We're counting down to Christmas with 12 beers that resonate with the feel of the holiday. Some beers were nice; some beers were naughty. This is The 12 Beers of Christmas. Enjoy!

Ridgeway Brewing in South Stoke, England

Considering the price of energy these days, having a stocking packed with coal might not be a terrible present anymore. Nor would it be a terrible thing to have a Lump of Coal from Ridgeway Brewing show up in a number of boxes underneath the ol’ Christmas Tree, be it Heineken or standard BeerMas tree. Plus, this beer is one that pops up on everyone’s holiday beer list because of its iconic name and labeling. No Christmas would be complete without it. Especially ours.

Lump of Coal poured a really beautiful deep, thick red color that wasn’t sludgy or massively thick. The smell was hard to find even when digging your nose down into the glass. It was like there was nothing in it at all. Even after a tiny sip, the smell wasn’t instantly recognizable. The taste teased between a subtle bittersweet chocolate coffee front, and a roasted and nutty finish. I wanted a thicker stout than I got in Lump of Coal, and the 8% ABV really didn’t help. Just a trickle of alcohol filled the mouth near the end. The end notes really saved the stout, though, with the lasting flourishes of malt providing a lasting element to a rather subtle beer.

Maybe Lump of Coal is a pretty accurate name for this beer. It’s pretty cheerless; it doesn’t bring a huge smile to anyone’s face; and a seasoned stout drinker would be feeling pretty off about this one. However, for a person who wants to get into some darker beers that don’t feel dark, this might not be a bad choice. It might be a good stout for a Stouts 101 type class, but as a Christmas treat, stick with the chocolates and cookies.