10.0% ABV

As the shopping days wane before gift-giving commences, those in my line (the line of purchasing procrastination) get ready to start thinking of ideas for the buying spree. As has always been the tradition of my brother and I, we go out on the 23 or 24 of December and buy all of our gifts in a matter of a few hours. We have a generally good idea of exactly what we need to get, and we spend our time buying, not shopping. As gift ideas seem less and less inspired every year with gift cards being the easiest way to shop for everyone, I became inspired when I saw the Christmas seasonal from Ommegang brewery. The label of this beer features a silhouette of the three wise men bearing their gifts in the form of tulip glasses and bombers all in a boat the shape of a crown. Beer as gifts: sounds wise to me.

Following the instructions of a careful, yet “vigorous” distilling, this Dark Belgian Ale pours a brownish maroon color with a bubbly, fast-settling beige head. The sweet nose is an amalgam of the five-spice flavor combination, without a hint of the high alcohol content. The label boasts mace, coriander, cardamom, grains of paradise and sweet orange peel to go along with a dark grain malt that provides the body for this Belgian Winter (noel style) beer. It is sweet both on the front and back ends with the orange peel lingering on the back end. The dark malt balances Adoration, allowing its smooth ale body to come to the forefront, while spices accompany, not overpower. A beer worthy of its name.

While beer is not the answer for all of your gift-buying woes, it can help in more ways that one. The obvious way is that it makes a great gift for those that are fans of craft beer. However, the lesser known or thought of reason is that it can provide solace in those waning hours when inspiration is needed to fulfill those final gift ideas. Adoration will work on both fronts as it is a thoughtful gift for anyone who appreciates good beer, and it will put any shopper in a better mood, allowing you to face the consumer masses with a smile on your face. Ommegang followed their north star of Belgian styled beers to a place of salavation, leaving me thirsting for more.