Beer of the Week

The beer: Santa! I Know Him!

The brewery: Evil Genius Beer Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "A complex Belgian-style ale that kisses Santa Claus. Our holiday saison is brewed with rose hips, chamomile, black currants, and dark candy syrup. Complex and intriguing, this is the one who broke dad’s leg lamp."

Would I buy it again? I don't think I've ever had a holiday/winter-themed saison before, since that particular style is more associated with spring. And you know what? If this beer is anything to go by, that's a mistake, because this particular saison is excellent. Cool and refreshing to drink, with the rose hips and chamomile playing gently with the syrup and beer undertones. I hope it's still around next time I go beer shopping, because I'm definitely buying more.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Is Butter A Carb?

The brewery: Evil Genius Beer Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "The only thing better than pretzels and beer is pretzels in beer, and EG has teamed up with Auntie Anne's to bring you just that. This crisp Oktoberfest-Style Lager was brewed with malt, hopes, and warm, soft pretzels for an extra dose of rich flavor. Don't get it twisted."

Would I buy it again? Perhaps I had unrealistic expectations for this beer. After all, the other pretzel-flavored beer I've had is one of my absolute favorites, and beer and pretzels are such a natural combination. And I think, if I had this beer in isolation without previous knowledge of Aldus' pretzel beer, I'd probably like this beer a whole lot. But I have had Aldus' pretzel beer, and this one just doesn't compare. It's a solid beer, and there's a bit of that bready saltiness, but it just doesn't capture the pretzel magic that Aldus managed. I'm afraid I just could not buy this one again. Once you've had the real deal, you can't make due with a pale imitation.

Beer of the Week

The beer: I Love Lamp Pineapple Hefeweizen

Brewed by: Evil Genius Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "I Love Lamp is our classic German-style hefeweizen with an Evil Genius twist. We brew this beer with 2-Row, Wheat, and Munich malts, and hop it gently in the kettle with German hops. Once fermentation has completed we add just the right amount of pineapple, making it a truly unique beer that is at once intriguing and drinkable. The banana and clove notes naturally produced by our hefeweizen yeast are balanced out by refreshing pineapple, resulting in a delicious, easy-drinking treat."

Would I buy it again?: They should take back their Evil Genius twist, to be perfectly honest. I was very disappointed with this beer. Right off the bat, the head disappeared in about half a second, as you can tell from the picture. And the taste wasn't great either. Pineapple ruins a perfectly good hefeweizen.

Beer of the Week

The beer: #Adulting Guava IPA

Brewed by: Evil Genius Beer Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "#Adulting is our Guava-infused IPA! Pale and crystal malts marry perfectly with Citra & Cascade hops, creating an easy drinking, creamy, medium-bodied, clean, smooth IPA. It is then infused with all-natural guava, turning this already delicious IPA into something truly unique. Big, bold hop notes of tropical fruit, watermelon, and lemon, balanced perfectly by a slightly sweet malt backbone and juicy, refreshing guava."

Would I buy it again?: Honestly, I was just looking for something to finish the mixed six-pack when I picked this up. But you know what? Despite the awful name, I actually enjoyed this beer. I sincerely wasn't expecting that, but it really wasn't too bad at all. It wasn't too hoppy, and the guava taste was okay. I wouldn't go searching for it, but I'm glad I got it, and I'd buy it again.