John's Bier Blog

Otter Creek Winter Red Ale

2012-02-14T23:12:00.000-05:00

Otter Creek Winter Red Ale

Brewed by:

Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

Middlebury, Vermont

American Amber / Red Ale

5.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Winter Red Ale has the traditional characteristics of a red ale with the addition of an ample amount of hops to create subtle bitterness and medium aroma. A perfect ale for a bitter winter evening.

(RateBeer.com.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$7.00 6 pack, ~$27.00 case

Background:

This beer was in this years Christmas Beer Variety case at State Line Liquors. I have a always been impressed with the offerings from Otter Creek. I can’t wait to see how this American Amber/Red will down on St. Valentines Day.

Review:

The beer pours a clear dark ambers with ruby hues and an off white head.

The nose is fantastic with rich caramel malt aromas and a slight hint of floral hops.

That a nice beer; hardy enough for winter but also somewhat refreshing.

The experience starts out with a malt sweetness up front followed by an almost cleansing effervescence as the ale washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. There is a slight hesitation on the swallow but that is easy to overcome. The finish is where this all come together. The finish is rich with caramel malt flavors and a nice hoppy bite, will it’s more link a tingle. The hop flavors are not bitter or overwhelming leaving a nicely balanced experience.

This beer just keeps getting better as it warms and opens up. It is much smoother now with richer malt flavors.

I let this set to warm up to room temperature.

What a great beer. I’m always impressed with a beer continues to taste good after it warms.

The malt flavors are more pronounced now. There is an almost toffee note coming through on the finish. The hops continue to make their presents known but seem to be a little more subdued at this temperature.

Even through this is a little too hoppy for my taste I still have to acknowledge the craftsmanship that created this ale. So I have to give this an A- for a rating.

Otter Creek’s Winter Red Ale is sure to please just about every craft beer drinker. Its full body with caramel malt flavors and just a hint of toffee is balanced nicely with an eloquent hop presence to give it a hardy and refreshing quality.

Lost Reviews

2012-02-14T09:30:00.008-05:00

The following are links to two lost reviews. There were actually reviewed on 11-12-2011 but I just found them and posted. I set their dates back to 11-12-2011 to keep them in the proper order.

Lost Review: Review 323 Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale was reviewed on 11-12-2011 but not posted until 02-13-2012

Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale

Brewed by:
Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

American Pale Ale (APA)

5.90% ABV

Lost Review: Review 324 Schlafly A IPA.doc was done on 11-12-2011 but not posted until 02-13-2012

Schlafly American IPA

Brewed by:
Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

American IPA

7.20% ABV

Saranac Big Moose Ale

2012-02-13T23:51:00.001-05:00

Saranac Big Moose Ale

Brewed by:

Matt Brewing Company

Utica, New York

American Pale Ale (APA)

5.30% ABV

Commercial Description:

Saranac Big Moose Ale is an American Pale Ale with a kick. The medium-bodied malt sweetness is balanced by a nice crisp bitterness from hand selected centennial and cascade hops. Look for a vibrant citrusy hop aroma that will leave you craving another swig!

(RateBeer.com.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$7.00 6 pack, ~$27.00 case

Background:

This beer was in this years Christmas Beer Variety case at State Line Liquors. I have never had it before and I’m usually pleased with Saranac’s beers. They are not over the top but all usually easy drinking and enjoyable.

Review:

The beer pours deep dark copper almost brown with orange hues and an off white head.

The nose is very pleasant and inviting with nice pale malt aromas and light floral hops.

That was an interesting first sip. This Saranac has some character to it.

It starts off with light malt sweetness up font but that is instantly replaced with a tingling effervescence as the beer rolls over the tongue. There is a hop robustness and bitterness that builds into the back-end. There is a hesitation at the top of the swallow but that is very easily overcome. There is a carbonation release during the swallow that seems to have a cleansing effect or at least diminishes the hop robustness. The finish is unexpectedly intense with some pale malt flavors along with a very robust hop complexity. It is mostly these hop flavors that carry into the final aftertaste.

All and all this is a very nice beer and somewhat refreshing. Although it is totally different form what the nose indicated.

The head on the beer has not quite. It has reduced to a thin protective layer over the top of the beer and lager ring around the glass. It is also leaving some very decent lacing.

The beer seems to be smoothing a little as it warms or that may just be my getting use to the hops.

At any rate the more I drink this the more I like it.

I am really impressed with this beer; this may be the most artfully crated beer that I’ve had from Saranac.

My only down note is the hop robustness. It almost seems like it’s more hops than the style should have. But then again I’m no hophead.

I’m going for a B+ on this. Big Moose is an artfully crafted American Pale Ale with pale malt flavors and a hop complexity that does not let you down. Even the head on this beer stuck around until the very last sip.

Goose Island Christmas Ale

2012-02-12T23:28:00.003-05:00

Christmas Ale

Brewed by:

Goose Island Beer Co.

Chicago, Illinois

American Brown Ale

6.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Specialty Belgian malts create a deep garnet color and a truly rich old European flavor in our classic Christmas Ale. And the generous amount of crystal hops adds that extra spicy aroma to your pint, perfect for a wintry night. Our Christmas Ale brings good tidings and joy to each Holiday Season. A two-time Gold Medal Winner in the World Beer Championships.

(RateBeer.com.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$11.00 6 pack, ~$35.00 case

Background:

This beer was in this years Christmas Beer Variety case at State Line Liquors. I have never had it before and I’m really looking forward to reviewing it. So let’s see what this Christmas beer has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours deep dark copper almost brown with orange hues and a fairly rich off white to tan head.

The nose is nice with rich caramel malt aromas with notes of toffee and an underlining sweetness. There are very interesting sharp hop aromas on the nose as well. It’s a very interesting nose with a somewhat English flair; I can’t wait to see what this taste like.

Hmm, that was an interesting first sip; sweet malts with effervescence middle and a bite on the finish. Let me attempt a better play by play.

The experience starts out with malt sweetness up front then an almost cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is fairly easy drinking with just a slight hesitation on the top of the swallow. There are some interesting malt flavors that develop at the end of the swallow into the finish. The finish is very unusual and interesting with a variety of malt flavors and a slight hop bite. I think that slight bite is what hits me as unusual. I guess it’s more unexpected than unusual. The finish also has notes of toffee, cocoa and spice.

As the beer warms I’m picking up more spice. I think these spices and hops seem to be conflicting or at least confusing me.

Well, I’m not sure I’m going to work out this conflict. This just seems to be a heavily hopped beer. It’s not bad but it’s more than I expected in a Christmas Ale. Typical Christmas beers come from the winter warmer or English traditions. They are typically very low hopped ales.

OK Back to what’s in front of us.

All and all this is a pretty good beer with a very big bite. These hops seem to be adding more of harshness and masking the malt flavors and the spices in the beer.

After accepting this beer for what it is I’m actually starting to like it. I think that it would be better with a little less hops but all and all it’s pretty enjoyable.

I’m going for a B- on this unusual Christmas Ale. It has very uniquely hopped Christmas Ale whose bite sets aside the caramel malts with toffee notes but still maintains some spice and Holiday Cheer.

New Belgium Snow Day

2012-02-11T18:46:00.002-05:00

Snow Day Winter Ale

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

American Black Ale

Black IPA

Cascadian Dark Ale

6.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

In 2003, we had a massive 37-inch snowstorm over two days in Fort Collins. Everything shut down for a couple days – no work, no school, no cars. The only way you could get around was by ski or toboggan. When we began brewing Snow Day, we looked to this one storm for inspiration. The dark characters of the malt bill reflect the dark stormy sky at the beginning of the snowfall. But on the third day, the sun broke through and everything was glorious! The name Snow Day evoked joyful freedom. Everyone remembers waiting for the school report as little kids. When you heard your school was closed, you suddenly had all day to play in the transformed, white landscape. Well, that’s the kind of emotion we put into this beer.

Pleasantly hoppy, Snow Day carries the subtle chocolate and caramel flavors of a new brewing malt known as Midnight Wheat. The Styrian Golding, Centennial and Cascade hops bring the backbone of hoppy bitterness to complement the roasty undertones. This beer is the deep garnet of a roasted walnut and presents a creamy tan head, floating artfully atop. Snow Day is bold and hoppy, drinkable and strong.

It reminds you to enjoy the unexpected.

(NewBelgium.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$9.00 6 pack, ~$17.00 12 pack, ~$32.00 case

Background:

I actually drafted this post and reviewed this beer back on December 30th. I'm just getting over a painful case of the Shingles and I'm finally getting back to my blog.
Every time that I’m at State Line Liquors I look for something new from New Belgium. I saw this around Thanksgiving and bought a 12 pack without even knowing what style it was. I have been serving this to Christmas visitors at the house so I figured it was time to give this a full review before I run out of them.

Review:

The beer pours a dark brown, almost completely opaque with just a hint of ruby hues peering through the bottom of the glass. This beer also produced a very rich tan head.

The nose is rich with dark roasted malts aromas with notes of caramel, chocolate and dark fruit. There are also very strong pine and citrus hop aromas on the nose.

Wow, what a fantastic first sip. This may be my new favorite Black PA.

The experience starts out with a dark malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is immediately followed by a tingling as this rich ale washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back end is rich almost robust but also fairly easy drinking. There is a hesitation at the top of the swallow but that is no more than what would be experienced in an American IPA. The finish is fantastic with rich dark roasted malts along with the pine and grapefruit bite of an IPA; also nicely balanced. The final aftertaste is both dark malts and hops. What a great beer.

The dark Midnight Wheat malts add a unique character to this beer that is not in the other Black IPA’s that I’ve had.

The head on this beer has not quit. It has reduced to a nice protective layer over the top of the beer and leaving some amazing lacing.

The rich head is also adding a creaminess to each sip; very impressive.

Well, this first beer is almost gone. I’m so glad I have more.

Since this is a winter seasonal I poured the second one is more appropriate Christmas glass.

This was a great experience.

I’m going for an A on this one. I don't think your think your find a better Black IPA on the market. Although I really should head to head with my previous favorite Otter Creek Black IPA. This is impressively crafted Black IPA with rich dark malt flavors with a nice hoppy bite on the finish. What a great experience.

Christmas Keg 2011 N'Ice Chouffe

2012-02-11T18:37:00.001-05:00

N'Ice Chouffe

Brewed by:
Brasserie d'Achouffe
Belgium

Belgian Strong Dark Ale
10.00% ABV

This years Christmas Keg was a real treat. I indulged and splurged on a 1/6 20L keg of N’ice Chouffe. And it was totally worth it. The good news it that since it was at 10% ABV it seemed to last longer than previous Christmas Kegs.

N'Ice Chouffe 2008 Review

Thanksgiving Beer Dinner 2011

2012-02-11T18:24:00.000-05:00

Background:

Since we moved our Thanksgiving Festivities to our house from my parent’s we have had a definite beer twist to our meals. Actually I have been refereeing to them as Thanksgiving Bier Dinners. Usually “Bier” since they are mostly Belgians. The beer menu usually consists of a beer for each course and a final digestive/final snifter. This is usually 4 different beers plus and extra one or two to account for personal tastes.

Before I get into this years menu I need say a few words about pairing and what I have done in the past.

Pairings can be “Complementary” keeping to similar flavors and style or “Contrasting" which would give you an opposite comparison. A complementary pairing would be; a pale ale with a poultry. Contrasting pairings usually come into play more with spicy foods. Like when you would offer a more malty beer to smooth or cut the spice of the dish. The challenge of a Contrasting Pairing is that you don’t want the beer to overpower the meal.

In previous years for the main Turkey Entrée I have paired beers such as Pauwel Kwak, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, and La Botteresse Brune, Exquisite Artisan Ale brewed with spices and herbs such as sage. I must say that La Botteresse Brune is hands down my number one overall choice for Thanksgiving. This bier really is Thanksgiving Dinner in a Glass. If you have never had this bier you really need to treat yourself to it.

Last year I did something different and had all the beers from the same brewery, Sierra Nevada.

This year I decided to do the same thing with New Belgium. Although there were several New Belgian beers that I wanted to have that I could not find. So here is how the New Belgium Thanks giving beer dinner went down.

Thanksgiving Beer Dinner 2011

A New Belgium Celebration

Hors d’oeuvres/ Aperitif

Belgo Belgian India Pale Ale

Belgian IPA | 7.00% ABV

Very nice Belgian IPA perfect blend of Belgian yeast with floral and earthy hops.

Triple

Tripel | 7.8% ABV

An interesting Triple, Delicious and refreshing with a unique earthiness of a Saison.

Turkey Entrée

Fat Tire Amber Ale (Complementary Pairing)

American Amber / Red Ale | 5.2% ABV

A simple refreshing American Amber Ale This may simply be the best American Amber Ale on the market today.

Ranger IPA (Contrasting Pairing)

American IPA | 6.5% ABV

A very impressive IPA that is interestingly balanced with an almost imperial quality to it.

Dessert

1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Belgian Dark Ale | 5.5 % ABV

1554 is a excellently crafted Belgian Dark Ale with rich dark roasted malt flavors, dark fruit esters and earthy notes. What a great experience.

Additional Beers

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

This “Fresh Hop” IPA could also be a good substitute contrasting pairing for those who are having more then one with dinner.

Victory Yakima Glory

2011-12-30T21:00:00.005-05:00

Yakima Glory

Brewed by:

Victory Brewing Company

Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

American Black Ale

Black IPA

Cascadian Dark Ale

8.70% ABV

Commercial Description:

The tenacious grip of big, juicy hop aroma and character slides smoothly into rich, dark malts. This heavyweight battle between fresh, Yakima Valley hops and dark, roasted malts is resolved harmoniously as the flavors merge to deliver complex satisfaction with a warming edge. Bask in the “glory” of the bright and brassy hops!

(victorybeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$12.00 6 pack, ~$46.00 case

Background:

I stopped in State Line Liquors after work on a Friday and found that there was a Victory rep tasting going on. I sampled this one and had to buy a 6 pack. From the tasting I was torn between an imperial/double IPA or a Black IPA. With only a few ounces in the cup it was difficult to get an appreciation for the color. So let’s give this a full review and see what Yakima Glory has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours a dark brown with burnt amber hues and a very rich off white head, highly effervescent with lots of tiny bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass.

The nose is very intriguing with dark almost roasted malt aromas along with a complexity of citrus, pine and floral hop aromas.

Wow, that a nice first sip. That’s an impressive black IPA. This reminds me of Otter Creek’s Black IPA.

The experience starts out with dark almost roasted malt sweetness up front. That is immediately followed by a tingling effervescence over the tongue along with a building hop and malt robustness as the ale washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The robustness diminishes slightly on the back-end but there is a hesitation at the top of the swallow that is typical and expected. There is an additional carbonation release during the swallow that masks some flavors and cuts the robustness. Everything comes together for one fantastic finish. There rich dark roasted malts come through nicely and cut the rich hop complexity to leave a very robust but balanced enjoyable rich dark ale. The hop bite stays with you into the final aftertaste but there are also some dark malt flavors as well.

This is a great beer. Rich, even robust but not over the top, it stays satisfying and enjoyable.

The head has diminished to a nice protective layer over the top of the beer along with a thick ring around the top of the glass and very impressive lacing.

This is a B+ for me. This is a very unique IPA; a very rich dark roasted malt ale with an interesting hop complexity of citrus and floral fresh hop flavors.

Abita Purple Haze

2011-12-30T19:51:00.001-05:00

Abita Purple Haze

Brewed by:

Abita Brewing Co.

Abita Springs, Louisiana USA

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

4.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Purple Haze is a crisp, American style wheat beer with raspberry puree added after filtration. Therefore, you may see raspberry pulp in the beer. The raspberries provide the lager with a subtle purple coloration and haze, a fruity aroma, and a tartly sweet taste. (abita.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$8.00 6 pack, ~$32.00 case

Background:

Review:

The beer pours a hazy pale copper with purple hues and a white head.

The nose is complex with pale malt aromas and notes of sweet fruit and citrus along with floral hop aromas.

Not bad. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this is much better. I guess I thought it would be an overly sweet beer but this is actually quite good and refreshing.

We start out with light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a cleansing effervescence over the tongue throughout the middle of the sip. The back end is very easy drinking with an effortless swallow. There is also an additional carbonation release during the swallow that masks some of the flavors and adds a refreshing aspect to the experience. It is really not until you get to the finish of this beer when any real flavors are noticed. The finish is nice with pale malt flavors along with sweet fruity notes of raspberry and citrus. The hops are not noticeable by taste but they add dryness to the finish.

All and all this is a very nice easy drinking beer. I am pleasantly surprised with this experience.

As the beer warms a little I’m starting to pick up some lager harshness. It’s not bad at all it just some typical lager characteristics are coming out as it warms a little.

This is not bad at all. I’m going for a B- on this one. Purple Haze is a nice easy drinking beer with very pleasant and refreshing light raspberry flavors and citrus notes on the finish. At 4.2 ABV it would be a great summer session beer.

Abita Restoration Pale Ale

2011-12-30T19:28:00.001-05:00

Restoration Pale Ale

Brewed by:

Abita Brewing Co.

Abita Springs, Louisiana USA

American Pale Ale (APA)

5.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Restoration Pale Ale is made with Pale, Lager, Crystal and Cara Pils malted barley. It is liberally hopped and dry hopped with American Cascade and fermented with California Ale yeast. The end result is a brilliant gold ale with a rich body, mild bitterness and a snappy fresh citrus hop flavor and aroma.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$8.00 6 pack, ~$32.00 case

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with copper hues and a bright white head.

The nose is very inviting with sweet light malt pale malt aromas with notes of citrus and floral hops. This nose is so inviting I can’t what to see if this beer is a refreshing as the nose indicates.

What a great first sip, nice and refreshing.

We start out with a light malt sweetness up front followed by a very refreshing cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is extremely easy drinking with an effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that adds to the refreshing aspect of this beer. The finish is perfect for a light refreshing beer; sweet malts with a very light hop finish followed by some interesting notes of citrus. There is very little of a final aftertaste just a hint of light malts and citrus notes.

As the beer warms the sweetness and citrus notes are becoming more pronounced.

The head has diminished to just a patchy island on top of the beer but it has left some decent lacing.

All and all this is a nice refreshing pale ale. This is one I could drink over and over again. I’m going to have to get more of this next summer. Seems like the perfect summer ale.

This is a solid B+ maybe even an A-. What a nice easy drinking, extremely refreshing beer with sweet pale malt flavors and citrus notes on the finish. What a great summer beer.

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

2011-11-30T23:41:00.000-05:00

New Belgium 1554

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Belgian Dark Ale

5.60% ABV

Commercial Description:

Born of a flood and centuries-old Belgian text, 1554 Enlightened Black Ale uses a light lager yeast strain and dark chocolaty malts to redefine what dark beer can be. In 1997, a Fort Collins flood destroyed the original recipe our researcher, Phil Benstein, found in the library. So Phil and brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert, traveled to Belgium to retrieve this unique style lost to the ages. Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and mouthfeel.
(RateBeer.)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$9.00 6 pack

Background:

I had this beer several years ago while visiting relatives in Illinois. I thought it was pretty good at the time but I have not had it since then. I saw this at State Line Liquors and couldn’t help but buy it. I then had it again just last week as the dessert beer for Thanksgiving. So lets give this a full review and see how it holds up.

Review:

The beer pours a very dark brown almost completely opaque with just a slight hint of caramel hues showing at the bottom of the glass.

The nose is fantastic with rich dark malt aromas with notes of toffee, chocolate and dark fruit.

Wow, what a rich tasting first sip.

The experience starts out with a dark malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a very pleasant mouthfeel as the rich beer washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is rich but fairly easy drinking. There is a robustness of dark roasted malts that builds during the swallow into the finish. The finish is very nice with rich dark roasted malts with notes of toffee, chocolate and dark fruit. There is little to no hop presence on the finish. There is a lingering aftertaste of sweet dark malt with those fruity notes.

The head diminished to a nice protective layer over the top of the beer with a thick ring around the glass. It is also leaving some impressive lacing on the glass.

What a nice little beer.

I let this last bit sit a little to warm up. We are now at 66 degrees.

Ahhh my, this has smoothed out into an exquisite ale at this temperature.

The malt flavors seem richer and smoother now at this temperature. Also now that the carbonation has been released it there is a silkiness in the mouthfeel.

This is a solid A. 1554 is a excellently crafted Belgian Dark Ale with rich dark roasted malt flavors, dark fruit esters and earthy notes. What a great experience.

Redbridge Gluten Free Beer

2011-11-30T22:34:00.002-05:00

Redbridge

Brewed by:

Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

American Amber / Red Lager

4.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Redbridge is a hearty, full-bodied lager brewed using imported Hallertau and domestic Cascade hops. It is brewed with sorghum and has a well-balanced, moderately hopped taste.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$10.00 6 pack, ~$40.00 case

Background:

Paul, a good friend of mine has developed a gluten intolerance. We discussed alternative Gluten Free beers and I bought a 6 pack of this for a party that he was attending. I had this that night and was pleasantly surprised. It was not an excellent beer but it did taste and look like beer which was more than I expected. At any rate I kept one to review. So let’s put this Sorghum beer through the ropes.

Review:

The beer pours clear pale copper with orange hues and a white to off white head.

The nose is interesting. It really does smell like a beer but there are also some none typical aromas. There is a very different grassy aroma along with the typical hop aromas and some sweet notes that I can’t put by finger on.

Not a bad first sip. There are some oddities at the end of the finish but other than that it’s pretty much a regular tasting beer.

The taste starts out with a light sweetness up front. That is followed by a cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is extremely easy drinking with an effortless swallow. So far a normal beer experience. The finish is where this experience gets different. There is a unique sweetness in the finish that must be from the sorghum. It’s not bad just very different from the typical beer. The final aftertaste is just a hint of that sorghum sweetness.

All and all this is not a bad tasting beer. I’m not sure if I would buy this again for me but I certainly would buy it and have with a friend. Actually I could get use to this if I was gluten intolerant.

We are at 57 degrees and it’s not as smooth as it was. It’s got a little bit of that lager harshness and it’s not as easy drinking or refreshing either.

I’m use to tasting the differences in malt flavors as the beer warms and opens up. These differences however are unique to this sorghum beer. It is sweeter and more pronounced but very unique. I really can not compare this sweetness to any other beer.

Since this is my first sorghum or gluten free beer I don’t think I’m going to give it a letter grade. But, if this was a regular amber lager I would give it a C maybe even a C+. It’ really was not a bad tasting lager.

Yards Brawler Pugilist Style Ale

2011-11-30T22:28:00.005-05:00

Brawler Pugilist Style Ale

Brewed by:
Yards Brewing Co.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

English Dark Mild Ale

4.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Boasting superior taste and champion flavor, the Brawler is crafted in the style of English session ales. This malt-forward, ruby colored ale is great for when you want to go a few rounds.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$9.00 6 pack, ~$36.00 case

Background:

I have heard good things about this beer but I have never had it. It’s funny how it just jumped into my cart last week. So let’s see what the Brawler has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours a clear dark brown with ruby hues and an off white to tan head.

The nose is classic English Brown with toasted toffee like malt and earthy hop aromas.

What a nice first sip with richer than expected malt flavors but also clean and refreshing.

The taste starts out with light malt sweetness up front. That is followed by a cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back end is very easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. The finish is very flavorful with nice toasted malts and earthy floral hops. The hops in this beer are very flavorful but floral and earthy in nature without bitterness. There is very little of a final aftertaste just some slight lingering toasted malt flavor.

All and all this is a very nice drinking beer. It is very impressive how flavorful this beer for only being 4.2% ABV. This is a noticeable characteristic of a lot of English and Scotch Ales; richer malt flavors but light in alcohol.

We have warmed to 65 degrees now.

The carbonation has diminished and the malt flavors are richer and smoother at this temperature.

I’m going for a B+ on this English Brown. What a nice refreshing beer with great malt flavors and a mildly hopped finish.

Abita Turbodog

2011-11-30T22:22:00.001-05:00

Abita Turbodog

Brewed by:

Abita Brewing Co.

Abita Springs, Louisiana USA

English Brown Ale

5.60% ABV

Commercial Description:

Abita Turbodog is a dark brown ale brewed with Willamette hops and a combination of British pale, crystal and chocolate malts. This combination gives Turbodog its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate-toffee like flavor.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$8.00 6 pack, ~$30.00 case

Background:

I was at State Line Liquors looking for the Abita Pecan Harvest but I was too late. Matt recommended this one so I figured that I would give it a whirl.

Review:

The beer pours a dark brown almost completely opaque with just a hint of deep ruby hues showing through the glass. The beer also produced a fairly rich tan head.

The nose is nice with rich toasted malt aromas with earthy undertones, nutty notes and light floral hops aromas.

What a nice brown ale with rich malt flavors but still maintaining a smooth and refreshing mouthfeel and body.

It starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front followed by a nice almost creamy mouthfeel in the middle of the sip. The back end is pretty easy drinking for a brown ale with an almost effortless swallow. There is malt robustness that builds during swallow into the finish. This robustness diminishes however at the finish. The finish is nice, smooth, almost creamy with rich toasted malt flavors and a touch earthiness from the hops. There is just a slight lingering of toasted malts on the final aftertaste.

This is a really nice Brown Ale. I can’t tell you how impressed I am this one, rich but still smooth and almost refreshing.

I’ve been doing more drinking than writing so I am going to let this sit and warm up a little.

OK, I let this sit for a while; we are now at 66 degrees.

Man O Man is that good! This beer was good before but now it’s exquisite. The warm malts are richer but much smoother now. There is a silky smoothness, almost creaminess to this Brown Ale.

This delicious Brown Ale went from a B to an A in the last few sips. What a great character development in the last few degrees. This is one Brown Ale that I highly recommend.

Weyerbacher Harvest Ale 2011

2011-11-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

Weyerbacher Harvest Ale

Fresh Hop

2011

Brewed by:

Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Easton, Pennsylvania USA

American IPA

5.40% ABV

Commercial Description:

Brewed with fresh hops harvested from our own local hops farm.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$8.00 4 pack, ~$47.00 case

Background:

This was a gift from my friend Gonzalo. I’m a big fan of this Easton brewery. I have had beer before and reviewed it back in November 2009. Since this is a fresh hop ale I thought it would be worth doing a 2011 review.

Review:

The beer pours a clear amber with copper hues and a fairly rich white to off white head.

The nose is nice with sweet malt aromas along with robust but pleasant complex hop aromas. The hop aromas are mainly floral and earthy.

What a nice first sip. The hops are fresh full of flavor but not overpowering or bitter.

The taste starts with touch of sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue but that only last for a split second. It is immediately followed by a tingle and effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. There is also building hop robustness as you get to the back-end. The back-end is pretty intense with hop flavors that create a hefty hesitation at the top of the swallow. The finish is rich with hop flavors. The hops are robust for sure but mostly earthy and floral without being overwhelming or bitter. There is a lingering hop bite that carries through on the final aftertaste.

All and all this is still a solid Fresh Hop ale. I’m going for an A- on this. That is a little lower than what I gave it a few years ago but I have had a lot more Fresh Hop IPA’s in the last two years.

Weyerbacher Autumn Fest

2011-11-30T22:12:00.001-05:00

Weyerbacher Autumn Fest

Brewed by:

Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Easton, Pennsylvania USA

American Amber / Red Ale

5.40% ABV

Commercial Description:

AutumnFest is Weyerbachers own unique twist on the German Oktoberfest style. Copper-amber in color, AutumnFest is made with Vienna and Munich malts for that authentic, Bavarian easy drinking taste. Each sip imparts a wonderful roastiness of malt on the tongue followed by a smooth, consistent finish. Wonderfully balanced with a clean, velvety, slightly fruity taste, AutumnFest is the perfect beer for the Fall- a nice transition between the lighter beers of summer and the darker, heavier winter brews. It is a favorite of many Weyerbacher aficionados, who anticipate the end of summer with this wonderful beer. Weyerbacher AutumnFest (ABV 5.4%) is generally available in stores August through December. Pick up a case to celebrate the change of seasons. Prost! (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$10.00 6 pack, ~$39.00 case

Background:

This was a gift from my friend Gonzalo. I’m a big fan of this Easton brewery but I have never had this one before now. So let’s see what the Autumn Fest has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours a clear amber with orange hues and a fairly rich off white head.

The nose is nice with sweet caramel malt and floral hop aromas.

Well, that was unexpected. What a great first sip; rich caramel malts with a light hop finish. Let me attempt a play by play.

The experience starts out with a caramel malt sweetness upfront. That is followed by effervescence over the tongue and building malt robustness in the middle of the sip. The robustness diminishes during the swallow with a carbonation release that masks the flavors. The finish is very nice with a sweet caramel malt flavors along with a floral hops. The final aftertaste is a lingering caramel malt sweetness. It’s almost like a coating it is so robust.

I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this.

This is a very impressive easy drinking beer with rich caramel malt flavors and nice floral hops on the finish.

The experience gets smoother and richer as the beer warms and opens up a little.

I have let this beer warm to 65 degrees.

The beer is extremely smooth at this temperature. The malt flavors are very nice with robustness but still smooth and easy drinking.

I’m going for a B+ on this Autumn Ale. What a nice offering from Weyerbacher; easy drinking with rich caramel malts and a mildly hopped finish.

Schlafly American IPA

2011-11-12T00:20:00.000-05:00

Schlafly American IPA

Brewed by:

Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

American IPA

7.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

A medium-bodied amber ale with a hefty dose of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$9.00 6 pack, ~$33.00 case

Background:
Lost Review: Review 324 Schlafly American IPA.doc was done on 11-12-2011 but not posted until 02-13-2012

This was a gift from my friend Gonzalo. I have never had this beer from Schlafly so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy light copper with orange hues and an off white head.

The nose is pleasant with sweet malt aromas with citrus and floral hop aromas.

That was a great first sip; clean crisp and refreshing with a nice hop complexity.

We start out with pale malt sweetness up front. Then there’s a tingling effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. There is also building hop robustness in mid-sip. The back end is fairly easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. The finish very refreshing with light pale malts and a great hop finish. The hop flavors are mild for an American IPA but there is also an interesting complexity to it also.

There is no wow factor here just a nice easy drinking and refreshing IPA. The pleasure of a simple beer, gotta love it.

As the beer warmed the hops seemed to intensify a little. The finish is more like grapefruit in bitterness now.

All and all this was a very nice American IPA. Sorry for the short review, I obviously did more drinking then writing on this one.

I’m going or a B+ on this American IPA. This is a very refreshing American IPA with a nice malt balance. Still favoring the hops as an IPA should be there was a definite malt backbone to this beer.

Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale

2011-11-12T00:02:00.003-05:00

Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale

Brewed by:

Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

American Pale Ale (APA)

5.90% ABV

Commercial Description:

A medium-bodied amber ale with a hefty dose of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$9.00 6 pack, ~$33.00 case

Background:

Lost Review: Review 323 Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale was reviewed on 11-12-2011 but not posted until 02-13-2012

This was a gift from my friend Gonzalo. I have never had this beer from Schlafly so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden copper with orange hues and an off white head.

The nose is modest but pleasant with aromas of light malt and floral hops.

Ahhh, that’s a nice APA; smooth and refreshing with nice malt flavors and floral hop bite.

The taste starts out with a light malt sweetness up front followed by tingling effervescence over the tongue in mid sip. The back end is easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that adds a refreshing aspect to the experience. The finish is very nice with malt flavors and a very pleasant hop bite. The hop flavors are more floral and not bitter.

We have warmed to 62 degrees and this is really getting good. It’s much smoother now

This is a nice APA, very refreshing with light pale malt flavor and a great floral hop bite.

I’m going for an B+ on this. This American Pale Ale has a little something for everyone. Nice refreshing pale malt flavors and a wonderful floral hop bite on the finish.

Otter Creek Imperial India Pale Ale Aged from 2009

2011-10-31T02:34:00.003-04:00

Otter Creek Imperial India Pale Ale

Aged from 2009

Brewed by:

Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

Middlebury, Vermont

American Double / Imperial IPA

11.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Malts: 2-row Munich, Carapils, Caramel 60L, Caramel 20L, Wheat. Hops: Bravo, Apollo, Amarillo, Simcoe.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz bottle: ~$7.00 each

Background:

It’s a cold snowy night in October, yes I said snowy. We are in a middle of an unusual fall snow storm. I was looking around the house for something to take the chill off and I remembered that I was cellaring one of these since 2009. I reviewed this beer back in the fall of 2009. At the time I thought that the beer was too intense with hops and alcohol and that it was lacking any malt balance. I also thought that it would be interesting to see how it aged; would the hops mellow? Would the malts create more balance as they age? So let’s see what happens to an intense imperial IPA after cellaring for two years.

Review:

The beer pours a slightly hazy amber with deep ruby hues and a very rich and lasting off white head. As a side note I do have to mention that there is a lot of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The fresh version does not have sediment.

The nose has very pleasant caramel malt aromas on the nose along with sweet alcohol and a mild hop presence. The hop aromas are subtle but complex with mostly floral and earthy notes.

I can’t to see how this tastes.

Wow, what a great first sip; rich and warming. This is a perfect beer for a cold snowy night, even if it is only October.

The experience starts out with malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is immediately followed by a hop robustness the builds throughout the middle of the sip. The back-end is pretty intense with a large hesitation on the top of the swallow.

The warming effect almost hits you before the finish. The finish is also intense with rich caramel malt flavors, a robust hop complexity and sweet alcohol. There is a lingering robust hop aftertaste. The hop experience is very rich and intense but the bitterness has mellowed.

This is a very smooth big beer whose hop intensity has mellowed with age.

I’m really enjoying this big beer.

I let the second glass warm to room temperature.

The beer did not pick up any new flavors or character as it warmed.

It’s interesting how the character of the beer changed but this beer did not develop any as it warmed. I guess I was expecting more complexity now after two years in the cellar.

I’m going for a B maybe a B+ for the aged Imperial IPA. This beer did get better over time. Aging this beer mellowed the intense hop flavors and brought out a richer malt character.

Southampton Pumpkin Ale

2011-10-31T00:40:00.001-04:00

Southampton Pumpkin Ale

Brewed by:

Southampton Publick House

Southampton, New York USA

Pumpkin Ale

5.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Our Autumn amber brew with the unmistakable flavor of “pumpkin pie” is available now through Thanksgiving in 12 oz bottles and seasonal draft.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$9.00 6 pack

Background:

This was a gift from my friend Gonzalo. I have had a lot of good beers from Southampton but I have not had their pumpkin ale yet. I’m really looking forward to this.

Review:

The beer pours a clear amber with orange hues and a modest off white head.

The nose has some caramel malt aromas but it is mostly pumpkin spice.

Not a bad first sip. I was expecting it to be mostly spice but this as some nice pumpkin flavor to it as well.

It starts out with a light sweetness up front followed by a effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is very easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that adds a refreshing quality to the experience and masks some of the flavors. The finish is very nice with caramel malt flavors along with floral hops, real pumpkin flavor and of course a good dose of pumpkin spices. The final aftertaste is of a lingering pumpkin spice.

All and all this is a very nice pumpkin ale. It really does have some nice pumpkin flavor along with the spicy notes.

I’m going for a B on this one. This beer has a good pumpkin flavor along with nice caramel malts and pumpkin spice.

DuClaw 13 Degrees

2011-10-31T00:23:00.001-04:00

13 (Thirteen) Degrees

Brewed by:

DuClaw Brewing Company

Abingdon, Maryland USA

Hefeweizen

4.80% ABV

Commercial Description:

Get ready to cheat fate with a foreboding potion of wheat and barley malt temptation. Pure and unfiltered, the first taste forewarns the unsuspecting of spicy clove and smooth banana lurking around the corner.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$9.00 6 pack

Background:

I picked up a 6pack of this a while back and left one setting in the beer fridge since then to review. I remember having it back then but I can’t remember how good it was. So lets see what 13 degrees has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a bright white head.

The nose is classic Hefeweizen with citrus, banana and clove notes. This is very inviting I can’t wait to delve into it.

Well, that’s a Hefeweizen all right. That first sip was pretty good; all the flavors and notes of a classic Hefeweizen.

The taste starts out with a light wheat malt sweetness up front followed by a cleansing effervescence in mid-sip. The back end is extremely easy drinking with an effortless swallow. The finish is light and refreshing with wheat flavors and notes of citrus, banana and clove. The final aftertaste is light but with noticeable banana and clove notes.

The beer is extremely light and refreshing. It may be too light and refreshing for the style but still good none the less.

There are two other notes to make about this beer. There was not any real wheat sediment on the bottom of the glass. I did the typical end of the bottle swirl and did not notice any sediment back in the glass.

Also this beer did not produce much of a head and it diminished quickly then completely disappeared.

I’m going for a B- on this one. It is a very good tasting and refreshing Hefe but it is lacking some the richness of the style.

Wolavers Pumpkin Ale 2011

2011-10-31T00:03:00.001-04:00

Wolavers Pumpkin Ale

2011

Brewed by:

Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

Middlebury, Vermont USA

Pumpkin Ale

4.80% ABV

Commercial Description:

Generous use of Vermont grown organic pumpkins artfully blended with four fresh organic spices craft this seasonal treat.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$8.00 6 pack

Background:

I reviewed that a few years ago back in the fall of 2009 under the name Wolaver's Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale. I noticed the new label this year and the drop of the Will Stevens name so I figured it was time to re-visit this seasonal Pumpkin Ale.

Review:

The beer pours a clear copper with orange hues and a white to off white head.

The nose is great! This pumpkin ale actually has real pumpkin aromas on the nose not just pumpkin spice.

Ahh what nice ale; smooth and full of pumpkin and spice flavors.

The experience starts with a touch of sweetness up front followed by a smooth and almost creamy mouthfeel over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back end is very easy drinking with an effortless swallow. The finish is where this beer pulls it all together. The finish has great almost caramel malt flavors along with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavors. The pumpkin flavors on this beer are for real not artificial. There are also some nice pumpkin spices on this beer.

This may be the best real pumpkin flavored pumpkin ale on the market today. Most of the pumpkin ales that I have had should be called pumpkin spice beer because that’s mostly what you get, the spice. With this one you get real pumpkin flavor.

We have warmed to almost room temperature and this beer has not picked up any off flavors. That is always impressive to me.

I’m giving this wonderful natural tasting pumpkin ale an A. This may rival Post Road as my new gold standard for the style.

Otter Creek Oktoberfest 2011

2011-10-30T23:28:00.002-04:00

Otter Creek Oktoberfest

2011

Brewed by:

Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

Middlebury, Vermont USA

American Amber / Red Ale

BeerAdvocate.com

Oktoberfest/Marzen

RateBeer.com

4.80% ABV

Commercial Description:

Brewed with Hallertau and Tettnang hops to balance its clean, malty sweetness, it's the perfect brew for a crisp Autumn day. Available from September to November. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$8.00 6 pack

Background:

I just realized that I have reviewed this beer before, back in the Fall of 2009. Although the label said Otter Creek Oktoberfest I reviewed it as an American Amber Ale going by BeerAdvocate’s style category. Now I’m just confused if this is an Oktoberfest (lager) or Amber ale. I guess I’ll just have to see how it goes.

Review:

The beer pours a clear copper with orange hues and a off white head.

The nose is very pleasant with rich caramel malt and light floral hop aromas.

What’s a nice Oktoberfest; rich caramel malt flavors but also very refreshing.

The experience starts out with malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a refreshing cleansing effervescence over the tongue in mid-sip. The back-end is very easy drinking with an effortless swallow. The finish is very nice with caramel malt flavors along with a nice floral hop bite at the end. There is not much of a lingering aftertaste, just some sweet malt.

All and all this is a very nice, easy drinking beer. I am really enjoyable this one.

This is a B+ to A- for an American Amber Ale. I’m not sure I would give it such a good rating for an authentic Oktoberfest. It is lacking some of that German malt flavor to be a great Oktoberfest.

Guinness Black Lager

2011-10-30T21:58:00.001-04:00

Guinness Black Lager

Brewed by:

Guinness Ltd.

Ireland

Euro Dark Lager

4.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Guinness Black Lager is cold-brewed with roasted barley to deliver the refreshing taste of lager with the unique character of Guinness. Enjoy ice cold straight from the bottle. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottle: ~$7.00 6 pack, ~$25.00 case

Background:

This was another gift from my friend Gene. I did not know Guinness had a black lager. This should be an interesting review.

Review:

The beer pours a dark brown almost completely opaque with just a hint of amber hues showing at the bottom of the glass. This beer also produced a fairly rich tan head.

The nose is modest with dark toasted malt aromas.

That’s a nice drinkable black lager. That first sip was a smooth as porter ale not a typical black lager. This may be very interesting indeed.

The taste starts out with a dark malt sweetness up front but that is followed by a cleansing effervescence over the tongue in mid-sip. The back end is very easy drinking with an effortless swallow. The carbonation release during the swallow adds a refreshing aspect to the beer and masks some flavors. The finish is modest but very pleasant with nice dark toasted malt flavors along with a subtle hop finish. The finish is surprisingly dry for such a dark beer. There is very little of a final aftertaste just some lingering toasted malt flavors.

This is a very smooth and refreshing beer. I’m really quite surprised on how good it is. It may be too light and refreshing for the style and will probably not get good reviews. But it has been very enjoyable to me so far.

We are now at 63 degrees

Finally I’m starting to pick up some more robust malt flavors as this beer warms and opens up a little.

I let this get to room temperature and it has not picked up any unpleasantness whatsoever. Actually I’m impressed with how good it still tastes.

I’m going for an A- on this one. This was a very impressive black lager, very refreshing with nice dark toasted malt flavors with a clean finish. I went back and looked at my previous black lager reviews and it looks like this was the best so far.

16 Mile Amber Sun Ale

2011-10-26T21:15:00.001-04:00

Amber Sun Ale

(Glass Bottle)

Brewed by:

16 Mile Brewing Company, Inc.

Georgetown, Delaware, USA

American Amber / Red Ale

6.10% ABV

Commercial Description:

Amber Sun Ale– Roasty finishing malts, balanced with just enough bitterness provides a traditional amber ale that is dark red to the eye, but not heavy on the palate. 16 Mile names this premium amber ale for the famous sunsets found at the Breakwater Lighthouse located off of Lewes Beach, Delaware.

(16milebrewery.com)

Background:

I reviewed this Amber Sun Ale from a 22 oz bottle shaped can back in the summer. It was not very good. Actually I don’t think I finished it. But I did remember thinking that it may be an artifact of the can and that I would re-visit it if they produced the beer in a glass bottle. Well, my buddy Gene found it in a 12 oz glass bottle and gave me one. So it looks like it’s time to re-visit this one.

Review:

The beer pours a clear dark amber with ruby hues and a fairly rich off white to tan head.

The nose is modest but nice with caramel malt and light floral hop aromas.

The first sip was not bad, not impressive but not bad either.

The taste starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front followed by effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release on the swallow that masks some flavors and adds a nice refreshing quality to the beer. The finish is pleasant with nice caramel malt flavors. There is a questionable bite at the end of the finish. I’m not really sure if it’s all hops or something else. There is not much of a final aftertaste just some slight lingering malt flavors.

All and all this is not a bad tasting beer. I’m not sure how good it is but it’s not offensive. I’m going to let this warm up a little and see what happens.

We are now at 65 degrees.

We are picking up some unpleasantness. There is a definite harshness on the finish and final aftertaste now. But overall this is still a drinkable beer.

I think there is a noticeable improvement from what I had in the bottle/can a few months ago. I don’t think I finished that one. This is still not a great beer but at least it is a drinkable C out of a glass bottle.

Sly Fox Route 113 India Pale Ale

2011-10-26T19:36:00.003-04:00

Route 113 India Pale Ale

Brewed By:

Sly Fox Brewing Company

Royersford, Pennsylvania, USA

American IPA

7.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

A big, strong IPA for all the hopheads out there, brewed with British Pale and Caramel malts, and hopped with Centennial, Cascade, German Tradition, UK East Kent Goldings & Styrian Goldings. Bold and spicy. 16.5 OG 113 IBUs 6.6% ABV

Background:

I sampled this beer back in May at the Holy Saviour Parish Craft Beer Event. I remember being impressed with how the high IBU’s were artfully masked. My friend Joe was also impressed with this beer and bought a case of it. He then in turn gave me this one to review. Thanks Joe, I can’t wait to finally delve into it.

Review:

The beer pours a clear amber with copper/orange hues and a fairly rich off white head.

The nose is nice with caramel malt aromas and the most pleasant hop complexity.

Wow, that’s an IPA that I can love. What a great first sip.

The experience starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is immediately followed by a tingling effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. There is also a slight hop robustness growing toward the back-end. The back-end is very easy drinking for an IPA with an almost effortless swallow. The hop robustness continues to build during the swallow into the finish. The finish is great; excellently balanced with rich caramel malt flavors and a wonderful complex hop bite. The hops in this beer are never overpowering or bitter. Amazing for a 113 IBU beer. There final aftertaste is of lingering hops but more floral and citrus not bitterness. There is also a nice sweetness on the aftertaste.

This is a great IPA. I may have to do a head to head with Great Divide Titan and Evolution Lot #3 to see how has the best American IPA.

The head on this beer has not quit. It has diminished to just a thin protective layer over the top of the beer with a nice ring around the class and it is leaving some very impressive lacing.

This experience just keeps getting better as the beer warms and opens up a little.

The hop complexity is also very impressive. The hop flavors range across the board, Citrus, Pine, Floral and Earthy; all without being overpowering or bitter.

We are only at 60 degrees; I can’t wait to see what happens as this delicious beer really warms up.

The second glass pours with a creamier head.

Wow, that rich head added the creamiest mouthfeel to that sip. All and all this second glass seems richer and smoother than the first.

This beer is going from great to exquisite as it warms.

I’m now at the point that I’m savoring every bit of this delicious ale. What a great experience.

We are now at 67 degrees.

The malt flavors are just outstanding at these temperatures and that great hop bite is still there on the finish. This is starting to feel full and satisfying like an imperial/double IPA but without the high alcohol.

Well, that was another excellent offering from Sly Fox and this one was good to the last warm drop.

This is a solid A+ for me. Rt. 113 is full bodied excellently balance IPA with rich caramel malt flavors and the most exquisite hop complexity; all without being overpowering or bitter.

Mr Beer Octoberfest Vienna Lager Home Brew

2011-10-24T20:15:00.001-04:00

Mr. Beer Octoberfest Vienna Lager

Brewed by:

Remaley and Daughter

Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, USA

Vienna Lager

3.7 % ABV

Background:

My 9 year old daughter Frances and I brewed this beer back in May. It was a cool home school science project for her and just a blast for me. I did sample this a week or so after bottling and was not very impressed with it. It tasted all right but there was a green apple bite to it that didn’t seem to belong. So 5 months later lets see what the Mr. Beer home brew has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours a clear dark amber with copper/orange hues and a off white head.

The nose is modest but pleasant with caramel malt and light floral hop aromas.

Not a bad first sip. I’m not sure it’s good but it’s not bad.

The taste starts out with a slight sweetness up font on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a tingling effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is vey easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that adds a refreshing quality to the beer. The finish is just OK. There are caramel malt flavors and a nice bite. I’m not sure if the bite is from the hops or not. There is also a grassy note on finish with a slight green apple flavor. That may be giving the beer more bite than the hops. There is not much of a final aftertaste, just a slight lingering malt sweetness.

This beer is drinkable for sure. I just thought it would be better than this since I let it sit since May. I guess it’s that grassy/grainy bite on the finish that is setting me back.

The more I drink it the more I’m getting accustomed to the green apple. At this point I hardly notice it. This is really not too bad. I still hope it will get better with age.

Well there is not much more I can say about this. I still have one bottle I let sit for a few more months, maybe up to a year and try it again.

Mr Beer English Nut Brown Home Brew

2011-10-23T20:12:00.004-04:00

Mr. Beer English Nut Brown

Brewed by:

Remaley and Sons

Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, USA

English Brown

3.7 % ABV

Background:

Well it’s now October, the traditional month to start brewing again. (Traditional German Brewing Season is October to March) I’m pretty confident that I will be doing my first real batch of home brew this month. But before I do I thought I would recap and post reviews of the Mr. Beer home brew that my son John and did back in August 2010. We had a blast with this Mr. Beer Home Brew. I had this kit for several years (like 10) and never used it. We finally bought a new ingredients kit and gave it a whirl. We did notice a big mistake when finished. The new kit new kit came with a booster pack what we did not use. My old instruction did not mention the booster pack but suggested to add more table sugar to boost the ABV. The following is three separate reviews or tastings of this home brew.

8-23-10

First Tasting, two weeks after bottling

The beer pours a nice amber color with copper hues and a modest white head. The head diminished to just a ring around the top of the beer in just a few minutes.

The nose has sweet toasted malt aromas and some light floral hops. There is also an interested sweetness and yeasty notes.

This is odd, it’s just not right. It is missing something and there is an odd tang or tinge to it. I suspect that this is just too young and needs to set for at least another week or two.

It smells better than it taste, that’s for sure.

I don’t think I’m going to do the normal play by play. This is going to be more of a taste test for quality control.

It’s not bad. As my son John just said we have spent money on much worse and he is right on that.

For a first time home brew it is very much a drinkable beer. But I can’t say it is a good beer.

There is an odd harshness and tang in the back end and finish. This is also accompanied by a yeasty note was well. I assume that this is because the bottle conditioning is not complete yet and this should go at least another week. There is also little to no malt flavor in this beer. Again this may be remedied by a little aging.

On a more positive note; the color and nose is really nice. So for now two out of three ain’t bad.

I’ll have to revisit this next week.

9-7-10

Four weeks after bottling

The nose is still nice with sweet caramel malts and floral hops. Also the color has not changed. So like the first tasting it looks good and smells good. So let’s see if the taste improved any.

Not bad. The flavors are still a little light for an English Brown but than again I really can’t compare this to anything else.

This is actually a very refreshing beer. The taste starts out with sweet caramel malt up front but that only last for a split second. It is immediately replaced by effervescence and an almost tingling sensation over the tongue. This continues throughout the middle of the sip. The back end has a building harshness to it. This harshness carries through to the finish. The finish is fairly dry with very little of a final aftertaste. What is left is a slight light malt flavor.

I guess this is drinkable but it’s not really enjoyable.

The good news is that this is encouraging me to learn more and brew a better beer next time.

10-22-11

We are more than a year since we brewed this beer back in August of 2010.

This is the last bottle that I have been cellaring in the beer cabinet.

The beer pours a clear dark copper with amber hues and a diminishing off white head.

The nose is modest but pleasant with caramel malt aromas with light floral hops along with some grassy notes.

Well, it’s probably the best tasting yet. It’s still very grassy with a green apple finish but highly drinkable.

It starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front then a tingling effervescence over the tongue during the middle of the sip. The back-end is very easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is another carbonation release during the swallow. The finish is not too bad. There are nice malt flavor but some not so nice green apple flavors mixed in. There is not much of a final aftertaste just some lingering sweet caramel malts.

All and all this is pretty drinkable; it has certainly gotten better over time.

The more I drink this the more I like it. Don’t get me wrong it’s not that good but it is drinkable.

There is a nice malt robustness now that I did not notice on the previous (younger) tastings. The beer now looks and tastes like an English Brown. I’ll have to look back at other pictures but his seems a little darker also.

I’m letting this warm up a little and it’s staying pretty good. It is not picking up anything offensive anyway.

The malt flavors are actually nice and the grassiness and green apple taste seems to be diminishing as it warms and opens up a little.

I’m not going to give any of these a rating. The one lesson learned here is that home brew gets better as it ages.

Rogue XS Imperial Younger's Special Bitter

2011-10-23T02:39:00.001-04:00

XS Imperial Younger's Special Bitter

Brewed by:

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon, USA

Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)

7.10% ABV

Commercial Description:

YSB is amber in color with a mild hoppy finish. Brewed with a blend of 2-row Harrington and Crystal malts, Willamette and East Kent Golding hops.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

7 oz bottle: ~$5.00 each

Background:

I can’t really remember where this one came from. It’s been sitting in the beer fridge to review for quite a while.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy dark copper with orange hues and diminishing off white head.

The nose is modest with light but almost caramel malt and floral hop aromas.

Well, that was different. This is a most unusual ESB. It feels like should be a big beer but there is no notice of alcohol just a full bodied ale.

The experience starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front. That is followed by a very smooth mouthfeel with a building robustness in the middle of the sip. The back-end is fairly easy drinking with a slight hesitation at the top of the swallow. The finish is very nice with rich malts and floral hops. There is a lingering malt aftertaste and just a hint of hop bite.

As this beer warms it is really opening up. The malt flavors are more robust now. This is feeling more like a big beer but without the alcohol.

I’m going for B+ for this most unusual ESB. That may be low but I have nothing to compare this ESB experience to. There is nothing comparable to this in the style. It’s like taking a great ESB and aging it for 10 years.

Boxcar India Pale Ale (Belgian Yeast)

2011-10-22T00:09:00.002-04:00

Boxcar India Pale Ale
(Belgian Yeast)

Brewed by:

Boxcar Brewing Co.

West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA

Belgian IPA

7.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Our IPA is a deep golden color ale with a white lingering creamy head. There are hints of citrus and tropical fruits and resinous hops throughout this well-balanced brew, which will compliment food quite well. Pace yourself, this IPA goes down a lot smoother than the ABV would suggest.

Color: Golden

ABV: 7.2%

Hops: Summit (bittering) / Palisades (aroma) / First Gold (dry)

Malt: Pilsner (base)

Available: Year round in 12 oz. bottles and draft.

(BoxcarBrewingCompany.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$30.00 each

Background:

I stopped in to see the boys at Boxcar a few weeks back to pick up some door prizes and raffle items for my last beer event. Among the gifts were a couple of bottles of their new IPA. I previously reviewed the standard IPA and this one is the one that was made with Belgian yeast.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy deep yellow with orange hues and a bright white head.

The nose is delightful with light malt aromas along with citrus and yeasty notes. With a gentle swirl of the glass the most pleasant floral hop complexity is released.

Wow, no I’m a huge Belgian nut so this is really WOW! What a great first sip. This is like the perfect Belgian IPA; very impressive.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a tingling effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. This tingling is not all carbonation; there is a definite hop presence there also. There is also an interesting earthiness that develops just before the swallow on the back-end. It is very easy drinking with a slight hesitation at the top of the swallow. That is quickly overcome and effortless into the finish. There is an additional carbonation release during the swallow that masks some of the flavors but adds a refreshing aspect to the experience. The finish is exquisite and excellently balanced with wonderful pilsner malt flavors, floral hops, citrus notes and that unique Belgian yeastiness that adds a certain perfection to it all. The final aftertaste is modest with a light sweetness, slight floral bite and lingering earthy yeastiness. There is nothing bitter about this ale whatsoever; the hops a floral in nature and delicious without being bitter.

The alcohol is well masked in this ale. You would be hard pressed to think that this was any more than a standard 5% offering. There is however an interesting warming from this beer but that is the only inclination that this is a 7.2% ABV ale.

This is so delicious and so easy drinking I’m almost finished the glass and I haven’t let it warm any. I’ll have to let it sit for a while and come back to it.

This beer will rival any authentic Belgian IPA, and I don’t mean the American misfits either. It is lacking some complexity but this exquisite ale is comparable to Bittere Waarheid (Bitter Truth), Houblon Chouffe, La Rullés or Piraat Ale; the best of the Belgian IPA’s (in my humble opinion).

Ok, I let this sit to warm and open up a little. It was not easy I literally had to walk away from it.

We are now at 72 degrees.

The beer has really opened up nicely. The malt flavors are more substantial now. The carbonation has all released leaving a very smooth sweet ale. The alcohol is almost discernable at this temperature. Still there is no hop bitterness, just the most exquisite earthy and floral hop presence with a dry finish.

This is amazingly good to the last warm drop. And that is always impressive to me.

This experience has been hands down a solid A+. I have had so many American attempts at reproducing the Belgian IPA and most if not all of them have failed. This is the first time I can honestly say “They Got It!” What a wonderful experience. I can only hope that they brew this one again. This exquisite ale can stand toe to toe with any authentically Belgian brewed IPA.

Boxcar India Pale Ale

2011-10-21T23:49:00.002-04:00

Boxcar India Pale Ale

Brewed by:

Boxcar Brewing Co.

West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA

Indian Pale Ale

7.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Color: Golden

ABV: 7.2%

Hops: Summit (bittering) / Palisades (aroma) / First Gold (dry)

Malt: Pilsner (base)

Available: Year round in 12 oz. bottles and draft.

(BoxcarBrewingCompany.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$30.00 each

Background:

I stopped in to see the boys at Boxcar a few weeks back to pick up some door prizes and raffle items for my last beer event. Among the gifts were a few bottles of their new IPA. One of these is their standard IPA and one was made with Belgian yeast. I’ll do the Standard first and then the Belgian.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy deep yellow with orange hues and a bright white head.

The nose is modest with light malt aromas, floral hop complexity and yeastiness. This is a very inviting nose for an IPA; I can’t wait to dive into it.

What an interesting first sip. This is not your typical IPA. That is, it’s not your typical American IPA. This is a great English India Pale Ale; mildly hopped compared to the American counterparts and right up my alley.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a very pleasant cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is very easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that adds a refreshing quality to the experience. The finish is great with nice light malt flavors and just the right amount of bite without the bitterness. The final aftertaste is sweet with some light malts and a lingering yeastiness.

This IPA is perfect for me. But it will not be well received by the hop heads.

We are now at 68 degrees.

This beer really opens up as it warms. The malt flavors and hops seem to be more pronounced now. There is also an interesting citrus note on the finish that was not noticeable when this beer was cold.

Well that was delicious to the last warm drop.

I’m going for an A on this one; another winner from Boxcar. This is a nice IPA made in the traditional English style not in the overly bitter American style. This excellently balanced ale is hopped for just the right amount of bite for a clean dry finish. With the refreshing carbonation and citrus notes I could drink this all day but the masked 7.2 % ABV would eventually kick me.

I can’t tell you how impressed I’ve been with this and all the Boxcar offerings. It’s like these guys are brewing beer just for me. Their Original is just that completely original; a wonderfully refreshing Pale Ale. The Brown is listed as and American Brown Ale but will put to shame any English Brown or session. And now we have this exquisite India Pale Ale, full of body and easy drinking with a stealth 7.2 % ABV. I can’t wait to see what the boys come up with next.

Flying Dog Table For Two

2011-10-17T22:24:00.001-04:00

Table For Two

Brewed by:

Flying Dog Brewery

Fredrick, Maryland, USA

Belgian Pale Ale

5.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

It’s a Maryland collaboration for the ages with Flying Dog Brewery and The Brewer’s Art coming together to create Table for Two — a Belgian-style Table Beer brewed with wildflower honey. Table for Two’s sweet honey aroma and flavor complements its complex biscuit malt tones and spicy, fruity yeast notes. At 5% ABV, its clean, dry finish lends itself to (dare we say) ultimate quaff-ability for our hot and humid East Coast summers. This Flying Dog and The Brewer’s Art and collaboration will be available at The Brewer’s Art and in select mid-Atlantic retailers beginning in July. Hops: Brewers Gold, Styrian Goldings Specialty Malts: French Pilsner, Cara-Vienna, Rye, Biscuit Format: 6-packs

(RateBeer.com)

Background:

I just picked this one up on a whim to review.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with copper hues and a white head.

The nose is almost skunky with pilsner type malt aromas and light hops. There is also a unique earthiness to the nose.

Wow, that was not very good. I’m not sure how this is a Belgian table beer, it’s more like a bad American version of a Belgian IPA.

So let me attempt a play by play. There is a light malt sweetness up front then a cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end starts out very easy drinking but there is a building bitterness during the swallow. There is bitterness and an earthiness on the finish. There are confusing taste that do not blend well together. There is a lingering bitterness and a yeasty earthiness on the final aftertaste.

All and all I am not very impressed with this beer. It has some Belgian flavors but there is no complexity and it is overly hopped for a Belgian Pale.

We are at 65 degrees now and it’s not only bitter but it’s picking up some off flavors as well.

A rating of a C is about the best I can do on this one. I’m not sure what they were going for but this is not a good representation of a Belgian Pale ale.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Super Cru

2011-10-17T00:50:00.001-04:00

New Belgium Lips of Faith – Super Cru

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

10.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Our 20th Anniversary! Let's roll a bunch of New Belgium together and put it in a bottle. Start with the backbone of Fat Tire,
but double the malt and hops; Add in crisp Asian Pears, a very Belgian thing to do; and bring it to life with a Saison yeast.
It's New Belgium Super Cru from us to you!

(NewBelgium.com )

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$9.50 each

Background:

New Belgium finally arrived in our area Monday August 25. I stopped in at State Line Liquors after work that Friday for the Hurricane Happy Hour and free New Belgium beer tasting. I bought a variety of New Belgium beers that night to help ride out Hurricane Irene and then some. Well, we survived Irene and I’m down to my last New Belgium beer review.

Review:

The beer pours a clear amber with orange hues and a very rich off white head.

The nose of very pleasant with sweet caramel malts, floral hops and sweet alcohol.

OH My what a great first sip, sweet malts with an almost refreshing middle of the sip and then a warming in the chest after a sharp finish.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by an almost refreshing effervescence and tingling mouthfeel throughout the middle of the sip. The back-end is very easy drinking for such a big beer. There is little to no hesitation on the swallow. There is also another carbonation release during the swallow that masks some flavors and continues to add a refreshing aspect to the experience. The finish is fantastic with caramel malt flavors and a drying effect from the floral hops and alcohol. There is just a slight final aftertaste with sweet light malts and sweet alcohol.

One interesting aspect to this experience is a sweet malt coating that is left throughout the mouth. This is similar to a stout coating but sweeter. I find it interesting that a medium bodied beer such as this one would leave such a coating.

This beer is really opening up as it warms. We are at 67 degrees now and this is starting to taste and feel like a big beer with rich caramel malts and soothing warmth.

I’m about half way through the second glass and I am starting to feel the alcohol effects and I don’t just mean the warmth either.

This is a completely different experience now.

I have let this last glass get to 73 degrees. It has not picked up an unpleasantness whatsoever. If fact it’s more delicious now that when it was colder and more carbonated. This is a smooth warm delectable ale; delicious to the last warm drop.

I’m going for an A on this one; another winner from New Belgium.

New Belgium Lips Of Faith Clutch

2011-10-17T00:13:00.000-04:00

New Belgium Lips Of Faith Clutch

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

American Stout

9.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Pure rock fury meets Belgian-style brewed folly in this collaboration with Maryland hard-rockers, Clutch. A pronounced bass line of dark chocolate, coffee and black malts bridge the sourness of our dark wood ale for a fluid riff.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$9.50 each

Background:

Review:

The beer pours a dark brown, completely opaque with no light getting through whatsoever. This beer also poured with a very rich tan to chocolate milk head.

The nose is nice with dark roasted malt flavors along with dark fruit notes and a unique touch of sweetness that I can’t quite place.

What a unique first sip. Dark roasted malt that turns into a unique sour finish. What an interesting beer.

This unique experience starts out with sweet dark roasted malts up front. That is followed by a wonderfully rich mouthfeel as this rich ale glides over the tongue during the middle of the sip. By the time you get to the top of the swallow you start to sense the sourness of this stout. The sourness builds during the swallow but almost vanishes in the finish. The sourness seems to be transformed into rich dark roosted malt flavors in the finish. Along with the dark roasted malts there are notes of sweet dark fruit and alcohol. The sour notes seem to return in the final aftertaste along with the lingering dark malts of the stout.

This is a very complex beer with flavors that blend in and out of your senses throughout the whole tasting experience. I’m afraid that I’m not doing it justice.

Even at 70 degrees this is still an excellent tasting beer.

At this temperature the flavors are more like a tart alcohol, even the dark roasted malts seem to be taking the back seat in this experience.

I’m going of an A- an this most unique sour stout.

New Belgium Lips of Faith – Kick

2011-10-16T23:11:00.002-04:00

New Belgium Lips of Faith – Kick

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

8.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

We get a kick out of collaborating. Harvesting the creativity of Kim Jordan of New Belgium and Dick Cantwell of Elysian produced this ruby-hued, slightly sour, pumpkin, cranberry ale. It’s a treat that does the trick.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$7.50 each

Background:

Review:

The beer pours a clear light copper with ruby and orange hues and an off white head.

The nose is sweet with light malt aromas, fruity notes and floral hops.

Wow, that’s different. I did sample this once before but a full sip really set me back. It’s not bad at all just a surprise.

This unique experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is surpassed quite quickly by a tart tingling as the beer washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. This tartness builds to a downright sourness by the time you get to the top of the swallow. This sourness rides with you through the entire swallow. All of this sourness along with light malts and sweet fruit seem to explode in you mouth in the finish of this beer. The final aftertaste is of sweet pumpkin and fruit notes with some lingering tartness.

What a unique experience. I love the Belgian Gueuze and Flemish Sours so this is right up my ally. However I also realize that this is may be a bit much for some.

The more I drink this the more I like it.

We are now at 70 degrees.

As the beer warms the sourness seems to have diminished but other flavors seem to be enhanced. The malt flavors are richer now and the flavors of pumpkin and cranberry are much more distinguishable at this temperature.

I’m going to give this an A. What a delightful pumpkin flavored sour fruit beer. Yes, that may sound strange to some but that’s what this is. Plus I am always a sucker for a beer that gets to room temperature and still taste as good if not better than when chilled.

John’s Third Annual Craft Beer Event

2011-08-31T23:06:00.004-04:00

John’s Third Annual
Craft Beer Event

Belgian Bier Banquet III

Saturday, October 1, 2011

6:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Holy Saviour Parish Hall
122 E. Ridge Rd. Linwood PA, 19061

Individual $35 Couple $60 Designated Driver $20

All Proceeds to Benefit Holy Saviour Parish

Ticket Sales:

Contact: John Remaley, John@johnsbierblog.com or jremaley@comcast.net

Phone 610-485-1517

Or Holy Saviour Parish Rectory, 610-485-2520.

Update:10-17-11

The event was a great success and our biggest turn out yet. We had around 145 guest.

A great time was had my one and all plus we ended up making a few dollars for the Church, not a bad evening.

As usual I did not get to take any pictures. I only have a these few of the booklet and tap markers.

Thank you all, looking forward to next year.

John

Update: 9-24-11

All there beer is in and being staged at State Line Liquors. The Gaverhopke Extra turned out to be 10 liters larger than I expected. That's great for us, more of the 12% nectar to share.

The door prizes and raffles are shaping up nicely. The raffle will include a bottle of Trappist Westvleteren 12. Widely recognized as the best beer in the world. Yes, I decided to raffle off my last bottle of Westy 12. I have been cellaring this bottle for a year now. It's going to me phenomenal for the winner.

We still have some room but I need to know and have payment ASAP to secure a seat. The tickets for any new purchases will not be mailed. The will be held at the "Will Call" table to be picked up the night of the event.

Hope to see you there!

John

The Beers:

I am really excited about this year’s event. As usual we will be featuring 8 Belgian beers in all. But this year I have some really extraordinary Belgian Ales in the lineup.

If there was a theme to this year’s event it would be “Bring on the Funk”. The “Funk” that I’m referring to is that sourness that is found in the beers from the Flanders Region of Belgium. I figured that after three years of hosting these events it was time to introduce our guest to these unique styles of Flemish Ales. So three of our eight beers will have some touch of sourness.

The first taste of "Funk" for the night will be from a sampling of a traditional Gueuze, Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René. The Gueuze is a lip smacking sour blend of old and young Lambic ales without the fruit. Not for everyone but you still have to try the Gueuze at least once.

Next in the Funk category we will have Rodenbach Grand Cru. This will be on draft in the middle of the main event line up. This is a rich Flemish Red that is a blend of a 1/3 young ale and 2/3 ale aged in oak barrels. This wine-like Flemish Red Ale is rich but also sweet and smooth drinking with just a good touch of sourness.

And finally the star of the show will be, ’t Gaverhopke Extra. This is an exquisite 12% ABV Quadruple with a slightly sour flare. This particular beer is very hard to find in the United States on draft. I have been trying to get this delectable ale for two years now. Actually we will have one of only 20 kegs in the United States. What a treat! I can't wait to share this experience with you.

That was only 3 out of the 8. Filling in the remaining 5 ales in the lineup are no chumps either.

Wittekerke, A Witbier that may be my new gold standard for this style. This beer is extremely refreshing and easy drinking. This will be the first beer in the 6 keg main event lineup.

La Chouffe, An excellent golden Strong Pale Ale from the Brasserie d'Achouffe. A Strong Pale ale with the alcohol artfully masked inside of the light malt sweetness and refreshing citrus notes. This will certainly be a crowd pleaser.

Pauwel Kwak, One of my favorite Belgian Strong Ales. I have been trying to work this beer into my lineup for 3 years now and finally found the perfect spot for it. Just a little more robust than the La Chouffe it will make the perfect complement to the lineup. This Belgian has even been on my Thanksgiving Dinner Table.

Gulden Draak, An exceptional Belgian Strong Dark Ale that has the dark malt flavors of an Abbey Quad with dark fruit esters and a velvety smooth finish. This delectable Dark Ale comes in at a wrapping 10.50% ABV. And yet still not the heavy hitter of the night compared to the 12% ABV Gaverhopke Extra.

Lindemans Kriek Lambic, A delicious Cherry Fruit Lambic. This is actually going to be sampled at the beginning of the evening with the Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René. Those two sampled together will give our guest an interesting comparison between a Gueuze (sometimes refereed to as a raw Lambic) and the Cherry Fruit Lambic.

Here's the schedule:

6:00 to 7:00 appetizers with two starter biers in bottles

7:00 to 9:00 Full Buffet Dinner and 6 Main Event Belgians on Draft

9-11 Party Time with Peiser! DJ Extraordinaire

The Tasting Table:

This is always a big very big hit. The idea is that everyone brings a bottle of their favorite craft beer to share. But the success of this table relies on what everyone brings, so don’t forget to bring a bottle of your favorite craft beer or homebrew for the tasting table.

Buffet Dinner Menu:

It’s not only about the good bier. You will also be treated to the Home Style cooking of the Holy Saviour Women’s Club; professionally catering for over 60 years.

Appetizers: Leffe Blond Bier Bread ● Soft Pretzels ● Tossed Salad

Entrées: Boneless Stuffed Chicken Breast ● Kielbasa & Kraut, Cooked in Beer and Served with Roasted Potatoes ● Green Bean Casserole ● Pasta

Dessert: Framboise Fruit Cup ● Ice Cream

Beverages: Award Winning Black Box Wines ● Coffee ● Tea ● Soda ● Water

Fundraising:

We are also having Door Prizes, Raffles and a 50/50 to help raise some money for Holy Saviour Parish.

New Belgium Trippel

2011-08-31T22:50:00.001-04:00

New Belgium Trippel

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Tripel

7.80% ABV

Commercial Description:

Our Trippel Belgian Style Ale (pronounced triple) opens with a bold blast of hops that slowly gives way to the fruity esters implied by our Belgian yeast strain. The Three Graces hand-painted on the label are Zeus’s daughters Aglaia (splendor), Euphrosyne (mirth) and Thalia (good cheer). In the Belgian tradition of brewing singles, doubles and triples, Trippel is the strongest with the longest fermentation. Remarkably smooth and complex, our bottle-conditioned Trippel is spiced with a trace of coriander. (NewBelgium.com )

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$3.50 each

Background:

New Belgium finally arrived in our area on Monday. I stopped in at State Line Liquors after work on Friday for the Hurricane Happy Hour and New Belgium beer tasting. I bought a variety of New Belgium beers that night to help ride out Hurricane Irene and then some. Well, we survived Irene and I’m about half way through my New Belgium beer reviews.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with a fairly rich bright white head.

The nose is classic Belgian Tripel with light malt aromas and earthy notes of citrus and spice on a bed of yeast.

Oh My! What a nice Tripel.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by a very pleasant effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. There is also a biscuit like earthiness that is experienced in mid-sip. The back-end is fairly easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. The finish is exceptional with pale malt flavors and a very interesting earthiness. This earthiness is more like a Saison than a Triple. There is also flavors of spice and citrus and yeast on the finish. The final aftertaste is a slight spicy note along with that earthy yeasty note.

I’m not sure if it is unique or not but this earthy taste really works for me. I’m just not use to having this flavor in a Tripel. It is usually found in a Saison.

This tripel also warmed will. It was delicious to the last warm drop.

I fill compelled to give this a B+ in style because of that earthiness that is not usually found in a tripel. But for an overall experience this is an A for sure. Sorry the bier sob in me is a little conflicted. This delicious ale will certainly please any Tripel or Saison lover. Just like it has with me.

New Belgium Ranger IPA

2011-08-31T22:35:00.001-04:00

Ranger IPA

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

American IPA

6.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Are you a hopinista? Thank our Beer Rangers for inspiring (and begging for) this well-balanced Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook hopped IPA. 70 IBUs

(NewBelgium.com )

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$3.50 each

Background:

New Belgium finally arrived in our area on Monday. I stopped in at State Line Liquors after work on Friday for the Hurricane Happy Hour and New Belgium beer tasting. I bought a variety of New Belgium beers that night to help ride out Hurricane Irene and then some. So the next series of reviews will be from New Belgium.

Review:

The beer pours a clear copper with light amber hues and a white to off white head.

The nose is rich with caramel malt aromas and very strong but complex hop aromas.

Well, that’s certainly an IPA but there is an interesting balance to this one.

We start out with a malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That only last for a split second; it is immediately replaced with a hop bitterness followed by a tingling over the tongue in mid-sip. There is a building hop bitterness throughout the middle of the sip. The back-end is not easy drinking, the hop robustness is so intense that there is almost a clinging of the jaws during the swallow. The finish has an equally intense hop presence but there is also a nice malt backbone to this ale that almost balances out the bitterness. The hop complexity on the finish is also very impressive; pine, floral and earthy hop flavors with citrus fruit notes. Again complemented by a nice caramel malt sweetness. There is a lingering hop bitterness to this ale but it is not as oppressive as most IPA’s. Sorry that was the non hophead coming out.

All and all this is a very impressive IPA. It also has an almost imperial quality to it.

Sorry for the short review but I am writing this while facing tornado warnings from hurricane Irene that is hitting us pretty good right not.

I’m going for a B+ for sure. Now most hop heads will most likely disagree with that. This is a very good IPA that I will have again. It just seems to be slightly lacking an A rating.

New Belgium Hoptober Golden Ale

2011-08-31T22:21:00.002-04:00

Hoptober Golden Ale

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

American Blonde Ale

6.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Five hops and four malts make Hoptober Golden Ale a veritable cornucopia of earth. Pale and wheat malt are mashed with rye and oats to create a medium-bodied ale with creamy mouth feel. Centennial, Cascade, Sterling, Willamette and Glacier hops form a bonfire of citrus notes, fruity cheers and a bold finale. ABV: 6% 40 IBU Available in 6-packs and on draught

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$3.50 each

Background:

New Belgium finally arrived in our area on Monday. I stopped in at State Line Liquors after work on Friday for the Hurricane Happy Hour and New Belgium beer tasting. I bought a variety of New Belgium beers that night to help ride out Hurricane Irene and then some. So the next series of reviews will be from New Belgium.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with a pale copper hues and a bright white head.

Then nose is striking with hop aromas. There are sweet pilsner type malt aromas on the nose along with pleasant floral hops and citrus notes. This is more like a fresh harvest IPA with complex hop aromas.

The taste starts out with a light malt sweetness up front. That is immediately followed by a tingling over the tongue and a gradual building hop robustness as the beer washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. By the time you get to the top of the swallow the hop robustness builds to a nice bite but not a bitterness. The back end is fairly easy drinking but the hoppy bite does give some hesitation at the top of the swallow. The tingling and bite seems to actually grow during the swallow into the finish. The finish is actually pretty good. Sorry, that didn’t come out right. I’m not a hop head so I’m really impressed with the flavors in this hoppy finish. This seemed to be building to an overly bitter finish but the finish is very present with in intricate hop complexity. There is a nice light malt presence but the finish is mostly floral and earthy hop flavors with citrus notes. The final aftertaste is a lingering earthy hop bitterness but not overpowering.

I am really enjoying this beer; I like the hop flavors but without the overwhelming bitterness.

I’m going to give this an A-. What a wonderful seasonal offering from New Belgium. For my money this beer can compete with any of the high end seasonal Fresh Hop beers. Another great experience from New Belgium.

New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale

2011-08-31T22:00:00.003-04:00

Fat Tire Amber Ale

Brewed by:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

American Amber / Red Ale

5.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Named in honor of our founder Jeff’s bike trip through Belgium, Fat Tire Amber Ale marks a turning point in the young electrical engineer’s home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles. Jeff found the Belgian approach freeing. Upon his return, Jeff created Fat Tire and Abbey Belgian Ale, (assuming Abbey would be his big gun). He and his wife, Kim traveled around sampling their homebrews to the public. Fat Tire’s appeal quickly became evident. People liked everything about it. Except the name. Fat Tire won fans is in its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$3.50 each

Background:

New Belgium finally arrived in our area on Monday. I stopped in at State Line Liquors after work on Friday for the Hurricane Irene Happy Hour and New Belgium beer tasting. I bought a variety of New Belgium beers that night to help ride out Hurricane Irene and then some. So the next series of reviews will be from New Belgium.

Review:

The beer pours a clear amber with copper hues and a fairly rich off white head.

The nose is very pleasant with sweet caramel malt aromas and light floral hops.

Wow, what a nice drinkable amber ale; smooth, tasty and easy drinking, impressive.

The taste starts out with a malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by the most pleasant mouthfeel as this amber ale washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is very easy drinking with just a slight hesitation on the top of the swallow. That hesitation is easily overcome and then an effortless swallow into the finish. There is a slight robustness that builds just before you get to the finish. The finish is very pleasant with wonderful caramel malt flavors and just enough of a hop presence to give a slight bite and dryness without bittering. There is very little of a final aftertaste just a slight lingering caramel malt sweetness.

What a great beer. There is nothing special or over the top with this one just an excellently crafted simple Amber Ale.

I’ll try to let the second glass warm a little but this beer is so delicious and enjoyable I really don’t want to nurse it.

The malt flavor in this second glass is much richer as this beer warms and opens up.

We are now at 67 degrees.

The ale is smother and richer now at this temperature. What a great beer. I’m always impressed with a beer warms well.

This is a solid A for an American Amber Ale. This was interesting experience that just proves that a craft beer does not have to be over the top to be a top rated beer. This may simply be the best American Amber Ale on the market today.

Laughing Dog Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA

2011-08-31T21:40:00.004-04:00

Laughing Dog

Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA

Brewed for:

Kysela Pere Et Fils, Ltd.

Brewed by:

Laughing Dog Brewing

Ponderay, Idaho, USA

American Double / Imperial IPA

10.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Sneaky Pete is a blend of five hop types: Simcoe, Glacier, Centennial, Vanguard and Hallertuaer, with Simcoe playing the dominate role at 30%. In addition, three separate malts were used: Honey Malt, Rye Malt, and Munich Malt. The brew has a copious aroma of white grapefruit, citrus overtones, a complex rich middle and long flavors in the finish; a real beauty. Finished with wild clover honey.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$11.00 4 pack

Background:

I asked my son John to pick up a few summer beers that I have not reviewed. This is one of those beers.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy amber with orange hues and a fairly rich off white to tan head.

The nose is nice with sweet caramel malt aromas and a very interesting hop complexity. There is just about every hop aroma blended on this nose; very impressive.

AHHH, what a nice first sip. That a smooth, rich and warming experience with just the right amount of bite on the end.

The experience starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front. Then that is followed by a very rich complexity of a building hop robustness in the middle of the sip. There is also a tingling as the ale washes over the tongue in mid-sip. The back-end is surprisingly easy drinking for such a big beer. The growing hop robustness builds to an almost bitterness by the time you get to the top of the swallow. At that point at the top of the swallow there is also a fairly heavy hesitation but it is easily overcome. The swallow is fairly smooth with just a slight carbonation release. The warming effect of this ale hits your chest before you get to the finish. The finish is delightfully balanced with rich caramel malt flavors and the most pleasant robust hop complexity. With all of these hop flavors it is really impressive to me that this beer never gets overwhelmingly bitter. It really maintains a nice smooth and rich quality without a strong bitterness. Just like the nose indicated there is a multitude of hop flavors; earthy, pine, citrus and floral. There is a lingering hoppy bite on the final aftertaste but is not the typical American IPA bitterness. What a great experience.

The head on this beer has not quit. It has diminished to a thin protective layer over the top of the beer and it is leaving some very impressive lacing.

This beer is just getting better and better as it warms.

We are now at 70 degrees and the malt flavors are more pronounced and the hop bite seems to have diminished a bit.

This is an exceptionally good imperial IPA. I’m really enjoying this one.

Wow, that was smooth and delicious to the last warm drop.

I’m going for an A on this beer. What a great experience.

Fordham Wisteria Wheat

2011-08-31T02:14:00.002-04:00

Wisteria Wheat

Brewed by:

Fordham Brewing Company

Dover, Delaware USA

Hefeweizen (BeerAdvocate.com)

Wheat Ale (RateBeer.com)

5.1% ABV

Commercial Description:

Enjoy the lazy days of Summer with this classic unfiltered wheat ale. Wisteria Wheat is a medium body beer with a soft, velvety carbonation and a wheaty finish. This easy golden brew is sure to bring you and your friends together all summer long.

5.1 Alcohol by volume

Brewed with Hefeweizen yeast, Pale malts, Wheat malts, Perle and Tradition hops.

(FordhamBrewing.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$8.00 6 pack, ~$29.00 case

Background:

I asked my son John to pick up a few summer beers that I have not reviewed. This is one of those beers.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy golden yellow with orange hues and a white head.

The nose is nice with sweet rich wheat malt aromas and notes of citrus and clove.

Not a bad Hefe; much richer than I expected.

The taste starts out with a light sweetness up front followed by a very pleasant effervescence over the tongue in mid-sip. The back end is very easy drinking with an effortless swallow. The finish is very nice with rich wheat malt flavors along with notes of citrus and banana and a touch of clove. The final aftertaste is a lingering yeasty wheat flavor and a touch of spice.

This is really a pretty good Hefe so far let’s see how it warms.

We are now at 71 degrees.

This is still a very good tasting Hefe even at this warm temperature. The wheat malt flavors and richer and the mouthfeel is almost velvety now. The most impressive thing is that this has not picked up any off flavors or unpleasantness whatsoever.

I’m going for a B+ on this one. I really enjoyed this Hefeweizen. It was not the most refreshing Hefe but I don’t think it is suppose to be. This one is rich with more robust wheat malt flavors and a smooth mouthfeel.

Anchor Summer Beer

2011-08-31T02:06:00.002-04:00

Anchor Summer Beer

Brewed by:

Anchor Brewing Company

San Francisco, California USA

American Pale Wheat Ale

4.60% ABV

Commercial Description:

Anchor Summer is the first American wheat beer in modern times. Our first brew of this light and refreshing beer was in the summer of 1984.

Anchor Summer is an all-malt beer, and over 50% of its malt comes from malted wheat. It is fermented with a Triticum aestivum, AKA wheat traditional top-fermenting "ale" yeast because we prefer the clean flavors developed by this yeast. We believe that this style best celebrates the refreshingly light flavor of malted wheat. You may notice that the head on this beer is unusually abundant, with a consistency similar to whipped egg whites. This is due to protein contributed by the wheat.

The brewers at Anchor are proud to have revived not only rich hearty dark beers, but also this light crisp style of a modern American wheat beer.

Wheat malt contributes to an unusual lightness and dryness to the palate, and this—combined with the distinctive flavor of the wheat—makes for a perfect thirst-quenching beverage. It is the ideal drink for beer lovers who appreciate tradition and character in their beer, but also seek a lighter, refreshing style, perfect for warm weather. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$10.00 4 pack, ~$66.00 case

Background:

I asked my son John to pick up a few summer beers that I have not reviewed. This is one of those beers.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with a fairly rich bright white head.

The nose is very pleasant with light but earthy wheat malt aromas with a touch of floral hops. This is very inviting; I can’t wait to dive into this.

Hmm, that first sip was interesting. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this wasn’t it. It’s not bad, quite the opposite, it’s really good but different. It has wheat flavors but also a slight hoppy bite on the finish.

The experience starts out with a touch of sweetness up font on the tip of the tongue followed by a unique effervescence over the tongue during the middle of the sip. This unique effervescence has a tingling to it with an earthiness. It seems like it is building hoppiness but it does not build into a bitterness, just an earthiness. The back-end is very easy drinking. There is a slight hesitation on the top of the swallow due to this unique earthy experience. Other than that this beer has a very easy drinking and refreshing back-end. The finish is also unique. That earthiness seems to manifest itself finally into an earthy hop bite, not really a bitterness, just a bite. The final aftertaste is of a slight lingering wheat malt flavor.

All and all this was a very enjoyable beer. The unique earthiness seemed to be more distracting to me.

I’m going to settle for a B on this one. I was taken back a little by the uniqueness of this beer but there was nothing wrong with it at all.

Brooklyn Summer Ale

2011-08-31T01:46:00.002-04:00

Brooklyn Summer Ale

Brewed by:

Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn, New York, USA

English Pale Ale

5.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Brooklyn Summer Ale is a modern rendition of the "Light Dinner Ales" brewed in England throughout the 1800's right up until the 1940's. They were also called "luncheon ales" or even "family ales", because they were refreshing and flavorful without being too heavy. We brew our Brooklyn Summer Ale from premium English barley malt, which gives this light-bodied golden beer a fresh bready flavor. German and American hops lend a light, crisp bitterness and a citrus/floral aroma resulting in a beer with a very sunny disposition. FOOD PAIRING Excellent with salads, seafood, quiches, and lightly spicy dishes. It's also great at a brunch. SPECS Style: English Style Light Dinner Ale Malts: Two Row British Malts Hops: German Perle and American Cascade, Fuggle, and Amarillo Alcohol: 4.5% by volume Original Gravity: 11 Plato

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$8.50 6 pack

Background:

I asked my son John to pick up a few summer beers that I have not reviewed. This is one of those beers.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with copper hues and a white head.

The nose is very pleasant with light pale malt and floral hop aromas with sweet citrus notes.

This is nice, light and refreshing with a slight bite and citrus notes on the finish. The only thing this is missing is the English hard water aftertaste.

The taste starts out with a touch of light malt sweetness up front. That is followed by the most pleasant cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is extremely easy drinking with an effortless swallow. There is an additional carbonation release during the swallow that adds to the refreshing aspect of this beer. The finish is also refreshing with a light malt sweetness, a pleasant floral hop bite and a touch of citrus. There is not much of a final aftertaste just a touch of light malts and citrus.

All and all this is a very easy drinking and refreshing summer ale. It is so easy drinking that it’s just about gone already.

I’m letting the last few sips warm up just to see what happens.

Well, I let this set until it got to 74 degrees (room temperature).

The carbonation has diminished/released so it doesn’t seem to have the snappiness that it did. The malt flavors are a little richer and sweeter now. The real impressive thing is that this beer did not pick up any off flavors whatsoever; it stayed sweet and delicious to the last warm drop. Extremely impressive for such a light malt beer.

I’m going for an A for this in style. I don’t think you’ll find a better light summer ale.

BrewDog Hardcore IPA

2011-08-31T01:33:00.002-04:00

BrewDog Hardcore IPA

Brewed by:

BrewDog

United Kingdom (Scotland)

American Double / Imperial IPA

9.20% ABV

Commercial Description:

Bottle: Filtered. Cask: Unfiltered.

Also sold as Tesco Finest American Double IPA

Ingredients: Maris Otter, Crystal malt, Caramalt; Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe hops. Dry Hops: Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe. IBU 150

This little bottle has a grandiloquent story to tell. 2,204 malted Maris Otter grains gave all they had to offer the world to provide the robustly delicate toffee malt canvas for the ensuing epic. 6 Hop Cones willingly sacrificed themselves in fiery cauldron that is our brew kettle to ensure your mouth is left feeling punished and puckering for more. 9,900,000,000 yeast cells frantically fermented their little hearts out as the sugars were magically turned into alcohol in the dark depths of our fermentation tanks. This explicit ale has more hops and bitterness that any other beer brewed in the UK. This is an extreme beer rollercoaster for freaks, gypsies and international chess superstars. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz bottles: ~$6.00 Each

Background:

This one just showed up in the beer fridge after a party at the house.

Review:

The beer pours a clear dark copper with orange hues and a off white head.

The nose is American IPA with pine and grapefruit hop aromas with little of anything else on the nose.

Wow, that’s an IPA that just hits you in the head with bitterness.

The taste starts out with a malt sweetness up font on the tip of the tongue but that only last for a split second. That is immediately replaced with a building hop tingling and robustness over the tongue during the middle of the sip. This robustness turns into downright bitterness even before you get to the swallow on the back-end. All through the swallow this bitterness keeps growing. The finish is very intense with an explosion of grapefruit and pine hop bitterness. The final aftertaste is a lingering hop bitterness.

This beer is great for Hop Heads but I don’t find it balanced at all. Even as an American Double IPA there is really no malt aspect to this beer it is all hops and bitterness.

Now, I have to say that my hop head daughter Molly just commented on how good she thought this beer was. She also called me a Hop Hater. Well, I guess if the shoe fits…

I don’t know about that but IPA’s are not my favorite style of craft beer. Usually I find that Double/Imperials are very good since they are usually more balanced with a higher malt aspect than a typical IPA. So even for the richer malt presence that beer is still not balanced, not even close it is all hops all the time.

Still all and all this is not a bad beer for the style.

I’m going to give this a B. That is being generous overall but I think it's fair for the style.

Midas Touch Clone Home Brew

2011-08-31T01:11:00.000-04:00

Midas Touch Clone Home Brew

Background:

This review was actually done at the same time as the previous review; Midas Touch Golden Elixir. An anonymous friend has brewed this home brew of version of Midas Touch. The recipe is from “Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home” by Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head).

Homebrew on Left

Review:

The beer pours a hazy dark amber with orange hues and an off white to tan head.

The nose is modest with sweet dark caramel malt aromas with little to no hop presence.

Wow, what an impressive first sip. This is nothing like the commercial version. This beer truly has some substance to it.

This experience starts out with a sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by the most exquisite mouthfeel as this wonderful nectar washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. By the time you get to the back end there is the hesitation that normally comes with a big beer. Once that is overcome the swallow is silky smooth and that leads into a velvety finish. The finish is just astounding with sweet rich malt flavors, rich sweet dark fruit esters and a touch of light spice. This is all riding on a yeasty background. The final aftertaste is a lingering malt and fruit sweetness.

Wow, what a phenomenal beer.

This beer is at room temperature now and it’s even more phenomenal than when it was chilled. I only have a sip or two left of this exquisite home brew left. I’m trying to savor it as long as I can.

Wow, delicious to the last warm drop. This is a solid A+. I think Sam should look at the difference in what he brews commercially and what he put in his extreme homebrew book because the homebrew is far superior to the commercial beer.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir

2011-08-31T00:53:00.002-04:00

Midas Touch Golden Elixir

Brewed by:

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, Delaware, USA

Herbed / Spiced Beer

9.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Midas Touch Golden Elixir is a beverage based on the residue found on the drinking vessels in King Midas' tomb. Our recipe highlights the known ingredients of barley, white Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. Somehwere between a beer, wine and mead, this smooth, dry ale will please with Chardonnay or I.P.A. drinker alike.

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

12 oz bottles: ~$3.00 Each, ~$10.00 4 pack, ~$66.00 case

Background:

This was a gift from my friend Gene. I am also piggybacking this review with an anonymous friend’s Home Brew version of the same beer. The homebrew recipe is from “Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home” by Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head)

Review:

The beer pours a hazy golden straw color with a white head.

The nose is modest but sweet with light malt aromas and fruity notes.

What a nice first sip. But I somehow remember this being more robust and complex than what I’m experiencing.

We start out with a sweetness upfront then an interesting mouthfeel in the mid-sip. There is not much going on in mid-sip, just a pleasant washing over the tongue. The back-end is easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. The finish is very unique with malt and fruit sweetness with some spicy notes. The final aftertaste is modest with sweet fruit and malt flavors.

All and all this is a good beer but I’m not picking up fantastic or even great; it’s just a good beer. Once again I thought this was a better beer than what I’m currently experiencing.

This is OK, well that’s not quite fair, this is a good beer but I am a little disappointed.

This is close to room temperature now and I’m starting to pick up some off flavors.

A rating of a B is about the best I can do for this. Hopefully it’s just this particular bottle but this beer is lacking something. I remember this having richer flavors and more complexity.

Ommegang Gnomegang

2011-07-31T23:47:00.000-04:00

Gnomegang

Brewed by:

Brewery Ommegang

Cooperstown, New York, USA

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

9.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

This delectable blonde ale is a co-creation of two famed farmstead breweries: Brewery Ommegang and Brasserie d’Achouffe. It employs five fine malts, two noble hops, and both of the distinctive Chouffe and Ommegang yeasts. You’ll enjoy the smooth drinkability, fruity aromas and flavors, and warming finish

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

750ml bottles: ~$14.00 Each

Background:

I was just shopping at State Line Liquors for something different and I noticed some new labels from Ommegang. This collaboration caught my eye since I’m a huge fan of d’Achouffe.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy golden straw color with a bright white head.

The nose is nice with light malt aromas, floral hops and citrus notes.

That was a nice first sip; light malt sweetness with some fruity notes and a very warming finish.

The taste starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the ht tip of the tongue. That is followed by a cleansing effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back end is very easy drinking for a 9 plus percent alcohol ale. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that adds a refreshing quality to the experience and also masks some of the flavors at this point. The finish is impressive with sweet light malts with spice and citrus notes along with the most noticeable hoppy presence all on a bed of yeasty goodness. The hops are very pronounced but at no point are they overpowering or for that matter bitter but they do provide a nice bite to this sharp finish. The hop sharpness dissipates fairly quickly and leaves that classic sweet malt yeasty Belgian aftertaste.

All and I’m really liking this beer.

As this beer warms and opens up it is much smooth with more noticeable flavors. At first I could only since the warming effect of the alcohol now that we have warmed up a little you can really taste the sweetness from it. Although it is still pretty well masked; you would not suspect 9.5 ABV more like 7 if that.

This is a pretty impressive ale.

There is an interesting light malt coating that is left throughout the mouth; similar to that of a stout but with lighter and sweeter malts.

The warmer this beer gets the sweeter and more delicious it gets. We are now at 66 degrees and this beer is opening up nicely. This may be my favorite offering from Ommegang.

I am savoring this for all it’s worth. This is smooth with an almost velvety mouthfeel and finish. Even the powerful bite seems to have been taken over by the richness and the alcohol. O Man, what a nice beer.

The complexity of this beer is remarkable. At first this was like a Belgian IPA with a warming finish. Then it turned into an easy drinking Belgian Strong Pale as it warmed up a little. Now it is exquisitely smooth and sweet like a beer liqueur.

This is hands down an A+. This was an amazing experience. The complexity really gave me three different beer experiences all in one bottle.

Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel

2011-07-31T23:21:00.001-04:00

Ovila Abbey Dubbel

Brewed by:

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico, California, USA

Dubbel

7.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Ovila Abbey Dubbel is brewed in the abbey tradition, and perfect for the re-birth of spring. Clear and deep copper in color, this Abbey Dubbel has a complex and rich malty sweetness with hints of caramelized sugar. The aroma is a heady and layered mix of fruit and spice, with hints of clove, raisin, and black pepper from the use of an abbey style yeast

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

750ml bottles: ~$11.00 Each

Background:

This was the third is a set of beers that I got from Jim for my birthday. I have never had this beer from Sierra Nevada before so I am really looking forward to trying this.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy brown with ruby hues and a modest off white to tan head.

The nose on this ale is also modest with just a few faint aromas of toasted to roasted malts and secondary touch of sweetness and some yeasty notes.

Not bad. This beer has a lighter overall mouthfeel and body than I expected. But there is a nice caramel malt finish and aftertaste.

The taste starts out with just a hint of malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by pretty uneventful middle of the sip. As this beer rolls over the tongue it does not leave much of any impression. The back end is fairly easy drinking with a carbonation release during the swallow. The finish is nice but once again there is not much flavor. The finish has some modest but very pleasant toasted malt flavors along with a touch of floral hops and yeast. The final aftertaste is a modest lingering caramel malt flavor on a yeasty note.

We are still pretty cold at 53 degrees maybe this will pick up some more flavor as it warms.

Well, this is warming but it’s not getting any better. I guess that’s not fair. This is not a bad beer I just expected a richer experience since this is an Abbey Dubbel.

The flavors are not bad at all. There is a light almost refreshing aspect to this beer that has setting me back from actually enjoying this beer for what it is not what it isn’t.

So this is a very easy drinking Dubbel with nice toasted almost roasted malts on the finish.

Now that it has warmed and opened up I am picking up more flavors including some spicy notes on the finish.

Another really nice thing about this beer is that it has not picked up any off flavors and we are close to room temperature now.

All and all I am really enjoying this beer. It is light in body and mouthfeel for the style but it is a very nice drinking beer.

I’m actually going for a B on this beer. I warmed up to it as it warmed up. All and all this is a nice tasting Dubbel, light but nice.

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

2011-07-31T23:05:00.002-04:00

La Fin Du Monde

Brewed by:

Unibroue

Quebec, Canada

Tripel

9.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Bottle conditioned.
"The end of the world. The excellence of triple fermentation through a blend of special yeasts gives this malt beverage an exquisitely robust flavor of exceptional refinement." (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

750ml bottles: ~$8.00 Each

Background:

This was another birthday gift from my friend Jim. I have had this Tripel several times before but I have never reviewed it. So let’s see how the End of the World holds up to a full review.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy golden yellow with a white head.

The nose is classic Belgian Tripel with light pilsner type malt aromas, citrus notes all on a bed of yeast.

OH My! What a great first sip.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by the most pleasant mid-sip experience. This exquisite ale washes over the tongue with just the right amount of effervescence and a slight building robustness of a higher alcohol beer. There is a slight hesitation at the top of the swallow but that is very short lived as this wonderful beer slides down the throat with a velvety ease. The finish is exquisite with a sweet light malt complexity, mild hops, yeasty notes and just a touch of citrus. There is a slight sweet aftertaste of yeast and light malts.

The simple elegance and subtle complexity makes that an impressive beer.

Every sip seems to give you a new experience; especially now as this beer is warming and opening up a little.

Well, this bottle is almost empty so I’m obviously doing more drinking than writing on this review.

The last few sips of this exquisite ale were at 72 degrees and it was delicious to the last warm drop.

This is a solid A to an A+. This is truly one of the best Belgian Tripels on the market today.

La Choulette Blonde

2011-07-31T02:41:00.003-04:00

La Choulette Blonde

Brewed by:

Brasserie La Choulette

France

Bière de Garde

7.50% ABV

Commercial Description:

Her little sister, is golden, the fine and dense foam. Rich and fruity aromas offer a good balance between malt and yeast. It is soft on the palate with a bitter sweet, just persistent.

(Google translated from Lachoulette.com)

General Pricing:

750ml bottles: ~$10.00 Each

Background:

This was birthday gift from my friend Jim. I have never had a French Biere before so I am really looking forward to trying this. So let’s see what this French Blonde has in store for us.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with copper hues and a bright white head.

The nose is delightful with sweet caramel malt aromas, a tough of floral hops and sweet background that seems like alcohol but this is only 7.5 percent. At any rate there is a nice sweetness on the nose that I can’t quite but my finger on.

Wow, that was an interesting first sip. This is really close to a Belgian Abbey Blonde. I don’t know why but I was expecting some thing much different. It really makes sense that a French Blonde would be close to a Belgian Abbey Blonde.

The taste starts out with sweet caramel type malts up front on the tip of the tongue. Then there is the most pleasant almost creamy mouthfeel over the tongue during the middle of the sip. There is a slight hesitation at the top of the swallow. At this point it seems like a big beer not something that is only at 7.5 %. The finish is great with rich but very sweet caramel malt flavors and just a hint of floral hops. The final aftertaste is of sweet light malts on yeast.

This is really drinking like a Belgian Strong Pale. Again I don’t know why that is surprising.

The thing that is really surprising is the rich malt flavors and the smooth creamy mouthfeel on this Blonde Ale. Once again this is more like a strong pale not a blonde.

The head has diminished to a thin protective layer over the top of the beer with a ring around the edges. It is also leaving some pretty impressive lacing.

This was a very enjoyable experience. I’m going for an A on this beer. The rich flavors were extremely impressive for a Blonde Ale.

La Rullés Triple

2011-07-31T02:19:00.002-04:00

La Rullés Triple

Brewed by:

Brasserie Artisanale De Rullés SPRL

Belgium

Tripel

8.40% ABV

Commercial Description:

For this beer, we searched the body and bitterness into a free beer tasting. The ideal marriage will surprise you.
It as 8.4% and is available in 75 cl bottles and on tap.

(Translated from larulles.be)

General Pricing:

750ml bottles: ~$12.00 Each

Background:

I bought this at State Line Liquors the other day to evaluate for my upcoming Belgian Bier Banquet. I have already decided not to have this at this year’s event but since I have it we might as well give it a full review.

Review:

The beer pours a hazy straw color with a fairly rich bright white head.

The nose is striking with strong floral hops with a tough a citrus and of course some light malt aromas. I did not realize it but this smells more like a Belgian IPA not your typical Tripel.

Wow, what a great first sip. This beer is one nice Belgian IPA.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. Just after that there is a nice effervescence over the tongue during the middle of the sip. There is also a building hop robustness in mid-sip toward the back-end. This is not a hop bitterness just more of a robustness. This robustness builds even through the swallow but still not bitter. The finish is fantastic with rich complex hop flavors and light malts with just a touch of citrus notes all on a yeasty background. I love the hop flavors without the overwhelming bitterness, just a healthy bite. The final aftertaste is just a slight lingering floral hop flavor.

All and all this is a great beer. I am pleasantly surprised. Not that it’s good but that I wasn’t expecting a Belgian IPA.

The head on this beer has not quit. It has reduced to a nice protective layer over the top of the beer and the lacing is very impressive.

As this beer warms and opens up a little it is getting more robust, well, maybe robust isn’t quite right, it’s earthier. Funny it has almost picked up a saison type earthiness now that it has warmed a little.

I’m really impressed with this experience.

Each time I add a little more to the glass it produces a nice head and that head adds a creaminess to the mouthfeel.

When American brewers try to hop up Belgian style ales they usually are not that good. But when Belgian Brewers hop up their ales you get fantastic beers like Houblon Chouffe, Piraat and this LaRulles Tripel. What a great experience.

I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this beer.

We have warmed to 67 degrees now and this beer is just getting better.

This has been such a great experience

This is a Solid A Maybe even an A+. Even though this is classified as a Tripel is so hoppy that it should be classified as a Belgian IPA.

La Chouffe

2011-07-31T01:44:00.003-04:00

La Chouffe

Brewed by:

Brasserie d'Achouffe

Belgium

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

8.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Bottle conditioned.

Golden Ale, strong, spicy, lightly hoppy, with evoluting taste. Natural Beer, bottle refermented, unfiltered, not pasteurised and without any additives

(RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

750ml bottles: ~$12.00 Each

Background:

I bought this at State Line Liquors the other day to evaluate for my upcoming Belgian Bier Banquet. I have already decided to have this on draft at the banquet but I figured a full review would not hurt.

Review:

The beer pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a bright white head. This bier is highly carbonated with lots of tiny bubbles rising up from the bottom of the class.

The nose is delightful with sweet light malt aromas with sweet fruit and citrus notes.

Wow, I forgot how good this beer is; light sweet and refreshing with citrus and yeasty notes.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue then the most pleasant effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back end is extremely easy drinking and refreshing with an effortless swallow. The finish is also refreshing with light malt flavors, a touch of spice, sweet citrus notes and a slight floral hop bite. There is very little of final aftertaste just a slight light malt flavor and citrus note.

The alcohol is artfully masked in this beer. This beer drinks like a light refreshing 4 or 5 percent blonde not an 8 percent strong pale.

Well, I’m doing more drinking that writing on this review. I’m just chilling enjoying this nice Belgian Ale.

There is really not a whole lot to say about this beer. This is just a straight up solid Belgian Pale Ale. I enjoyed drinking this so much I didn’t even get out my thermometer to see how warm it was getting.

It did get a little more robust as it warmed and opened up a little and the carbonation released. However it never picked up any off flavors. This beer stayed smooth and refreshing to the last warm drop.

What can I say but a solid A for this enjoyable Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Struise Tsjeeses

2011-07-27T22:46:00.002-04:00

Struise Tsjeeses

Brewed by:

De Struise Brouwers

Belgium

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

10.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

Deep to orange blond abbey triple winterbeer which has been lagered for 8 months on different stonefruits. Tsjeeses was born out of a 5 year brew experience regarding x-mas beer without being capable of finding a suitable name up to now. With the name came a face, a caricature actually, that was drawn on the day Urbain, our brew master and master brewer, drank too many Tsjeeses's. Every time he drinks one, he says "Tsjeeses, what a beer". Therefore the name is more an expression of stupefaction than a curse. We have had already many discussions around the pronounciation of "Tsjeeses". Very close would be that you say "cheeses" or cheese in plural. (RateBeer.com)

General Pricing:

330ml bottles: ~$8.00 Each

Background:

I bought this at State Line Liquors the other day to evaluate for my upcoming Belgian Bier Banquet. I have since decided on other beers to have and then realized that I did not do a “Christmas in July” beer review. So I figured I would use this one. I have had this before at tastings but I really do not remember anything about it.

Review:

The beer pours a deep copper orange color with a fairly rich off white to tan head.

The nose is exceptional with deep caramel malt aromas, sweet orange fruit esters, citrus and spice. This almost smells like an alcohol laced orange candy.

Ahhh, you can’t see me but just melted into my chair. What a remarkable first sip.

This exquisite experience starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by the most pleasant mouthfeel as the beer washes over the tongue in the middle of the sip. By the time you get to the back-end you realize that this is no lightweight. There is a hesitation and almost clinching at the top of the swallow. The swallow has a slight carbonation release and a building robustness of a great Belgian Strong Ale. The finish is absolutely phenomenal with exquisite caramel malt flavors, fruity notes, some spice, and sweet alcohol all on a bed a yeasty goodness. The final aftertaste is a lingering malt sweetness with a hint of alcohol and spice.

There is the most wonderful creamy coating that is left throughout the entire mouth.

The beer has warmed to room temperature and it is just as exquisite now as it was chilled actually more so.

This is a solid A+. An exquisite Belgian Strong Pale that was delicious to the last warm drop. Rich malt flavors along with notes of fruit and spice and sweet alcohol made this a very enjoyable experience.

Kasteel Tripel

2011-07-27T22:39:00.003-04:00

Kasteel Tripel

Brewed by:

Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Belgium

Tripel

11.00% ABV

Commercial Description:

A golden craft-beer, brilliant, topfermented, refermented in the bottle.

An exceptional blend of malts and quality hops, an elegant nose and a particularly smooth flavour.

11% ABV.

Should be served at 9°C.

(www.vanhonsebrouck.be)

General Pricing:

750 ml bottles: ~$8.00 - $9.00 Each

Background:

I have had this beer several times before. Actually this is one of my favorite Belgian Tripels. This is our favorite beer to have when we have Maryland Blue Crabs and that’s just what we did two weeks ago. This particular bottle was left over so I figured I would give it a formal review.

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden straw color with a bright white head. This is nicely carbonated with tiny bubbles rising up from the bottom of the glass.

The nose is classic Belgian with light pilsner type malt aromas, light fruit sweetness, along with citrus notes all on a yeasty background.

Oh Man-O-Man is that a great Tripel.

The experience starts out with a light malt sweetness up front on the tip of the tongue. That is followed by the most pleasant light effervescence over the tongue during the middle of the sip. The back-end is fairly easy drinking with just a slight hesitation on the top of the swallow. The top of the swallow also has a slight earthiness and yeastiness to it. The swallow has an additional carbonation release that masks some of the flavors. Behind that effervescence there is a building robustness, mostly from the alcohol. The finish is exquisite with light malts, citrus, coriander spice, sweet light fruit esters and sweet alcohol. This is all riding on that classic Belgian yeastiness. The final aftertaste is subtle but contains citrus, spice and yeast.

This is one of my favorite Belgian Tripels but it seems like a whole new experience drinking, no savoring it in this way.

Side Note:

This is our favorite go-to beer when we have crabs so this was a logical choice to have with my spicy pulled pork sandwich tonight. The spiciness of the beer compliments that spice in the pulled pork but it also has a smoothing effect that makes it a perfect match with spicy foods.

OK back to the review.

We are now at 68 degrees.

Unlike my last few reviews this beer has gotten better as it warms. The carbonation has diminished leaving a much richer and smoother ale. As modest as the flavors are they seem to be richer now at this temperature.

AHH, smooth and tasty to the last warm drop.

This is a solid A for me. It’s not the most complex or the most refreshing Tripel but it has the most unique spice and alcohol notes that make it one of the best in my book.

16 Mile Amber Sun Ale

2011-07-26T19:04:00.003-04:00

Amber Sun Ale

Brewed by:

16 Mile Brewing Company, Inc.

Georgetown, Delaware, USA

American Amber / Red Ale

ABV ?

Commercial Description:

(16milebrewery.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz Aluminum Bottles: ~$3.00 Each

Background:

I received a bottle of 16 Mile from by friend Gene as a gift then I went to State Line Liquors and purchased the other two. I’ve heard good things about these beers but I have never had them before. So I’m really looking forward to tasting these unusual bottle shaped cans of beer.

Review:

The beer pours a dark amber with ruby hues and a fairly rich tan head.

The nose is pleasant with sweet caramel malt aromas and floral hops.

Not a bad first sip; sweet caramel malt flavors and a slight hop bite but there is also something odd on the finish.

The experience starts out with a malt sweetness up front followed by a tingling effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back end is fairly easy drinking but there is an extreme harshness that develops during the swallow. The finish has some very nice caramel almost toasted malt flavors but this is masked by a harsh off flavor that is not appealing at all. It’s hard to comment about the final aftertaste because by that time there is a chill that comes over me after I take a breath.

Each sip gets increasingly harder to swallow and now the finish is almost unbearable.

We are only at 62 degrees and this may be another 16 Mile that I will not finish.

If this was only a 12 oz bottle I would have easily finished it. But this 22 oz bottle/can is too much for me. I’m just not going to torture myself any further.

I’m not sure this is bad enough for an F it was quite drinkable during the first few sips. However this needs to be ice cold in order to enjoy it and I don’t keep any of my beers ice cold.

This is certainly a D- at best.

It is possible that this was a bad or faulty bottle/can. I feel I need to review this again if the brewery starts bottling in glass bottles.

16 Mile Old Court Ale

2011-07-26T18:59:00.006-04:00

Old Court Ale

Brewed by:

16 Mile Brewing Company, Inc.

Georgetown, Delaware, USA

American Pale Ale (APA)

ABV ?

Commercial Description:

Old Court Ale– An American ale that reserves its right to be different. A bit lighter in body, Old Court provides a citrusy hop aroma and caramel finish. 16 Mile names this ale for Sussex County’s original courthouse, which has been serving judicial needs since 1791. Today it stands on South Bedford Street just south of The Circle in Georgetown, Delaware.

(16milebrewery.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz Aluminum Bottles: ~$3.00 Each

Background:

Review:

The beer pours a clear dark amber with ruby hues and an off white head.

The nose is nice with caramel malt aromas along with floral hops and an underlining earthiness.

Not a bad first sip but there is an underlining harshness to this beer.

The taste starts out with a caramel malt sweetness up front, then a cleansing effervescent over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is fairly easy drinking but there is a unique harshness and hesitation at the top of the swallow. There is a carbonation release during the swallow that masks any flavors. The finish has some nice caramel malt flavors and a slight hop bite to it. But there is also a harshness to the finish. The final aftertaste has some malt sweetness but mostly a green apple tinge or harshness.

All and all this is not a very enjoyable beer. It really drinks more like an Adjunct Lager than an All Malt Grain Ale.

This beer is only at 56 degrees and it has really picked up some off flavors. This is just not good.

This may be a first and not in a good way. This is my 285^th review and this may be the first beer that I don’t finish.

It is hard to believe that a craft beer can taste this bad at 61 degrees. I am really having a hard time swallowing this beer.

Well this is it. 16 Mile has produced the first beer in 285 that I’m not going to finish. I just am not going to torture myself any more.

If this was a 12 oz bottle I would have been able to finish it. But it was not worth trying to force 22 oz.

I’m not sure an F is fair but a D- seems too generous. This beer started out as a drinkable ale but it sent down hill fast. Each sip continued to more harsh until at only 61 degrees I could not take it any more.

Now there is a possibility that I got a bad bottle/can. I heard that they are moving to standard 12 oz glass bottles. I may review this again when that happens.

16 Mile Blues’ Golden Ale

2011-07-26T18:55:00.002-04:00

Blues' Golden Ale

Brewed by:

16 Mile Brewing Company, Inc.

Georgetown, Delaware, USA

American Blonde Ale

ABV ?

Commercial Description:

Blues' Golden Ale- A mellow, yet refreshing golden ale with balanced layers of flavor. The crisp and clean finish of Blues’ Golden Ale makes it the perfect complement to any meal. 16 Mile names this golden ale for The Delaware Blues who fought in almost every battle of the Revolutionary War. A monument in their honor is located Outside of Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware.

(16milebrewery.com)

General Pricing:

22 oz Aluminum Bottles: ~$3.00 each

Background:

Review:

The beer pours a clear golden yellow with copper hues and a bright white head. The beer is highly carbonated with lots of tiny bubbles rising up from the bottom of the glass.

The nose is pleasant with light pilsner type malt aromas and with a gentle swirl a sweet floral hop notes are released. This nose seems like it would be a very refreshing beer, how inviting.

Well, that first sip was so carbonated that I really did not pick up much of anything just a slight light malt sweetness.

Humm, I’m not too sure about this one.

There is very little of any flavor up front. There is a tingling effervescence over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end seems to have an odd malt flavor during the swallow. That is contrary to the carbonation release that is also during the swallow. The finish is just not very good. There is an odd off flavor in the finish that is very unpleasant. This carries into the final aftertaste as well.

It’s funny that the first few sips seemed pretty good. But the off flavors seem to be getting stronger and stronger as I drink this beer.

Odd this is almost like an adjunct.

We are only at 63 degrees and this beer is picking up a metallic aftertaste.

Man, this is actually getting hard to drink.

I did finish this 22oz bottle but it was not very enjoyable.

This is a D+ to C- for me. I really expected a better beer. It was pretty drinkable at first but as this warmed it just got worse. It quickly developed off flavors and a metallic aftertaste.