Brew Review: Stoudt's Fat Dog and Harpoon's Grateful Harvest

In the spirit of giving thanks this week, I think you should all say "thanks, Claire!" because I'm about to give you not one but two brew reviews! Or is this holiday not about getting people to be thankful for you? Perhaps I've been doing this wrong...

First up, we have Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout. My dad and I picked this brew out together after he came across a new liquor store that had a great beer selection. Family trips to the liquor store constitute father-daughter bonding in my family, and I'm okay with that. Our criteria for selection were: new to both of us; domestic; not sucky. Neither of us had every had any beer from Stoudt's, which is located in Adamstown, PA. The third criteria was, of course, rather difficult to determine without tasting the beers in advance, but I had a good feeling about a beer with a dog on the bottle.

This beer poured very dark brown, with less than a finger's width of head which dissipated very quickly. Not the most promising of beginnings; I was looking forward to curling up with a hearty beer. The first pour gave off a caramel and coffee scent that gave me some hope. But I thought this drank very thin; the taste was a weak malty-caramel, with a hint of a bitter hops finish. There should have been much fuller flavor for a beer so dark and aromatic. And also so potent; at 9% ABV, this is a beer that's meant to be sipped and savored, but the fleeting taste meant you had to keep drinking to really savor the flavor. Which meant that I got drunk ASAP. Which was for the best, since I drank this while watching the Giants perform one of their famous late season choke jobs.

In summation, this beer was a major let down for me. But the folks over at Beer Advocate don't agree with me. If you've had this, let me know you're thoughts. And if you haven't had this, don't trust a beer just because it has a dog on the label.

Next up is the Harpoon Grateful Harvest Cranberry Ale. I snagged this while browsing at the liquor store on Friday (some girls browse at Bloomingdales... okay fine I do that too...). "Cranberry Ale" was at first a turn off, but I think Harpoon makes a good product, so I was willing to give it a shot. And, as a sucker for a good cause, $1 from every six pack sold is donated to your local food bank. Guys, it's for charity. I basically had to try it.

This beer poured an amber-orange with a frothy head and a subtly sweet, almost citrus-y aroma. The taste was malty and a little nutty, with the same citrus notes through the finish, but very smooth and palatable. Notably, this is not a fruit beer. Yes, even though I used "citrus" twice in the preceding sentence, and the beer has "cranberry" in the name. It's not too sweet, it's not too fuity-smelling. It has a complex, really interesting taste, and is one of those beers that surprises me. I thought this was a great, easy-drinking beer, and I look forward to drinking it in abundance this holiday season. It's for charity, people!

Whatever you choose to drink this Thanksgiving season, may you enjoy it with the ones you love!