De Dolle Extra Export Stout
January 29, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
It is finished! This is my final night of the project!!! I will report in the coming days my observations, top-ten lists and more but tonight is dedicated to the De Dolle Extra Export Stout. I spent all day resting, trying to get better and tonight I am feeling good. Not well enough to go to the Forge where this all began with the Hooker Nor’Easter but, well enough to really enjoy a nice stout. I feel like the ending tonight is a bit anti-climatic. Just another night drinking another good beer.
This stout pours beautifully with a big tan head. The flavour is complex with dates, and other “old world” fruits taking center stage. There is a strong malt flavour and some chocolate for good measure. The alcohol is a bit too up-front for my taste but overall it is a smooth tasty stout. Very nice
This has been an amazing year. I will continue to post my beer musings here but on a less regular basis so please check back every once and a while. I am also planning on a new year-long adventure which I will announce here.
Saison De Dottignies
January 29, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Ok, so I am more stuffed up than ever, which is a real bummer cause this saison seems amazing but I know I am only experiencing a portion of the flavour and aroma. I fell in love with saisons this summer and when I saw this one I knew I had to try it. Brewery De Ranke’s Saison De Dottignies is light, slightly sweet but dry. It is crisp with a nice grassy hop flavour. This beer is everything a saison should be. I will get this one again for sure! Summer here we come!!!!
Balthazar
January 29, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Balthazar brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne / Den Bierzolder is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. It pours a copper amberish colour and has a small head. The aroma is sweet. The flavour is interesting. There is just too much going on here. Too many fruits and the alcohol is really upfront (not a strong point in my opinion) Not awful but I doubt I’d have another. This beer has a lot of potential just needs to have all of the flavours better integrated. PS Still on the couch sick, what a bummer.
Bink Bruin
January 29, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Here is is my last week of my project and I’m sick. Finishing strong with Belgians is a fun thing! Bink Bruin is brewed by Brouwerij Kerkom. This Belgian Dark Ale is sweet and has a big head that slowly dissipates. Not bad but not amazing. There is a lot of yeast in the flavour and a dry mouthfeel. Hints of raisins and dates.
Porterhouse Wrasslers 4X Stout
January 26, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Take the wayback machine to June 2010 and you might remember how poorly I thought of the contents of the Porterhouse Oyster Stout. Reflecting I should have been even harsher on the rating cause I do not remember it fondly.
Fast forward to present day and I saw the Porterhouse Wrasslers 4X Stout and thought, “they have those cool caps, I’ll give it a go”. I am sorry to report that I am again disappointed. It just is not very tasty, in my opinion. I want to like it, I don’t. I do think it is worth the few bucks just to play with the cool pop top thing. I am starting to wonder though if the top is part of the problem, maybe a bit too much air gets in?
There is fruit and burnt flavours happening, not good burnt, bad burnt. Then there is a chocolate flavour, but with an off hop bitterness (not looking for it here) Seriously, not a fan. I am assuming that this is much better on tap.
Valeir Extra
The Valeir Extra is a Belgian IPA. WTF? IPA? Belgian? Basically, as I have stated before, the Belgians are trying to get into the US “craft beer market” and the yanks love their IPA’s. However…this is not an IPA. Brouwerij Contreras brewed a fruity slightly hoppy ale with hints of pepper. Not bad just don’t go into this expecting a west-coast hop bomb cause you wont find it. I am not a fan of fruity beers so though I can recognize that this is a good beer, it is not to my personal liking. If you like fruit, think hints of citrus and tropical fruits with a dash of lemon pepper, go ahead drink this. You know it might be nice with some fish and asparagus.
The start of Latte brewery dates from 1818. In the second half of the 19th century the company was led by Valère Latte. In 1898 the family sold the brewery to Rene Contreras Latte. The company is now run by Ann Contreras and in 2004 they started the Valeir range of beers.
Gaspar Ale
January 23, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
The Gaspar Ale is a sweet and sour Belgian ale. It exploded when I popped the cap and about 1/2 of the bottle foamed over into my sick and all over my counter. Took about 10 min to get it in a glass. So that was a bit excessive. Very hoppy for a Belgian, most likely done specifically for us yanks. I would say that this is an odd one for a Belgian. If you are looking for a traditional Belgian Ale, don’t drink this. If you are looking to get into Belgians then this might be a good entry for you as it is more like an extra hopp pale ale than anything.
Lammin Kataja Olut
January 23, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Don’t brew beer with juniper branches. It is a bad idea. if you want proof, drink Lammin Kataja Olut from Finland. Do the Finish drink this stuff? They shouldn’t.
Sinebrychoff Porter
January 23, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Finish porter!
According to the Sinebrychoff website,
Porter was the first product of industrial brewing and remained the most common beer category in Finland until Prohibition. Sinebrychoff fermented Porter already in the 1860s, though in relatively small quantities and primarily during winter months. Ab P. Sinebrychoff made Sff Ruunu-Portteri during the 1910s and Sff Porteri was brewed during the 1930s.
Sinebrychoff’s Porter is Sinebrychoff’s oldest special beer. Produced continuously since 1957, the recipe has remained virtually unchanged from one decade to the next. Sinebrychoff’s Brewmasters Nils Sandman and Boris Orlo as well as Laboratory Manager Aarne Rahiala are credited with the development of Sinebrychoff’s Porter. Legend has it that the yeast required for the manufacturing of porter was smuggled in a test tube from the British Isles to the Hietalahti brewery. The yeast was preserved in the brewery’s own laboratory and transferred only several decades later for processing at The Technical Research Centre of Finland’s yeast bank in Espoo.
So a porter from 1957, not that old but, the quality is great and the thing is this. Porter had virtually disappeared till the 1970′s/80′s when they made a comeback in the US. For anyone to be brewing porters in the 50′s is pretty cool and this one is good. A nice heavily malted Baltic Porter Style. Very nice.
Delirium Tremens
January 16, 2011 by justin · Leave a Comment
Delirium tremens (Latin for “shaking frenzy”, also referred to as The DTs) is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol, first described in 1813. DT is also a great little Belgian ale from Brouwerij Huyghe in Melle, Belgium. This Belgium Strong Ale uses 3 yeast strains to create its unique flavour. Very floral in the nose with some esters. Pepper and bread (all that damn yeast) are prominent in the flavour. Very nice beer.