Following on from last issue’s look at the first half of Wales Ales’ Legendary 12 Beers of Christmas, here’s the second half!
It’s not Christmas without a Winter Warmer. Wales is producing some quality beers right now – and that includes the festive brews too.
Luckily for lovers of Welsh ales you can now pick up a Christmas beer box – called “The Legendary 12 Beers of Christmas” from Wales Ales, recently awarded The Best Beer Subscription Provider for the second year running. Offering 12 of the finest festive tipples, the selection has been handpicked by Wales Ales, the longest established hand delivered Welsh beer service, specialising in small Welsh breweries. We caught up with Neil at Wales Ales, affectionately dubbed the Welsh Beer Fairy by his customers, to tell us a little bit more –
“We wanted to select 12 beers that would be representative of all corners of Wales. This is the 8th year we’ve done this and wanted to expand it even further. We were the first to ever do a fully Welsh Christmas Beer Pack, amongst some familiar names like Purple Moose, Tiny Rebel and Glamorgan Brewery there’s little known but equally impressive small breweries such as Dog’s Window, Antur and Left Bank.”
“These are challenging times for the industry and our hope is by shining a light in this manner some people might be tempted to seek out these breweries and try the rest of their range. Our passion is to promote these artisan brewers and give customers an alternative to the usual beers on supermarket shelves, and what better way than at Christmas, a wonderful time for a beer!”
So whether it’s a gift to a loved one or a treat for yourself, there’s some great Welsh beers to enjoy this Christmas. We’ve asked Neil to talk us through the final 6 the delightful dozen-
7. Glamorgan – Santa’s Little Belter 4.4% (Llantrisant)
Wales’ best selling Christmas Ale! Expect biscuit maltiness, winter berries and a hint of chocolate. Oh, and don’t forget to leave one out for Santa on Christmas Eve.
8. Hafod – Little Donkey (500ml) 4.4% (Mold)
It wouldn’t be the Legendary 12 Beers of Christmas without something from Hafod, we do have a soft spot for them! ” Invented as an antidote to some very dull Christmas beers this pale ale is brewed with over 40kgs of apricots giving an inviting fruity aroma and a sweet stone fruit note to a classic pale ale body.
We’ve topped off the recipe with real root ginger to add a warming zingy finish. Definitely not just for Christmas! A fruity pale ale, made with apricots and real root ginger for a warming finish.”
9. Dog’s Window – Santa Paws (440ml) 6% (Bridgend)
Brewing out of a small unit in Bridgend, this brewery is making big waves in the industry with being one of the highest-rated Welsh breweries on popular beer rating App untappd. It is dark and decadent and has a strong fruity flavour with a long lingering after- taste, and at 6% abv it is the epitome of Christmas in a can of beer.
10. Bang-On Brewery – IPA (500ml) 4.4% (Bridgend)
We designed a variation of our Santa holding a beer picture then passed it to the brewery to make this awesome label. We were the first ever to produce a fully Welsh Christmas 12 Beer Pack, now in our 8th year we wanted to add to the uniqueness. The beer inside is just as impressive as the out-side label. This IPA from Bang-On Brewery is a lovely clean, crisp session IPA coming in at a modest 4.4% with a sharp hop kick on the finish.
11. Tiny Rebel – Welcome To The Party Pal! (400ml) 4.8% (Newport, Gwent)
From possibly, THE best Christmas film, we bring you this beauty of a Snowball IPA, “Welcome to the party, pal!”
12. Tomos & Lilford – Santa’s Little Helper (500ml) 4.8% (Llandow, Cowbridge)
Featuring for the 1st time since our original pack 8 years ago! Light Red Ale at 4.8%. Late hopped with Target, East Kent Goldings and First Gold Hops to produce a zingy yet traditional aroma packed with grassy notes, citrus and caramel.
‘The Legendary 12 Beers of Christmas’ is available via their website www.walesales.com.
