It’s time for the third regional of our Winter beer competition, with an Akron face-off! Which animal – dogs or frogs – will advance to the next round?
12 Dogs vs. Frosted Frog
Pours a darkish copper with a medium, white head. Clear.
Ginger comes through strong on the nose, with some Christmas spices in back.
Very gingery taste as well, with stronger spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, maybe honey? Not quite as good a mix as the nose, in [Josh’s] opinion. Balanced malt, with a moderately dry finish.
Moderately warming. Smooth. It’s 8.3%, but drinks like a 7, tops.
A really nice Christmas ale.
J: 8/10 E: 9/10
Deep, dark, reddish copper. Thin, off-white head. Clear.
Huge spice nose. Cinnamon stands out, with ginger, nutmeg, and clove hanging around as well.
Similar taste. Cinnamon throughout, but particularly on the finish. The spices are more balanced here than in the nose. Behind the spice, sort of an Oktoberfest feel—malty and rich. Overall, the beer falls a bit on the sweet side, but not overly so. The spicing is too strong for Josh’s taste. Erin likes it a lot, though, but says a snifter’s worth would be enough.
Definitely warming. You can tell this one is a high-alcohol beer (8.6%). One for sharing; the 22-oz. bottle this came in is far too much to drink by oneself.
Great smell, but a bit overwhelming. Taken back a few notches, this would be a wonderful beer.
J: 7/10 E: 8.5/10
Our winner: 12 Dogs with an overall score of 17 to Hoppin’ Frog’s 15.5.
I liked the Frosted Frog much more than Josh, but it must be meant for sharing. I can see it being a fun pick to bring to a holiday party.