Achel Blonde

As promised another blond trappist.

Appearance:

Pale gold with large head that lasts. .

Aroma:

Malty smell with a touch of spicyness

Taste:

This is a grower the first taste is missing then later than expected you have more a smell of peppery hops followed by a cream malt and then floral hops to dry finish were the pepperyness returns

Overall:

A weird beer as there is no first hit of flavour it like a time bomb but when the flavour does come in it really worth the wait. If that first hit was there it would be much better in my opinion still a good beer, but just lacking to be very good beer

8.5/10

Affligem blonde

As promised an abby blonde instead of a trappist which was yesterdays offering, a  Heineken owned beer, shouldn't moan to much as the biggest brewery in Europe is just 500m or so from me.

Appearance:

Pale old gold with large head that lasts. .

Aroma:

Lemon with hoppy overtones and a touch of malt

Taste:

Tangy fruit the comes then malt with a malty finish with a touch of hops at the very end to leave a dry feeling in the mouth

Overall:

Nice enough but kind of pales in comparison to yesterdays offering however much more available and cheaper. So I think I will have to be though and compare with other blonds.

8.0/10

Westvleteren Blond

The best thing Christianity has done Trappist beers, "The good lord has changed water into wine, so how can drinking beer be a sin?"

Appearance:

Pale gold with large head that lasts. The picture make it look dark than it is.

Aroma:

Very hoppy with almost floral notes

Taste:

Very hoppy with a tartness initially but blends with the malt coming later with a hint of cane sugar followed by a light drying floral finish.

Overall:

OK the Westvleteren are hyped up as some of the worlds best beers and they are not easily available but they do seem to live up to the hype of a least being a good beer, do they live up to the price tag, 10 Euro per bottle on the grey market? Guess I will find out tomorrow when I have some other blond Trappist beer, the price and availability means it is a 9.0 and not a 9.5. I will be placing a order at the monastery soon.

9.0/10

Saison de Pipaix

A steam beer from Belgium

Appearance:

Light chesnut with large off white head

Aroma:

Smell a little like farmhouse cider/lambic beer

Taste:

Sharp, initial acidic taste with orange mixed with cider coming through  later and then some sweetness and a bone dry finish

Overall:

Very inresting taste think this is a marmite beer, some will like it some will hate it. I quite like it, I think it will be a good beer to go with rich food.

7.5/10

Coopers Sparkling Ale

As it is Australia day, I thought I would go with an ozzie beer, for my dad cousin Bill, a £10 pom.

Appearance:

I mixed the yeast sediment with the beer, ok I nearly dropped the beer due to the snow and ice.

Aroma:

Malty aroma with a touch of pepper

Taste:

Much smooth and less gassy than I suspected, malty, almost creamy, with a nice bitterness in the background, the finish is much the same but with a fruity sweetness at the very end.

Overall:

Must say presently surprised while not a must have again beer, it is very quaffable and has just enough taste to be a cut above the norm.

6.5/10

DAB Export

Finally a German German beer

Appearance:

Much paler than the Dutch versions with a fast disappearing head

Aroma:

Malt with a hint of hops

Taste:

Light malt then some hint of hops finish with a touch of citrus no real strong flavour

Overall:

Having been praising the previous Dutch versions these seems oddly like a pale imatation, it is the same style just weakened down. So I hope other Germany Dortmunder are much like the Dutch ones.

5/10

Gulpener Dort

As yesterday: a Dutch German beer

Appearance:

More bronze than Old gold with a resonable head

Aroma:

Fruity and hoppy aroma

Taste:

Rich Bread at the start followed by a creamyness with a real sweatness and the a touch spice leaving a malt taste with a nice touch of hops

Overall:

Nicer than yesterdays offering it's a beer you can chew, will buy agian that is sure, this book has certainly taught me that dortmunders are a beer that should be celebrated and more widely avialable.

8.5/10

Alfa Super Dortmunder

Continuing my cross country beers: a Dutch German beer

 

Appearance:

Old gold, thinking Wolves football shirt colour with good head

Aroma:

Bread aroma with malt undertones

Taste:

Rich Bread with hint of wet grass finish is creamy with a nice tang of hops at the end very end

Overall:

A very nice drink that I would happly drink again, but is more potent than it's taste, so a bit of wolf in sheeps clothing, which maybe slight ironic given the first line

8/10

Negra Modelo

Mexican Austrian beer!

Appearance:

Chesnut with a rapid disappearing head went so fast I did not get it on camera

Aroma:

Faint toffee with a bit of chocolate

Taste:

Thin, no depth of flavour a hint of dark chocolate with a bit of spice at the end. But I could be imagining this!

Overall:

I am not sure how this made it into the list, no depth of flavour IMO. Not worth trying in my opinion however it is much better than sol! From memory I think of this type I prefer Dos Equis.

3/10

Westmalle Dubbel

A very lively bottle today....too much on the floor than in the glass!

 

Appearance:

Dark cloudy chesnut with a good tan head

Aroma:

Fruity with a hint of chocolate

Taste:

Very fruity, like a tropical fruit mix, spicy with a very dry finish

Overall:

I too often overlook this as it is avaialable at pretty much every supermarket, but it is a fine beer with enough complexcity to make it stand out and cheap enough to make it end up in the shopping basket. More a winter beer for me.

8/10

Jopen Koyt



Apparently this dutch beer recipe brewed in Belgium for a ducth company as dutch will not permit beer brewed with out hops!

Appearance:

Dark rich ruby red with light brown head

Aroma:

Corriander, spice and slight touch of wet leaves

Taste:

Spices with a creamy herby warm finish

Overall:

Now this beer is spot on for the weather feels very indulgent, a good winter beer.

8.5/10

Anchor Steam Beer

Appearance:

Clear bronze/light chesnut whith good white head that fades a bit fast

Aroma:

Hops with faint earthy ovetones and a touch of brazil nuts

Taste:

Malt intial taste that turn to citrus fruits and then hops with long finish like unripe fruit and then bitterness of hops.

Overall:

Not quite the weather I feel for this beer very enjoyable though, come summer time it will make a re-appearance.

7.5/10

Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock

Germany Bock, to hasten spring, -6C cyling on ungritted and un-ploughed cycle ways because they spent all the transport budget in Leiden on the pricks with Priuses brigade for free electric charging points. Rant over

Appearance:

Cloudy dark chesnut with good white head

Aroma:

Reminds me of malt loaf, with a hint of over ripe bananas

Taste:

Bready malt loaf taste to begin with followed by dried fruit and hint of alcohol and a surprishingly bitter finish.

Overall:

More bitter than I was expecting for a bock beer, which I can find over sweet sometimes, will be an addtion to my annual bock beer tasting in late autumn.

8/10

Bush Ambree from Brasserie dubuisson

Listen up American types this beer is Bush from Brasserie Dubuisson, Belgium the proper brewing country and not related to that ditch water brewed by Anheuser-Busch despite them complaining so much that in the USofA it is sold as Scaldis. PS this was a reward for myself from shovelling snow in front of my house.

Appearance:

Amber colour with white head that fades leaving a small reminder

Aroma:

Nutty mixed with barley sugar and fruit

Taste:

Sweet fruit with a nutty and peppery overtone coming in later and very long warm finish that would be the 12% kicking in.

Overall:

A beer for sipping of a long time rather than quaffing. Very pleasant the liquid equivalent of a nice leather armchair and with the high alcohol percentage that armchair is in front of a fire. Will be one I look out for in the future.

9/10

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

A Germany smoked beer, this brewery produces 3 beers at present, also a wheat and non-smoked lager and two bocks one in late autumn and one early winter.

Appearance:

Dark ruby chesnut with off white head

Aroma:

Smokey but less so than the alaskan porter

Taste:

Intense smoke flavour which stays long time and then some spicy flavour come in under the smokey with a sweatness and then back to the smoky taste and a bitter finish. Also I noticed the more you drink the smoke taste goes,

Overall:

Not as complex as the Alaskan smoked porter but still very nice and the price (for me in NL) makes this beer one I will drink again.

8/10

Caracole Ambree

Brasserie Caracole not one of the 300 picked up the wrong bottle in the shop shame hey

Appearance:

Golden brown hazy with cream head that doesn't stay long

Aroma:

Hint of vineger, citrus fruit and spices

Taste:

Crisp fruity start while the sour comes through later little finish other than leaving the mouth dry, reminds me of a granny smith apple, just no were near as intense

Overall:

Not one that will live in my memory I think, ok just nothing special.


6.5/10

St Sylvestre 3 Mont

A French bieres de Garde

Appearance:

Golden coloured with a large persistent white head

Aroma:

Fruity, hoppy aroma with a hint of dough

Taste:

Acidic almost wine fruit taste then the hops kick in with the long warming finish (must be the 8.5%)

Overall:

I thought this would be a more summar beer but I could drink this very happly most time of the year very quaffable.

7.5/10

2012 Smoked Porter (Alaskan Brewing Co.)

Now for something completely different from the earlier English and Irish offerings:

Appearance:

Very Dark brown verging on black body with a fast disappearing tan head.

Aroma:

Not surprisingly wood smoke and a medicinal TCP smell

Taste:

Smoky, but not as much as expected, chocolate with a hops coming through in the finish.

Overall:

Much more complex in taste than I expected, the smoke dominates but there is room for other flavours, a very nice beer if a little expensive, which means not for everyday drinking but nice for a treat,

8.5/10

Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout, Wye Valley

A semi-local beer for me as I was born in the same county as the brewery, Hereford and Worcs.

Appearance:

Very Dark brown verging on black body with a good tan head.

Aroma:

Nutty smell with hint of roasted coffee and wood smoke.

Taste:

Smoky, bitter taste like good pure chocolate with a long earthy, woody finish.


Overall:

So far the best of my beers in my (small blog), not sure on avaialbilty in the Netherlands. Will have to try Wye Valley's other beers next time I am in the UK. Easily Better than Guinness

8/10

Mackeson Stout

The last of the Milk Stouts?

Appearance:

Very dark black body with a rapidly disapering head tan head.

Aroma:

Coffee being roasted smell but very faint.

Taste:

Thin slightly sweet coffee with little bitter finish, remained me of Palm


Overall:

Not for me this one. It is not a sweet as I suspected but is a bit bland, nice to try a milk stout but I would only drink if somebody else is paying and had no other options! The japanese export version sounds like it more of my style.

4/10

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

My first beer is Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. I must say I have drunk a lot of stouts in the past and always liked Beamish and Murphys over Guinness.

Appearance:

Dark black body with a good tan head.

Aroma:

Burnt black treacle, with a hint of barbecued bananas and a very faint musty smell the alcohol also comes across.

Taste:

Rich, with a slightly burnt taste again barbecued bananas with a bitter finish with a pleasent warmth given the alcohol %.

Bad points:

My bottle seemed over carbonated to really appreciate the tast of this complex beer, so I let is stand a little longer.

Overall:

Much better than your normal Guinness. Would I drink it again yes and I am sure the remainder of this will go nicely with my horse steak, however I would not go out of my way to find it, which is quite a good thing as I have not seen it sold in the Netherlands.

7/10

The prologue: titter ye not

My Sis gave me a book 300 beers to try before you die for christmas, so this blog will record my tasting of the beers. Week 1 started with purchasing 70+ beers unfortunatley I have a cold and can't taste well so the beers are now maturing in my garage. The photo are also made using a christmas present from my parents.