Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon

Good evening all. I first tried the subject of this post on draft during a Meet The Brewer event at the Cask Pub and Kitchen in Pimlico, and on the first sip I decided it was the best beer that I'd ever had and pledged that I would try it again at the closest opportunity. After almost a year, I finally decided to purchase a bottle, and on this, the penultimate evening of my Easter break, I felt it was the right time to pop the cork and see if it's as brilliant as I remember. That beer is Nelson Sauvignon, a Bière de Champagne from Mikkeller. This bad boy has been brewed with an ale yeast and brettanomyces before being aged in Austrian white wine casks for three months. Quite an epic journey from inception to bottle! Review after the pic....

Nelson Sauvignon (9.0% ABV) pours a slightly cloudy amber colour with an incredible white head that settles to a thick halo around the inside of the glass. There's tonnes of lacing present, this beer looks fantastic! The aroma is stunning, with an incredible vinous quality, citrus fruits, some tartness and a pleasing sweetness in the background. The vinous edge hits the olfactories right from the word go, never really relenting over the course of the beer, and the fruity hops combine with this distinctive aspect to create a wonderfully sweet, fruity and dry  aroma. The brett addition is surprisingly noticeable, delivering a slight tartness to the aroma that works very well in this context. Absolutely incredible, and that's just the nose! The taste is equally as stunning, with dry white wine, effervescing tartness, citrus fruits, piney hop flavours and a noticeable sweetness. Most beers suffer the same fate of having the aroma delivering a host of powerful senses to the nose, but when it comes time to tasting they're lacking in flavour. However, this tastes almost exactly like it smells and the aromas have been amplified significantly on the palette. The vinous quality is slightly piquant and creates a dryness in the finish, with the tartness from the brett creating a sourness in the mouth that offsets the piquancy. The sweetness still remains in the background, and the fruity qualities of the hops are only slightly apparent in comparison to the heavier puckering flavours, but together they provide an excellent base and don't compete with the stars of the show. The mouthfeel is slightly on the thick side, and the beer is very well carbonated which compliments the dry sweetness and the fruitiness perfectly. Overall, I don't think this review has done this beer enough justice- every time I've had the opportunity to try this beer, I've been more than impressed with it and tonight's tasting is no exception. It's dry, vinous, sweet, fruity and slightly tart, and when all of these components come together like they have in this offering, it's the closest to perfection a beer can ever get. I'm sure I'll change my opinion in the future, but at the time of writing it's still the best beer I've ever had and is totally worth the money. 

Until next time....

To Øl Final Frontier DIPA

Good evening all. It's my penultimate evening in Devon before heading back up to Guildford for the beginning of the intense conclusion to my degree, so I'm going to continue a tradition I inadvertently started last summer by having one of To Øl's IPAs- more specifically Final Frontier DIPA, an Imperial IPA that builds upon their flagship IPA First Frontier with a bigger malt base and more hop additions. Looking forward to this one a lot as I thoroughly enjoyed First Frontier! Review after the pic....

Final Frontier DIPA (9.0% ABV) pours a light amber colour with a thick white head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. There's some lacing present during drinking, and agitation of the beer renews the thick head relatively easily. The aroma is composed of pine, citrus fruits, a caramelised sugar sweetness and a herbal quality once the nose has become accustomed to the hoppy aromas. The piney hops and citrus fruits hit at first, backed up by a caramel sweetness that mixes well with the hop-derived fruits. This initial burst gives way to herbal, vegetative aromas that are more reminiscent of bittering hops, with the sweetness still residing in the background. Returning to the beer after a brief respite brings back the power of the fruity hops, and it's certainly a fantastic aroma. The taste is predominantly composed of resinous hops, with some citrus fruits popping up every so often to cut through the pine flavours, and there's also a dry vinous dimension during drinking that works as a good transition into the slightly bitter finish. The herbal flavours also make themselves known after the resinous hops have diminished, and these mix well with the bitterness as it makes itself known. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is well carbonated, which compliments the stickier hop flavours. Overall, a very good imperial IPA with plenty of fresh oily hop flavours supported by a noticeable sweetness, culminating in a nice injection of bitterness that doesn't overload the palette. To Øl certainly know how to make a decent IPA, and I'd happily get this offering again in the future.

Until next time....

BrewDog AB:09

Good afternoon all. I received a nice little order from BrewDog yesterday that included the new offering in their ever-growing Abstrakt series- AB:09, an Imperial Stout modeled on cranachan, the popular Scottish dessert containing oatmeal, heather honey, whisky and raspberries. As a result of consuming this and a number of other libations last night I'm definitely not functioning as well as I should be, but my desire to express how I feel about this beer is too great so I'm pushing on regardless. Well, that and I have some coursework to do later and this should be a good warm-up. Review after the pic....

AB:09 (17.1% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a light head formed during pouring that dissipates to a very thin halo around the inside of the glass, as can be expected based on the elevated alcohol content. Looks like a standard high-ABV stout, nothing new to report there! The aroma is amazing, with yeast extract, raspberries, roasted malt, coffee, licorice, chocolate and a significant amount of alcoholic character from the whisky. At first there was a slight funkiness from the fruit additions, but this went away shortly after the first inhale. The whisky barrel ageing imparts a significant boozy aspect to the beer, with plenty of characteristic whisky aromas evaporating readily into the nose even from a distance. The roasted malt imparts subtle aromas of coffee and chocolate, but this is quite hard to determine at first behind the significant alcohol burst. The scotch and fruit aromas coalesce to provide a caramelised sweetness that is very reminiscent of a barley wine, with similarities to candy sugar and fruity hops. A lot to comprehend, but it really blows you away with how composed yet volatile it is. Tasting the beer is just as interesting, bringing whisky, dark fruits, licorice, chocolate and a candy sugar sweetness. The finish is quite dry and piquant, with bread and toasty notes in the aftertaste accompanied by a significant amount of yeast extract. The flavours are very much the same as what you would find in port, and it also reminded me of Tactical Nuclear Penguin but with a diminished alcohol kick. The roasted malt flavours come out more during tasting, particularly the coffee. The whisky imparts a distinct and pronounced warming effect on the body, and the characteristic flavours are present despite the additional competing flavours. The fruits are dark and sweet, and occasionally create a licorice flavour when combined with the sweetness. The mouthfeel is not overly thick and the beer is barely carbonated, with agitation producing short-lived clusters of foam but nothing substantial. Overall, this is a truly fantastic offering from BrewDog that amplifies the usual qualities of an imperial stout (dark fruits, roasted malt) and then takes it further with the whisky barrel ageing to create a powerful yet incredibly drinkable beer. All of these things might have been done before with beers (particularly imperial stouts), but when they're done this well you almost feel like you're experiencing something totally unique. Highly recommended, get a bottle to have now and a few for the cellar, you'll want to have it again in the future!

Until next time....

Brouwerij De Musketiers Troubadour Magma

Good evening all. After six months of intense work and writing, I finally picked up the printed and bound copies of my dissertation today. As if that wasn't enough to justify celebrating, I also received a nice order from BrewDog containing, among other things, two bottles of AB:09, the latest offering in their ongoing Abstrakt series. Expect a review of that on the blog soon, but until then here's another one to keep you all satiated. The beer is Troubadour Magma, a Belgian IPA from Brouwerij De Musketiers, and the review is after the pic....

Troubadour Magma (9.0% ABV) pours a dark golden colour with a thick white head that maintains itself well during drinking. There's some lacing present in the early stages, and generally it looks like a fantastic Belgian beer. The aroma is surprisingly vinous- reminiscent of Mikkeller's barrel aged beers- with phenols, spice, pine, citrus fruits and a noticeable sweetness that supports the fruity hop aromas. There's also a herbal quality from the hops that resides in the background. The vinous aspect hits first, with the hoppy pine/fruit aromas being carried along by the yeast-derived phenols. Smells amazing, much sweeter than other Belgian IPAs such as Duvel Tripel Hop or Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel, but that's definitely not a bad thing. The taste is more subtle than the aroma, with honey, resinous hops, citrus fruits, phenols and spice, with the spice lingering in the dry, slightly bitter finish. The aftertaste brings along more of the vinous quality, and the sweetness comes through after the hop flavours have resided. The mouthfeel is quite light despite the decent carbonation, but is still sufficient to support and compliment the flavours. The higher alcohol content certainly isn't noticeable which makes this dangerously drinkable (well, that and the great flavours and aromas!). Overall, a very good Belgian IPA that combines characteristic Belgian spice with a nice dose of sweetness that compliments the hop additions very well. If you're more of a fan of the spicier Belgian IPAs then go for the offerings mentioned in the review, but if sweeter flavours are more your thing then give this a try, you won't be disappointed.

Until next time....

De Struise Brouwers Pannepot Reserva

Good evening all. I received a rather nice package today from Hawkshead Brewery containing all three of their recent "Well Hopped" beers, and have been gradually reviewing them in front of the camera over the last few hours. As a result you lucky guys can expect a three-video post in the next couple of days, but to fill the void between that post coming up on the blog I'm going to be maintaining usual service and reviewing plenty of interesting beers, such as this one from De Struise Brouwers. It's Pannepot Reserva, a Quadrupel from a fantastic Belgian brewery, and the review is after the pic....

Pannepot Reserva (10.0% ABV) pours a dark brown colour with a short-lived head that dissipates to a thick halo around the inside of the glass. Probably one of the first beers I've had from De Struise that doesn't have an epic ballooning mound of foam after pouring, despite the bottle conditioning. Oh well, onto the important stuff now. The aroma is quite phenolic, with candy sugar, dark fruits, caramel and a sweet hoppy quality reminiscent of barley wines. The predominant spice is offset by the sweetness, and the hops add an interesting dimension to this beer style that cuts through the darker fruit flavours. The taste is just as spicy and phenolic, with dates, blackcurrants, raisins, yeast extract and licorice flavours coming through during drinking and in the finish, which brings along a slight alcoholic burn and a final burst of spice before settling down to reveal a decent amount of yeast extract in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is slightly thinner than I was expecting, and the beer is moderately carbonated. I would've preferred the mouthfeel to be slightly thicker if I'm honest as borderline-excessive carbonation compliments Belgian beers impeccably, so as it is it's a slight disappointment but certainly doesn't render the beer undrinkable. Overall, a very interesting Quad with plenty of phenolic Belgian character, sticky dark fruits and an unusual yet pleasing roasted malt flavour in the finish. If I could get this again I probably would, although I'd rather take a St Bernardus Abt 12 or a Trappistes Rochefort 10 as they are better examples of the Quad beer style. And if anyone has a spare bottle of Westvleteren 12 lying around the place, I'd be happy to take that off their hands as well! Seriously though- definitely recommended, get a couple of bottles if you have the opportunity and you shouldn't be disappointed.

Until next time....

Video Review- Sierra Nevada Celebration (2011)

Good morning all. I'm back with another video beer review, and this time it's an offering from Sierra Nevada in the form of Celebration (2011), a seasonal American IPA brought out every year during the holidays (or Christmas to the English). The reason I'm posting it in the early hours is because it took so long to upload, but then that's the sacrifice you have to make to keep lengthy video clips in an unnecessarily high resolution. Hope you enjoy watching and I'll be back soon with more reviews....

Until next time....

Video Review- Bristol Beer Factory Bristol Hefe

Good evening all. As mentioned in my previous post, I've decided to do another video beer review so you all get to see my initial responses and thoughts on a beer. I'm getting more comfortable with this format now and I'm even starting to enjoy it a bit, so expect more to come in the future. I still don't think they'll completely replace text-based reviews on this blog, so at least you won't have to see me on a regular basis! The beer was Bristol Hefe, a hefeweizen from Bristol Beer Factory. This brewery is a firm favourite on the blog as a result of their fantastic 12 Stouts of Christmas selection that was released towards the end of last year, so as always expectations were high. If you want to watch it in HD, and frankly who wouldn't, click the YouTube icon in the video to watch it on the site. Cheers....

Until next time....

Great Divide Brewing Co. Yeti

Good evening all. I'm currently in the process of uploading my second solo video beer review, so I thought it would be best to do a written one as well just so my legions of dedicated supporters won't feel deprived of my musings and ramblings. This post is all about Yeti, an Imperial Stout from Great Divide Brewing Co. based in Denver, Colorado. Despite having a few of their offerings in the cellar, to date I've only tried Titan IPA and found that to be very good, so hopefully the trend shall continue with this beer. Review after the pic....

Yeti (9.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a light brown head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is very rich and sweet, reminiscent of some of BrewDog's imperial stouts, with caramel, chocolate, coffee, yeast extract, roasted malt, dark fruits, hoppy citrus fruits and candy sugar. Smells amazing, particularly when I've had a lot of imperial stouts recently that focused more on the slightly bitter and piquant qualities that roasted malt can impart on a beer. The sweetness is almost reminiscent of a barley wine, which makes sense when reading the bottle description as it certainly sounds like they've whacked a considerable quantity of hops into this beer. The taste is an interesting blend of resinous/fruity hops and dark roasted malt flavours, making this a borderline-black IPA! There's plenty of chocolate, coffee, caramel, citrus fruits, yeast extract and a warming alcohol quality during drinking, with the finish being quite dry but not particularly bitter despite the significant hop additions. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which compliments the hoppy flavours as well as the darker ones. Overall, a very interesting imperial stout that manages to balance a significant sweetness and plenty of roasted malt flavours with a noticeable fruitiness from the aroma hops, creating a pseudo-black IPA in the process. I'd definitely get this again as I'm a big fan of the flavour combinations that come through in this offering, fantastic stuff!

Until next time....

St. Bernardus Abt 12

Good evening all. Today has been devoid of coursework and the like as I decided that instead of sitting in front of the computer pretending to do work, I would go to Plymouth with the family for a rare cinema outing. This was great fun but has left me feeling rather lethargic and uninspired, so what better than the most inspiring beverage ever created to get me prepared for a busy week finalising dissertations and coursework before restarting uni for the final time? Tonight's beer is St. Bernardus Abt 12, a Quad from Brouwerij St. Bernardus in Belgium. I'm a big fan of this brewery, and this particular beer has garnered a large amount of reverence on beer reviewing sites such as Beer Advocate and Rate Beer, so I'm looking forward to it a lot. Review after the pic....

St. Bernardus Abt 12 (10.0% ABV) pours a dark red colour with a nice thick off-white head that settles slightly to a decent covering over the surface of the beer. Exactly what I was expecting from a Belgian beer, and it never fails to impress me no matter how many times I see it! The aroma is very spicy and phenolic, with candy sugar, dark fruits, a sense of some hoppy citrus fruits and a gentle sweetness residing in the background. I can see (or rather smell) why this beer is so highly regarded already, it's so well balanced and composed and there's no awareness of the alcohol content in the nose at all. The taste also brings a lot of peppery spice and phenols, with raisins, blackcurrants, candy sugar and some dry grapes in the finish, which carries no bitterness but retains some of the spicy character from the yeast. The whole experience of drinking this beer is fantastic, with the yeast providing a nice bite and plenty of phenols during drinking, whilst the sweetness and fruitiness are balanced very well against each other without cloying on the palette. The alcohol content is very well hidden and doesn't really make itself known during drinking, and the mouthfeel is quite light and well carbonated (as you would expect with a Quad). Overall, a very impressive offering from a well-renowned brewery, and one that I could easily envision getting again in the future. Highly recommended, get a bottle in and be amazed!

Until next time....

Nøgne Ø Two Captains

Good morning all. I'm back again with another backlogged beer review, and because such a small amount of time has passed since the last one, I'm going to do away with the usual life update introduction and get straight to the important stuff- please don't all applaud at once! The beer is Two Captains, a Double/Imperial IPA from Nøgne Ø, a very popular craft brewery operating out of Grimstad, Norway. A couple of their offerings have been reviewed on the blog in the past, and this one was garnering enough attention for me to throw my hat into the ring so let's get to it. Review after the pic....

Two Captains (8.5% ABV) pours a slightly cloudy light amber colour with minimal head during and after pouring. Some sediment found its way into the glass despite careful pouring, but this isn't much of a concern if you don't mind yeast in your beer! The aroma is predominantly composed of resinous hops, with some malt sweetness reminiscent of caramelised sugar/candy floss and a light sense of citrus fruits acting as a counterpoint to the heavier piney hops. A fairly standard Double IPA aroma, but then that's nothing to complain about as I love that aroma anyway! The taste is more full-on than the aroma, with resinous hops, sweetness and a pronounced bitterness to the finish from the increased hop additions. The alcohol is quite noticeable, providing a slight burn during drinking and a warming quality afterwards. The bitterness can be quite cloying after a few sips, and the sweetness builds up to become more like burnt sugar. Some citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) also make themselves known in the latter stages of the beer after the initial resinous hop wallop. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and the beer is lightly carbonated, but still manages to support the flavours well. Overall, a solid Double IPA from a very good brewery, with plenty of resinous hop character, some citrus fruit hops providing a slight balance, and a healthy puckering bitterness in the finish offset by some sweetness. I do prefer my Double IPAs on the sweeter side (BrewDog/Mikkeller I Hardcore You, Evil Twin Disco Beer, Kuhnhenn DRIPA), but every so often it's nice to go for something with a heavier bitterness, and this beer is perfect for those occasions. Definitely recommended!

Until next time....

Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfen-Weisse

Good morning all. I've got a couple of outstanding reviews to sort out, not in the sense that they're going to be better constructed and more eloquent than my usual ramblings, but more that they're on my mind and I wrote the tasting notes for them a few days ago so I want to spend a bit of time discussing them now before moving on to new beers later on today. The first is Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfen-Weisse, a Weizen Bock from Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn, probably one of the finest wheat beer breweries operating in Germany at the moment (and for the last 400 odd years). I've had a few of their offerings now and found each one to be fantastic, so I was looking forward to this one a lot. With Fela Kuti blaring from the speakers at the time of writing, it's time for the review after the pic....

Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfen-Weisse (8.2% ABV) pours a very cloudy straw colour with a thick white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The beer is rather opaque from the yeast suspended in the beer so it's hard to properly evaluate the colour, but it does look fantastic based on first impressions! The aroma is composed of bananas, bubblegum, cloves and citrus fruits (particularly lemon) from the hop additions, with some sweetness in the background from either the malt or the hops. The hop aromas are reminiscent of European IPAs with the sweet citrus fruits, compared to the piney resinous hops of the USA. The taste is very yeasty, with cloves, bananas, and some hop character that tries to permeate through the characteristic wheat beer flavours. The citrus fruits are also accompanied by peach notes, and there is a sense of the alcohol content during drinking and in the finish. The hops don't contribute too much bitterness to the proceedings, making the finish smooth and the beer very drinkable despite the higher ABV percentage. The hops don't make themselves known too much, which is a slight disappointment as it is one of the main components in this beer (and is a departure from the usual wheat beers that use mainly bittering hops as opposed to aroma types) but it's not too much of a concern when the base beer is so good. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, with some lacing present during drinking. Overall, a very satisfying wheat beer, with plenty of yeasty flavours and spicy character backing up the interesting hop additions that cut through the thickness of the beer with the citrus fruits. Definitely recommended, this beer would be perfect during the summer as an early evening sipper. 

Until next time....

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Good evening all. I decided to bust out some coursework earlier today, and although I haven't gotten through all of it yet, I still consider my efforts to be progress that deserves to be rewarded with something completely different. It may sound like I'm clawing for excuses to drink a beer when I don't really need one, but the need to have an introduction to this post means it's staying! As a result, tonight's beer is Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen, a Rauchbier from Brauerei Heller in Bamberg, Germany. A rauchbier is a beer made from malt that has been dried over an open fire of beech wood, giving the drink a distinct smokiness akin to spiced meat. This represents my first foray into the rauchbier style, so I'm looking forward to this potentially unique experience quite a lot! Review after the pic....

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen (5.1% ABV) pours a dark red colour- verging on brown- with an off-white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is pretty incredible, with smoked German meats coming through very heavily and, every so often, the awareness of bittering hops in the background. The malt aromas are also detectable through the smoke, along with some gentle citrus fruit notes. Certainly an unusual experience as you keep having to remind yourself that these aromas are coming from a liquid! The taste is pretty much identical, with smoked malt, German meats and some dry grape flavours from the hops that linger in the finish. The smoky flavours aren't too intense, which might be why this beer works so well as it's not bombarding the palette with acridity or bitterness. The finish itself is very light with a slight piquancy shortly after drinking, and the mouthfeel is airy with moderate carbonation, which compliments the smokiness from the malt. Overall, this is a very good beer that would work perfectly with continental smoked meats or even on its own when only something completely unique will do. It's incredibly smooth and drinkable, and has definitely increased my interest in rauchbiers to the point where I'll be actively seeking out more offerings in this style. Definitely recommended!

Until next time....

Green Flash Brewing Co. Double Stout

Good evening all. This review represents the first using a new format of note taking that I'm planning to adopt for each beer in the future, using my phone to dictate my opinions and thoughts as opposed to the traditional pen and paper approach. Hopefully it will still allow me to write coherently and get across how I feel about a beer! The beer that has the honour of being the first to be reviewed using this style is Double Stout, an Imperial Stout from Green Flash Brewing Co. based in San Diego, California. I've had one beer from Green Flash before and honestly can't remember much about it, so hopefully this will be a more lasting experience! Review after the pic....

Double Stout (8.8% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick brown head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. There's some lacing present in the early stages of the beer but, like the head, this diminishes about halfway through drinking. The aroma is predominantly composed of dark chocolate, with a sense of the roasted malt in the background that cuts through the chocolate. There's a hint of coffee and lactose sugar, and every so often some dark fruits come through. Certainly not overwhelming but there's enough here so far to captivate and hold my interest. Tasting the beer, the individual flavours don't seem to come through much, instead they all merge together to give a uniform "stout" taste and quality. Sometimes you can pick up on the odd hint of chocolate and coffee, but it's definitely less complex than the aroma and much harder to define particular flavours. The finish is quite dry and has a bitterness that's reminiscent of dark chocolate, with toasty notes in the aftertaste from the roasted malt. The malt occasionally presents a buttery, biscuit flavour/sensation that cuts through quite well. The mouthfeel is not too thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which works well with the subdued flavours. Overall, this is quite a disappointing beer, with lots going on in the nose but not enough flavour to back up the initial excitement. I could easily mistake this for a Milk Stout or an Irish Dry Stout, particularly when the alcohol doesn't make itself known during drinking despite the high ABV percentage. I wouldn't get this beer again and personally I don't recommend it, but that's probably because I was expecting more from it than what I got. For what it's worth, it is well composed and is certainly a good demonstration of how darker beers can employ subtlety, but with an Imperial Stout I'd rather go for the big, full-bodied bad boys than have the flavours tamed, and that's why I'm not a fan.

Until next time....

De Struise Brouwers Cuvée Delphine

Good afternoon all. Unfortunately today marked the last contact I will have with any friends and close acquaintances until I return to uni in a week and a half, so I finally have to face up to the coursework that's been residing in my bag since I returned home three weeks ago. Last night I had a couple of very nice beers (Hitachino Nest White Ale and The Lost Abbey Lost & Found) and watched a trio of films that covered the whole spectrum of stupidity and confusion quite nicely. All of this fun has caused me to build up a small backlog of beer reviews though, so I thought it would be wise to write them up as a further respite/exercise in procrastination. First up is Cuvée Delphine, a Russian Imperial Stout from De Struise Brouwers, one of my favourite Belgian breweries whose offerings have graced many a post on this blog. Review after the pic....

Cuvée Delphine (13.0% ABV) pours a rich deep black colour with a very thick brown head that maintains itself fairly well throughout the course of drinking. Looks fantastic in the glass and I certainly wasn't expecting there to be that much head based on the alcohol content, must be the Belgian yeast bottle-conditioning. The aroma consists of candy sugar, licorice, raisins, blackcurrants, coffee and a caramel/candy floss sweetness. There's a light sense of chocolate and a slight awareness of the alcohol but this isn't too overpowering. It's certainly very rich and dark, and builds upon the characteristic imperial stout aromas with a barleywine sweetness. Some toasty notes also come through every so often from the roasted malt, and on occasion a bourbon quality can be detected. Tasting the beer brings up plenty of malt and yeast extract flavours, with licorice, blackcurrants, bourbon and a partial phenolic spiciness. There's a bit of an alcoholic burn during drinking and a slight bitterness to the finish. The majority of the flavour in this beer makes itself known during drinking, and there's almost a defined point for each mouthful where the flavour simply cuts out, leaving a dry sensation in the finish and aftertaste. The mouthfeel is relatively thick but doesn't mask the flavours, and the beer is well carbonated. Overall, a very good imperial stout packed with plenty of roasted malt, fruit and sweetness. The Belgian character that makes itself known in the proceedings every so often adds an interesting dimension to the experience, and I could definitely see myself getting this again in the future (along with virtually every offering I've had so from De Struise). Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Cooking With Beer- Steak, Cheese and BrewDog Rip Tide Pie

Good evening all. Today's post marks the first in a new and potentially ongoing series regarding cooking with beer. Now we've all read plenty of posts extolling the virtues of food and beer pairings, but sometimes it's necessary to integrate our favourite beverage into the food we eat, particularly when a recipe calls for alcohol and it just won't suffice to use adjunct-laden liquid cardboard. Last night I took a wild, boyish fling at, well, cooking, and dug up a recipe from the venerable oracle of school dinner advocacy, Jamie Oliver. The recipe, which you can find here, called for Guinness, but in true craft beer fashion (and because I didn't have any cans to hand) I opted to use a bottle of Rip Tide, BrewDog's 8.0% ABV Imperial Stout. I'll discuss the outcome and how the beer contributed to the recipe after the obligatory preparation pics below....

The star of the show, patiently awaiting sacrifice

Starting the proceedings, sans stout

In the oven, hard part over!

The final product (it wasn't just for me by the way)

The pie didn't look as picturesque or impressive as it probably could have, but as they say the proof is always in the tasting, and it tasted very good if I say so myself. So what did the Rip Tide add to the overall experience? Well, it gave the meat a richness and darkness that worked really well with the buttery flavours from the pastry, and the sauce/gravy was certainly thicker and more robust than similar pies I've had that utilised more ubiquitous stouts. I didn't get any characteristic stout flavours from the pie, just the sense that the concept of richer, amplified flavours had been imparted onto the constituent ingredients of the pie, which isn't a bad thing really as I don't think coffee and chocolate works too well with rustic cooking. This exercise has certainly compelled me to think about cooking with beer more in the future, so expect more food-related posts in the coming months.

Until next time....

BrewDog Anarchist/Alchemist

Good evening all. I've had a couple of inactive days on the blog due to dissertation work, but fear not as I've got plenty of interesting beers lined up over the next couple of weeks, and if that's not enough to entice you I might just do another video review so you can see me stammer on a couch whilst drinking. What more could you ask for? Don't answer that, let's just get onto the beer that I had a couple of nights ago- Anarchist/Alchemist, a triple IPA from BrewDog. Sounds like another typically gratuitous offering from the Fraserburgh scamps, so let's get straight in and see what it's all about. Review after the pic....

Anarchist/Alchemist (14.0% ABV) pours a very dark amber colour with a thick white head that dissipates relatively quickly to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. I wasn't expecting a lot of head considering the ABV percentage, so I was initially quite surprised when I poured what you see in the picture, but I had the feeling it wasn't going to last long. The aroma is surprisingly subtle considering the nature of the beer, with a subdued resinous quality, citrus fruits, peaches and a light sweetness. It's definitely not an oily hop bomb as I was expecting and the alcohol is barely even noticeable at this stage. The piney hops and citrus fruits come through in waves, there's a slight ethanol/acetone aroma in the background, and every so often there's an ester-like quality and also some apple aromas. Still quite complex, just not as heavy as I was expecting- this beer is constantly full of surprises! The taste is composed of apples, biscuit malt, grapes, peaches, citrus fruits and some piney flavour, with a distinct alcoholic burn to the finish accompanied by a slight bitterness from the hops. Tasting it immediately reminded me of my first impression of Canadian Club whisky- restrained flavours and a fair hit from the alcohol present during tasting and in the finish. Despite this it's still very drinkable, and I wouldn't have guessed the ABV percentage was that high if I wasn't aware of it. There's also a candy floss sweetness/caramelised sugar flavour to the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is very light and the beer is barely carbonated. Considering the alcohol content this isn't all that surprising, and with the subtleties of the beer it's certainly not a negative thing. Overall, this beer is an unexpected exercise in subtlety, which is quite odd when you consider it's a 14.0% ABV triple IPA from by a brewery with a notorious penchant for taxidermy-related drinks dispensing and outrageous public displays of beer proliferation. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course! I wouldn't get it again but it was certainly an interesting offering that provided a rather subtle array of characterstic IPA flavours with a healthy dose of alcohol to liven up the proceedings. Worth trying at least once.

Until next time....

Collaboration Video Reviews- BrewDog IPA Is Dead Range

Good evening all. In my last review I alluded to a special blog post that had been taking up a fair bit of my reviewing time, and now the moment has come to unveil the contents of that post to you lucky readers. On Tuesday last week I decided to do a series of video reviews with a good friend by the name of Jamie "Bidds" Bidwell, author of the increasingly popular film blog Talk Films (http://talkfilms.blogspot.co.uk/). Over the course of one evening (and the early morning of the following day!), myself and Bidds worked our way through the entire IPA Is Dead range from BrewDog, recording our live reactions and thoughts. The videos are interspersed with our own humour and occasional unprofessional conduct, but all in all it was a very fun exercise and I hope to repay the favour with Bidds in the form of a film review on his blog in the near future. As  mentioned before with my first video review post I apologise for the speech disfluency on my part; it genuinely can't be helped but hopefully it won't detract too much from the viewing experience. Now without further ado let's get on to the reviews, which are also available in full HD if you're willing to wait a bit longer for the video to buffer and you've always wanted to see two people on a sofa in 1080p....

BrewDog IPA Is Dead Galaxy

BrewDog IPA Is Dead Challenger

BrewDog IPA Is Dead Motueka

BrewDog IPA Is Dead HBC

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed the experience! Until next time....

Marble Decadence

Good afternoon all. It's certainly been a while since I reviewed a beer on the blog, but fear not as I've been preparing something a bit special for a post in the very near future that has been taking up my usual reviewing time, so look out for that soon. Last night was the first night I had to myself in a while, so I decided on something substantial and quite special- Decadence, a Russian Imperial Stout from Marble. Coming in a sizeable 750ml bottle I offered a glass to my family but they declined, so I opted to have the whole thing to myself. At least I tried, eh? Review after the pic....

Decadence (8.7% ABV) pours a deep black colour with a generous off-white head that retains itself well throughout drinking. The aroma is very rich and malty, with chocolate syrup, coffee, licorice, candy sugar and an initial "black IPA" quality in the form of hoppy citrus fruits. The hop quality hits at first and is very noticeable, but this soon gives way to the characteristic roasted malt aromas. There's also a sweet/sour Asian cuisine aspect, reminiscent of hoisin sauce or a similar sauce, which sometimes comes across as dark fruits like raisins, plums and blackcurrants. Some burnt sugar comes through and there's also a slight awareness of the alcohol amid the sweetness. Certainly very complex indeed! The taste is slightly more subdued than what I was expecting based on the nose, with yeast extract, fruity hops, light chocolate and coffee. The roasted malt hits first with a slightly watery texture, the coffee and chocolate come through in the middle and the finish brings an almost immediate dark chocolate bitterness and a fairly substantial dryness. The boozy character is noticeable but not overpowering, and the aftertaste has a hoppy, chocolatey profile that warrants continued sipping. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is well carbonated, which works well with the richer, darker flavours. Overall, a decent offering from Marble that delivers a lot of aromas but unfortunately brings itself down slightly on the flavour. There's still enough flavour present for the beer to be thoroughly enjoyable, but I was certainly expecting a lot more based on the impressive nose. Definitely worth trying, but I wouldn't get it again in a hurry.

Until next time....

Saltaire Brewery Triple Chocoholic

Good evening all. Hope everyone is having a Happy/Hoppy Easter enjoying time with family and friends and drinking lots of interesting beer. I had this libation last night, but in retrospect I should have saved it for this evening as I opted out of receiving any chocolate this year and can't help but think that might have been a foolish choice. Regardless, this beer is from a brewery that is gradually becoming a firm favourite on the blog, with two of their offerings buried in the archives somewhere, and with every intention for more to be sampled in the future. The brewery is Saltaire Brewery and this is their Triple Chocoholic stout, brewed with chocolate malt and lots of different chocolate additions. Based on their previous offerings I was expecting good things, so let's get straight to the review after the pic....

Triple Chocoholic (4.8% ABV) pours a rich black colour with a thick off-white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. It definitely looks the part and suggests a nice thick mouthfeel- which is what I like from a stout- so it's ticking all the boxes so far. The aroma is pretty stunning, with chocolate syrup and some roasted malt in the background, accompanied by a slight fruitiness. The first draw brings along a fair amount of chocolate and not much else, but subsequent sniffs bring out more of the roasted malt and seem to diminish the chocolate quality somewhat. The chocolate aroma seems to come in waves, and when it's absent from the proceedings there isn't much else to excite the olfactories, but considering the lower ABV percentage this can be somewhat expected. The taste is composed of chocolate, some coffee, roasted malt and a lactose sugar quality, with a bitterness to the finish from the chocolate. The finish is also quite dry, which works well with the bitterness and the slight piquancy from the chocolate. The chocolate isn't too overpowering which compliments the malt flavours, and there is a partial grape flavour to the aftertaste which might be some of the hop presence making itself known. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well-carbonated, which serves to support the flavours from the malt and the chocolate additions. Definitely renders the beer smooth, rich and velvety without cloying on the palette. Overall, a very flavoursome beer that amplifies the usual chocolatey flavours associated with stouts without being too imposing and masking the subtleties contained within. The bitterness from the chocolate additions compliments the dry finish from the roasted malt, and the mouthfeel is perfect in providing a platform for all of these flavours to intertwine. This beer would be a perfect accompaniment to a dessert, or for moments when you want a sweet treat but would rather have it in liquid form. Definitely recommended, along with any of Saltaire Brewery's magnificent range.

Until next time....

Session #62: What Drives Beer Bloggers?

Good morning all. The sun is shining here in Devon and I've got beer-related plans over the Easter weekend that will cause me to be away from the blog for a couple of days, so I thought I would participate in my first Session. How it works is a particular topic is chosen or a question is posed three weeks in advance of the first Friday of each month, then on the day beer bloggers around the world are invited to post their views on that topic. I've seen various posts over the last year or so but never felt like participating until today, as I feel this month's topic is a very pertinent one in the world of blogging- what drives beer bloggers? I read a couple of interesting and succinct perspectives when I signed in earlier (here and here), which has given me the motivation to comment on this issue. This month's Session is hosted by Alan at Brewpublic. 

I started this blog in July last year with the intention of posting about various interests and hobbies that preoccupied my time. I had been introduced to the joys of "real ale" during my second year of uni after spending my formative drinking years necking pints of mass-produced adjunct lager, but I still wasn't so enamored with the stuff that I would happily devote hours to seeking out different beers, attending "meet the brewer" events and determining what made each beer so interesting. Fast forward to late June last year and my first visit to London solely for beer. I had devised a nice route taking in all the pubs that would soon become firm favourites (Cask, Craft Beer Co, Euston Tap, The Draft House Tower Bridge, The Dean Swift, The Rake, not in that order though for obvious geographical reasons), and once I had returned from that weekend, I knew I would never look at beer in the same way again. It sounds incredibly clichéd, but after I found out there was that much flavour and variety on offer I realised I had found a new pastime. Since then a relatively short amount of time has passed, but my passion for beer has never waned. I actively seek out new offerings from my favourite breweries and rising hopefuls, I enjoy reading about brewing processes and I always seem to find an excuse to talk about beer, regardless of whether or not people actually want to listen! I used to use social networking sites like Facebook to keep people updated on beers that I was trying, but it wasn't until December that I decided to take the plunge and start reviewing them. I used the format of the advent calendar to discuss a new beer each day in the run up to Christmas and enjoyed the experience so much that I decided to continue the reviews.

I have no delusions about my blog- it's my own personal account of beers that I'm fortunate enough to try and it gives me the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions with others in a friendly and honest worldwide forum. I know there are thousands of people out there doing what I'm doing (and doing it much better), but that's more exciting than daunting as it shows just how many people are willing to go against the grain and defy the blanket adverting of large breweries trying to convince you their product is in some way superior. Breweries like Mikkeller, BrewDog, Magic Rock, The Kernel and countless others don't need billboards to attract people, they know the beers will be enough to bring dedicated drinkers to the pubs. If you brew it, they will come, so to speak. I'm not trying to be the next Pete Brown or Mark Dredge, I just enjoy beer with a genuine and unending passion, and that's why I continue to blog about beer. What continues to drive me to blog is how much I learn from each beer, and how much I can learn from communicating with others about their own experiences and perspectives. Tasting is such a subjective process despite each style having characteristic flavours and aromas, so hearing what other people get from a beer and trying to find that yourself is part of what makes it so rewarding. I'd also like to do more posts related to the brewing industry or the business side of brewing as it's an area I'm not particularly well-versed in, but at the moment I'm simply too busy to get into it fully.

Apologies for the long post, I didn't realise I would have so much to say on this matter! I'll definitely try and do more of these Sessions in the future though as they help to clarify my obsession and might help others to understand why I'm so crazy about beer. Thanks for reading!

Until next time....

De Struise Brouwers Black Albert

Good evening all. Last night I carried out my nocturnal ritual of perusing my cellar for a brief moment, questioning which libation I felt like contemplating that evening. I say for a moment, because in the end the choice was fairly obvious- Black Albert, an Imperial Stout from De Struise Brouwers in Belgium. I had this beer on draft at the Cask Pub & Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and loved it, so I felt like comparing my memories of that beer to the bottled offering. I was having a very good day when I visited the Cask, so I was also hoping it wasn't simply due to circumstance that I liked the beer so much. Review after the pic....

Black Albert (13.0% ABV) pours a deep black colour with a thick off-white head that retains itself on the surface of the beer throughout drinking. The aroma is more subdued than what I was expecting, with blackcurrants, raisins, candy sugar, chocolate, coffee, licorice and a sweetness similar to lactose sugar. The coffee and chocolate hit the olfactories first, with the dark fruits becoming apparent soon after. The taste is  quite boozy/alcoholic and is composed of chocolate, coffee, blackcurrants, cream and roasted malt, with a piquancy during drinking that leads to a dark chocolate bitterness in the finish. The aftertaste is quite sweet, reminiscent of candy floss. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated. Overall, a very good imperial stout with plenty of roasted malt character, an underlying fruitiness and a smooth, slightly bitter finish. On draft the sweetness came across a lot more, so either a bit of time behind it seems to take this aspect down to allow the fruity flavours and aromas to become more detectable, or the extra carbonation amplifies the sweetness more. Who knows, but in the end both are just as good as each other, just slightly different beasts. Highly recommended in either format.

Until next time....

Augustiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell

Good evening all. Today I received an order from Beers of Europe (http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/), which prompted me to shake things up a bit and do a video review. I was never intending to do any video reviews on this blog, but the reason for that initial view was not out of lack of confidence in front of the camera but was actually due to a problem I've been wrestling with for the last 10 years or so. For those who don't know me, I have a moderate stammer that manifests itself as speech blocks and frequent moments of speech disfluency during speaking, which has lead to be feeling more comfortable describing things using text as opposed to through the spoken word. I've tried a couple of video reviews over the last months and was generally dissatisfied with my performance in them, but today I decided to give it a proper go and put up the results regardless. Based on this I apologise in advance for the potential lack of coherency, it is completely unintentional and genuinely cannot be helped. Also, the sign off was interrupted by my dog excitedly greeting a visitor, so I'll have to pick my moments more carefully next time! As for the lighting, I'll pick a better room or close the blind as the beer colour wasn't as apparent in retrospect. I hope you all enjoy the review and hopefully as I get more comfortable with this format the problem won't be as noticeable. The beer in question was Augustiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell, a Helles Lager from Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG. Review in the video below....

Until next time....

BrewDog/Three Floyds Bitch Please Islay Cask

Good afternoon all. Being back at home for various holidays is always great fun, as it allows me to catch up with old friends, reminisce about the halcyon days and drink a lot of good beer. Naturally there's the underlying theme of completing coursework and revising for exams, but right now I'm in the first week of the Easter break so that's not really phasing me. Onto the beer now, and last night I decided to have a special release from a brewery whose sole intention seems to be to bankrupt me over the course of this month with all of the new beers they're bringing out. That's right, it's the scamps at BrewDog with Bitch Please Islay Cask, a barley wine made in collaboration with Three Floyds that's spent the last 18 months residing patiently in Laphroaig casks. Unfortunately I don't have a bottle of the original Bitch Please, that spent 8 months in Jura casks, to compare to this new offering, but I was able to try it last year and it was very interesting indeed. One can only hope that this will take the experience to another level, so let's see what it was like. Review after the pic....

Bitch Please Islay Cask (13.5% ABV) pours a dark red colour with an off-white head that retains itself well throughout drinking. The aroma is pretty incredible, with peated malt, smoke, candy sugar, tobacco and a hoppy fruitiness in the background. If anyone reading is a pipe smoker, it smells exactly like Cornell & Diehl's "Epiphany" with the plum notes and underlying sweetness. The taste is slightly medicinal- just like Laphroaig- with peat, candy sugar, hoppy citrus fruits, blackcurrants and some sweetness. The finish is warming and lingers long after drinking, and there's a slight alcoholic burn that cuts through the other flavours without being too imposing. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated despite the high ABV percentage. Overall, another great offering/collaboration from BrewDog- the sweet, fruity and hoppy barley wine base works very well with the generous helping of peaty, medicinal Islay whisky, offering an interesting dichotomy. The mouthfeel elevates the flavours and the finish is velvety smooth with a decent amount of intensity. Highly recommended, get it whilst you can!

Until next time....

#IMPOFF Reviews

Good evening all. Yesterday was #IMPOFF, a blogging/Twitter event in recognition of the imperial stout beer style. I won't go into the specifics of the event (they can be found here: http://beersay.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/clash-of-the-titans-impoff/) but I managed to pick two choices that weren't even featured in the recommended list of stouts, despite having one of them in the cellar. I ended up having two imperial stouts, and have chosen to review them both in one post. The first was Hel & Verdoemenis Wild Turkey B.A., an Imperial Stout barrel-aged in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels from Brouwerij De Molen. Review after the pic....

Hel & Verdoemenis Wild Turkey B.A. (13.0% ABV) pours a dark black colour with no head formed during or after pouring. There's an alcoholic "halo" around the inside of the glass from the bourbon, good looking stuff! The aroma is fairly boozy, with sweet dark fruits (raisins), candy sugar and licorice. The bourbon is very noticeable but it's not too hard to delve beyond the initial burst of alcohol to reveal the stout aromas. The flavour is composed of yeast extract, bourbon, dark fruits, a hint of coffee, some chocolate and  a candy sugar sweetness, with a creamy aftertaste to the finish but no discernible bitterness. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin- the bourbon seems to vaporise during drinking which diminishes the mouthfeel- and there is virtually no carbonation present. Overall, a very impressive imperial stout that packs a lot of dark fruit and roasted malt flavours, with the barrel-ageing providing a good alcoholic kick without being too imposing. I'd definitely get this again, despite the slightly high price for such a small serving. 

The next stout was Jahva from Southern Tier Brewing Company, an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee. Based on my last experience with a Southern Tier stout (Creme Brulee) I was expecting good things. Review after the pic....

Jahva (10.6% ABV) pours a dark black colour with an off-white head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. The aroma is incredibly subtle, with roasted malt, coffee, blackcurrants, a hint of tobacco and a light sweetness. If I had a blindfold on, I could probably mistake this for a milk stout, it's that subdued. The taste is composed of yeast extract, lactose sugar, dark fruits, chocolate and some piquancy from the coffee, with a light bitterness in the finish and a candy floss sweetness to the aftertaste. Most of the flavour comes out in the finish or the aftertaste as opposed to during drinking, which is nice to some extent but somehow unfulfilling. The mouthfeel is slightly thick with moderate carbonation. Overall, a decent imperial stout that is very drinkable but not as impressive or assertive as I was hoping. The flavours and aromas are very subdued, which left me quite disappointed. I might get this beer again to see if I was just unlucky, or if what I experienced is indicative of this particular offering. 

Until next time....