We traveled to Carlisle, Massachusetts for the holidays and I quickly made my way to Colonial Spirits in nearby Acton to load up on some regional brews that I can’t find at home in Maryland.  I was looking for winter beers in particular and the selection was awesome.

During our Christmas vacation (December 23-29), I sampled:

• Geary’s Winter Ale, D.L. Geary Brewing Company, Portland, ME, a hearty IPA
• Prelude Ale, Shipyard Brewing Company, Portland, ME, a tasty English Strong Ale
• Holidale, Berkshire Brewing Company, South Deerfield, MA, a strong Barleywine in a 22 oz bomber
• Bock Lager, Rock Art Brewery, Morrisville, VT, a bomber of rich creamy Bock
• Winter Ale, Wachusett Brewing Company, Westminster, MA, an excellent English Strong Ale
• Christmas Ale, Gritty McDuff’s, Portland, ME, a robust ESB that was my favorite of the lot
• Ipswich Winter Ale, Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA, a decent English Strong Ale

I also found the Survival Pack from Long Trail Brewing Company in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont.  This mixed 12 pack had three bottles of four different beers:

• Long Trail Ale, the brewery’s flagship beer; an Altbier
• Blackberry Wheat, a refreshing fruit beer
• Traditional IPA, a balanced and drinkable IPA
• Hibernator, Long Trail’s winter seasonal; a strong Scottish Ale

I’m a big fan of Long Trail beers, and Long Trail is high on my list of breweries that I want to visit.

After having my fill of winter beers from the Mid-Atlantic breweries, it was fun to sample some different brews.