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.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
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.
Friday, January 18, 2008
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.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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
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
Sunday, January 13, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, January 4, 2008
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
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
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