Beer and Life

One good De Struise deserves another (aka the day I tried Black Albert)

2009-01-24T21:53:00.003-06:00

After a lovely afternoon of planning to commit malicious acts with electrified stringed instruments with an old friend, a fine meal at 23rd street brewery, and listening to my favorite band from junior high and high school cracked way up on the entertainment center, I am feeling indulgent.

That's right, folks: BLACK ALBERT!

I won't bore you with many details about the brewery (see the previous post) but I will provide some quick stats for those of you wanting to really geek out on this one.

Black Albert Stat Sheet:

100+ IBUS (not that it is particularly bitter, it just is needed to balance the malt)
160 EBC (Guinness is not dark beer, this is dark beer)
13% abv (that's right, it is in wine territory)

I am giddy.

The top pops off, and drops to the floor. A pause in music and the clack of WoW enthralled roommates keyboards ceases. A faint hiss issues forth, and the sound of light metal on linoleum can be heard.

Let it be noted that light does not pass through this liquid, it slowly crawls through, only to be trapped and die.. It is not the blackest beer I have ever seen, but its opacity, and visually apparent viscosity is unsurpassed. A slight ring of dark cocoa sticks to the sides of the glass, making sure you know that the sugar content in this one is enough to put you into a coma.

The nose is boozy, and thick with chocolate nibs, Belgian yeast esthers, dark fruit, roasted malt, vanilla, and even a woody cognac note. I am actually a bit surprised that there isn't a bit more going on in the nose. My bottle is at appropriate serving temp, so this must be it. Perhaps I am a bit stuffed up...

Oh. I get it now. There isn't a whole lot going, but what is going on is just so damn well done that it more than makes up for it. All the notes of the nose follow, blended seamlessly. This puts me in the mind of a half and half of GI Bourbon County Stout (sans the strong bourbon character) and Rochefort 10 blended. Deliciously roasty, and the 13% abv doesn't really come out at all, other than providing a nice warming sensation, which is welcome considering the current 19 degree temperature.

While this isn't quite what I had it built up to be in my mind, it truly is a treat. You do not run into such a pleasing hybridization/new style that often, and when it is executed well, the result is quite rewarding. This is a must try.

De Struise Pannepot Fisherman's Ale 2006

2009-01-23T13:02:00.004-06:00

Here we go. This bottle is around 3 years old, and I could not be more excited about that fact.

De Struise Brouwers Breakdown:

All beers brewed at the Deca brewery, in Woesten, Belgium. The brewery is only a few short kilometers from the Westvleteren Abbey and St. Bernadus. Great neighbors.
Founded as a partnership between Urbain Cotteau, Carlo Grootaert, Phil Driessens and Peter Braem.
Strong relationship with Ebenezer's Pub in Lowell, Maine. One of the breweries classics, Black Albert (dubbed a Royal Belgian Stout) was first brewed just for the pub.
Dedicated to advancing the Belgian art, their beers cover the spectrum from nearly extinct Belgian styles to forward thinking, revolutionary ales.

Any who, I'm thirsty after writing that, so it is time to crack this bottle open.

Even as the bottle cap is hissing off, the aroma is already quite forward. This is going to be a treat. Pours into my New Belgium balloon a dark ruddy brown. Nearly opaque, with only glints of ruby showing though when held to the light. The head is modest, but long lasting, and whenever I go to take a sip, there are myriad sheets of lacing left along the curve of the glass. This is the type of beer that will end up being an incredibly nerdy wallpaper...

The nose is overwhelming. Dark, ripe fruits, apples, bread, sweet malts, dark candi sugar, and layer upon layer of spice leap out of the glass. I can smell the glass in the living room from the kitchen. If it would not make me a complete alcoholic, I would like to smell like this all the time.

The taste follows in kind, with a rich vein of molasses running down the center of palate. The fruits provide their own contrast, bringing dark and luscious flavors as well as crisp notes of apples. The complex yeast notes bring spice, as well as a soft bready character. I cannot place all of the spices in this, but their effect is magical. I just want to crawl into this glass and float around for a good long while.

You cannot make a beer in this style any better. I have nothing else to say, other than that I am thoroughly excited that there is a bottle of the 2007 in the fridge upstairs.

Troegs Scratch #15 - Oatmeal Stout

2009-01-23T04:32:00.005-06:00

Woo, long hiatus. Insomnia of the most extreme order dictates that, hey, I should have a beer. This one has been hanging around in the cellar for about a month, and at 6% abv, it is not one that I plan on aging.

For a little background information-

Oatmeal Stouts hail from the UK, but are now a commonly available style in the USA, with many fine imported and domestically brewed examples available.
The addition of oats to the mash creates a creamy texture, as well as adding a subtle, well, oatmeal sweetness. Imagine pouring very dark, bittersweet hot chocolate and coffee into your morning oatmeal (that you almost burned), and then shaving some English hops over the top. Except not gross...
Readily available examples of the style: Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout, Goose Island Oatmeal Stout, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.

This evenings (mornings) offering pours a rich brown, which is in fact several shades lighter than many other entries in the style. The head is foamy, with rather large bubbles making up the cap. Screw the tight Guinness head, this is pretty! There are flecks of lacing around my Left Hand chalice, but not much of note.

The nose is of the expected grain sweetness, with the roasted character bringing about notes of coffee. The hop character is present (as it will usually be, particularly in American examples) with an earthy character of freshly tilled flower beds. An ever so slight metallic tone sounds as well, but it is not unpleasant.

Jumping into the first sip, I am met with something that strikes me as almost sitting between a bigger brown ale and an oatmeal stout. The flavors are rich, but perhaps not as roasty as others are. Excellent malt character lends slightly burnt caramel, toffee, fresh toast. The oats lend a milky sweetness that transforms the coffee character of the nose into mocha. The hops gently settle on the mid palate, providing an earthy support for the rest of the flavors to build upon.

Quite an excellent beer. Nothing extreme or over the top here, but that is a welcome change of pace from my recent diet of imperial, sour, barrel aged, double hopped, triple fermented, demon possessed beers. This sticks around with a touch of burnt marshmallow on the finish, that trails away for quite awhile. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, and the carbonation stops just short of getting in the way.

Again, the characteristics of an American Brown ale present in this beer keep it from being perhaps the hallmark of the style that say Samuel Smiths is, it is a well made beer worth seeking out.

Kasteel Rouge

2008-05-04T01:41:00.004-05:00

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)

2008-05-02T00:55:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-01T23:32:00.004-05:00

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

2008-04-30T00:16:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-04-13T21:49:00.004-05:00

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

2008-03-26T22:40:00.003-05:00

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

2008-03-12T21:40:00.003-05:00

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

2008-03-12T00:12:00.003-05:00

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

2008-03-10T00:55:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-19T23:18:00.004-06:00

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

2008-02-17T23:45:00.007-06:00

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

2008-02-11T22:47:00.000-06:00

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

2008-02-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

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...

2008-02-05T18:41:00.001-06:00

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

2008-01-25T05:36:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-23T20:18:00.001-06:00

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

2008-01-22T23:22:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-22T00:33:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-18T00:04:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-15T13:43:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-13T14:04:00.001-06:00

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

2008-01-04T16:49:00.000-06:00

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

De Proef Flemish Primitive Ale #2 Spoon Whacker

2007-12-26T11:43:00.001-06:00

Split the Spoon Whacker last night with George before going out to the Jazzhaus. I don't have time to type up my review right now, but will post it a bit later today. New cell phones and cars are fun.

Alright, two days later, and here's what I've got from my notes:

De Proef corks are fun, even though they are synthetic. They give a nice pop. Poured this one into my Bordeaux glass (I find these work pretty well as an all purpose Belgian glass) and immediately there is noticeable funk in the air. Not as aggressive as some, but certainly present. Pours a slightly hazy gold, with a big fluffy, sticky white head. There is something quite noble about the look of this one.

The nose is fun, with bit of horse blanket to it. I'm picking up a touch of sweetness in it, and the classic Belgian pale nose is lurking around as well. Some white fleshed fruits are in the background as well.

Taste is full, but gentle. A little sourness up front, which is followed by pear, apple, and perhaps something citric. A touch of sweetness follows this up, but then the funk and yeast come in and dry the finish. Not a lot of alcohol presence in this one, despite being 9%. The drying finish and layers of flavor just keep me coming back for more. Every sip seems to bring up a new variation in the taste. Smashing. I will have to pick up a couple more of these to see how they cellar.

Ridiculously drinkable. This would be a good starting point to get into Flemish Ales for people. Overall I'd have to give this a 91. A stellar effort in an exceptional line of beers.

Boulder Obovoid Empirical Stout

2007-12-23T22:20:00.000-06:00

So I lied about Robert the Bruce. I got this one as a freebie from Allen. Thanks! I was excited at the prospect of an Oak-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout, and while this one doesn't disappoint, it doesn't quite meet expectations.

Here goes:

Alright, a new beer from Boulder, lets see how this one is. Pours a rich, roasted black brown. The head is thick and chocolate-y. With the weather as cold as it is, it makes me want some Bailey's... The lacing on this one is sticky, leaving quite a trail of foam down the side of the glass. When held up to the light, just a touch of blood red/brown shows through. This is a pretty beer.

Smell is roasty, with notes of chocolate, coffee, with a small touch of booze. There is more hop in the nose than I expected, but it seems appropriate. Perhaps an American stout that is, gasp, balanced is on the way. I can only hope.

The taste is malty throughout. Chocolate malts prevail, with notes of coffee, caramel, and a touch of hops. The oatmeal lends a smoothed over feel to the whole affair. What I am left wondering is, is this actually oaked? There could perhaps be a note of wood if I try really hard, but it seems that this could have used another couple of months in barrels. If there was no claim of oaking, I suppose I would rate the taste higher. Getting on with things. There is a bit of sweetness right before the finish, which is not sweet at all. The hops bring in a nice, dry finish. This finish is aided by the booze in the finish.

The mouthfeel on this one is wonderful. There is a smoothness in this one that Guinness can only dream of. This is a joy to drink, but I am simply left wanting more from the flavor. A fine effort, and perhaps in the years to come they will perfect this one.

A solid 85.

Work has been insane of late. I've been pushing 60 hours a week. If nothing else, stuff is finally starting to get done. Woo!

A Sense of Community

2007-12-20T12:49:00.001-06:00

I'm finding more and more that the community built in this country around craft beer is a loving one. Yesterday afternoon, a loyal customer, my age, came in asked "If you were going to buy a six pack right now, what would it be?". I responded that we had been out of Left Hand's Milkstout for awhile, and that was probably what I would go with. I explained the basics behind sweet stouts, thinking he was looking for something new to try. I check out the beer at the register. The guy takes the beer, eyes it, and then hands it to me and says "Merry Christmas". I don't think I've had something make me that happy in a long time. A simple act from someone I hardly know. It makes you feel good.

I keep a bit of a secret stash at work of oddball stuff, aged items, hard to find beers etc., and like to crack them out for good customers. That appreciation is returned, and I end up with things like a New Glarus Belgian Red. It seems that any and all involved are happy to share of any bounty they may come across. I can't really think of something, at least at the moment, that makes me happier than sharing a good beer (or wine for that matter) with friends. There is something inherently social about the whole thing. If you use proper glassware and present the beer, there is a visual aspect beyond simply looking at beer in the glass. You can toast, raise a glass, look others in the eye and enjoy a beverage that has been developed into an art form over thousands of years. I think there is something very human about that on a deep, basic level.

More reviews to come! I plan on doing Robert the Bruce tomorrow, and I'll try and keep the armchair philosophy at home next time...haha.

Cheers!

Indiana Gifts!

2007-12-14T23:32:00.000-06:00

Andy is a golden god! From Indiana:
Three Floyd's Alpha King 6 pack
Three Floyd's Pride and Joy 6 pack
Three Floyd's Robert the Bruce 6 pack

Reviews to follow!

Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout

2007-12-11T14:14:00.001-06:00

I realize that this parade of beers has been a rather absurd collection but why not drink the best things you can get a hold of. Yesterday's selection was Ommegang's 10th anniversary beer, their one off Chocolate Indulgence Stout. I sampled this one at the Brewer's Guild Holiday Party, but that was a bit late in the evening, and it was last in a rather long list of potent beers. I've got another bottle that I am laying down for a bout a year. I don't think it will do much after that point, but it seems that a year will really help develop the subtle flavors in this one.

The beer pours an opaque black, that fades to dark chocolate-y brown around the far edges. The head is the color of rich mocha, and it the ability to stick like no other. The head even has some surprisingly oily characteristics to it. Carbonation appears active, and even after a 30 minute departure to collect some raspberries, the head was still quite active. This is a pretty stout.

The smell is rich. Dark malts come out first, mingling with a rather enticing note of booziness. Hops are quite subtle, but keep this from just being a malt bomb. The chocolate comes in right at the end. It is dark, but not on the level of say 90% chocolate bars. It is reminiscent of fine cocoa powder more than anything. On to the tasting!

The malts come out first and foremost, with a malt bill that sits between an American style stout, and Belgian strong dark ale. This provides an interesting balance, and keeps it forming leaning too much on the sweet side by providing the roasted American character. The hops really don't make much appearance, except as a touch of spiciness that enhances the chocolate when it comes through. Speaking of which, the chocolate comes through as a rather subtle flavor that builds up. I have to wonder if this isn't from using cocoa powder, and the small particles accumulate on the tongue. Delicious. The pairing of fresh raspberries was an excellent choice.

The mouthfeel on this beer is velvety smooth. The oily chocolate feel enhances it, and leaves the flavors lingering in the mouth for ages. The finish is bittersweet, with just enough alcohol to dry it out nicely.

Overall: 9.3/10 This was an excellent beer, but not quite on par with some of the others I have had lately. I think that some of the flavors were too subtle, and while balance was excellent, the darker characteristics could have been brought to the forefront just a touch more. Cheers!

NEW GLARUS BELGIAN RED

2007-12-10T00:08:00.000-06:00

I am verging on speechless. I cracked the bottle of Belgian Red about 2 hours ago, and poured out samples for Aaron, Kush, Bridey, Gabe, and Chris. Unanimously deemed as being one of the best beers to ever cross any of our pallets. I find so much happiness in sharing such art with friends. I wonder if I could start pairing beers with people. Not just what they like, but with beers that would match the ensuing conversations etc. Ridiculously nerdy, but that has never been something I've been ashamed of.

The Red poured, well, a rosy, murky red. Not exactly pretty in the classic sense, but there was just something about the color that was arresting. The murkiness lent to the mystique, that some ancient secret dwelt in its crimson depths. Haha. The head took on the color of white zin, and seemed quite active. Despite taking two hours to finish the bottle, carbonation remained strong throughout. This beer had some serious legs, and the glass was a sticky mess of foam by the time I finished my glass. I think serving this in a Bordeaux glass was the right choice. I felt like it focused the nose quite nicely.

Speaking of the nose, cherry cherry cherry cherry cherry! Imagine if someone took two large handfuls of cherries, macerated them, put them in front of a fan that pointed right at you. Intense. I was watering at the mouth after I finished pouring my glass and the samples. I felt as though I were about to dive into an ocean of cherry juice.

The taste is big, bold, deep, tart, sweet, dark, rich, and, to quote the bottle, "a tapestry of flavors". I really don't know what to say other than that trying this beer will change your life, even if only in the slightest way. It is still beer though, in spite of the enormous cherry presence. The malts are well balanced, and the wheat gives it a smoothness that the heavy carbonation might have otherwise diminished. The hops are only there to keep this from being too sweet. All things are in just the right proportions. Simply amazing.

Overall: 10/10. First beer I've ever had that picks up that score. Just too good to miss, and I plan on doing everything I can to acquire this again. Cheers!

Bad Weather

2007-12-08T14:09:00.001-06:00

The weather has dictated I stay home. Weak. This could however give me the chance to crack out my New Glarus Belgian Red. We shall see...

Brewer's Guild Holiday Party!

2007-12-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

I found my people last night. There are a lot of them, and they drink amazing beer. Absolutely amazing beer. I ended up going, and to start off knew only John, the VP, but in pretty short order I had been introduced to the whole party. Spent a good chunk of time chatting with Jeff Jensen (the Jensen of Jensen Liquor). We both have big plans for beer in this town. Of note on the beer tastings, I tried, amongst many quality homebrews: Ommegang's Chocolate Indulgence, New Glarus' Raspberry Tart (mind-blowing ), Serafijn's Tripel, and a year old bottle of Delirium Noel. Smashing.

Also of note, I'm off to the Power Plant Strong Ale Festival in Missouri.

Breweries:
23rd St Brewery,
75th St Brewery
Alaskan Brewing Company (!)
Blind Tiger Brewery
Boulevard Brewing Company
Brugge Beer
Church Brew Works
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (!)
O'fallon Brewery
Little Apple Brewing
McCoys Public House
Mountain Sun Brewery
Power Plant Brewery
Schlafly Beer
Victory Brewing (!)
Weston Brewing Company
Stone (!)

This has been a weekend in beer heaven.

De Proef Flemish Primitive Ale #1 "Pig Nun"

2007-12-05T22:08:00.001-06:00

Today marked the arrival of quite a few new beers in the state of Kansas:
De Proef Primitive Ale #1 "Pig Nun" (Belgium)
De Proef Primitive Ale #2 "Spoon Whacker" (Belgium)
De Proef Primitive Ale #5 "Demon Fish" (Belgium)
De Proef KO Blonde (Belgium)
Jenlain Ambree (France)
Jenlain Blonde (France)
Jenlain Grand Cru (France)
Serafjin Donkel (Belgium)
Serafjin Blonde (Belgium)
Serafjin Grand Cru (Belgium)
Serafjin Celtic Angel (Belgium)
De Ranke XX Bitter (Belgium)

In any case, the three new primitive ales made their way home with me today, and one has found its way into my glass. I figured that ascending numerical order was the way to go so "Pig Nun" it is.

The synthetic cork pops easily, with a satisfying hiss. Beer pours a slightly hazy golden yellow, with a pure white head. This leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Quite a pretty beer, but as far as looks go, not particularly unique or outstanding. However, the scent that accompanies the pour is...

WOW! Completely unexpected. The first notes from the nose are similar, but do not quite lineup with, the scent of a standard spontaneously fermented ale. However there is a bit more hop, a bit more fruit, and less sourness. Something is afoot here. Something buttery lurks in these parts, with almost a touch of...corn? I can't imagine this is an adjunct oriented beer... The taste shall tell.

Taste is just bizarre. At first, my reaction is of pleasure, than confusion, then a touch of pain, and then resounding sense of satisfaction. Butter, funk, corn (but not in a bad way) slightly sweet malt, hops, and a host of fruits come out. Yet each is subtle. This beer is not aggressive. The 9% is not apparent at all. I can hardly tell that this has any alcohol at all, other than the pleasant warming sensation it provides in my rather chilly room. The finish is so complex that it seems difficult to pick out any flavor as the leader. Despite many sweet tendencies in the flavor, the finish ends dry, with almost touch of chardonnay butteriness. AMAZING!

Mouthfeel is seemingly perfect. The carbonation levels seem spot on, and there is a smooth character to the beer. The tail on this one seems to last several minutes, so even after the departure of the final sip, the flavor sticks in the mouth well after the bottle is empty.

This one cracks into the top five all time. Overall score: 9.9/10. Not perfect, but damn near it. I want to buy a bottle of this for everyone.

As much as I promised to keep this beer oriented, I have to say my life has been absolutely incredible of late. I finally have my tied down my educational loose ends, and have a plan in place to finish everything up. It feels good to be back on track. Adieu and farewell!

Kriek de Ranke

2007-12-02T23:58:00.000-06:00

What better way to wind down a great weekend than with a high caliber Belgian beer!

This evenings selection is Kriek de Ranke, from the Ranke Brewery.

After popping the top on this 750, I was concerned to note some fluid on the cork. Not a good sign. The cork split on me as well. However, I was still able to remove it with no debris falling down into the beer. Once the cork has been removed, the smell of sweet spontaneously fermented goodness fills the house. The beer is okay!

The kriek pours a murky orange red pink into an over-sized wine glass. Nice frothy white head forms immediately and remains a full cap till the bottom of the glass. This is quite a pretty beer.

The nose on this one is enormous. From the moment the bottle was opened, the smell took over the house. Chris asked as soon as I walked into the room if it was a lambic. Nice. Lots of funk, with horse blanket, wet dog, musty barnyard and the like. There are also notes of peach, cherry, pear, and a bit of apple.

The taste is all I could hope for and more. The sweet malts come in at the front, and then the fruit hits. All of the fruits from the nose are present in great quantity, leaving a lovely fruit salad expression on the tongue. Then the funk hits. Not quite a puckering sourness pulls into the forefront, and dries the pallet. The layers of complexity in this verge on mind-boggling. It would take many bottles of this over many years to pick up all of the subtle notes involved. I look forward to this process greatly.

An easy drinker for something of such complexity, this bottle made a relatively hasty disappearance, and still left me wanting more.

Overall: 9.5/10 Another amazing beer from the Missouri hall. This is something that is so unique I wish I could have everyone try it. "I don't like beer" my ass...

He'Brew Genesis Ale

2007-11-30T14:51:00.002-06:00

Alright, this rather tumultuous week is drawing to a close and more beers from the Missouri stash are calling my name. Today's selection is Genesis Ale from He'Brew. As my beer is cooling down, I am indulging further nerdy tendencies by listening to "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". I think in some deep, pretentious recess of my mind, I'm hoping for an aural pairing with the beer I am about to consume. HA.

On a side note, I really want a time machine. I watched a documentary a couple of days ago on Genesis (the band) and am absolutely amazed at the bizarre stage prescense of Peter Gabriel. In many ways, I think I was born about 20-25 years too late. No matter.

Moving on to the main event:

Upon the pour, I fear my pairing of "Lamb" might be off. The beer is amber in color, though the label claims that it is a "light brown ale". Fair enough, I didn't make the beer, so who am I to say what it is or isn't intended to be. Changed the music to "A Trick of the Tail", much lighter in most regards, with a greater infusion of classic Genesis humor. The color of the beer is a pristine amber, with lager-like clarity. Carbonation is quite visible and seems appropriately active. A medium full head fades through the glass, with just a ring remaining at the end. It retains a pleasant cream color with just a touch of the amber from the beer.

Smell is grainy, with a touch of barley husk. While quite simple, it is inviting. Strikes me as really good home cooking in a way, simple but immensely pleasing. There is a touch of hops towards the end, which leads me to believe this will be well balanced.

The taste follows in kind, with the slightly sweet grain and huskiness coming to the forefront. The hops are more fully realized as well, and provided a surprising and refreshingly dry finish to what could easily be an over malted brown. Again, simple, but supremely satisfying.

Mouthfeel is light to medium, and the carbonation is fitting. Quite an easy drinker, and I regret only having one instead of a six pack. My grief is brief, as I realize many more beer runs will be in order.

Overall: 7.75/10 A superb beer, but not phenomenal. This would make an excellent early fall session beer.

In other beer news, Freestate is going to open up a bottling facility in east Lawrence. They are going to be able to put 25,000 barrels a year, which is a tenfold increase from their current production levels. I may make some inquiries and see if I can't get in on the ground floor. I'll be a brewer yet.

Fraoch Heather Ale

2007-11-30T00:08:00.000-06:00

With the change in weather, beer sales are sadly slowing and my interactions with customers turn to a greater focus on wine. I am almost sad in a way, but I've been working on my wine knowledge of late so I am getting to stretch my new chops.

In any case, this evenings drink of choice is Fraoch Heather Ale, produced by the Williams Bros. Brewing company of Alloa Scotland. This should be an interesting go round, as this beer is un-hopped. It is instead flavored with heather flowers.

Pours a murky burnt orange, with a bright white head. A half inch had rises to the brim of the glass, but quickly fades down to a ring with some patchy coverage over the beer proper. Very few bubbles break the surface after the initial pour. There is minimal, patchy lacing on the glass.

The smell is quite unique. The heather is readily apparent. It reminds me of a wind open meadow in late spring, after everything has come into bloom. Distinctly floral notes combine with a fair amount of malt sweetness to to present an intriguing, if not enticing, nose.

Taste follows much in line with the nose, with the floral, slightly clove-like heather flavor hitting the tongue first. The malt bill is quite sweet, and at the end of each sip I am left expecting the balancing hop bitterness that will never come. Perhaps a homebrew version of this, except with the addition of hops would be a good choice... All in all the flavor is pleasant, but lacks depth. The taste is just too sweet for this to be one to keep coming back to.

Mouthfeel is a bit flat, with the carbonation fizzing out rather quickly. Slightly viscous, there is a sense of a film forming on the tongue. Not unpleasant, but odd. A touch of a numbing sensation follows.

Overall: 6/10 A unique beer, but not actually "good" by my taste. I am glad have tried it, and will view it as what it is: part of the historical evolution of beer.

Upon returning from Missouri

2007-11-28T20:42:00.000-06:00

This afternoon my roommate Chris and I ventured forth into the dark and unwelcoming wasteland of Missouri in search of two things: new beer and a repaired iPhone. The success of our venture was resounding.

I will spare the details of the rather uneventful trip to the Apple Store on the Plaza, but prior to it there was an immense purchase of beer unavailable in the state of Kansas.

The haul:
1 750ml Kriek de Rank from Brewery de Ranke (Belgium)
1 750ml Boulevard Smokestack Saison (USA)
1 750ml Boulevard Smokestack Double Wide IPA (USA)
1 22oz He'Brew Jewbelation 11th Anniversary Ale (USA)
1 16.9oz Fraoch Heather Ale (Scotland)
1 6-pack Bell's Two Hearted Ale (USA)
1 6-pack Bell's Special Double Cream Stout (USA)
1 6-pack Bell's Kalamazoo Stout (USA)
1 4-pack Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (USA)
1 6-pack mixed beers: Schlafly Coffee and Oatmeal Stouts, Schlafly Dry Hopped APA, Schlafly Winter ESB, Bell's Winter White Ale, and He'Brew Genesis Ale

All in all, a great start into the beers I can't normally get a hold of. I also stayed under my budget of $100, although just. However, having new beers around will keep me busy for quite some time, and I doubt I will expend any other money on alcohol for sometime, with the exception of drinks at the bars.

My impressions of the liquor store (Lukas Liquor on Stateline Road) these were all acquired from were mixed. The store is far larger than any I have been in, and reminded me of the size of say, a smaller Target. The selection, to one who is only familiar with the selection in Kansas, is impressive. Only a select few beers I have not heard of, but probably pushing over 100 as far as beers I have not had the joy of sampling. Pricing was mixed, with most prices being equivalent to my place of work, with some being noticeably more, and a few being around a dollar less. The staff was marginally friendly, and though I was provided a recommendation, it wasn't followed with any information. My apologies for the rather dull description of the store, but on we go.

I sampled one of the Bourbon County Stouts earlier this evening, and shared it with my friends Kevin A., Bridey, Kush, and John C. It was meet with both great appreciation (Bridey and Kevin) or a touch of apprehension (John and Kush). My own opinion was quite high, and I will review the beer in depth at a later time. I will say, however, that I cannot wait to have it with chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.

The subject of my first proper review (Bell's Special Double Cream Stout) is currently chilling down to a lovely 45 degrees.

Here goes:

First of all, the package design is simple, but effective. The label is a subdued in color and style, with a cream colored background, a leafless tree branch, and the name in bold font. I'll upload a picture once I get a means of taking one, but for now that will have to suffice.
I chose to pour this one into a 10 oz snifter, and it comes out a deep black/brown. The head is surprisingly light in color and reminds me of chocolate milk with only a drop of Hershey's in it. This head fades quickly, leaving a sticky ring around the edge.

The first note out of the nose is slightly sweet, with hints of cream and vanilla. The body behind it is enormous, with a large roasted malt bill making its presence known. This beer, however, avoids the somewhat acrid scent that some stouts (Avery's Out of Bounds...) that I have been noticing of late. This one simply smells decadent.

I have been missing out. This is a delicious beer. The first sip is malt heaven. I should note that at this point, the ring of foam has taken on a somewhat darker color. Interesting. The flavor just continues to impress me. Chocolate milk, fresh whipped cream, and just a touch of ever so slightly smoky bitterness. For the second time this evening, I'm left wanting chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Truly phenomenal. I gave my roommate (Chris) a sip, and I think his sentiments match mine. Superb. I do not think I've had a beer yet that catch match the smooth body of this beer.

My only regret with this beer is that it is so rich that I can only enjoy one glass in a sitting.

I cannot really find complaint with this beer on any level.

Final Judgment: 9.5/10 I feel lucky to have 5 more of these stashed away. I have been missing out.

My next entry will not be as long, I'm sure. I plan on keeping this mostly relating to be so topics will include work, tasting, sharing, and thoughts on that topic. I promise I'll keep my personal life out of here...mostly.