Oh, and the extra beer for Christmas Day doesn’t hurt, either. We loved the packaging, with portraits of the brewers, and the fact that each of the bottles and cans is an exclusive you won’t find anywhere else. Any of these would be a joy to open each day through December but Beer Hawk’s beery Christmas advent calendar stands out on every level from design to the quality of the beers. This has become a competitive market lately, and it shows: producers have really upped their game with exclusive brews and fun extras. This calendar obviously doesn’t offer the chance to try beers from different producers, though it’s a great introduction to this highly-rated brewery, especially as many of the beers are usually only available by the dozen. There’s also the newly launched yule fuel, a wonderfully rich winter warmer. We loved all the beers we tried, including good old boy – an award-winning English bitter with a beautiful balance of comforting malt and refreshing fruitiness – and amber ale Dr Hexter’s healer, which has delicious notes of toffee and orange peel. The brewing style remains experimental and small-batch, though, as the contents of this calendar demonstrates. The brewery started in 1995 and has grown from a shed in the village of Yattendon, Berkshire to a state of the art facility (still in the same village) capable of producing up to 60 hectolitres (or 6,000l). There’s everything from golden ales to double IPAs. This is West Berkshire Brewery’s first advent calendar, and it’s perfect for anyone looking to discover a range of styles from a single brewer – with the bonus of supporting a microbrewery. The design itself is simple and attractive, with a white box emblazoned with the BrewDog logo and stencil-style graphics. It’s like opening up a boozy stocking every day of the month. Some might not be to everyone’s taste, though the diversity brings a nice element of surprise and encourages you to try something a little different, which is perhaps what this new breed of advent calendar is all about. More than half of the cans behind the calendar’s doors are a little different, though, with special collaborations, Christmas one-offs and unusual flavours like guava, parma violets, peach and – in the case of layer cake – a blend of marshmallow, chocolate and vanilla. Familiar favourites include clockwork tangerine – a refreshing yet satisfyingly hefty citrus ale – and classics like the Punk IPA and lost lager. Regular drinkers of BrewDog’s beers will recognise a few of the offerings in this calendar from the Aberdeenshire-based brewery.
![large advent speaker code large advent speaker code](https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--FcCbKnVp--/f_auto,t_large/v1547933842/sdfemlivrm0tiuvjc4ub.jpg)
A delightful journey and the perfect nudge to try some new and surprising brews from the UK and 13 other countries around the world.
![large advent speaker code large advent speaker code](https://www.theprojectasylum.com/electronicsprojects/adventspkrepair/adventspk10.jpg)
We also loved the mix of brews from smaller, less-known microbreweries with bigger names like Thornbridge and Mikkeller, which has collaborated on Between the Lines, a tastebud-awakening pale ale with notes of peach, grapefruit and bubblegum. Fans of interesting label designs will be happy, too, as there isn’t a boring bottle or can in the box.
#Large advent speaker code code#
New for 2021, Beer Hawk has added an interactive element: beer lovers can scan a QR code on the calendar to access a website with virtual brewery tours and tasting notes for each beer. No wonder it tends to sell out quickly every year. A bold, busy design with colourful, cartoon portraits of the brewers, and 25 (yes, 25) truly individual beers to try day-by-day. Beers that you simply can’t find anywhere else, because they’ve been brewed especially to be revealed behind each window. There are many things to love about Beer Hawk’s advent calendar.