Day 11 of the 5th Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 11: Revolution Brewing Fistmas Holiday Ale
This might be the most consumed holiday beer in our house, by Broad alone. She loves Fistmas. Needless to say, she was ecstatic when she saw it was on the list (someone bought it before we could). From the brewery: “Our Holiday Red Ale is steeped with ginger and orange peel. It features notes of fresh-baked bread, caramel, and stone fruit along with holiday cheer.”
Reflections
Beard & Broad
Beard: This is consistently one of my favorite Revolution beers. Hoppy, malty, fruity. I barely get the ginger or orange peel, and wouldn’t really know it was there if we didn’t look it up. That’s how most beers with spices should be though: they should merely be an extra component of the beer and not the first thing you notice. This is refreshing but still reminds me of the holiday.
Broad: I LOVE THIS BEER SO MUCH. I wish it was available all year round. It’s smooth, fruity, slightly hoppy, crisp and so easy to drink. It’s also full of holiday cheer. This is the perfect beer to buy a six pack of and bring to a party and not share with anyone else because it’s that good. If you’re not a fan of the overly spiced holiday ales, then this is the beer for you.
Adam & Alex
Adam: I get the ginger and a hint of orange but mostly it’s a nice mix of malt and a kick of citrus hops at the end. Fistmas is an exceptional option to pair with the standard holiday brews
Alex: Revolution Brewing Fistmas is a very easy beer to drink. It’s hoppy and light with a little bit of citrus. I can’t really taste the ginger, but that doesn’t bother me. I would definitely drink this again.
Scott & Christa
Scott: I seem to forget what this tastes like every year it ends up on the list, but Fistmas does not live up to the name. But I mean that in a good way, because it’s one of the easiest to drink, smoothest holiday ales we’ve tried so far! It has a great balance of spices, carbonation and just a little bite. Really big fan!
Christa: Not my first Fistmas, guys. In past iterations, I don’t think I was a fan of this beer but I’m happy to report I’m finding myself really enjoying it this go-around. It’s such a drinkable beer. I could have several of these and (probably) not die and I couldn’t say that about a few of our past selections—either in flavor or ABV. It’s not the most memorable of beers, nothing truly standing out, but dang, it’s going down easy.
Tony & Megan
Tony: The little lights are not twinkling.” Neither are my taste buds on this one. Its got a nice, bronze color when you pour it and you can smell the strong hops right away. If you like IPAs you might enjoy this one. I like some IPAs but for a holiday beer adventure, this one doesnt give me any of that “holiday” feel. I just get a lot of hops, not the layers of spices, caramel notes, or maltiness I like about other holiday beers.
Megan: This one is hoppy and a little on the bitter side for me. I’m also not sure if I’m getting Holiday flavors either. I wish I were more of an IPA fan. You get the aroma of hops right away so if you love IPAs, this might be right up your ally but this is a miss for me.
Brad & Heather
Brad: I love Revolution but I only like Fistmas. It’s an easy drinking Holiday Red that is a nice break from the heavily spiced Holiday ales we’ve been consuming. I love the color and initial smell. The beer is average. I’d definitely drink it again but won’t leave one for Santa when he comes.
Heather: Welp, the smell packs a punch before you even taste it. This one’s not for me. It’s a whole lot of bitter flavor that just hangs out at the back of your tongue. Maybe they call it Fistmas because it’s reminiscent of a bully who thinks they’re tough, but just gives you noogies to annoy you.