Off to Washington

I am going up to northern Washington for a week. Besides taking part in an advanced cider making course, I'll also be checking out Skagit River Brewery again, and also going to San Juan Brewing for the very first time.
Before leaving, I'd like to put in another post in my winter beer series. This beer was suggested to me by the staff at Beer Mongers. I never would have taken notice to it otherwise, who knew good beer came from Missouri. So without further nonsense, here it is...
Boulevard Nut Cracker Ale. The beer pours with a very nice, dark caramel color. I know it sounds crazy, but the beer had for me a very distinct, piny nose, also with hints of lemon. Not unpleasant, but, kind of nice. Although they make no mention of any spruce tips used, it has a close kinship to the Alaskan winter seasonal. The spiciness, according to the website, is due to the use of Chinook Hops. It is a little spicy, and doesn’t have an overwhelming sweetness to it. What’s weird is it doesn’t fit my aforementioned qualities. The ABV is relatively low at 5.9%, and it doesn’t have a super heavy malty body. But, the taste is so....unusual..in a tasty way. The spiciness tastes festive. The beer is like a holiday session ale, light enough to put back a few, but interesting enough to make the seasonal release one to look forward to.