aromatics in their brews. In the barrel, the beer absorbs caramel and vanilla flavors, as well as any flavors left from the bourbon. Evaporation also occurs and the resulting liquid is more concentrated.

With the extra time, labor and expense involved, barrel aged beers tend to be a bit more expensive. Typically made in small batches, once a year, the supply is short and the demand is high among beer aficionados.

At a recent "Big Beer Tasting" at a friend’s house, we tasted a number of delicious barrels aged and vintage beers.

Founders Brewing CBS Imperial Stout is redolent with chocolate, coffee and maple syrup and aged in bourbon barrels. 11.7% ABV.

Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu is a Belgian Pale Strong with a slight sweetness and traditional holiday spices. 7% ABV.

Avery Brewing Tweak an imperial stout that spent four months in Bourbon barrels. This 2018 bottling had wonderful chocolate flavors and a long finish. 14.7% ABV.

And then there was Firestone Walker’s Anniversary Ales, a blend of many lots of their brews and many, many barrels. They probably use more barrels than any other U.S. brewery. Quercus Alba is the name of their Barrel aging and blending program. Bottles come in a box that also contains a two pager all about the beer.

The XVIII Anniversary Ale (from 2014) was an exotic blend of 227 oak barrel lots containing 9 different barrel aged beers. The components: Parabola Russian Imperial Stout, Bravo Imperial Brown Ale, Stickee Monkee Barleywine, Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout, Hydra Cuvee, Wookey Jack Black Ale, Ol’ Leghorn Barleywine and Double Jack IPA.

The XV Anniversary Ale (2011) was a blend of 8 beers with 76% Barleywine-style, 19% Stout and 5% Imperial IPA beers. In the blend are Stickee Monkee, Good Foot and Bravo Barleywines, Velvet Merkin and Parabola Oatmeal Stout and Double Jack, a Double IPA.

The XIV Anniversary Ale (2010) was a blend of six barrel aged beers. Double Double English Pale Ale, Stickee Monkee and Good Foot Barleywines and Parabola, Black Xantus and Velvet Merkin Stouts. 12.5% ABV.

Many thanks to Ernie and Marti for sharing their stash of aged Firestone Walkers.

May you find a few of these under your tree!

Mary Earl has been educating Kitsap wine lovers for a couple of decades, is a longtime member of the West Sound Brew Club and can pair a beer or wine dinner in a flash. She volunteers for the Clear Creek Trail and is a longtime supporter of Silverdale.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Dark beer recommendations for seasonal drinking