Day 2 of the 4th Annual Advent-ure Calendar

Day 2: Platform Beer Co. Esther Belgian Christmas Ale

The first of two Platform beers on the list, Esther is described as “an aromatic and complex Belgian Dark Strong Ale with notes of honey, dark cherry, and a touch of toffee as the glass warms.” This has been on the list since year one and always seems to be a crowd pleaser, mainly because the recipe is consistent and we know that we’re going to end up with the delicious Belgian Christmas ale we all love.

Reflections

Beard & Broad
Beard: Big fan of Belgians around Christmas and this is a pretty solid local example. Lots of dried fruit in this and there’s a slight chocolatey roastiness in the finish. It goes down a bit easier than other dark Belgians I’ve had, and at 9.5% I’d tread lightly so you don’t fall into a Christmas tree.

Broad: Esther is is always one of my favorite Christmas beers because it’s not too sweet and not too spiced. It’s nutty, chocolately and I definitely get notes of toffee and maybe a hint of honey. It’s a lot smoother than other Belgian Christmas ales but at a higher percentage you need to watch how many you drink!

Adam & Alex
Adam: Esther is really enjoyable. It isn’t overwhelmingly sweet or spiced like a lot of holiday beers but it still has a warming amount of alcohol. I get a lot of dark bitter chocolate which is my personal favorite type. It also feels almost…thick? Like syrupy but in a good way. It’s like that piece of dark chocolate you enjoy after dinner. If that chocolate was super boozy and you wanted to have a bunch of them.

Alex: Platform’s Esther is always one of my favorites.  It’s a Belgian Christmas beer, that I think tastes like honey and chocolate. We have reviewed this one every year if I remember correctly and it’s just as good as it was the first time.  It has a kick to it and will keep you warm on cold nights.

*BONUS* Adam & Alex are currently living with Adam’s parents Jon and Diane while their home is being built. They will be occasionally sharing the beers with them and we’ll be getting their comments as well! (They are the cutest couple ever by the way).

Jon: (while drinking a CitraNoel.) I prefer the this Citra on more. I’d take 12 dogs or festivus over this. It’s alright.

Diane: THATS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD! I feel like it’d be really good in a frosty mug.

Scott & Christa
Scott: Esther is one of the more unique Christmas beers in the local Cleveland market.  While I can find a lot of similarities between Christmas Ale, Holly Jolly and 12 Dogs, Esther has a more bitter, almost stout-like quality.  It has a really deep flavor profile but drinks like a lighter beer than the color suggests.  I do lean towards the 12-dogs style Christmas beers more often but this is the perfect beer to introduce to someone wanting a unique holiday beverage from CLE.

Christa: Esther is one of my favorite Platform offerings. She’s got a nice nutty and sweet smell. She’s crisp and cool. She’s the old friend you can always count on and though I think she has a little too much syrupy sweetness in this year’s batch, I’ll always have a spot on my shelf for my girl.

Tony & Megan
Tony: One of my top 5 from the 2017 beer advent calendar, this is a great holiday beer. Darker in color, hints of caramel and chocolate with just a little bit of sweetness. Not real “spicy” in terms of holiday spices which I like. A well balanced holiday beer and a great #2 hitter to start this year’s calendar.

Megan: I really liked this one from last year. This first thing I taste is the caramel. It’s not too light and not too dark. Not too hoppy and not too spicy or sweet. This one falls right in the middle of the road so it’s sure to please all.