My name is Guybrush Threepwood and I want to be a Pirate!

After working in the yard for a few hours late this afternoon (ah, nothing like desk work, then "use the sunlight while you can" yard work...), my back started to complain about the type of work I was subjecting to it. So, with a beer in one hand and my PS3 remote in the other, I fired up the old console system to see that the Secret of Monkey Island is now a special edition download through Playstation Network.

I loved this game when I was younger. It tells the tale of Guybrush Threepwood, a wannabe pirate, who is out for adventure and faces the Ghost Pirate LeChuck(or Zombie Pirate or Demon Pirate...depended on the game, freakin' voodoo magic) during his various adventures. LucasArts - the same one that produces those Star Wars movies you may have heard of - did these games in the early 90s and they were a blast. From what I understand, a lot of these classics are getting a facelift and being re-released. These kids now-a-days think these things are new....HA!!! I remember when the screen stopped when you advanced in Super Mario Brothers....no Wario, no Yoshi, just Mario, Luigi, a Princess and a bunch of happy Toadstools telling you that you went to the wrong castle...

Anyway, you didn't come here to hear about my video game addiction, you came here for my OTHER addiction - good craft beer. Tonight's special - the Widmer 84-09 Double Alt 25th Anniversary Ale.

Appearance - Thick, rich looking copper brown. Head gone so quick you wouldn't have thought it was there. Low carbonation. - 3.5/5.0

Smell - Alcoholic malt with a sweet bread and light chestnut smell. 3.5/5.0

Taste - Molasses, raisens, some sweetness, bread, great blend of malt. Tart alcohol hits at the very end, but for a beer that is almost 10% ABV, the potency will creep up on you. As the beer settles and warms up a bit, you'll get some toffee and a bit more bitterness. - 4.0/5.0

Feel - Flavor builds up and you get a hit of sweetness near the middle of each taste. Aftertaste is mild, but alcoholic and malty. Body is on the higher side of medium. - 4.5/5.0

Drinkability - Flavorful brew, but on the strong side for something I'd get regularly. Great job by Widmer to celebrate 25 years of brewing. - 3.5/5.0

On the 8th day of Christmas, Santa Beer gave to me...

...a good reason to stay out of the cold and in the house with a nice cold one - Widmer Bros Brrr Seasonal Ale.

The brew pours a golden honey color, which is lighter than I expected. Would have thought the beer would have been a darker amber/red color. The head was a soft tan and disappeared after about ten minutes. Sweet, malt smell with some alcohol mixed in for good measure. The sweet malt and molasses flavor hits hard at first. Fortunately, not so sweet that you would think someone snuck a sugar packet into your brew, but sweet enough to add some flavor. Smooth flavor, which doesn't stick around for the party too long. The carbonation was pretty light for a medium bodied beer. I preferred this beer over the Pyramid Winter Warmer, which was a bit too thick for my taste. The 7.2% ABV makes this a potentially dangerous beer, as it goes down really quick and smooth. I think this would be a good brew to bring to a festive party where there is a mixed crowd - likely most folks would appreciate this beer.

Appearance - 3.0/5.0 - Honey colored, lighter than I expected, soft tan head
Smell -4.0/5.0 - Malt, sweetness and some alcohol
Taste - 4.0/5.0 - Smooth, malty, sweetness, molasses
Feel - 3.5/5.0 - Medium bodied; goes down smoothly.
Drinkability - 4.0/5.0 - Enjoyed this more than the Pyramid Winter Warmer; higher ABV makes it a dangerous holiday beer