Kasteel Rouge

WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This one is a bit of a celebration after winning the Deadwood Derby. I tried this at the Worldwide tasting a few months back, and it is now available on a regular basis.

This one pours a dark red/pink. The head is an off pink, with a thick, one inch head. The retention is decent, leaving a nice foam cap. However, there is little to no lacing.

The smell is cherry, cherry, cherry. Cherry juice, cherry flesh, cherry everything!! There is some sweetness present, but not as much as you might expect with that much fruit in the nose. This really doesn't smell like beer. I am definitely in the mood for this. Haha, I have a homemade chocolate chip cookie to pair with this.

CHERRIES!!!! The flavor is cherry after cherry. There is a pleasant balance struck here between tart qualities and the underlying sweetness. I really could see serving this in place of a sparkling wine as a celebratory drink. Great with sweets, and I could honestly see this working well with a main course as well. The alcohol is not present in the least, which is impressive at 8%. This one hits the spot.

The mouth feel is slightly viscous, and pleasantly tingly. This avoids the sweet trap that many beers of this style can fall into. 93/100. It might just be the timing, but this beer is wonderful

Rogue St. Rogue Red (Dry Hopped Edition)

Woo. The second go of the evening. This is my first American style beer from an American brewery in a while. I am honestly looking forward to a little less subtlety. Knowing Rogue, I will not be disappointed.

This pours a cloudy ruby-brown. Nice, every so slightly reddish head on this one. A moderate retention, and a bit of lacing, but nothing really to mention on that front.

The smell is leading with grapefruit notes from the hops. There is a good chunk of malt that follows. Some biscuit is going on, as well as a touch of darker caramel. I am looking forward to having a strong malt bill, particularly after the previous beer.

The taste is citric hops up front. Nice depth here, as the hops fall into the malt and start to mingle into the caramel and toffee notes. Some pine is also apparent. Delightful. If only I had a hearty cut of beef to go with this, life would be perfect. Quite the easy drinker, considering the full flavor.

The mouth feel is pleasantly full. While not the most complex beer in the world, this was full flavored and enjoyable. 88/100.

Urthel Hop-It

This is my first sampling of a modest, but high quality haul from my most recent trip to Lukas. Got to talking to one (the?) manager, and he showed off a bit, and brought out their last six pack of HopSlam and their last bottle of the new O'Fallon Whiskey Barrel (Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year) Aged Smoked Porter.

Immediately upon popping the top of this one, I'm getting grassy hops. There is something bitter in the nose that makes me think citrus seeds. Think accidentally biting down on a lemon seed from a glass of water with a lemon wedge. Biting. Very little malt coming through. I get the feeling there will only be enough malt present to cushion the presumably massive hop profile in this beer.

This is an absolutely beautiful beer. A hazy golden rod body with an ivory head that stretches about 2 fingers up. Impressive retention, and there is still a half finger of head by the end of this glass. Lacing is absolutely plastered to the walls of the glass, with impressive lacing trailing all the way to the finish.

I am honestly not a huge fan of this flavor. This is bitter, biting, citric (more lemon than the American grapefruit) and ever so slightly bready. This isn't as big as many hop-bombs, but the flavors here are all focused on the hops. I'm guessing pilsner malts, as they provide nothing but the slightest inkling of balance. No malt flavor. If these hops were my thing, I think I would be in heaven, but they aren't, so I'm not. I am impressed that there is no, and I repeat no, alcohol in the taste. For a beer that is 9.5% that is surprising. The finish on this is also incredibly dry. Perhaps I am too atuned to American DIPA's that have a bit of sweetness to them, but this dry hop bomb just isn't doing it for me.

Mouthfeel is perfect on this, slightly effervescent, and surprisingly light (relatively). Again, this is an incredibly well crafted beer, but the flavors that the brewer goes for here simply are not my favorite. This is a matter of observing art that is simply not to ones taste. 85/100, with the only major deduction being on the flavor, and that is only from personal preference. There are no defects here. I would highly recommend trying this, as if this style is your thing, this will be bliss in a bottle.

Avery and Russian River's Collaboration not Litigation Ale

Alright, I'm hesitant to dive into another Avery. The chance for a miss with their beers has been pretty high, at least by my tastes. However, the opportunity to try something from RR is enticing. We shall see.

The pour is a coppery caramel, with a fluffy off white/tan head. Decent retention, and some moderate lacing. Looks promising.

The nose is enticing. Scents of dark fleshed fruits (figs, etc.), candi sugar, cocoa, caramel, and toffee. There is a bit of yeasty breadiness going on as well, with some minimal hops hanging out in the dark corners of the nose. At the tail end there is a touch of something sour.

Taste follows with fruits, chocolate, caramel. The bready character comes out a bit more. The sourness comes out right before the finish, and adds an interesting balance. The finish is surprisingly bitter. This doesn't give much of a hop bitterness, but more just a straight bitter taste. Odd. What surprises me the most here is that the flavor is not particularly full. The tastes are all apparent, but all are somewhat light. This is not a particularly heavy beer. The alcohol content is completely hidden.

Mouthfeel is slightly sticky, but again, lighter than expected. Decent carbonation keeps the beer lively on the tongue.

Overall, not bad, in fact, and there is nothing negative going on here. However, nothing particularly grabs me. 87/100.

Bell's HopSlam!

Long time, no write. Life has been hectic, but filled with good beer. I wish I had eeked in some other reviews, but why not kick back in with a beer from one of my favorite American breweries. This one came to me by way of on Mr. Jon Whitaker. Thank you!

This pours about as I would expect, a rich caramel orange, with a small, but active white head. The head isn't that big, and fades quickly to a ring around the glass. This, however, remains through the consumption of the beer. There is some lacing that leaves a sticky, but patchy trail. This is a pretty double IPA. Haha, who'd have thought I'd be digging on DIPA's of all things. I feel like I can get into just about any style anymore, as long as it is well done. The world may yet make a hophead out of me.

This smells like someone applying a heat source to a hop field. Perhaps someone baking some hopped sugar cookies. There is plenty of sweetness in the nose, biscuit, if not cookie bring up the backbone of the malt. The hops are succulent, you can almost see the oil dripping off the cones if you close your eyes. Grapefruit, orange, and more citrus than I can succinctly describe.

DELICIOUS!!! I picture this as the juice of some divine citrus fruit. It is neither pure hop, nor citric, nor floral, but a lovely combination of all of these and more. The malt is sufficient to keep pace, but doesn't dominate. There is a savory quality here, despite the sweetness. This is balance. So many hop oriented beers lose track of what it is to be a beer. This does not.

The mouthfeel is soft, but oily. The hop oils here are readily apparent. A bit of effervescense is present, but not too much. This one just works.

Overal: Superb. 95/100. I wouldn't change a thing about this beer.

Rogue Imperial IPA

Alright. It took me months to get these, and my ship(ment) finally came in! This is the best packaging I have ever seen. The bottles are ceramic (!) with a bottle cap as well as a swing top latch. Killer Rogue label.

This one pours a slighty hazy straw yellow meets burnt orange. Beautiful fluffy head, creamy white, with a crest of tiny bubbles. It recedes pretty quickly. There is some lacing, though it is quite fine, almost a thin film that coats the entire surface of the glass.

The nose is hoppy, but not as big as I would have expected from an IIPA. Quite a bit of sweetness, with some citric character present. The hops are predominantly floral. The yeast comes through as well, with some biscuit-y bread notes.

Wow. This is not what I expected. The malt set up is stronger and fuller than any other DIPA I have had to date. This one is sweet, but not cloying, as so many others have been. The bread-y yeast from the nose carries well, and provides a full, soft base for the floral Saaz hops. There is some earthiness going on here as well. This is the most flavorful, deep, complex IIPA I have had to date.

The softness of the malt profile is carried over into mouthfeel. This is silky smooth, with more carbonation than the style usually dictates. Sublime.

Overall: 94/100. A stellar double. Love live the Rogue spirit!

Wild Blue Blueberry Lager

Sometimes you get spoiled, and need to bring yourself back down to earth. Today's offering is covertly brewed by a subsidiary of AB. This is not necessarily bad, and I have had products from them that I enjoy. I am hesitant to try this though, as it is advertised as an 8% blueberry lager.

It pours the color of a raspberry lambic, except that it is perfectly clear. Gross, thin, watery pink head. No retention, and no lacing, at all, of any kind. This looks like juice. I am getting a little scared.
Smells like cheap blueberry candy. If there were an off brand of Blueberry Jolly Rancher's, this would be it. Artificial sweeteners abound. Gross.

Taste is nasty. Dimatap meets melted Jolly Rancher, with a dose of Mickey's Malt liquor thrown in. I really can't say much more. This is absolutely terrible, and just keeps getting worse as it warms up. I am unhappy because of this beer.

Mouthfeel is thin, but syrupy. This horrid liquid just stays in the mouth. 30/100

Sinebrychoff Baltic Porter

Alright, time for an old classic. This was one of the first "obscure" (relative term) beers that I ever tried, and it was my gateway into strong porters, stouts, and the imperials of both styles. I believe this a 2004 (?). We will be getting in cases of the '97, '98, and '00 within the next month, and I am excited to do a vertical tasting as soon as the opportunity arises. Expect to see the results here first thing.

This pours a near black, with dark shades of chocolate-y brown peaking out. The head looks like it belongs on a cup of hot chocolate. The general aesthetic is quite enticing. The head retention is impressive considering this beer is several years old, and the retention is nice and sticky, leaving a pleasant cocoa lacing down the glass. I also really dig the bottle design on this, cool shape, with a very imposing looking logo. This beer isn't something to be toyed with.

Alright, on to the nose. There is a bit of sweetness of the bat, molasses, caramel, toffee. A touch of soy sauce comes through as well, but it is not prevalent in the fashion that it is in say, a Sam Adam's Triple Bock. Vanilla tones are present. Just a touch of malt powder and Hershey's syrup finish off the complex nose coming off of this one.

Flavor is bold, and malty. Chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, malted milk balls, mocha, and vanilla are all readily apparent. So many layers to deal with here. The hops are present just enough to keep this from being cloying, though the roasted malt character adds some much needed bitterness as well. Caramel and toffee win out in the end, leaving a bittersweet finish in the mouth that begs for another sip.

This one is surprisingly carbonated for its age. Quite smooth and coating on the palette. For being somewhat of a big beer, this isn't too filling, and definitely not just a night cap beer (though it is currently serving this purpose nicely). Right at the end of the sip, there is a slight, almost chalky cocoa sensation as it leaves the tongue. Superb.

As I said before, this is an all time favorite. Such excellent balance and complexity. 93/100.

Many to Come

I made another Lukas run on Saturday, so expect many, many reviews in the weeks to come. That is all.

Cheers!

Fort Collins Brewery's Double Chocolate Stout

Fort Collins, a brewery known predominantly for their lagers, has a good track record with their ales, but thus far hasn't put out one that has truly impressed me. That, however, has changed. This imperial take on their Chocolate Stout is delectable.

It pours a dark, almost opaque black/brown, giving rise to a sizable cocoa head. This head recedes quickly, leaving only some patchy coverage, and a thin ring around the glass. Moderate lacing is left behind as the glass is drained.

Incredibly enticing smell. Lots of darker milk chocolate, espresso, roasted malt, and just a touch of earthiness from the hops. There is some vanilla coming through here as well. I've got this one at just under 55 degrees, so I feel that the nose is at just the right spot. This beer puts off a lot of aroma, and it is all positive.

Taste is dominated by rich roasted malts and coffee notes. The chocolate comes through in the finish, providing pleasant balance. Not as bitter/roasted as it might have come across. It blessedly avoids the acrid flavors of something like Avery's Out of Bounds. The hops dry the finish just enough to keep you coming back for sip after sip. The tail on this is quite long, with the flavor staying on the palette for almost 60 seconds. Well done.

Mouthfeel is velvety, with a slightly oily finish. The chocolate puts a smooth note on the tail, and it is quite welcome.

Overall, my favorite beer from Fort Collins thus far. Final Score: 90/100

If you can't tell, I'm a little excited about this one. I've wanted to try New Belgium's La Folie for over year now. It has never before been available in the state of Kansas, and its availability in general is quite low. However, 15 cases of this beautiful beer made their way into Kansas this year. My store was allocated 6 bottles, and who knows if any of them will ever see the light of retail. This evenings hand numbered bottle is 12,922, bottles 11/07.

This one pours are murky brown/red, with a slightly pink caste to the foamy head. The head soon dissipates, leaving a thin ring around the glass, with some floating islands of tiny bubbles. Considering how long this beer has been aged, the initial carbonation is impressive, though it settles out after the initial head fades. The surface becomes quite still, and only a light crackling can be heard emanating from the glass. There is something quite becoming about the color of this beer. With the glass tilted and held up to the light it takes on hue that almost resembles a rosy cheek.

The nose is sour, funky, fruity, yeasty, acidic, vinegary, and absolutely amazing. First the funk hits, with sour notes of barnyard, horse blanket, and musty attics. This is quickly followed up by fresh bread and sour cherry/berry notes. My mouth has started watering at this point, so I'm just going to dive on in and leave the aroma at that.

Incredible. I honestly am considering leaving the rest of my review at that, as I feel I am not a strong enough writer to do justice to such a work of art. I'll do my best, but please understand that this is simply a beer to be tried, not read about.

Sour acidity rushes across the entire palate, followed by a wash of yeasty flavors. The fruit comes in quickly there after and provides a counter balancing sweetness that brings the taste to full fruition. Hops play little to no role here, but they are not missed in this instance. As the beer warms, more fruit comes out, and the depth of flavors in this beer increase dramatically. The finish is dry and again yeasty, almost with a hint of champagne. Every sip leaves me wanting not only another, if not another glass or bottle. This is art created in the medium of beer.

I really just want to focus on what is left in my glass, and not on typing this, so I shall leave my final rating. Overall: 98/100. This is thus far my favorite beer.

Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye

Alright, upped the resolution on my phone's camera, so these pictures should be a little bit clearer. Had a great beer outing this evening at Joe Schmo's in downtown Lawrence. Sipped on Avery's Ellie's Brown (on tap) and a 750 of Boulevard's Long Strange Tripel. Very cool. Good burgers and fries. I am sad there is only one bocce court, but I've been invited down to play a game with just myself and the owner, so I think I'll be able to enjoy it...

Tonights selection comes to me from California via John Monaghan. I'm interested in this one, as I've had many homebrewed rye beers, but only one or two commercial interpretations.

This one pours a crystal clear burnt amber, with a foamy off white cappuccino head. The head drops quickly, but leaves impressive lacing all the way down the glass. I am left with a surprising amount of head clinging to the glass in thick sheets. I will mention the clarity again, as this one is truly impressive. It is like looking through deep red stained glass.

Smell is lots of hops with a good helping of rye. I'm guessing some West Coast varieties are involved here, nice and spicy with a good citrus rind backbone. The rye adds further depth to the spicy character. There some sweet malt coming through here, and I suspect that the malts here are a touch darker than one would associate with an IPA.

Taste is rich, deep, and spicy. The hops and rye come through in equal parts on the tongue. There is a deep bitter quality that is less acidic than it is cocoa powder oriented. The citrus still comes through, but the depth of the malt brings all the flavors forward as a unified front. Superbly balanced. I would be willing to bet this pushes 85+ IBU's, but it really doesn't seem that way. The malt sweetness has a depth you don't see in a lot of IPAs. There is real flavor here, as opposed to just sweetness to counteract the bitter hops. Sublime.

The mouthfeel on this is a bit thicker than your average IPA. I want to do a RyIPA now, just to see if I can match the full body on this one. Quite drinkable for 8% abv. This bomber was too tasty to put down and it made a hasty exit. I look forward to my next opportunity to sample a Bear Republic beer. Overall: 90/100

Boulder's Mojo Risin' DIPA or A Beer for a Stolen Amp

So I just got back from the Jazzhaus with the news that my bass amp wandered off the premise sometime about two weeks ago. In any case, I'm sure Ric will help me figure something out, but it is incredibly frustrating.

In any case, I'm going to have a beer. Something strongish sounds good, and Boulder's Mojo Risin' IPA fits the bill.

This one pours a fitting bright orange, with a great degree of clarity. The head is quite fine and pours about two fingers worth to begin. This calms quickly to a thin fine white cap. Patchy lacing coats the glass to the end, leaving a nice, sticky mess.

Smell is all Amarillo hops. Grapefruit prevails, with something a little harsher, more along the lines of raw, sticky fresh hops. The double dry hopping probably has something to do this. There is a touch of malt sweetness in the nose, but really this is a hop bomb through and through.

Taste is Amarillo. This pushes not even being grapefruit or citrus-y, just damn hoppy. There is an attempt at balance, but not a particularly good one. Still, the hop flavor is sound. This is by no means the hoppiest beer I've had, there just isn't much else to the taste. Good, but one dimensional.

This is an easy drinker, as it doesn't really challenge the palette. The alcohol content, at 10% is well hidden. All in all, not bad, but I'd like to see more depth from a DIPA. Overall: 85/100

Sick Again...

I have what I believe to be the influenza going around the KU campus. Suck. In any case, I'm refraining from all alcoholic intake at the moment, so as not to waste it on a dead palate. I shall return when I feel better.
Cheers-
AA

Sleepless

Now that it is 5:36 in the morning, and I can't sleep, I figured I would tag on a couple of beers that I'd tried recently but hadn't given the attention of a full review.

Sam Adams Irish Red Ale:
Really caramel malt oriented. A touch sweet for my taste, and there was something a little odd going on in the finish. Not bad, will probably develop some cult status, but nothing to write home about.

Avery New World Porter:
Oh Avery, you do so love your hops. First sip made me think IBA (India Black Ale). Lots of pine oriented hops. Some chocolate and coffee came through as well, but this felt like a hop showcase. Tasty, but not what I expect when I see the word "porter". I'll have to give this one another go, and give it a full review.

Also, thinking of going back to the goatee. Not sure yet.

Avery Mephistopheles Russian Imperial Stout 2008

These just arrived today. This is in the Avery Demon serious, and is the second strongest, pulling in at 16% ABV. The two previous entries that I've tried have been... challenging. Intense, flavorful, but not easy drinkers at all. This one promises to be no different.

This pours like motor oil. There is no splashing here, just a thick syrupy stream of brown-black liquid. A minimal cocoa head crops up, and fades away immediately into nothingness. No light passes through this beer. Lacing? Pffffff...

The nose is dark and sweet. Dark mixed berries, 90%+ cocoa, smoke, and some hot alcohol. Overwhelmingly rich.


The flavors all follow the nose in kind, with a distinct flavor of beef jerky. This is one of, if not the heartiest beer I have ever had. A resounding warming sensation hits after the first swallow. This is like drinking a melted chocolate pudding. Huge!

This is not the most drinkable beer, that is for sure. However, giving it considerations for being a 16% RIS, it is more palatable than expected.

86/100.

Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza

Alright, here is beer two of a four beer, four night tasting. Last nights Bam Noire was a great, and I have high hopes for this one. I haven't had a Biere de Garde before, and from what I hear, it is a style I will like. It translates literally as "Guarded Beer", with the intent that you can lay this one down for quite while, and the flavors will continue to grow for many years.

This pours a beautiful hazy golden orange. There is a big white head, which dissipates to a patchy white layer. This beer positively glows. There isn't a whole lot of lacing, but there is a touch of patchy film on the glass.

The smell here is amazing. Huge amounts of fruit: pears, apples, apricots. There is some funk, some bready malt, and lots of fruit oriented yeast as well. These smells escaped from from the bottle the moment the top was popped. It was intense and the scent filled the room.

The taste follows much in kind, with all of the fruits coming through again. The funk becomes a bit more prevalent in the flavor, with a pleasant drying sensation. The bready flavors come in as well. This has a distinct sourdough note to it. I can see this continuing to develop for quite some time to come. I haven't ever had anything quite like this, but this is yet another home run from Jolly Pumpkin.

The mouth feel is superb. The carbonation is relatively high, and I am wondering if that will fade a bit in time, giving it a smoother body on down the road. There is strong drying sensation from the acidity that the Brett gives off.

This was yet another incredible beer from the good folks at Jolly Pumpkin. I can't really say anything bad about this beer. I am going to pick one up tomorrow to cellar for a couple months, and yet another to cellar for years to come. 95/100!

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire

Jolly Pumpkin Brewing became available in Kansas today, and I am proud to say that Mass Beverage is the first store in the state to carry their products. This evenings sampling is their Bam Noire Dark Farmhouse Ale. Essentially, this is a dark saison. Very cool label design.


This beer pours a hazy cola brown, with a large tan head on it. The carbonation creates a velvety head of infinitely tiny bubbles two inches tall. Superb retention on the head, and the lacing is impressive. There is a ruby glow to this beer when it is held to the light. This is a rather beautiful beer.

Smell is rather funky. I'm picking up tanned leather, horse blanket, sourness, funk, cola, a touch of spicy vanilla, and several other spices. This is quite complex, and rivals anything else I've come across. The smell seems contrary to the color. This is the first dark farmhouse I've had the pleasure of coming across.

The flavors here are immense. The layers just keep coming and coming. First I pick up leather,cola, and vanilla. The second set that follows is the funk sector. Barnyard, must, dust, soured fruits, etc. come and dominate the middle portion of the flavor. The finish is surprisingly crisp, and the brett and hops dry out the finish. Truly superb.

The mouthfeel is pleasant and crisp. The carbonation is refined, and smooth. There is a bit of acidity, which leaves a mouthwatering sensation.

This one picks up an overall of 94/100. This a truly unique and outstanding piece of art. These are the types of things that inspire one to continue in the field.

Orval

A customer brought me an Orval chalice back from his trip to Belgium. How could I not have an Orval as soon as I got home. I turned down a trip to Harbor just enjoy this one. This is really a miniature holiday. Beautiful.

The beer pours a lovely burnt orange, with a lovely white head. Thousands of tiny bubbles give a nice finger and half of head. The head leaves excellent lace. This in one of the prettier beers I've had in a while.

The nose is quite deep. There is a fair amount of fruit up front, almost cider-y apples. The funk follows with some rich barnyard scents. There is a bit of lemon in here as well. I'm also picking up some medicinal notes.

The taste is so incredibly complex. This is what comes about after 900 years of experience and hard work goes into perfecting of a recipe. Lemon, cider, herbs, earthy hops, medicinal notes, barnyard are a pleasantly measured into this tapestry of taste. The finish is crisp, with a slight apple sweetness coming in right before the flavor fades out. The flavor is light but intense. Superb.

The mouthfeel is light, tingly, and effervescent. This is a beer you could drink all night long.

This is the most unique of the Trappist beers by miles. The touch of brett in this one really brings out the funk, and the history behind this gives it depth. 93/100.

Three Floyds Dreadnaught (D?) (T?) IPA

This one is a gift from my friend John Monaghan. I've wanted to try it for quite a while.

Pours a hazy golden amber. A big fluffy head issues forth, but rapidly dissipates into nothing. Seriously, not even a ring. So this one loses points on appearance for that. No lacing. Lovely color, but I've seen bigger beers keep an head and have lacing. Ah, the joys of hop oils.

Smells big. Huge hop presence. Lots of orange peel, grapefruit, and even some straight citrus flesh. Sweet oranges perhaps? Maybe I can even see some tar coming through. I can definitely pick up the booze in the nose as well. Seems very by the books, except, this is THE book.

While the nose was big, the taste is enormous. The flavors all follow the nose. The sweet orange taste manages to balance the insane hop load. The flavor is oily, resinous and penetrating. When i say this is balanced, it is balanced in the sense that you aren't simply drinking hop oil. However, this is a hop bomb. The flavors paired very well with some spicy fajitas I made. Using a couple of splashes of this beer to de-glaze the beef, pepper, and onions really tied it all together.

The mouth feel is huge. I can't think of a non-stout that I've had that felt this big. The flavors stay in the mouth as an oily film. Superb.

Overall, one of the better IPA's I've ever had. Not for everyone though. My roommate Gabe described it as "an old man, who is the best at what he does, but have any idiosyncrasies to make him interesting." Final judgement: 90/100

Boulevard Smokestack Series

Its been a bit since I've written, but I have been sick, made two trips to the ER, had a dose of morphine, and have had some serious insomnia. Work has been good though, and the numbers of converts to the cause of good beer continues to grow. I find that I'm getting back to my roots of talking to customers, and moving them in new directions. Slowly but surely I am educating my employees about the variety that we carry, and hopefully I will not be the only passing on the word of better beer at Mass Beverage.

Also of note: come mid to late February, I will be hosting the first beer tasting at the Eldridge. We'll be pairing cheeses and hors d'ouevres with 5 or 6 Belgian beers for the first round. If it is a success, then Luke and I hope to make it a monthly event. Further details to come.

Last Wednesday I attended a tasting of the new Boulevard Smokestack series at Henry's Upstairs. I got to meet JB, the head of the new division and received an invitation to go check out the new facility. Also, in addition to the four out now, they are getting ready to bottle a quadrupel aged on cherries in whiskey barrels, and after that a brettanomyces inoculated saison.

In any case, on to my notes:

Saison
This one pours a golden straw color with a full, fluffy white head. There is moderate retention, and nice lacing. The nose is spicy, with a distinct tang to it. I'm picking up white pepper, bread, coriander, a bit of fruit. The taste follows in kind, with the tang kicking at full strength. The hops are pleasantly present. The finish is nice and dry. The body is medium light, with good effervescence. Highly drinkable. This was my favorite going into the tasting, though in the end the Tripel came out on top.

Doublewide IPA
This IPA pours a bright burnt orange, with a thick creamy head that settles quickly. Lacing is minimal, and the retention is but a thin layer of foam across the surface of the beer. There is a slight haze to it. The nose is hops, and I am guessing this is Amarillo through and through, or at least it is the predominant hop. There is also a surprising amount of sweetness in the nose. The taste follows in kind. Lots of hop flavor here, but not all that much bitterness. The sweetness of the caramel malts almost seems to over power the hops, which is bizarre for an IPA. Can't say this is very high up my list of IPAs, especially not for $7.49 750mL. The body is medium, and the drinkability is moderate. This was my least favorite of the session.

Long, Strange Tripel
This one was my favorite of the session. The look is of a classic tripel. A gorgeous, fluffy white crown sits atop a golden body that almost glows. The retention on this one is excellent, and the lacing is textbook Belgian. The nose is rich and complex, with bright, fleshy fruits. The taste is heavenly, with apples and pears coming out along with sweet malt. There is a touch of hops at the end, and it is just enough to balance the beer and dry out the finish. This one is superbly balanced and sublimely drinkable. The whole experience is smooth without being dull. Absolutely excellent.

Sixth Glass Quadrupel
Looks like a quad, smells like a quad, sort of tastes like a quad. While I liked this one more than the IPA, it just didn't have the power of so many other quads (Three Philosophers, Rochefort 10, Chimay Blue). Certainly a pretty beer, but the smell and taste just didn't follow through. Alcohol seemed just a touch hot. I'll be interested to see what the barrel aged cherry version of this is like. I'm hoping it will pick up some much needed character.

All in all, the new Smokestack series is a great success. I fully endorse it and look forward to the beers that will continue to come out in this line.

Bell's Winter White Ale

Managerial duties are starting to make sense to me. Up until this week, I simply attempted to lead by example. I would do work, help, pick up slack, etc. However, this did not seem to work. I actually have to be a boss, which seems a touch counter-intuitive for me. However, the quality of work has gone up dramatically since the change. I haven't been at work 60 hours a week, only 40-45. I have time for life again!

I'm cleaning out my beer back stock in preparation for another Missouri trip. I figure the leftover winter beers need to go first. I am looking forward to this one (Bell's Winter White) as it isn't another spiced brown ale. I am not a huge fan of winter spices in beer. Whites aren't exactly my favorite style, though I've had quite a few for reasons outside of personal preference.

This one pours a murky straw-yellow. Pristine white head foams up quickly, but settles into a thin, patchy layer. After a couple swirls, there is some lacing, but this quickly falls back into the beer. Other than that, this is pretty standard white ale.

Smells a bit tangy. I'm getting hints of coriander, orange, bready yeast. Lots of pale and wheat malts. I'm not really picking up any hops in this. Seems spot on for style. I'm going to make a leap of faith (...) and guess that the taste is going to follow in suit. We shall see.

Surprise! The taste is lots of wheat and yeast tang. Coriander seems to fill the role of hops, and provides balance. Finish is tangy and dry, with just a touch of orange to it. This is one of the better white ales I've had in awhile, and would provide a nice switch from a more mass produced item such as Hoegaarden or Blue Moon. The style just seems to be stagnating right now. I wish I had gotten a hold of Bell's 8000th batch to see if that pushed the style a bit more.

The body on this is medium thin, and fits the style. Strong carbonation makes this an easy drinker. Drinks almost like soda in some ways.

Overall an excellent white ale, but in my opinion the style still leaves something to be desired. Final score: 86