Brewery Home: Orange County, CA

Serving Style: 750ml into Belgian beer glass

Beer Style: Saison / Farmhouse ale

Appearance: Cloudy, dark orange or rustic gold. Fine bubbles rise quickly from the head and settle back into the body with a small amount of lacing.

Aroma: Yeah! Brett! Brettanomyces to be exact. The bright twang of bacterial fermentation hangs up there with bready rye, musty/sweaty aromas. There is a fair amount of spice balancing the yeast and bread notes; coriander? grains of paradise? It ends generally sweet (maybe with some citrus?!), hints of aged hops in the background. Enjoying swirling up my glass for the unique bouquet!

Taste: Intriguing; my first impression is that the flavor does not bring the same bright profile as found in the aroma. I can detect a mix of rye and Brett twang that melds with bready malts. The spices follow soon after but they are accompanied by a dull bitterness that can almost be perceived as metallic in some sips. The flavor has some phenolic qualities – hints of green apple and ginger-like flavors – that ebb to and fro on the pallet. Light alcohol burn, likely from the higher fermentation temperatures typical for the style. Medium mouthfeel.

ABV: 8.5% ABV

Drink one or all?: One got me all warm.

Cost: $12/750ml

Overall: +16/20. Intriguing but not exceptional. Look for more from this brewery.

Brewery Home: Warrenville, Illinois

Serving Style: Bomber into pint glass

Beer Style: American (coffee) porter

Appearance: Very dark brown that becomes almost opaque with a frothy, grabby light brown head. Medium to low carbonation.

Aroma: Sweet, sweet malts with what I think is German noble hops on the tail end. Any coffee notes are dispersed with roasted malts. The darker sweet character makes me think almost more of a brown than a porter. Unusual! Apparently the brew is based on their imperial baltic porter recipe; it’s pretty but I am searching for the coffee. I wish I could compare head to head.

Taste: Well rounded malty sweetness with tinges of malt and coffee roast that coat your tongue. Any hops are light and delicate, leaving a roasty barista-inspired beer. “Eyes open” indeed! The nose is deceptive, this is a coffee lovers coffee porter. The beans are prominent in the flavor profile, supported by seemingly-creamy-carbonation. It should be noted that any alcohol (its 9.2%?!) is tamed and mellowed by an excellent almost vanilla bean profile. My only issue with this brew – in this drinkers eyes, remember try and judge for yourself – is its very light mouthfeel given the style…but maybe I am totally wrong with this one. It is a pretty pretty beer.

ABV: 9.2%

Drink one or all?: One bomber. Slowly. Smile

Cost: $9?/bomber

Overall: 17/20. Artisan brewing.

Brewery Home: Chico, CA

Serving Style: Bomber into pint glass

Beer Style: American IPA (Holiday)

Appearance: Full fisted strong head with super glue lacing. Lots of proteins grabbin’ on to the side of the glass in this one. The foam itself is a light creamy yellow/gold. Body is faintly cloudy copper with what appears to be mid-to-high carbonation. Maybe I’m just really psyched for this but damn does this look like well crafted beer.

Aroma: Sharp and flowery hops are balanced out with an almost minty, malty tail. I definitely detect the slightest minty edge that may just be some piney hops bleeding over, but the overall composition is strong; mature and balanced.

Taste: Powerfully bitter, but not shocking. The hops are on center stage bringing their aromatic qualities straight to your tongue. It has a lightly dry finish with the same hop-resiny character as their pale ale, only more rounded by some crystal malty sweetness. Well…let me correct myself now after a few more sips. I am noticing my lips are a little smacky and I am tempted to get out my hydrometer and take a reading (its a device used by homebrewers to measure malt sugars left over in beer); this could be less dry than I though…still nice. Even though this is a holiday offering I don’t detect qualities that make it a uniquely holiday brew compared to the rest of their line. Even saying that though is a compliment, this is a great beer.

ABV: 6.8%

Drink one or all?: One bomber is a celebration.

Cost: $7/bomber

Overall: 17/20. Try it for yourself.

Brewery Home: Brouwerij Het Anker, Belgium

Serving Style: Bomber into pilsner glasses

Beer Style:

Appearance: Deep deep brown. light brown creamy head. Adam went ahead and poured his like an ass and the head looks like a root beer float of seasoned goodness. Tiny little bubbles coming up very rapidly.

Aroma: Smells like citrus and spices. For the ABV and how thick it is the smell is pretty subtle. We just thought it would smell more like Christmas. Regardless, it smells like dark sugars and fruits and the alcohol percentage is not evident in the aroma.

Taste: Wow there bubbles! Burst of bubbles on our pallets that settles down to a thick creamy spice. The spices are reminding us of black liquorish . Its like black liquorish was turned into a very high ABV beer… But its not that minty weird obnoxious liquorish. Its actually quite tasty. The alcohol is present but it comes and is accompanied by dark fruit and sugar flavors that mix it extremely well. After every swig my tongue waters and craves for just a little more. As it warms it opens up and the alcohol taste becomes more of a warm wine-like flavor.

ABV: 10.5%

Drink one or all?: 12. if you can handle it…

Cost: $9/Bomber (normaly $11)

Overall:

Adam:17/20

Cannon: 17/20

Solid choice for a random evening. Very warming and just a “comfy” kind of beer. something that would be paired with cheese and a warm fire very very well. ( Also, I’m really digging on this brewery)

e first, a beer that I picked up for a local beer nerds gathering, the #gents.

Brewery Home: Middleton, WI

Serving Style: 12 oz into pint glasses

Beer Style:Munich Dunkel Lager

Appearance: Medium-fluffy off white head with medium lacing. Body itself is a crisp dark amber with rich reds around the edges.

Aroma: Complex and dark munich malt sweetness that round of the front and back. The middle mixes the dark ‘brown-like’ sugars with balanced, spicy noble hops. Clean with no obvious flaws.

Taste: Very much along the lines of the aroma. The sweetness of the malt is not too cloying and meshes nicely with a clean bitter hop finish. The malt character is still fairly light (at least for what I consider dark) and has an overall dry profile. Medium carbonation gives its great drinkability (I’m taking that word BACK), which right there, this beers best feature. Elaborate in all the right places but still an easily sessionable beer on a cold fall evening. Jenny calls it ’solid, but good’.

ABV: 5.4%

Drink one or all?: Sessionable, but I’d do one or two

Cost: $8/6-pack

Overall: 16/20

Brewery Home: Milwaukee, WI

Serving Style: Pint glass (as average as can but, but adams all proud his glass has a football etched into it…)

Beer Style: IPA

Appearance: Quite unfiltered. Orangy amber with a thin head that keeps replenishing itself and looks like its going to lace pretty decent. It appears to be highly carbonated which is making the little bits of hops dance like pre-pubescent boy in the mirror who thinks no ones watching (while secretly listening to Miley Cyrus)

SIDE NOTE: After that comment adam went ahead and told me a joke… So this boy says to his father “this boy at school keeps making fun of me and calling me a fag.” Father says “Next time punch him in the face!” Boy says “yeah, but hes kinda cute…”

Thanks Adam…

Aroma: Chuck Norris shrunk down into your glass to give you a hop round house straight into your nostril. Just floral. Quite pungent . Quite formidable.

SIDE NOTE (2): Guy asks a girl “So what are the chances of getting with you tonight?” Girl replies “I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last person on earth.” Guy laughs and says “If I were the last person on earth who’s going to stop me?!”

Adam then paused for a moment, laughed at himself and said “Thanks a rape joke.”  Thanks again Adam…

Taste: Tree’s? Flowers? Did someone spike my miller lite with hop pellets?! Obviously they wanted to celebrate the fact that they could put hops onto beer. other then saying its hoppy and bitter adams awkward jokes are pretty much the highlight of this extravaganza… also just found out the ABV is 6.9. Did not see that coming… just tastes like jizz from the plant from Little Shop of Horror to me…

ABV: 6.9%

Drink one or all?: One

Cost: $7-8 for a six pack?

Overall:

Adam: 14/40

Cannon: 12/40 (Not for me…)

Have not been here for a while… been to poor… sorry :( but Adam and I are making a special appearance for a brew we picked up at whole foods! Funny bit about this beer, it was marked at $7.50 on the shelf, the cashier rung it in and told us it was $17.15… A near by manager grabbed the bottle, check why we thought that and gave it to us at the $7.50 price! That label was immediately ripped off the shelf… Lucky us! So we’re expecting this beer to be extra awesome for the price! (Also, it got cloudy when it chilled in the bottle. pretty cool?)

Brewery Home: Portland, Maine

Serving Style: Wide Mouth Glass

Beer Style: Ale Aged in oak bourbon barrels

Appearance:Unfiltered, cloudy golden ale with a very white head. the head looks like its going to stick to the side pretty hard. Just looks like a light Belgian beer.

Aroma: Fruit. can’t even smell the bourbon? it was bottled in September so maybe it hasn’t aged long enough? Adam’s finding it to be a pretty potent brew for being a belgian style. can’t smell the alcohol with the 11%. I think its kinda just a mellow smell, i was hoping for more spice and hops.

Taste: The bourbon barrels come through in the flavor, but again it was bottled in the past 2 months and probably would come through a little more if it had some time to sit. But the fruit comes through as a kinda tropic flavor, banana? coconut? It actually even tastes slightly like Malibu Coconut Rum. once it warms a bit it has more of a rum flavor than a bourbon. kinda cool but just different. the alcohol comes out much more as it warms but its not to offensive. The head laces and sticks around like an unwanted STD (But it was so worth it and penicillin will clear that right up!)

ABV: 11%

Drink one or all?: One. Unless your on a mission not to remember. then go for it killer!

Cost: $17 per 750ml (But not for us!)

Overall: 17/20 ]]> http://www.beertastic.org/2009/11/allagash-curieux-curious-in-french/feed 3 http://www.beertastic.org/2009/11/2009-chicago-festival-of-wood-and-barrel-aged-beer http://www.beertastic.org/2009/11/2009-chicago-festival-of-wood-and-barrel-aged-beer#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:41:05 +0000 Andy http://www.beertastic.org/?p=1176 It was a last second decision to buy tickets, and MY GOD, am I glad I did. The festival (FOBAB for short) is an annual event put on by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and featured some of the best and rarest beers. An incredible event. Below is the quick-drunk-of-the-moment ratings of the beers that Jenny and I sampled. The standouts are in bold. Be jealous…and make sure to come with us next year!


[Brewery - Beer (Style) Grade]

Allagash – Odyssey (Belgian Dark Strong) : A-

Bear Republic – Nectarine Grizz (Belgian Dark Strong) B+

Bells – Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout (Stout, Fruit) B+

Bells – Wild One (Wild Brown Ale) A-

Court Avenue – 21st Amendment Ale (RyePA) B

Firestone Walker – Black Xantos (Dry Stout) B+

Founders – Kentucky Breakfast Stout (Imperial Stout) A-

Goose Island – Imperial Coffee Stout (Imperial Coffee Stout) B-

Jolly Pumpkin – Lambicus Dexterius (Lambic) B

Metropolitan – Eiffle Tower Eifbock (Eisbock) B

New Belgium – La Folie Sour Brown Ale (Flemish Sour) B

New Belgium – Tart Lychee Folee (Wild Ale) B

New Belgium – Transatlantique Kriek (Strong Golden Lager with Wild Ale) A

Odell – Peach (Golden Ale) B+

Lost Abbey – Duck Duck Gooze (Wild Ale) A-

Chicago Rock Bottom – Whiskey Sticke (Alt) B+

Russian River – Consecration (Belgian Dark Ale) A

Russian River – Temptation (Wild Blonde Ale) A

Surly – Pinot Three (?) B

Surly – Two 2007 (Cranberry Stout) B

Three Floyds – Blackheart (English IPA) B

Three Floyds – Conquistador de Muerte (Milk Stout) B+

Trinity Brewing – TPS Report (Wild Wheat) B+

Two Brothers – Heavier Handed (Wet IPA) A+

Brewery Home: Brooklyn Center, MN

Serving Style: Pint can into pint glasses

Beer Style: Coffee?

Appearance:Dark brown body that softens to ambers and reds when you hold it up to a light. Thick, creamy head with plenty of staying power.

Aroma: COFFEE! Intense coffee bean aromatics that you really will not find in any other coffee beer. It smells fresh and roasty. From experience, these are all good things in a beer you are having at 5:00am…while waiting for the brewery to open up and sell Darkness!

Taste: Layered in coffee complexities. The ‘fresh bean’ character of the nose fades nicely into beery roasted malts. The bitterness is soft and the end has almost a sour/acidic roll to it. Mouthfeel is light, giving the body an almost foamy/creamy profile. The combination works in tandem very well. Or at least I think so; Jenny thinks it lacks complexity…and gives her heartburn? I think I feel this slightly too, WTF? Maybe it’s that burrito I had…

ABV: 5.1%

Drink one or all?: One. More if you live in MN…you bastards.

Cost: $12/4-pack

Overall: 18/20

Brewery Home: Middleton, WI

Serving Style: 12 oz into pint glasses

Beer Style:Munich Dunkel Lager

Appearance: Medium-fluffy off white head with medium lacing. Body itself is a crisp dark amber with rich reds around the edges.

Aroma: Complex and dark munich malt sweetness that round of the front and back. The middle mixes the dark ‘brown-like’ sugars with balanced, spicy noble hops. Clean with no obvious flaws.

Taste: Very much along the lines of the aroma. The sweetness of the malt is not too cloying and meshes nicely with a clean bitter hop finish. The malt character is still fairly light (at least for what I consider dark) and has an overall dry profile. Medium carbonation gives its great drinkability (I’m taking that word BACK), which right there, this beers best feature. Elaborate in all the right places but still an easily sessionable beer on a cold fall evening. Jenny calls it ’solid, but good’.

ABV: 5.4%

Drink one or all?: Sessionable, but I’d do one or two

Cost: $8/6-pack

Overall: 16/20

Brewery Home: Warrenville, IL

Serving Style: 12 oz into pint glass

Beer Style: Rye Pale Ale

Appearance: Clear dark amber body. Holding it up I was surprised how much (dark) color it had! Rich reds around the sides of the glass. Head is small, off-white and sinks back into the body after a minute or two.

Aroma: Excellently balanced dark malty sweetness with a great rye twang. The hop aroma rounds out the profile with a crisp, citrusy and earthy American variety bite. I may also detect a hint of hot alcohol sizzle in the background.

Taste: Nearly flawless taste front to back in this drinkers opinion. It has a tinge of crystal (dark) malt sugars that blend into a rye edge, ending with excellently nuanced hop bitterness. The bottle notes that this beer is 68 IBU (high bitterness), which is more than my tastebuds are telling me. The bitterness is clean, dry and just wonderful. Hard to find any serious flaws. Jenny likes it a lot too…which could be a bad thing since we have to share a fridge. At 7.0% it is a bit high to be a session beer, but I am willing to commit. Incredibly drinkable.

ABV: 7.0%

Drink one or all?: How good do you want your night to be?

Cost: $10/4-pack

Overall: +19/20