Brew Review: Eel River's Climax Noel

Let's take one last look back, shall we? That's what we was thinking when we walked into Taste of Tops on January 1, 2010. 2009 was a challenging year and not just because of $5 gas, a struggling economy and even more reality show bullshit than we thought possible. No,...

By Jonathan McNamara

January 2, 2010

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Let's take one last look back, shall we? That's what we was thinking when we walked into Taste of Tops on January 1, 2010. 2009 was a challenging year and not just because of $5 gas, a struggling economy and even more reality show bullshit than we thought possible. No, it just seemed that everyone had a tale of woe or two, especially around the bars.

The holidays felt a little different (after the shopping anyway). The world appeared to be ready for some change. Incidentally, so were we which is why we strapped on a Climax Noel from Eel River Brewing. A climax to the holiday season? Just what the barman ordered.

Taste: Climax Noel is an Imperial Red Ale. As such, it has a yeasty sweetness lacking in the hoppiness we tend to go for. Still, it was well-fortified with alcohol (eight percent by volume) and had a satisfyingly medium mouth feel.

We got ours: directly in front of the eighth bar stool from the door at Taste of Tops for about $5.

Verdict: Bittersweet, much like 2009. After consumption, we felt at least temporarily satisfied and ready to see what was coming up next.

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