Brand UP

Unfortunately due to a illness I have not been able to keep the blog day however I hope to rectify this now starting with probably the best main stream dutch lager. However I fear my nose is not sufficiently in working order hence the choice of beers.

 

 

 

Appearance:

Pale gold with lasting large head

Aroma:

Mainly malt with a touch of floral hop

Taste:

the initial taste is the juicy malt and then a light citrus sweatness which is balanced by the hoppy bitterness. The finish is bitter hops with a maltyness in the background and a vague floral citrus nature
.
Overall:

A good lager with a lovely lemon note better than standard dutch offerings but harder to find and pricier too but probably just worth it.

7.5/10

Eggenberg Samichlaus

Today's offering is a Christmas present to me from me love me. The beer is bottled only on the 6th December as Samichlaus is Swiss German for Santa Claus. It once was the strongest beer brewed @ 14% without freeze distillation.

 

 

 

Appearance:

Russet coloured with no head to speak off

Aroma:

Spicy hops, vinous fruit slightly acidic and a hint of malt.

Taste:

Man of man this hits you like a sledge hammer it more like port than beer, sweet fruit and nuts and toffee. The finish is long strong vinous fruit spicy hops and a just a hint of malt and almost like a Metaxa with a nice warming.

Overall:

I am not sure this can be called a beer but it is certainly different and I would like this after a nice meal it is just to intense for a normal beer, hence the 8.0 out 10.0. Try it but do it slowly.

8.0/10

Duyck Jenlain Ambree

Today's offering is a Biere de Garde

 

 

 

Appearance:

Surprisingly it a nice amber with slightly off white head that doesn't last but is being constantly replaced so it stays

Aroma:

Spicy hops with malt and a touch of vanilla comes across the nose.

Taste:

Big round malt which fades to vinous fruits with a touch of vanilla and a pleasant carbonization. The finish is complex starts with spicy hops which fade to a tart fruitiness which is in turn replaced by malt and finally a slightly dry bitterness.

Overall:

A really good light ale (think nice in the summer), the French should be as proud of this as they are their wines.

8.0/10

Brooklyn Lager

Today's offering is an again from the Brooklyn brewery

 

 

 

Appearance:

Slightly cloudy amber with nice white head

Aroma:

Floral hops with a hint of pine and a juicy malt.

Taste:

Malt comes first with a floral sweetness and spicy hops and a tangy pineyness. The finish is long not so strong and is a balance of malt and bitter hops with citrus notes.

Overall:

A really good lager with a nice sweetness and floral hops very moreish. If this was on tap at my local it would be my lager of choice.

8.5/10

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Today's offering is an American Imperial stout and yet another beer I got from Stirchley wines in Birmingham.

 

 

Appearance:

Black with khaki lasting head

Aroma:

The aroma is dark chocolate, roasting coffee and a slight bitterness coming from the hops.

Taste:

Dark burnt grain with a spicy hop and a hint of the chocolate and a vinous fruitness. The finish is liquorice bitter spicy hops and bitter burnt grains and a nice warmth from the alcohol.

Overall:

This is an almost beer but I find the burnt taste over the top and unpleasant personally but if this area could be toned down it would be very nice idea, nice idea better execution needed.

6.5/10

Ommegang Abbey Ale

Today's offering is an American Abbey Ale, with a reference to Duvel on the bottle? and another beerI got from Stirchley wines in Birmingham.

 

 

Appearance:

Deep red brown with a very large of tan head

Aroma:

The aroma has several different facets of stewed pears, spice, malt and a touch of hops

Taste:

Caramel sweetness with toffee overtones, coco powder underpinned by a hint of malt and bitter hops. The finish is strong, very dry, long and very complex containing grape like fruitiness, peppery hops, grain and a underpinned by just the right amount of bitterness with a touch sourness.

Overall:

I understand abbey beer/trappist beers may be hard to find in the US but this ranks as a good as any of the Belgium, Dutch or Austria beers available to me. It is truly wonderful beer and I urge any Americans to try this beer and also anybody else that can find it. For Phil they do also do a crown of Thorns beer.

9.5/10

Lion Dark

Today's offering is a Sri Lankan stout, my first beer I got from Stirchley wines in Birmingham

 

 

Appearance:

Dark brown or black with large lasting tan head

Aroma:

Molasses and a slight acidity with a hint of roasted grain

Taste:

The taste is roasted grains with cappuccino with acidic black treacle. The finish is complex warming, roasted grains, spicy slightly bitter hops and like a sweet liqueur cappuccino.

Overall:

Very different with the acidity almost like a vintage or aged beer. It is very heavy and has a lot of flavour which means can probably compete with spicy tamil dishes.

7.5/10

Goose Island Honker's Ale

Today's offering is a Chicago interpretation of English bitter. I first came across this beer when I lived in Iowa and was presently surprised.

 

 

Appearance:

Mid cooper with  small off white lasting head

Aroma:

Lightly roasted malt, a touch of nuts and a slight amount of spicy hops

Taste:

The taste is rich malt with a citrus tartness and bitter hops. The finish is tangy citrus and bitter hops with a touch of nuttiness underpinned by lovely juicy malt.

Overall:

This is like a bitter but lighter but not in a bad way it idea for summer drinking if you drink bitter in the other seasons, draft sometime is over carbonated. But if you are in the windy city this is a beer you should try

8.0/10

Meantime London Porter

Today's offering is a London Porter brewed in London

 

 

Appearance:

Very dark chestnut brown with off white lasting head with large bubbles

Aroma:

Rich roasted malt with choco powder, coffee, liquorice a burnt note and underpinned by bitter hops

Taste:

The taste is bitter chocolate a touch of fruitiness and ferric bitterness and underpinned by a sour note. The finish is very complex with burnt malt, liquorice, coffee, dark chocolate and bitter hops and leaves a dry mouth so you want more, with a pleasant warmth from the alcohol.

Overall:

This is a really complex beer and the best meantime by far packed full of flavour good in the summer but it would be great in the Autumn/winter.

9.0/10

Brooklyn Brown Ale

Today's is a little unusual a brown US beer

 

Appearance:

Chesnut brown with large white lasting head

Aroma:

Rich roasted malt with chocolate, a burnt note and underpinned by hops

Taste:

Taste is a little disappointing compared to the aroma, it is just a little watery. Roast malt and chocolate dominate the taste with a hint of burnt caramel. The finish is quite dry with malt and chocolate dominated by tart hops.

Overall:

Slightly disappointing especially given the aroma, however it not bad but promises more. It is also slightly over carbonated.

7.0/10

Hoegaarden

Today's is a classic Belgium witbier ideal for summer.

 

Appearance:

Pale and cloudy yellow brown with large white head

Aroma:

Slightly citrusy but mainly soapy due to the coriander with a hint of ripe bananas and malt

Taste:

Chew malt comes first then that hint of wheat bananas but the finish is where this beer excels, the citrus balanced by the coriander and hint of cane sugar with out the sweatiness

Overall:

A great summer beer that is perfect for this summers day. I find this more refreshing than Germany wheat beers. I would liked to have tried the original with oats in.

8.5/10

Achel Trappist Bruin Bier

Today's is a beer is a trappist brown beer or a double

 

Appearance:

Russet reddy brown with large off white head

Aroma:

The aroma start with a toasted malt but rapidly fades with a slight peppery hops then becomes like malt loaf.

Taste:

Malt loaf with soft peppery hops and a nice sweatness that is kept in check by peppery bitter hops. The finish is roasted malt and spicy hops and is long and smooth and just well balanced with also a nice warmth from the alcohol.

Overall:

Very nice beer very well balanced and smooth, a bit hard to get but well worth it.

9.0/10

De Dolle Arabier

Today's bonus beer is De Dolle Arabier a Golden Belgium Ale or a dead parrot joke

 

Appearance:

Hazy bronze rather than gold with large white fluffy head

Aroma:

Plum like fruitiness with a spicy/peppery hops.

Taste:

Tart fruit fill the mouth at first which fades to a mix of rich malt and peppery bitter hops. The finish is long and dominated by bitter peppery hops and some tart fruit with a hint of malt in the background, it is more complex then it sounds as you have the heat of the alcohol and also the pepperiness.

Overall:

Very nice and different I don't think I have had such a peppery beer before very unique and I like that it is lively beer so pour slow. It was original a summer beer and I can see why as it is very refreshing.

9.0/10

Pauwel Kwak

Today's offering a strong  Belgium beer which translate as Fat Paul.

 

Appearance:

Dark amber which a pale brown head that soon disappears.

Aroma:

Spicy hops with cane sugar and a touch of vanilla and banana and a slight hint of malt

Taste:

Malt starts the flavour and the it is quickly overtaken by over ripe bananas and vanilla with hint of spicy hops. The finish long and strong is spicy hops and a touch of malt and lasting bananas and vanilla

Overall:

This is a beer I drink quite a lot and it is a lovely beer it is a classic strong Belgium beer and very good in the autumn and early spring

8.5/10

Pilsner Urquell

Today's offering a proper Czech Pilsner

 

 

Appearance:

Pale gold with good lasting white head

Aroma:

Lightly toasted malt with a touch of citrus and wood? I can't quite put my finger on it

Taste:

Ferric Bitter is the overriding taste with malt in the background with an earthiness. The finish is like  ferric bitter with grass in the background with a bit of earth and wood.

Overall:

Nothing special quite bitter compared with Amstel, nothing to recommend it look like this will be dropped from the next edition of the book.

6.5/10

Jever Pilsner

Today's offering a German Fries Pilsner

 

 

Appearance:

Very light pale gold with good lasting white head

Aroma:

Lightly toasted malt and fresh cut grass come over in the aroma.

Taste:

Bitter is the overriding taste with a slight hint of malt in the far background. The finish is like Guinness or blood a very ferric bitter, with a small hint of grass in the far far background.

Overall:

Very very bitter would go will with a Chinese meal imo. I am a little unsure I have I like this but it does clear the palate.

7.0/10

Palm

Today's offering is a Belgium Amber beer

 

 

Appearance:

Clear mid amber with fast disappearing head

Aroma:

Malt with a touch of almost soapy coriander

Taste:

Very dry with malt underpinned by peppery hops and a touch of orange fruitiness. The finish if dry and mainly malt and is quite weak and short.

Overall:

Good for a change when drinking in Dutch bars but not one for me.

6.0/10