Day 7 of the 5th Annual Advent-ure Calendar

Day 7: Fat Head’s Brewery Pimp My Sleigh

This isn’t the first time we’ve had two Fat Head’s beers on the list, but it’s always a much welcomed surprise when it happens. We missed out on this last year because it was released after we made our purchases for the calendar, so we were really happy that Fat Head’s listened to our complaints and moved up the release date this year! From the brewery: “This rich, complex Belgian-Style holiday brew has intricate aromas and flavors of sweet dark malt, dark fruit, raisins, figs, anise and spicy phenols.”

Reflections

Beard & Broad
Beard: Been looking forward to this one. By now you know that rich and boozy and Belgiany is my jam when it’s cold out. This beer just makes me want to crawl under a blanket and watch Christmas movies. It’s so damned good. This would be a tough one to drink all night, but it’s a great starter to an evening or a solid choice for when you just was one or two beers that pack a satisfying holiday punch. Fat Head’s never fails.

Broad: Let me preface this by saying I’m in no shape to drink a beer right now. I had a little too much fun at Beard’s holiday work party. With that being said, after the first sips, this is indeed a delicious beer but one I cannot drink right now. I love Belgian style beers but I don’t want to drink them all the time. It’s perfectly sweet and warming. If we are comparing it to Holly Jolly, I’ll always pick Holly Jolly because it’s just a smoother, easy to drink beer.

Adam & Alex
Adam: Pimp My Sleigh is indulgent. It’s a rich combination of big flavors. I get the fig and brown sugar a lot. This beer reminds me of the days we all gather around for a house party with an extremely good cheese plate and fancy clothes. It’s decadent and sweet and warming and all things I want in a joyful beer.

Alex: Pimp My Sleigh is a delicious Belgian style holiday beer.  Belgians are one of my favorite kinds of beers, and this one does not disappoint.  I can definitely taste the brown sugar and it’s definitely boozey.  All in all I love it and will continue to love it.

Scott & Christa
Scott: Pimp My Sleigh is the alternative Christmas ale to the more popular Holly Jolly.  Being a Belgian style ale, it’s more bitter to my taste with notes of raisins and figs and overall maltier in feel.  I prefer the flavors and spices of Holly Jolly but I can see this being a big hit for the Belgian style fans.

Christa: I love the name. I love the brewery. I love figs, and I even love raisins. I love Belgians (beers, waffles and the people) but this beer has never really done it for me. It’s a nice foil to Holly Jolly if you are in the camp of people who thinks it’s too sweet (the wrong camp) but I’ll always choose Holly Jolly over this maltier offering.

Tony & Megan
Tony: You serious Clark? Yes, I seriously am not a fan of this one. Great dark color and coffee colored foam when you pour it. Usually the signs of somethin I’m going to like. Not true for this one. Maybe its the raisins and fig flavors that are throwing me off, the syrupy finish, or the slight bitterness, I don’t know but its not my cup of tea. The Holly Jolly was excellent, but this Pimp my Sleigh just doesnt work for my taste buds.

Megan: I liked the Holly Jolly so much yesterday that I had high expectations for this one but i didn’t like it as much. It doesn’t feel as balanced as yesterday. It’s dark and frothy and smells nice but it’s heavy on the malt and I don’t really know if the figs, anise or phenols come through. I’m a little perplexed by this one but hey, give it a try.

Brad & Heather
Brad: Nothing like pregaming before a Christmas parade with a 10.5% Belgian Christmas Ale. Well that’s what I’m doing, at 3:13pm on a Saturday. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Fatheads just gets all its beer right. We knew this Belgian would bite on first sip and smooth out over the next 5. The smell reeks of the holidays and tastes excellent. Lots of flavors that you’d expect in a holiday ale paired with a nice boozy finish. Maybe I’ll have a second?

Heather:  Well, that’s a whole mouthful of Christmas. This one doesn’t skimp on the spice (or the ABV — clocking in at 10.5%). When it comes to beer, Belgians know what they’re doing and so do Clevelanders, so a Belgian Christmas Ale from Fat Heads is gonna have you doing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy pretty damn quick—it goes down like candy but with a kick like a sleigh horse. One or two of these makes for a festive fuzzy night. I’m in.