December's Beer Club - Have You Been Bad?

Hello beeries! Have you decorated your Christmas tree yet, or do you grimace every time a festive tune comes on the radio? It's Beer Club time again, and we've put together a fab selection of beers which will please tinsel fans and Grinches alike.

Hello beeries! Have you decorated your Christmas tree yet, or do you grimace every time a festive tune comes on the radio? It's Beer Club time again, and we've put together a fab selection of beers which will please tinsel fans and Grinches alike.

The rock star of December's Beer Club is Bad Co from North Yorkshire, who have made quite a name for themselves despite only opening last year. Starting out as a nano brewery in Blind Jack's pub in Knaresborough, their beers are all named for rock songs, the branding is pretty cool, and the beer - well, you'll be able to draw your own conclusions, but we love it! Small, Medium and Large cases will all contain Dazed and Confused, a modern milk stout, and Comfortably Numb, their award winning golden ale. Tart cherry and liquorice notes are prominent in Dazed and Confused, with the dark chocolate malts and coffee bitterness lingering on the palate long after the glass is empty, while Comfortably Numb has a bright juicy character bursting with mango and pineapple, followed by tart flavours of satsuma and grapefruit over a delicate pale malt base.

Over the Pennines to Manchester now, with a couple of excellent beers from the folk at Cloudwater. Every subscription level will be receiving Cloudwater Porter and Motueka Lager, specially brewed for longer, colder days. In the dark and roasty Porter, notes of chocolate, coffee and toasted malts drive the flavour, with a wisp of smoke lingering on the palate and strong bitterness throughout. A spritzy carbonation and dry finish make it surprisingly light and easy drinking. Motueka Lager is also rather quaffable, being brewed with New Zealand hop variety Motueka. A hint of sweetness in the aroma gives way to distinctive lager malts, then the hops kick in. Crisp and refreshing with zingy citrus and a good bitterness throughout, Motueka Lager is the best of both worlds.

Don't worry, Christmas lovers, we haven't forgotten you! We've popped a few winter warmers into this month's Beer Club in the shape of Ilkley Mary Christmas, Anchor Christmas Ale, and Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale. Mary Christmas is a festive amber ale packed with Christmas spices, with flavours of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar and caramel throughout. Zesty orange, lemon and a good glug of Caribbean rum put the finishing touches to this Christmas cake in beer form! On the more traditional side of things, Anchor Christmas Ale is brewed to a different recipe every year, and 2015 marks the forty-first annual release. Only available from November to January, this year's brew is subtly spiced, smooth and rich with complex malt flavours, fruity notes and a festive pine aroma. Another winter ale which changes recipe every year is Flying Dog K-9. This 7.4% ABV strong ale is dark and malty, with a touch of sweetness. This year it pours a deep chestnut with notes of bananas, brown sugar and red berries contrasting with a robust, lingering bitterness throughout. But that's not all on the seasonal front; Medium and Large cases will also contain Anchor Winter Wheat, a dark ale brewed with a combination of malt and five different types of wheat with a rich, complex flavour which makes it a great cold weather alternative to the classic stout.

Enjoy this month's Beer Club, and have a very merry Christmas. Cheers!