Here’s to a happy, prosperous new year!

You like your beers strong and spicy? You might consider giving this one a taste.

I first discovered this beer on one of my trips to western Belgium, back in 1998. Tasting it in a small pub in Bruges, I remember it being a torrent of maltiness and dark fruit. Complex. Spicy. Juicy. Yummy.

Fast-forward to 2004, when I can pick up a 750ml bottle from my local bottle shop for around $10. Popping one open with a friend last night after running some elfin errands, we discussed our impressions.

We poured them into red wine glasses, and a tan mousse-like head sat atop this 10% abv butt kicker of a brew. It dissipated quickly, giving way to an aggressive aroma. I noticed the alcohol before the rest of the clove and cinnamon spiciness, but was not scared off by this warning flare. The body was drier than I remembered, but still had a distinctive dark fruit character. Plums? Yes. Raisins? Definitely. Figs? Perhaps.

This one will stand up to the average holiday buffet of noshables and makes a dandy sipping beer as well. With its screen-printed and corked presentation, the 750ml bottle also makes a nice gift option.

Until now I’ve been presenting beers on their own merits. Today’s selection is a suggestion for pairing with an upcoming holday meal.

Hennepin Ale is brewed by Brewery Ommegang in upstate New York. It is a farmhouse style ale in the saison tradition. Saisons are brewed primarily in the rural regions of southern Belgium and northern France and are known for their spicy, earthy chracteristics. It is exactly these characteristics that make it able partner for almost any meal.

When poured, Hennepin is a deep gold colored ale with a pillowy white head. The aroma is quite spicy — white pepper, coriander and ginger come to mind — and inviting. The first sip is an explosion of spicy hoppiness, malty body and spritzy carbonation. The 7.5% abv is not readily apparent, but provides the backbone necessary to work its food-pairing magic. As you work through the rest of the glass, it continues to ride the delicate balance of complementing the meal and refreshing the palette.

It is indeed a versatile brew: strong enough for a rich meal, yet refreshing enough to sip on your deck during summer. It’s also one of my favorites for introducing my wine-drinking friends to the world of quality beers. And at $5.50 per 750ml bottle, it is also a great value.

If you see a screen-printed 22-ounce bottle in your package store, chances are it is a Rogue beer. With Santa hoisting a frothy beer mug, this one jumps right off the shelf at you: Santa’s Private Reserve (SPR).

This is Rogue’s annual holiday beer, and is a variation of their Saint Rogue Red. It is said to have double the hops, including chinook and centennial (which explains the sprucey nose and finish in this beer). Other ingredients include Munich, Hugh Baird, carastan, and crystal malts. The malt backbone for this beer leans to the sweet side (caramel and some toffee flavors) and provides a springboard for the aforementioned evergreen hop presence. Rogue claims this beer has 60 IBUs, and I thought you could taste almost every one of them.

SPR finishes with a lingering hop flavor, and would be great with spicy foods, like General Tso’s chicken or a dry-rubbed pork roast.

It’s time for another huge imperial stout — North Coast Brewing Company’s Old Rasputin. I had another beer originally slotted for this position in my 12 Beers list, but after having one of these with lunch today, I had to find a way to include this wonderful beer.

“Old Raspy” is brewed in Mendocino, CA, and seems like it wins awards every year it’s brewed. It has a very-well earned reputation as a world-class Russian Imperial Stout — a name coined from the 19th Century Russian rulers who found favor in this intense beer style.

Today’s Old Raspy (at the Brick Store) was presented in a branded 10 oz tulip glass. After my first sip, the first flavor impressions were roasted and toffee-like, fading into a slightly bittersweet finish with some spruce/pine notes. It is a very complex beer, producing many more flavors as I drank it (should’ve brought a notepad…). I have only had this beer a few times, but each time reminds me how lucky we are to get this beer over 2,000 miles from its home.

At 8.9% abv, Old Raspy is a slow sipper of a beer. It was a good match for my burger at lunch today, but would also complement most anything containing chocolate. It could also be paired with a cheese plate with dried figs and cherries.