tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33164837665482250232024-03-14T10:07:36.304+00:00Misplaced HoursThis blog is devoted to beer reviews, from artisanal craft beer to "real ale" and everything in between. Expect plenty of hops, malt, yeast and water, and a dash of pontificationElliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-2801676516754679712013-12-24T22:59:00.002+00:002013-12-24T22:59:31.494+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 24- Bristol Beer Factory Double Milk Stout<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. The big day is only hours away, so I've decided to break out quite a special stout for the penultimate beer of this year's advent calendar. It's Double Milk Stout, an Imperial Milk Stout from Bristol Beer Factory. This was meant to be in last year's 12 Stouts of Christmas collection but it wasn't quite ready at the time and so has finally been unveiled this year after a fair time spent in Speyside whisky barrels. Review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKrsaY5sVPexusIztxyfYiBbj97eHWoGhYwf7kEVnIAhYx2HbtDolKxQ6hGyeRoQLCAIr2o4EHIic9YXKcw6TzaHiM8v2IOJdN9NQh6AoGhDymjWUY08hUOh7t9CxuaYt_2v6kRYnXko/s1600/2013-12-24+21.49.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKrsaY5sVPexusIztxyfYiBbj97eHWoGhYwf7kEVnIAhYx2HbtDolKxQ6hGyeRoQLCAIr2o4EHIic9YXKcw6TzaHiM8v2IOJdN9NQh6AoGhDymjWUY08hUOh7t9CxuaYt_2v6kRYnXko/s400/2013-12-24+21.49.10.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Double Milk Stout</b> (7.0% ABV) pours a jet-black colour with a short-lived off-white head. The aroma is very light, with lactose, roasted malt and some very subtle hints of coffee and chocolate. Drinking the beer is also a very balanced and nuanced experience, with lactose, coffee, milk chocolate, a touch of Speyside sweetness, smoked malt peatiness and some tartness in the finish. Mouthfeel is on the thick side with some light carbonation, which is perfect for what's on show. Incredibly smooth and drinkable, get a bottle of this whilst you still can!</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-25539643026974020272013-12-23T22:16:00.000+00:002013-12-23T22:18:14.232+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 23- Northern Monk Brew Co Strannik Imperial Stout<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer is another imperial stout, which is very fitting considering the awful weather we've been experiencing down in Devon; it's Strannik Imperial Stout from Northern Monk Brew Co (Bradford, UK). Review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3XBr0vPJ0YEPsow0-Pc5u-TRXtNeoFCejjThT9v69xTNo0ZmbKCzwPoAmOMVs8mEUmlskCSNhcxKU8hW4E5aP17_aYNT2VkqDhdX5bQ2eCsriG9Agz0PSMgZIGc2snrCeFF8dkG1-aQ/s1600/2013-12-23+21.49.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3XBr0vPJ0YEPsow0-Pc5u-TRXtNeoFCejjThT9v69xTNo0ZmbKCzwPoAmOMVs8mEUmlskCSNhcxKU8hW4E5aP17_aYNT2VkqDhdX5bQ2eCsriG9Agz0PSMgZIGc2snrCeFF8dkG1-aQ/s400/2013-12-23+21.49.43.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Strannik Imperial Stout</b> (9.0% ABV) pours a jet-black colour with a thick off-white head that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer. Lovely rich aroma with chocolate, coffee, caramel, soy sauce and some light hops in the background. Oily mouthfeel and quite a bitter drinking experience, with chocolate, coffee, smoked malt, soy and some tartness in the finish. Definitely a sipper as this can start cloying very quickly, but the alcohol is well-hidden. Decent beer, not as spectacular as I was hoping for but still worth a try.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-13647894126055537902013-12-22T21:44:00.002+00:002013-12-22T21:44:53.265+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 22- Bristol Beer Factory Belgian Conspiracy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Belgian Conspiracy, a Belgian Golden Ale from Arb... sorry, Bristol Beer Factory! From the looks of things it's going to deliver some American hop power and a healthy dose of Belgian yeast, so I'm definitely looking forward to it! Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yh_b24az8oGo4BZxEsRzZxTkn7-w9hq7msx6S0foeLydd-jqFMlixZE7iovclxclPibFc8ZXrS9SUJ9EQDREMyGle-gp0_7QIVW8gs_OKMKvNdqZ6njJ4ASgee0yhyphenhyphenZ42HdqbsuIZUA/s1600/2013-12-22+21.23.06+HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yh_b24az8oGo4BZxEsRzZxTkn7-w9hq7msx6S0foeLydd-jqFMlixZE7iovclxclPibFc8ZXrS9SUJ9EQDREMyGle-gp0_7QIVW8gs_OKMKvNdqZ6njJ4ASgee0yhyphenhyphenZ42HdqbsuIZUA/s400/2013-12-22+21.23.06+HDR.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Belgian Conspiracy </b>(7.5% ABV) pours a golden colour with a decent white head that maintains itself over the duration of the beer. Aroma is a mix of sulfurous malt and very light Belgian yeast character, with some grassy hops in the background (the odd citrus note is also present). Drinking the beer is when the Belgian yeast makes itself known, with plenty of spice, esters and a nice bitter kick from the hops. Once the bitterness has subsided some grapefruit flavours are noticeable in the finish. The aroma of this beer initially put me off (typical golden ale smell of sulfur and biscuits) but the taste more than makes up for it which is certainly a good thing! Not their best but still worth a try.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-1470881132450422452013-12-21T22:39:00.000+00:002013-12-21T22:39:04.882+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 21- De Struise Brouwers Black Damnation IV - Coffee Club<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. The big day is almost upon us, so I feel it's time to break out a few of the big guns. Tonight's beer is Black Damnation IV- Coffee Club, an Imperial Stout from De Struise Brouwers (Oostvleteren, Belgium). This is a rum barrel aged version of Black Albert, and if it's anything like Mocha Bomb or Black Mes then I'm in for a real treat! Review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoqqCFApgCk5R9euZiocpROq741FFkMOFwDbZ277-7yMwPbYnh3kq44okxeoQkrPgTSrfeya-m8JOSJIXQatzwH9qtWP2mVyR2dvn6DCo7Hk1v0-Q5_RxL9QvJrwWA_giN7p10JeeczA/s1600/2013-12-21+20.23.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoqqCFApgCk5R9euZiocpROq741FFkMOFwDbZ277-7yMwPbYnh3kq44okxeoQkrPgTSrfeya-m8JOSJIXQatzwH9qtWP2mVyR2dvn6DCo7Hk1v0-Q5_RxL9QvJrwWA_giN7p10JeeczA/s400/2013-12-21+20.23.17.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Black Damnation IV- Coffee Club</b> (13.0% ABV) pours a jet-black colour with a thick brown head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. Surprisingly light yet rich aroma, with caramel, licorice, oak, chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, molasses and a hint of rum in the background. The Belgian yeast imparts a fair bit of effervescence during drinking, and mingles nicely with the chocolate, raspberry, coffee, rum and caramel on show. The alcohol is worryingly unnoticeable during drinking but does warm up the chest slightly in the finish. Very light body (probably a result of the yeast and the candy sugar), making this a ridiculously drinkable imperial stout. Highly recommended!</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-46170592020560872762013-12-20T23:44:00.000+00:002013-12-20T23:44:08.497+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 20- Rocket Science Ales Jupiter<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer is from a brewery that I've never encountered before, picked up during my recent visit to Favourite Beers in Cheltenham. It's Jupiter, an Imperial IPA from Rocket Science Ales (Yate, UK). Review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDqbh7WX71aELpe0jyYt0OeCtg6T_Gu12Xj-qglvm1TgzIy_T6EcffYUuyJ6Jeomtk8DR1TxlUN8Z9aJPAE_BjnznMBPW65GFR6Ign-CzRKGKKuVIFmNbYPsAixlVjTZIQuPHnumPbB4/s1600/2013-12-20+20.34.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDqbh7WX71aELpe0jyYt0OeCtg6T_Gu12Xj-qglvm1TgzIy_T6EcffYUuyJ6Jeomtk8DR1TxlUN8Z9aJPAE_BjnznMBPW65GFR6Ign-CzRKGKKuVIFmNbYPsAixlVjTZIQuPHnumPbB4/s400/2013-12-20+20.34.23.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Jupiter</b> (8.5% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a bubbly "cask-style" white head. Great aroma with resin, grapefruit and some honey sweetness supporting everything in the background. Drinking the beer delivers a similar tropical fruit whack, with resin, pine, grapefruit, mango and caramel. The hops pack a pleasing bitterness that can cloy if you're not too careful, which is harder than it sounds when considering the flavours on show. Solid DIPA, I'll be looking out for more beers from this brewery in the future.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-17148084796026330602013-12-19T23:25:00.001+00:002013-12-19T23:25:11.705+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 19- Celt Experience/Master of Hoppets Danish Monster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer is a collaboration between The Celt Experience (Caerphilly, Wales) and YouTube beer reviewer Master of Hoppets; it's a lemon-infused IPA made as part of their Shape-Shifter series and you can find the review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV5JAJraR3EWk__kgjpza17cAVNSx4Rv7RdCQrOFYKMwHwHbf0AlWyFf4jIh0EdYkkxb5nUyOkH8srViRgnahqoSglgtFgKOxl8BIGriCICugi9rAbHpwdJq4goF4og9ptA8dx3OnCPg/s1600/2013-12-19+22.50.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV5JAJraR3EWk__kgjpza17cAVNSx4Rv7RdCQrOFYKMwHwHbf0AlWyFf4jIh0EdYkkxb5nUyOkH8srViRgnahqoSglgtFgKOxl8BIGriCICugi9rAbHpwdJq4goF4og9ptA8dx3OnCPg/s400/2013-12-19+22.50.31.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Danish Monster</b> (6.2% ABV) pours a light amber colour with a short-lived white head that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer. Straight out of the bottle the aroma smacked me in the face with fruity hops, honey and a hint of sulfur in the background. The hops alternate between grassy and tropical fruits, and sometimes a bit of resin comes through. Malty sweetness and grapefruit hit first during drinking, segueing nicely into the lemon/citrus notes before the hoppy bitterness takes over and lingers in the finish. This can be slightly cloying, but overall it's a very drinkable beer with a very satisfying hop blast.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-78364285284592654092013-12-18T23:08:00.003+00:002013-12-19T22:24:27.052+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 18 and Day 15 Reprised- Arbor Ale Sauvin Non-Blanc and Wild Beer Co Whiskebeest<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Steve over at <a href="http://beersiveknown.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beers I've Known</a> very rightly called me out on my lack of reviews for the days I listed in yesterday's post so to rectify this I've decided to review two beers today, which should officially get me back on track with this year's shambolic advent calendar. Tonight's beers are Sauvin Non-Blanc, a Bière de Garde/Saison from Arbor Ales (Bristol, UK), and Whiskebeest, a barrel aged Imperial Stout from Wild Beer Co. (Somerset, UK). Review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWuGlVZ4dO0_-V32YrcpuYOWsyj3bRuctDfAOQaW5U6iLQ7H6VvNAdjufSrDA25PPYljDxpJ7A27Wi7AcTf1QHs9V_SacA5zDEnuPjomqAMZgqKRzFerprLRi8PodivoRWG7CexyKb5k/s1600/2013-12-18+20.43.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWuGlVZ4dO0_-V32YrcpuYOWsyj3bRuctDfAOQaW5U6iLQ7H6VvNAdjufSrDA25PPYljDxpJ7A27Wi7AcTf1QHs9V_SacA5zDEnuPjomqAMZgqKRzFerprLRi8PodivoRWG7CexyKb5k/s400/2013-12-18+20.43.00.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Sauvin Non-Blanc </b>(6.0% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a white foam that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer. Plenty of Belgian yeast character in the aroma, along with funk, vinous notes from the Nelson Sauvin hops, pear drops and some candy sugar sweetness. On the palette the malty presence is more dominant, with esters, apple, funk, sherbert, malt sweetness and a light hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is quite thick, which compliments everything very well. Top beer, get it whilst you can!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNY-USzbJcARiTSrOw1kvFXXbh0Z9ieYqsS7Cb6oJj35G8rmEODat6yOz_kYUSEHTPrPZIzAZYvWdcM5RchLLHHKM8A87q6fKEtV-K0s2v6MslMrQj_karFlTfGVhkQptxhqZaxjOKPo/s1600/2013-12-18+21.34.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNY-USzbJcARiTSrOw1kvFXXbh0Z9ieYqsS7Cb6oJj35G8rmEODat6yOz_kYUSEHTPrPZIzAZYvWdcM5RchLLHHKM8A87q6fKEtV-K0s2v6MslMrQj_karFlTfGVhkQptxhqZaxjOKPo/s400/2013-12-18+21.34.44.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Whiskebeest</b> (12.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a very short lived off-white head. Loads of smoked malt in the aroma from the barrel ageing, accompanied by coffee, dark chocolate, licorice, yeast extract and some caramelised sweetness. This richness continues during drinking, with whisky, soy sauce, yeast extract, acetone and some tartness in the finish. Good beer, but the mouthfeel is a bit too thin and doesn't quite cut through the qualities imparted by the barrel ageing enough. </div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-36913112421773218612013-12-17T23:14:00.000+00:002013-12-17T23:14:18.669+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 15, 16 and 17- BrewDog Santa Paws and Salopian Black Ops<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's post should be a triple bill to cover the recently lapsed days, but criminally I don't actually have any pics or tasting notes for the beers I consumed on Sunday (Sierra Nevada's Brux and Three Floyds/Brouwerij De Molen Zes Zes Zes) so you'll have to be content with the idea that they were very good indeed! The other two have been documented so you can enjoy my musings of BrewDog's Santa Paws and Salopian's Black Ops below. Review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxaCwHTCS4lYj1vAmizp-sJF5b2sRHQW6aDst08rDApX1-cbSHfIEJZur-0ecyWlbf_-jI9VSvxaNrvEY_Upm9KGIqpx2HuPOEcoWbGaPGVeBKsLNcWCEUZIjF_5nL4rDEC-vsLBY9_A/s1600/2013-12-16+20.46.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxaCwHTCS4lYj1vAmizp-sJF5b2sRHQW6aDst08rDApX1-cbSHfIEJZur-0ecyWlbf_-jI9VSvxaNrvEY_Upm9KGIqpx2HuPOEcoWbGaPGVeBKsLNcWCEUZIjF_5nL4rDEC-vsLBY9_A/s400/2013-12-16+20.46.46.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Santa Paws</b> (4.5% ABV) pours a ruby colour with a frothy off-white head that maintains itself during drinking. Not a lot going on with the aroma, predominantly roasted malt and a hint of caramelised sweetness but these aren't as powerful as I was hoping for. The taste continues this theme with caramel, a hint of yeast extract and some light hops coming out in the finish. The mouthfeel is quite watery which adds a further downer to the drinking experience. Not their best beer and not one that I'd recommend.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjWC9pOWSXGIUe1lyPtATFZPiJ_Sfm5R-vPahu99szz-uPTj2nUVyAFDACcOJHckHGAldjPkOwqmN_immOJshvDIwgvALvzGj6UMgE3Vx98CCBss42WC1_cm5wD0cUaIFa0olxc0fB80/s1600/2013-12-17+21.25.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjWC9pOWSXGIUe1lyPtATFZPiJ_Sfm5R-vPahu99szz-uPTj2nUVyAFDACcOJHckHGAldjPkOwqmN_immOJshvDIwgvALvzGj6UMgE3Vx98CCBss42WC1_cm5wD0cUaIFa0olxc0fB80/s400/2013-12-17+21.25.43.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Black Ops </b>(7.4% ABV) pours a pitch-black colour with a thick off-white head that settles to a film over the surface of the beer. Fantastic aroma with grapefruit, mango, caramel, licorice and roasted malt mingling together superbly. Fortunately the taste delivers on all that the aroma promises, with tropical fruits, coffee, licorice and some resinous notes. Juicy mouthfeel and virtually no bitterness in the finish, this is a top beer that I'd happily get again.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-12392180656076182712013-12-14T23:16:00.002+00:002013-12-14T23:16:34.648+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 13 and 14- Bristol Beer Factory Whisky and Bourbon Cask Imperial Stouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. I'm back with another double beer review to make up for my lackadaisical blogging. Tonight's post is rather special as it's a double teaming from Bristol Beer Factory in the form of Whisky and Bourbon barrel-aged incarnations of their imperial stout, produced as part of last year's "12 Stouts of Christmas" collection. Unfortunately BBF aren't producing a similar series of stouts this year, so I thought it would be a fitting tribute to finally get round to trying these beers during this year's advent calendar. Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX9iqXJS9VF9XuuKJUhJOwUUYlMAjnfZOSXDTZ0JIPUIZM2OMvKzqulApj-MPFDsWTLPwRjzANAw58656iGsQ6ubcnV7KZ6ErzbZU1Z36_FAod8P34wOOMUL3ypsGgWeIOtd1C9LZdYs/s1600/2013-12-14+20.37.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX9iqXJS9VF9XuuKJUhJOwUUYlMAjnfZOSXDTZ0JIPUIZM2OMvKzqulApj-MPFDsWTLPwRjzANAw58656iGsQ6ubcnV7KZ6ErzbZU1Z36_FAod8P34wOOMUL3ypsGgWeIOtd1C9LZdYs/s400/2013-12-14+20.37.48.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Whisky Cask </b>(10.5% ABV) pours a jet-black colour with a short-lived caramel coloured head. Lovely rich aroma with yeast extract, licorice, coffee, dark chocolate and some whisky residing in the background. The whisky comes out a lot more during drinking, imparting some light alcohol character which mingles nicely with the oily mouthfeel. Great beer and a further reminder of how much the 12 stouts collection is missed this year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQctXJ3ZOKHZhK-6FUaLIkAniyw-9rjiTfSScCbCoiCaZ-WhpTNg0OMGDLELB_1BktHMpsALTN_MU8Ig6y7A9rjgcJ-lNVNmpgYf00wBFOWiRT4OQZDDwCcJefdoYrm2HYor25Jh7MCmw/s1600/2013-12-14+22.23.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQctXJ3ZOKHZhK-6FUaLIkAniyw-9rjiTfSScCbCoiCaZ-WhpTNg0OMGDLELB_1BktHMpsALTN_MU8Ig6y7A9rjgcJ-lNVNmpgYf00wBFOWiRT4OQZDDwCcJefdoYrm2HYor25Jh7MCmw/s400/2013-12-14+22.23.48.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Bourbon Cask</b> (10.5% ABV) pours much the same but with a slightly lighter head. Vanilla bourbon and yeast extract aroma (great combination when they mix together!) and plenty of licorice. Lovely rich bourbon flavour with oak, licorice, caramelised sugar and yeast extract in the background. Similar balance of flavours to the Whisky Cask, mouthfeel has a bit more carbonation to it which is certainly complimentary. A pair of excellent beers!</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-44011941420410657552013-12-12T23:04:00.000+00:002013-12-12T23:04:15.542+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 12- Anarchy Sublime Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. For the first time in a while I'm doing an advent calendar post on the corresponding day, quite the rarity indeed! Tonight's beer is Sublime Chaos, a Stout from Anarchy (Northumberland, UK) brewed with Ethiopian coffee beans and New Zealand hops. Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEcbkpVvxhkZNcnaI_sXRl1NYBK36kwPamg_tF12BtLnNvTEgvPXoAAcv0ZHX3I53lZm0eAvqspQGqg70EJkMMMBZy8PqnXCOpDWL1Do2LpArozauFuVj_5K_kHPm21xKkjrhEnq9fH0/s1600/2013-12-12+21.56.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEcbkpVvxhkZNcnaI_sXRl1NYBK36kwPamg_tF12BtLnNvTEgvPXoAAcv0ZHX3I53lZm0eAvqspQGqg70EJkMMMBZy8PqnXCOpDWL1Do2LpArozauFuVj_5K_kHPm21xKkjrhEnq9fH0/s400/2013-12-12+21.56.52.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Sublime Chaos</b> (7.0% ABV) pours a jet-black colour with a thick off-white head that maintains itself throughout drinking. Lovely piquant coffee aroma supported by yeast extract, roasted malt and a hint of sweetness. The first sip of this beer is quite tart with the coffee dominating everything, but each subsequent sip is more balanced and allows the nuances of the beer to come through nicely- coffee, toasted notes, dark chocolate, caramel, licorice, some subtle hop character and a light tartness in the finish. Wasn't expecting much with this one but it turned out to be a very good offering, highly recommended.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-76575803611670287662013-12-11T23:18:00.001+00:002013-12-11T23:18:51.388+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 10 and 11- Van Eecke Poperings Hommelbier and Mikkeller Weizenbock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. The work Christmas party derailed my advent calendar plans last night, so here's another double post. Tonight we've got Poperings Hommelbier from Van Eecke (Poperinge-Watou, Belgium) and Weizenbock from Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark), respectively a Belgian Ale and (unsurprisingly) Weizen Bock. Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO2J58IxwqAL3Jn4D1Km4UyO79mtm-SXAqLIJxmXVeqp4Tmmmm-y_Un0rmggh7X__8MS74tokS6lsA1EUZwJ26qv6I04XOuHt2BoST7fmt95C_XSYtiD039zVAAG0yvoctFMirchJ4Ag/s1600/2013-12-11+20.47.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO2J58IxwqAL3Jn4D1Km4UyO79mtm-SXAqLIJxmXVeqp4Tmmmm-y_Un0rmggh7X__8MS74tokS6lsA1EUZwJ26qv6I04XOuHt2BoST7fmt95C_XSYtiD039zVAAG0yvoctFMirchJ4Ag/s400/2013-12-11+20.47.25.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Poperings Hommelbier </b>(7.5% ABV) pours a golden colour with a short-lived white head. Very heavy malt aroma accompanied by bittering hops, candy sugar, Belgian yeast and a hint of funk. Marzipan, esters, honey and a light alcohol burn during drinking, with a splash of hop-derived grapefruit coming out in the finish. Solid beer, wish I hadn't waited this long to try it!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I0oTVGn1IxrQGg6XX8GMpWEyIbboNhVN4cQUxePYAU1YhovmDXasmr9_Xhu0CJXWe-xqX-YGyQdKllPNJjpY2wNCal5cYxiSScQbr7h2XMPAtd55DLAMVgK31u12jaEwyhY_fCutNQ0/s1600/2013-12-11+22.18.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I0oTVGn1IxrQGg6XX8GMpWEyIbboNhVN4cQUxePYAU1YhovmDXasmr9_Xhu0CJXWe-xqX-YGyQdKllPNJjpY2wNCal5cYxiSScQbr7h2XMPAtd55DLAMVgK31u12jaEwyhY_fCutNQ0/s400/2013-12-11+22.18.29.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Weizenbock</b> (8.5% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a short-lived white head. Aroma is packed with wheat, candied fruits and caramel, whilst the taste is surprisingly light with the aforementioned aromas only noticeable through retrohaling. Mouthfeel could be thicker for this style of beer, but the alcohol content isn't noticeable. Wouldn't get it again, there are definitely much better examples of this beer style!</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-75277439289984849172013-12-09T23:03:00.002+00:002013-12-09T23:06:00.219+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 8 and Day 9- A Plethora of Bottles and Anchor Brewing Company Our Special Ale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Another lapse means another double-headed blog post; Day 8 didn't go quite as expected (see below) but Day 9 continues the tradition with <b>Our Special Ale</b> from Anchor Brewing Company (San Francisco, California). Tomorrow I'm fairly certain that I won't be able to do Day 10's post, so I'll see you all on Day 11 for yet another double bill! For now, review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ2bY8wD-HxMihKSqWnwEGZY6FIqQn48M1OgJf0JkPn2vV2Rv9_r4IDhoTUx3lRInQQ3QiJw4IfhbUmnBkR3Wfe-w6-weu-TN9T0-OzMR2XXHgrkPYL5t18I_FO0pzQ8ylVzf1uio0BI/s1600/2013-12-09+22.38.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ2bY8wD-HxMihKSqWnwEGZY6FIqQn48M1OgJf0JkPn2vV2Rv9_r4IDhoTUx3lRInQQ3QiJw4IfhbUmnBkR3Wfe-w6-weu-TN9T0-OzMR2XXHgrkPYL5t18I_FO0pzQ8ylVzf1uio0BI/s400/2013-12-09+22.38.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a long week of lab work (following on from two weeks of fieldwork) I slammed a load of beers with a mate to celebrate, so I'm going to let the pic speak for how Day 8 went- essentially the equivalent of opening multiple advent calendar windows in one go!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t-8Cjy39Z0uwmBKP2Bcd0X6rOUPkNqVqpMtUFmbrDHSHe2fuL0eZ9-SxYBRaDLtLvcZyiepM3iqIQT0k3twXt3t_MTYg_rqLQVAWoZ9bgdCYBYNRs2B6T0D3vNkz90w5Z1JQBOU0XNA/s1600/2013-12-09+22.39.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t-8Cjy39Z0uwmBKP2Bcd0X6rOUPkNqVqpMtUFmbrDHSHe2fuL0eZ9-SxYBRaDLtLvcZyiepM3iqIQT0k3twXt3t_MTYg_rqLQVAWoZ9bgdCYBYNRs2B6T0D3vNkz90w5Z1JQBOU0XNA/s400/2013-12-09+22.39.50.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Our Special Ale</b> (5.5% ABV) pours a ruby colour with a luscious tan head that maintains itself well throughout the course of drinking. The aroma is reminiscent of a scotch ale to some extent, with caramelised sweetness, light hoppiness and some raspberry kicking around in the background. Candy canes and candied fruits also spring to mind (quite the Christmas staple in my household whilst I was growing up). Candy sugar, roasted malt, nutmeg, allspice and some toasty notes during drinking, all wrapped up in a thick, velvety mouthfeel that prevents the flavours from cloying too much. A surprisingly complex beer that I'll certainly be looking out for again next Christmas.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-63406051948393301002013-12-07T23:15:00.001+00:002013-12-07T23:15:45.737+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 6 and 7- Buxton Brewery Smokey and the Band-Aid and Siren/Mikkeller/Hill Farmstead Limoncello IPA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. In what seems to be becoming a recurring trend I was unable to do an advent calendar post last night, so enjoy two reviews to make up for this second lapse. Tonight we've got Smokey and the Band-Aid and Limoncello IPA from Buxton Brewery (Buxton, UK) and Siren Craft Brewery (Berkshire, UK) respectively. The former is a smoked rye porter and the latter is a mental collaboration with Mikkeller and Hill Farmstead that aims to replicate the flavour of the eponymous Italian lemon liqueur, so let's get to it after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTThCghcKDQhAV7dzR45SaPSI_lzsepUzbX9tzV7Yl7WEhpi-vBMp-BCWWKkicJCJ1VeFeGycsYROIL33U7gGL8FgjDP6Pg6x64k9h3hbXemX1505mIdRjQOIhPhY7QgW-eOfxXq7So1c/s1600/2013-12-07+21.24.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTThCghcKDQhAV7dzR45SaPSI_lzsepUzbX9tzV7Yl7WEhpi-vBMp-BCWWKkicJCJ1VeFeGycsYROIL33U7gGL8FgjDP6Pg6x64k9h3hbXemX1505mIdRjQOIhPhY7QgW-eOfxXq7So1c/s400/2013-12-07+21.24.14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Smokey and the Band-Aid </b>(7.0% ABV) pours a jet-black colour with a short-lived cream coloured head. The aroma is predominantly phenolic smoked malt backed up by toasty notes, caramel and soy sauce. Tasting the beer there's some light tartness on the palate accompanied by smoked malt, yeast extract and a hint of sweetness in the finish. Good mouthfeel which supports the subdued flavours well, making this a very decent offering from an excellent brewery.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltNXXGX5Jx-OvFWEw4QdNVAI9CyPSyKreAqebqe1uY_J5d6BNhbwmhw9NYGgcT6lNusAihpkdQ-zaBIyDvk2ifN0gdbJ34zQ21KlG97HknTfNg-LuWlz935MFuiNtRAboTjTeYFtLxv4/s1600/2013-12-07+22.44.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltNXXGX5Jx-OvFWEw4QdNVAI9CyPSyKreAqebqe1uY_J5d6BNhbwmhw9NYGgcT6lNusAihpkdQ-zaBIyDvk2ifN0gdbJ34zQ21KlG97HknTfNg-LuWlz935MFuiNtRAboTjTeYFtLxv4/s400/2013-12-07+22.44.18.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Limoncello IPA</b> (9.1% ABV) pours a hazy golden colour with a white head that maintains itself during drinking. Light aroma with biscuit malt, flowery hops and a hint of lemon in the background. During drinking is when things get interesting, as the tartness builds in intensity whilst the lemon mixes nicely with the bitterness and citrus character of the hops. Unlike yeast-derived tartness, this amplifies during each sip and has a much longer finish. Very deceptive on the alcohol as well, and despite the sourness this is a surprisingly drinkable beer so be warned! Definitely a one-of-a-kind beer, seek it out and be amazed.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-91684811436498999702013-12-05T22:09:00.002+00:002013-12-05T22:09:13.983+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 5- Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs Spéciale Noël <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer has been in my collection since last Christmas but I'm only just getting around to drinking it- let's hope the extra storage time has paid off in some way. It's Spéciale Noël, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale from Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs (Honnelles, Belgium). This is one of the few overtly Christmas-themed beers that I'll be drinking for this year's advent calendar, so it might help me get into the festive spirit as it's been noticeably absent so far. Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV62F3M3IKy8VgfhpK1G4Nsptwr7ZjhXwSz6pL-ohV7Ymuoy5rsAHdd2ohWWmfAOy_JQi5lWyJqoO2I4o0bMY04N39QjU3MCnZuxmdrdSBDpZ4WzDKHgIGrIR7ARxMFEeKlKFk4MK_VY/s1600/2013-12-05+20.23.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV62F3M3IKy8VgfhpK1G4Nsptwr7ZjhXwSz6pL-ohV7Ymuoy5rsAHdd2ohWWmfAOy_JQi5lWyJqoO2I4o0bMY04N39QjU3MCnZuxmdrdSBDpZ4WzDKHgIGrIR7ARxMFEeKlKFk4MK_VY/s400/2013-12-05+20.23.49.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Spéciale Noël</b> (9.0% ABV) pours a murky copper colour with a short lived white head; unfortunately the yeast in the bottle is quite clumpy and so most of it ended up in the glass! The aroma is more subtle than I was expecting, with light esters, nuts, spice, candy sugar and some dark fruits. The nuttiness comes across significantly during drinking and in the finish, virtually obscuring any other flavours that might be on show aside from some acetone/alcoholic notes. Carbonation levels are also surprisingly low, which leads me to think that this might be a bad bottle. As a result I'm not massively impressed with this, but I might try and pick up another bottle in the future to confirm or deny my current opinion. </div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-3135701416382616952013-12-04T22:15:00.002+00:002013-12-04T22:15:54.183+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 3 and 4- Brouwerij De Molen Mühle & Bahnhof & Weird Beard/Northern Monk Bad Habit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Apologies for the lack of an advent calendar post yesterday- to compensate and catch up I'm going to do a back-to-back review of two beers which should sort everything out nicely. Tonight I've opted for Mühle & Bahnhof from Brouwerij De Molen (Bodegraven, The Netherlands) and Bad Habit from Weird Beard (London, UK) and Northern Monk (Bradford, UK), the former being a gose (sour wheat beer) and the latter being a hoppy tripel. This is certainly shaping up to be a good night of drinking, so let's get onto the reviews after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLOhdCW3CwNWSXl_Euwj9vll0fn4DIgORYsThRl34H0FvSnp23lF4lqqo4LpXasg52k0NYNVbnONMriPJAcw_I7fQSNym2yY0yHn0doChYuhbT7p74rG6ryziS5Rha5PsjLCBrTn-dzY/s1600/2013-12-04+20.27.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLOhdCW3CwNWSXl_Euwj9vll0fn4DIgORYsThRl34H0FvSnp23lF4lqqo4LpXasg52k0NYNVbnONMriPJAcw_I7fQSNym2yY0yHn0doChYuhbT7p74rG6ryziS5Rha5PsjLCBrTn-dzY/s400/2013-12-04+20.27.15.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Mühle & Bahnhof</b> (9.2% ABV) pours a dark copper colour with a very short-lived bubbly white head. On the nose there's lactic acid, caramel, oak and bourbon; the latter imparting a pleasing richness with some burnt notes in the background. In comparison the taste isn't particularly overpowering; the tartness is certainly on show (backed up by the barrel ageing) and there's a nice dose of alcohol in the background but nothing else is discernible until the sourness has subsided, leaving a malty finish with some lingering sweetness and a subtle hoppiness. Unusual but still well worth trying!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z5tCPG4q8x9STc6XEk7u-YydZnHyB1CBwUf3PnXbCpXLoBuOwwlvUa7GDtP6ZRh-ZoRYEUYqz6UoZysQCM3eygN2ReyS-e41-OMylkjlaia3gSOYICKQ6Oi9krOYQl_4HI6WjLTBf_8/s1600/2013-12-04+21.30.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z5tCPG4q8x9STc6XEk7u-YydZnHyB1CBwUf3PnXbCpXLoBuOwwlvUa7GDtP6ZRh-ZoRYEUYqz6UoZysQCM3eygN2ReyS-e41-OMylkjlaia3gSOYICKQ6Oi9krOYQl_4HI6WjLTBf_8/s400/2013-12-04+21.30.29.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Bad Habit </b>(8.6% ABV) pours a rich golden colour with tonnes of white head and a cascade of carbonation maintaining everything very nicely. The aroma is packed with Belgian yeast esters, marzipan, malt, funk and some fruity hops in the background. The hops kick up some bitterness and grape character, but the malt is the most dominant presence both during drinking and in the quite-dry finish, along with plenty of spice and a hint of that stank fonk. Great mouthfeel for the flavours on display though, making this a great example of a UK-brewed tripel from a couple of up-and-coming breweries. </div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-25903362127001772192013-12-02T21:40:00.000+00:002013-12-02T21:40:22.006+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 2- To Øl Yeastus Christus<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer is another offering from Copenhagen in the form of Yeastus Christus, a Saison from the gypsy brewers To Øl. Emblazoned with some very cool bottle art and being one of my favourite beer styles has certainly amped up the anticipation, so let's get to the review after the pic....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLV_8DqKF-SrQ3sXqFCttAxMwwNidOvB3iDZBlfP26Pgxsu5J5piCFzu3DF4YEIvxCMPXyGualrHvFDUPXZg8p2HG30zRJM-G8qZlfmGxIrByu3TM8m9VEPM0U0uAp6DxkMrFGx3Nku2g/s1600/2013-12-02+20.12.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLV_8DqKF-SrQ3sXqFCttAxMwwNidOvB3iDZBlfP26Pgxsu5J5piCFzu3DF4YEIvxCMPXyGualrHvFDUPXZg8p2HG30zRJM-G8qZlfmGxIrByu3TM8m9VEPM0U0uAp6DxkMrFGx3Nku2g/s400/2013-12-02+20.12.14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Yeastus Christus </b>(7.4% ABV) pours a hazy golden colour with a short-lived white head that dissipates to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. Loads of funk and vinous notes in the nose, with some light fruity hoppiness in the background creating an aroma similar to Fantôme Saison (which always reminds me of those Superted multi-vitamins they used to sell in the late 90s!). Tasting brings up ginger, cloves, funk and a subtle bitterness in the finish, all wrapped up in a thick mouthfeel that compliments the drinking experience. Another surprisingly relevant beer for the Christmas season, although I can't help but think that this beer would be slightly improved by some form of wine barrel ageing.</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-15365404046955672732013-12-01T20:11:00.002+00:002013-12-01T20:13:57.658+00:00Beer Advent Calendar 2013 Day 1- Mikkeller Crooked Moon Tattoo dIPA<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Good evening all. It's been quite some time since I wrote one of these blog posts and quite a lot has changed; I'm now living up in Nottingham working as an analytical chemist but still finding time to enjoy the finer beers in life, which has lead me to realise that it's already the first day of December and I should probably try and do another beer advent calendar at the very least. I haven't intentionally sourced any of the beers that I'll be reviewing and I'll probably be a bit rusty for the first few, but it's a good excuse to drink a beer a day in the run-up to Christmas. First up is <b>Crooked Moon Tattoo dIPA</b>, a double IPA from Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). Review after the pic....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJ8MQ6g_BAnWEjw9envdQkJJg2WVUbqPk5hfFFN8rIp3vzh3Xyl9aMg9x6G549JzvaERRnKsjuY9RXFYafn_vDLcp7KDRoTZhjICsRJ8XqShST2ynvMzMSHFfS3RTy8J3K12NsqlXW0U/s1600/2013-12-01+19.45.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJ8MQ6g_BAnWEjw9envdQkJJg2WVUbqPk5hfFFN8rIp3vzh3Xyl9aMg9x6G549JzvaERRnKsjuY9RXFYafn_vDLcp7KDRoTZhjICsRJ8XqShST2ynvMzMSHFfS3RTy8J3K12NsqlXW0U/s400/2013-12-01+19.45.55.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Crooked Moon Tattoo dIPA </b>(9.0% ABV) pours a hazy orange/sunset colour with an inch of head that maintains itself well over the course of the beer. The nose is more subtle than I was expecting but still packs a decent amount of grapefruit, caramel, pine, some vinous notes and a hint of funk in the background. The hops eventually show themselves during drinking, with plenty of tropical fruits, lip-smacking bitterness and enough sweetness to balance everything out. Great mouthfeel and conditioning on this one too, making it dangerously drinkable- mine certainly didn't last long! Another solid DIPA from the ever-consistent Mikkeller, with enough resinous quality to ease anyone into the Christmas spirit!</div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-10391650320658550222013-01-30T21:49:00.002+00:002013-01-30T21:56:47.544+00:00BrewDog/Beavertown Brewery Catherine's Pony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Tonight's beer is <b>Catherine's Pony</b>, an imperial smoked porter collaboration between BrewDog (Fraserburgh, Scotland) and Beavertown Brewery (London, UK). It's been over a month since my last review and I was intending to make the introduction to my first post of 2013 witty and engrossing; however, after a few failed attempts I've decided to give up and jump straight into the proceedings. I reviewed this beer with my good friend Jamie "Bidds" Bidwell (who you may remember from the video reviews I've posted in the past), so I've compiled our thoughts and presented them in the trusty capsule review format for maximum coherency. Enjoy, and I'll make sure my next review comes along sooner! Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LXSkwxSGucCb8UHTiXru4Z91ypl-LV8ZhggkkIuWreTRmBy2Pd4Mzi_9C8QHCPpvWX_tvn8SEOdppyRzux845lwrugty5brY_GFRqaeSjj_2zpRNtKCwoQoZdxxB_FRx59b4XvQCV3w/s1600/2013-01-28+21.46.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LXSkwxSGucCb8UHTiXru4Z91ypl-LV8ZhggkkIuWreTRmBy2Pd4Mzi_9C8QHCPpvWX_tvn8SEOdppyRzux845lwrugty5brY_GFRqaeSjj_2zpRNtKCwoQoZdxxB_FRx59b4XvQCV3w/s400/2013-01-28+21.46.57.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>ABV: </b>8.8%</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Appearance</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jet black with a ruby hue, thick light brown head that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Aroma</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Elliott: </b>Dark fruits (blackcurrant), lactose sugar, coffee, cocoa powder, roasted malt. Smokiness not intense, milk stout quality, fruitiness adds nice tartness to mix, toasty notes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Bidds:</b> Rich fruits, light smokiness, faint coffee, dark malt</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Taste</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Elliott: </b>Smoked malt, aftertaste of coffee (piquant, toasty), smokiness has tartness along sides of the mouth. Flavours linger on in the finish but begin to cloy after a while, alcohol not noticeable. Some burnt sugar, light fruits now and again (raisins, blackcurrant), yeast extract, licorice.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Bidds: </b>Smokiness, not as rich as expecting, coffee present as roasted quality (prior to being brewed), long finish, aftertaste of coffee (more powerful than during drinking), quite an intense experience.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Mouthfeel</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Elliott:</b> Slightly thick, moderate carbonation, not immensely drinkable due to smokiness but combination does suit flavour profile.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Bidds:</b> Harshness, light alcoholic burn, similarity to Merlot</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Verdict</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Elliott:</b> Decent beer; slightly one-dimensional with regards to the piquant smokiness, which becomes overpowering on a couple of occasions, but still an interesting offering despite this. Could do with some more balance to let the subdued porter flavours dilute the smoked malt power. Interested in seeing how this develops and mellows over time. Worth trying once, but I'd choose something like Mikkeller's Beer Geek Bacon or De Molen's Bloed, Zweet & Tranen over this as I personally feel the smoked malt needs the sort of powerful counterbalance you'd find in an imperial stout as opposed to a porter. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Jamie</b>: Would drink again, but not number one choice. Depends on context; good if you want a beer with a strong kick to it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-39370443861549875792012-12-25T22:54:00.001+00:002012-12-25T22:55:57.949+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 25- St. Bernardus Brouwerij Christmas Ale<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all, and Merry Christmas! I didn't drink that much this time round- in fact, I didn't even get to open the Mikkeller Red/White Christmas magnum that I bought for the family due to mutual fatigue in the aftermath of a titanic dinner- so in lieu of a compilation post I quickly chose something festive from the cellar to bring this year's advent calendar to a fitting conclusion. The offering in question is <b>Christmas Ale</b>, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale from St. Bernardus Brouwerij (Watou, Belgium). Because my family opted for champagne or wine I've got the entire 750ml bottle to myself, so at least I can savour this bad boy for the rest of the evening. Hope everyone had a great day, and I'll be resuming the regular service of sporadic reviewing from tomorrow! Also, let me take the opportunity to thanks anyone who read the blog during 2012, and here's to another year of great beer in 2013. Review after the pic....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_ooiy7ohf_OKFEf9Jmkv84WC7vegr-cvOkQEsgfY0DOcfYJrPgXjQOoWmjXSCjFnuKxZgaiN1rRmuda7zi0MpgPDGbOsogmcbOqJyNc2p60Y8JO04cwQZdBc_a0K4MdI0FR2fimJYRk/s1600/2012-12-25+20.36.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_ooiy7ohf_OKFEf9Jmkv84WC7vegr-cvOkQEsgfY0DOcfYJrPgXjQOoWmjXSCjFnuKxZgaiN1rRmuda7zi0MpgPDGbOsogmcbOqJyNc2p60Y8JO04cwQZdBc_a0K4MdI0FR2fimJYRk/s400/2012-12-25+20.36.14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Christmas Ale (10.0% ABV) pours a dark brown colour with a thick, creamy white head that maintains itself well throughout the course of drinking. The aroma is rather Christmas-centric, with marzipan, yeasty phenols, blackcurrant, raspberry, allspice and some caramelised sweetness in the background supporting everything. None of the aromas are particularly powerful, but they are balanced very well and don't show any dominance. The Belgian yeast character and candy sugar have their usual complimentary interplay on show, whilst the fruits add a slight tartness to help break up the proceedings. The spice in the background (mainly cinammon and cloves) gives the beer a satisfying Christmas flair without overpowering the other aromas, which can sometimes be a problem with Christmas-oriented offerings. The taste delivers more intensity, with blackcurrant, phenols, caramel, Brett-style funk, marzipan and a noticeable amount of chest-warming alcohol during drinking and in the finish. The fruits deliver a pleasing amount of tartness along the sides of the mouth, which is amplified to some extent by the subtle presence of yeast extract early on in each sip. The phenolic Belgian yeast character works well with the slight sherbety funk, and soon afterwards the sweetness comes through to offset the aforementioned funk and diversify everything. The finish is slightly dry and has a light hop profile, whilst the alcohol burn lingers on long after drinking. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy and the beer is well-carbonated, which compliments the flavours on show and takes away some of the initial power quite nicely. Overall, this is a great beer with a decent Yuletide twang that works well with the fruity sweetness and boozy intensity- definitely recommended!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-51227751852103315502012-12-24T21:54:00.000+00:002012-12-24T21:56:52.035+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 24- AleSmith Brewing Company Speedway Stout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. After a nice Christmas Eve hanging around in Dartmouth and Bantham, it's now time for the final official 2012 advent calendar post. I'll probably do a post tomorrow compiling all of the beers consumed over the course of Christmas Day, but I consider this to be the true chequered flag review because the bottle came out of a cardboard door that I constructed over a month ago. It's <b>Speedway Stout</b>, an Imperial Stout from AleSmith Brewing Company (California, USA). I had this beer during the summer at The Craft Beer Co. and enjoyed it immensely, so hopefully it'll be as good as I remember! Thanks for coping with the daily posts for another year, and I'll be back tomorrow for the last hurrah. Review after the pics....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNBEpeYvJaXEm4CAzjej2qAusK7ZmkGlfy_uX5kcO2I_c48mrHVHmG4Z64rf5tUST6UIfPC2Ptxj65_ocNLXiIqf0rkUxf-68GafypSgORYe15eDy3oZEc2Mcn_JkhuP2bzJdcRsLDAY/s1600/2012-12-22+23.39.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNBEpeYvJaXEm4CAzjej2qAusK7ZmkGlfy_uX5kcO2I_c48mrHVHmG4Z64rf5tUST6UIfPC2Ptxj65_ocNLXiIqf0rkUxf-68GafypSgORYe15eDy3oZEc2Mcn_JkhuP2bzJdcRsLDAY/s400/2012-12-22+23.39.10.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mWV0elp3-oRzzKPKCf9pjDXvCUNWblKpqG9SGKt05JuxOTqtWfUeW0yjUfa-wwu0xvNbj1f5UMSw4vWfCxKD07mUTrc2Kjkq1rML-sH13Z_fD1Ra_ih5ZgttZkiddSwsXAx8pSzwo_c/s1600/2012-12-24+20.40.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mWV0elp3-oRzzKPKCf9pjDXvCUNWblKpqG9SGKt05JuxOTqtWfUeW0yjUfa-wwu0xvNbj1f5UMSw4vWfCxKD07mUTrc2Kjkq1rML-sH13Z_fD1Ra_ih5ZgttZkiddSwsXAx8pSzwo_c/s400/2012-12-24+20.40.31.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Speedway Stout (12.0% ABV) pours a very dark brown colour with a thick brown head that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer. The aroma is very rich, with slightly astringent coffee, caramelised sugar, cocoa powder, lactose sugar and some dark fruits (particularly blackcurrant) lingering in the background. The coffee is immediately apparent, with that familiar biting quality that it seems to impart when present in large quantities, but the nose soon becomes accustomed to it and allows the other nuances to come through. The sweetness isn't overly intense and coalesces very well with the subtle blackcurrant, whilst the lactose sugar lessens the impact of the other aromas and creates a mocha-like sensation when the roasted aspects of the coffee become more apparent. The taste delivers everything that the aroma promised and more, with coffee, chocolate sauce, yeast extract, caramel, licorice, aniseed, burnt toast, blackcurrant and some booze residing in the background supporting everything. The fruit and coffee come along almost immediately, delivering some tartness along the sides of the mouth that seems to be amplified by the chest-warming power of the alcohol, and once this initial power has subsided there's scope for the darker/burnt flavours to come through in varying degrees. Despite not being barrel-aged, it takes on a bourbon vanilla oak quality midway through drinking, complimenting the darker flavours that are present during the finish. The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is well-carbonated, which helps to offset some of the bitter dimensions during drinking. Overall, this is a great imperial stout with a pleasant amount of coffee, some well-balanced tart flavours and a decent kick of alcohol backing everything up. Not as good as the first time I had it, but still well worth trying if you're a fan of coffee stouts with more Nigel Tufnel-oriented potency.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-69236299277051900472012-12-23T21:37:00.003+00:002012-12-23T21:38:11.305+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 23- De Dolle Brouwers Stille Nacht<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. In what seems like the blink of an eye we're only a couple of days away from the big day, and Day 23's door serendipitously revealed the final bottle that I brought back with me from my Brussels holiday earlier this year- it's <b>Stille Nacht</b>, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from De Dolle Brouwers (Esen, Belgium). This bad boy has garnered a lot of positive feedback over the years, so when I saw it in De Bier Tempel I knew I had to get a bottle for the festive season; it's also one of the rare Christmas-oriented offerings present in this year's advent calendar. Really looking forward to this one, so let's get straight into the review after the pics....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCMzdAaV17Rg9C9uY55VaZLvO2Ld26ifbhl6mKXBFTX1glHEYCfgyLUrbSxzuwnJZnKVdbovdw0d2MifWrYfi8WQ9vq7Cf5JWBbXoKqn2u7OrXlpWo-fFF0luy4_IjFu59L39e76m4eE/s1600/2012-12-22+23.38.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCMzdAaV17Rg9C9uY55VaZLvO2Ld26ifbhl6mKXBFTX1glHEYCfgyLUrbSxzuwnJZnKVdbovdw0d2MifWrYfi8WQ9vq7Cf5JWBbXoKqn2u7OrXlpWo-fFF0luy4_IjFu59L39e76m4eE/s400/2012-12-22+23.38.52.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70fbCDk1za0NSDPpswFHMGVM1Hm7ymMEhQBMrsj3i0w2a4k5xAyPPcF2SPqhCT1lIeeSatQ23z22rqeOwX9lVRBc5cQdw4ojVBSNbqE8hjPrMlTj7FJEbz23XrL2wrfpV-L3vYcnPZWI/s1600/2012-12-23+20.38.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70fbCDk1za0NSDPpswFHMGVM1Hm7ymMEhQBMrsj3i0w2a4k5xAyPPcF2SPqhCT1lIeeSatQ23z22rqeOwX9lVRBc5cQdw4ojVBSNbqE8hjPrMlTj7FJEbz23XrL2wrfpV-L3vYcnPZWI/s400/2012-12-23+20.38.34.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Stille Nacht (12.0% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a short-lived thick white head that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer. The sediment in the bottle is quite loose and so some of it managed to find its way into the glass despite careful pouring. The aroma can only be described as "Christmas in a glass", with marzipan, candied fruits, candy sugar, light yeasty phenols, toffee apples, cinnamon and some rich sweetness residing in the background. The general aroma is reminiscent of a diluted Quad- the spiciness from the yeast isn't as intense and the candy sugar provides lighter, sweeter fruits. There's also some Brett-style funk in the background that mingles very well with the sweetness and fruitiness, and there may even be some faint citrus fruit hoppiness somewhere in the mix. The alcohol is noticeable to an extent, and can burn the nostrils slightly if the beer is inhaled too deeply. Despite this, it's pretty amazing stuff so far! The taste isn't quite as nuanced but delivers a lot more intensity, with candy sugar, phenols, grapefruit, funk, caramel sweetness, brambles, yeast extract and a decent kick of booze during drinking. The yeast character isn't overpowering and so allows the candy sugar and fruit to come through, whilst the funk creates a slightly effervescent backdrop that compliments the fruity tartness. The alcohol warms the chest quite significantly and doesn't cloy on the palette, making the finish seemingly endless. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well-carbonated, which is ideal for the flavours on show and offsets the power of the alcohol. Overall, this is a quintessential Christmas beer with enough alcohol to warm up even the coldest soul, and a panoply of rich sweet fruits that mimics after-dinner pudding perfectly. Highly recommended, this is a truly fantastic beer that I'll definitely be seeking out again next year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-40915114973043876152012-12-22T23:00:00.000+00:002012-12-22T23:02:54.885+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 22- BrewDog Prototype Challenge 2012 Beers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. It's time for another series of capsule reviews, as Door 22 revealed the new<b> Prototype Challenge </b>beers from BrewDog (Fraserburgh, Scotland). Following on from last year's selection are three more unusually named offerings, with the purpose being to sample each and vote for the one you'd like to be brewed during 2013. I reviewed one of the 2011 collection during the inaugural advent calendar, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they've managed to come up with this time round. Reviews after the pic....</div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Nuns With Guns</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknAx-XZ7cIQ0U53USQcCK9fHtsi8sduQ1ulBQaaIAGJ1U3OpxagEvtJGSviPe6jvn5nOBu38bOTeYigZBdwQnZp4JpqKloP9so6-d3KF1vr1U8z7bAE3FHBg8WHu6onT_NublqDzFUvM/s1600/2012-12-22+21.27.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknAx-XZ7cIQ0U53USQcCK9fHtsi8sduQ1ulBQaaIAGJ1U3OpxagEvtJGSviPe6jvn5nOBu38bOTeYigZBdwQnZp4JpqKloP9so6-d3KF1vr1U8z7bAE3FHBg8WHu6onT_NublqDzFUvM/s400/2012-12-22+21.27.27.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Style</b>: Pilsner<br />
<br />
<b>ABV</b>: 4.2%<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Appearance</b>: Pale golden colour, short-lived white head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Aroma</b>: Loads of grapefruit, hints of mango, malty sweetness, some sulfurous notes. Grapefruit smacks the olfactories from the start, has that Helles aroma as opposed to a Pilsner. Has some wet-dog funk to it after the nose has become accustomed to the hops. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Taste</b>: Biscuit malt, honey sweetness, some light grapefruit in the background during drinking, finish isn't bitter but has some hoppy remnants linger in the aftertaste. Seems like an incomplete lager, too thin and watery and the hops don't offset the sweetness enough.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Mouthfeel</b>: Thin, very light carbonation. Doesn't compliment flavours particularly well.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Verdict</b>: Very imbalanced beer, comes across as a rushed offering. The Imperial Pilsner that made a brief appearance in the bars over the summer was much better, it feels as if they just liquored it back to the appropriate ABV percentage to create this one. Not recommended.</div>
<br />
<b>Jack Hammer</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayB4J03LGngYWdeo6N3voo2-oe0SZwL398fEsiMjK6O6Ws81LsOOZerAHYJ_UbVeBAPQey1jWjEuqaGo44SCvIp45FmWPxqn5KOz74hNZ5Z01o1zhxAIejvMLXmk9cHlbAh1XJUKan_g/s1600/2012-12-22+22.05.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayB4J03LGngYWdeo6N3voo2-oe0SZwL398fEsiMjK6O6Ws81LsOOZerAHYJ_UbVeBAPQey1jWjEuqaGo44SCvIp45FmWPxqn5KOz74hNZ5Z01o1zhxAIejvMLXmk9cHlbAh1XJUKan_g/s400/2012-12-22+22.05.07.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Style</b>: IPA<br />
<br />
<b>ABV</b>: 7.4%<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Appearance</b>: Amber colour, short-lived thick white head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Aroma</b>: Grapefruit, pine, mango, malty sweetness in the background. Grapefruit very powerful at first, dies down a little bit once the nose has become accustomed to allow the pine to come through. Sweetness very much supportive. Some hints of orange become noticeable after a while.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Taste</b>: Most of the flavour is almost overpowered by the bitterness, this certainly drinks towards those 200 theoretical IBUs! Pine manages to push through everything quite nicely, sense of alcohol (acetone, esters), biscuit malt, hints of tropical fruits but nothing significantly distinguishable. Finish is quite tart and contains some light grapefruit notes. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Mouthfeel</b>: Thick, decent amount of carbonation, compliments the amplified bitterness.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Verdict</b>: Pretty intense IPA; flavours on the palette need to be more balanced as bitterness virtually eradicates any subtleties except for the resinous characteristics of the hops. Certainly a contender for general release, but it might be wise to dial down the IBUs slightly to allow for a more interesting and varied drinking experience.</div>
<br />
<b>Cocoa Psycho</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt1Gkxvbvs7sMppsts07AgDgansAdTiEZQum-dsfrY8VpdE6XZU7LfeW__uFdbMVSIYq5sX1IwBcygV8Ya8y4Ohar78CybR53noSSCRtqSrzszmddsDpopIJFWBxI-94HAwycAbGZfqY/s1600/2012-12-22+22.27.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt1Gkxvbvs7sMppsts07AgDgansAdTiEZQum-dsfrY8VpdE6XZU7LfeW__uFdbMVSIYq5sX1IwBcygV8Ya8y4Ohar78CybR53noSSCRtqSrzszmddsDpopIJFWBxI-94HAwycAbGZfqY/s400/2012-12-22+22.27.57.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Style</b>: Imperial Stout<br />
<br />
<b>ABV</b>: 10.0%<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Appearance</b>: Jet black, thick dark brown head that settles to patchy covering over surface of beer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Aroma</b>: Cocoa powder, chocolate sauce, freshly roasted coffee, vanilla custard, banana, no sense of the alcohol. Very rich and chocolatey (Rogue Double Chocolate Stout immediately springs to mind), seemingly out-of-place banana smell is very similar to those pick and mix banana sweets, mixes well with the vanilla. Very interesting stuff, smells like a pudding/dessert.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Taste</b>: Coffee, chocolate, caramel, custard, tartness during drinking that continues on into the finish, which is quite dry and has some toasty notes from the malt. Yeast extract, coffee, burnt sugar and slight oak flavour discernible through retro-olfaction, flavours aren't as intense or varied as the aromas. Aftertaste is primarily roasted malt and light grapefruit. Drinks very easily, although potential for the flavours to cloy means it's definitely worth sipping. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Mouthfeel</b>: Thick, moderate carbonation, works well with the richer flavours.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Verdict</b>: Not so sure about this one; aroma showed a lot of promise but on the palette it can be quite unbalanced, and drinks more like a flavoured milk stout than an imperial stout. Has the potential to be a great beer, but the taste needs to deliver what the aroma suggests!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Overall winner</b>- Jack Hammer- it's got the best combination of a sensible ABV percentage and a decent flavour profile, but it needs to be dialled down slightly to make it worth spending money on in a bar. BrewDog are definitely still capable of making very drinkable IPAs, as evidenced with the Hoppy Christmas that I had last night, so they should probably forego the mindset of trying to brew unnecessarily bitter beers and just create something palatable. Last year's Prototypes were all about reasoned, plausible beers (so much so that the majority were repackaged and sold throughout 2012), but this year's series smacks of excess and one-upmanship, and none were particularly impressive in the end. What a difference a year makes!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-80079384102390469152012-12-21T22:38:00.002+00:002012-12-21T22:38:53.020+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 21- Brouwerij de Molen Bloed, Zweet & Tranen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Thankfully the world is still relatively intact, so you can all celebrate the lack of the apocalypse by reading my thoughts on another beer from Brouwerij de Molen (Bodegraven, Netherlands). Tonight it's the turn of <b>Bloed, Zweet & Tranen</b>, a smoked stout that's been brewed with a plethora of malts including peated and Bamberger, adding an interesting spin to the usual dark flavours one would associate with a stout. I've had a couple of beers in this style before, so I'm looking forward to adding another from one of my favourite European breweries. Review after the pics....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisB1tztBU7KojaxWDpSb4WBP-EDkWgU8_kd3uYjqpBPjDIerKab1rS-JIbHeypHtnyW_a6tR8Mx2EOn1S9sbZLUctrncrNK1hFVaXyf-6AEk0cYe2uwFei4h_wDttR-8Vakt6x93lvE4U/s1600/2012-12-21+18.32.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisB1tztBU7KojaxWDpSb4WBP-EDkWgU8_kd3uYjqpBPjDIerKab1rS-JIbHeypHtnyW_a6tR8Mx2EOn1S9sbZLUctrncrNK1hFVaXyf-6AEk0cYe2uwFei4h_wDttR-8Vakt6x93lvE4U/s400/2012-12-21+18.32.09.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rcjn3P9S9_X93weB9Vmom5nzzm2WIQzHdhurp11YKUst31JCCVh0h3OpIDUlTAjdXMlWVn0AXtIharsxoljN7B-ST0Rv6QZW1iYt_6X1fjY3I4XheqBFaXhyphenhypheny0_rP-Qx3RgygQVtIiM/s1600/2012-12-21+21.14.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rcjn3P9S9_X93weB9Vmom5nzzm2WIQzHdhurp11YKUst31JCCVh0h3OpIDUlTAjdXMlWVn0AXtIharsxoljN7B-ST0Rv6QZW1iYt_6X1fjY3I4XheqBFaXhyphenhypheny0_rP-Qx3RgygQVtIiM/s400/2012-12-21+21.14.58.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bloed, Zweet & Tranen (8.2% ABV) pours a ruby-tinged black colour with a lively off-white head that settles to a centimetre of foam over the surface of the beer. Straight off the bat the aroma is very reminiscent of brine/pimento olives, which seems to be a combination of the smoked malt qualities and the coffee notes from the roasted malt. Once this initial power has died down the two components become more distinguishable, allowing some chocolate and caramel sweetness to come through in the process. The meaty smokiness works well with the sweetness and usual stout aromas- certainly good stuff so far! The taste delivers more intensity, with smoked malt, coffee, chocolate, yeast extract, caramel, a hint of dark fruits and some light hoppiness during drinking and in the finish. The smoked malt conjures up Islay whisky flavours (peat, iodine), and is a natural bedfellow to the coffee and chocolate stout characteristics. As with the aroma the oily flavour is quite prominent at first, and once the palette has become accustomed to it there's a nice dose of cocoa to break up the flavours. Drinking the beer produces a light tartness along the sides of the mouth, but this isn't cloying and allows for repeated sips. The finish is quite light and slightly dry, with the usual hop-derived remnants residing in the background. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is well-carbonated, which balances out the smokiness and compliments the flavours on show. Overall, this is a very decent rauch-stout that creates a good interplay between the different malt types, allowing them to either coalesce or display their individual characteristics throughout the course of the beer. Well worth trying, although I personally prefer similar offerings such as Evil Twin's Ashtray Heart or Mikkeller's Beer Geek Bacon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-90907950741838750482012-12-20T22:48:00.000+00:002012-12-20T22:50:45.012+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 20- De Struise Brouwers Black Damnation III- Black Mes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Clearly my advent calendar knows the world is going to end tomorrow, as behind door 20 is an unfortunately-named offering from De Struise Brouwers (Oostvleteren, Belgium); it's <b>Black Damnation III- Black Mes</b>, a version of De Struise's popular imperial stout Black Albert that's spent 3 months in barrels that once held Caol Ila Distillers Version 1995 whisky. On its own Black Albert is a great stout, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the barrel-ageing has done to this bad boy. Review after the pics....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVSpZwjrkGbG_1A-CZzDW1h5tsg8FxHkgUKDp5XZFLSpAkMKcCReykIiX_cGR9Nql8bW2rRPK8TbjnGiKw44lR_CDUyk-TjK-q5SIl4R33J-aACWcRrhAUCDtXRZz44R7aR69zJ7YlX8/s1600/2012-12-20+19.10.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVSpZwjrkGbG_1A-CZzDW1h5tsg8FxHkgUKDp5XZFLSpAkMKcCReykIiX_cGR9Nql8bW2rRPK8TbjnGiKw44lR_CDUyk-TjK-q5SIl4R33J-aACWcRrhAUCDtXRZz44R7aR69zJ7YlX8/s400/2012-12-20+19.10.24.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6maBX0c8DK084M5ZEbztUZHNHWQetdsgeK9yAj-lCsGxHFWDu_GC16H5Rv6i_E4fE9HGtN20Q8YzjxEk-xDKiKo6RCgFh6nsPD_mKLPIcEswqQAg0kra39E2jHeFEWEFLZdcOv716UOw/s1600/2012-12-20+21.12.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6maBX0c8DK084M5ZEbztUZHNHWQetdsgeK9yAj-lCsGxHFWDu_GC16H5Rv6i_E4fE9HGtN20Q8YzjxEk-xDKiKo6RCgFh6nsPD_mKLPIcEswqQAg0kra39E2jHeFEWEFLZdcOv716UOw/s400/2012-12-20+21.12.46.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Black Damnation III- Black Mes (13.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a lively brown head that settles to a thick halo around the inside of the glass. The aroma is rich and luxurious, with coffee, chocolate, blackcurrant, yeast extract, burnt sugar, vanilla oak (similar to bourbon), a very subtle smokiness and some alcohol in the background. I was expecting the whisky to be slightly more prominent, but it seems that the characteristics of the barrel itself come through more, with the alcohol toned down and more reminiscent of bourbon than Islay whisky. The smokiness switches between peat and tobacco, and the nose becomes accustomed to it relatively quickly. The yeast extract and fruit mingle together quite well, and create a slight tartness that manages to balance out the darker aromas. The taste ramps everything up to eleven, with smoky whisky, yeast extract, tart fruits and some light chocolate and coffee in the background. The whisky is definitely more noticeable on the palette, and warms the sides of the mouth and the chest during and after drinking, whilst the fruity flavours mesh with this perfectly, offsetting the harshness with a light tartness that allows the iodine smokiness to come through after a couple of sips. Because of the sheer power of the other flavours on show, the usual roasted malt-derived chocolate and coffee is only discernible through retro-olfaction, providing a nice counterpoint to the tartness and whisky. The finish isn't dry and the whisky lingers on the palette, along with some light hop flavours. It's also probably worth noting that this beer doesn't drink anywhere near its double-digit ABV percentage, so it might be wise to exercise some restraint (despite how hard that may be!). The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which means the flavours don't cloy too heavily and the whisky can come through relatively unimpeded. Overall, this is a very impressive Imperial Stout that builds upon Black Albert very well, balancing some reasonably intense peaty whisky with the base beer to create a very worthy offering in the De Struise library. I've only had two Black Damnation offerings including this one (the other being the <a href="http://beerandjazz.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/de-struise-black-damnation-ii-mocha.html" target="_blank">Mocha Bomb</a>), and I couldn't honestly rate one over the other as they both bring such different elements to the table. Definitely recommended, I'll have to seek out the others now based on their stellar trend so far!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316483766548225023.post-42168124891788131892012-12-19T22:23:00.000+00:002012-12-19T22:25:39.689+00:00Beer Advent Calendar Day 19- De Struise Brouwers Tsjeeses Reserva PBA (Port Barrel Aged)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Good evening all. Almost on the home straight now, so it seems quite fitting and cyclical that tonight's offering is the sequel to the beer that started off this year's advent calendar- it's <b>Tsjeeses Reserva PBA (Port Barrel Aged)</b>, a Saison from De Struise Brouwers (Oostvleteren, Belgium). As with the <a href="http://beerandjazz.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/beer-advent-calendar-day-1-de-struise.html" target="_blank">Bourbon Barrel Aged</a> version, this beer is a barrel-aged reworking of De Struise's winter seasonal Tsjeeses, and has spent time in port barrels prior to being bottled. Looking forward to seeing how this compares to to the Bourbon edition, so let's get to it! Review after the pics....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixV8kEM3fWQrHzojs4cSmQpbQhPl0vWlTG6_tm_rh4cFRk7MNSD7WIWqLj53FBY1uwv5xbnOf3-4BHE390_885bbbCyddQEFIfgnTc8ZU4GcSiHFNeFOiK1TkGFrU0b_51gWQg-2hzBiM/s1600/2012-12-19+17.34.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixV8kEM3fWQrHzojs4cSmQpbQhPl0vWlTG6_tm_rh4cFRk7MNSD7WIWqLj53FBY1uwv5xbnOf3-4BHE390_885bbbCyddQEFIfgnTc8ZU4GcSiHFNeFOiK1TkGFrU0b_51gWQg-2hzBiM/s400/2012-12-19+17.34.02.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9rDegSlkStt7Ivwd7hFH8SqyG8NQkwicJ0M2JU-wlSruW4axOkLEL_3U2QGW0C4DLB13UrA0I1TixvQUqjpv-61RL8Z8F6uMzSzNt2mAwAgz6jOsSzMKG0EMszsRUqB5YtViS89_GUg/s1600/2012-12-19+20.32.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9rDegSlkStt7Ivwd7hFH8SqyG8NQkwicJ0M2JU-wlSruW4axOkLEL_3U2QGW0C4DLB13UrA0I1TixvQUqjpv-61RL8Z8F6uMzSzNt2mAwAgz6jOsSzMKG0EMszsRUqB5YtViS89_GUg/s400/2012-12-19+20.32.03.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tsjeeses Reserva PBA (Port Barrel Aged) (10.0% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a thick white head that maintains itself well throughout the course of drinking. Despite careful pouring, some of the sediment still managed to find its way into the glass. The aroma is Saison-like, with yeasty phenols, earthy esters, malty sweetness, but also has some fruits residing in the background (both red fruits and light citrus fruits- clementine, orange). The fruits hit more prominently early on, with some vinous notes from the port barrel-ageing, but these soon retreat and the characteristics of the beer base become more significant. The spiciness of the yeast is very much at Saison level, and the sweetness isn't too overpowering. There's also some perception of the alcohol after a bit of time has passed, but again this isn't too overwhelming. The taste delivers some more power to the proceedings, with phenols, spice, yeast extract, a hint of port, blackcurrant, some caramelised sweetness supporting everything and a light grapefruit flavour in the finish. The main source of intensity when tasting is the fruity tartness that comes along midway through each sip; prior to this the beer base characteristics are at their most discernible. The yeast extract and hoppy notes come out towards the end of drinking and linger on into the finish, which isn't too dry and contains some burnt sugar flavours. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well-carbonated, which compliments everything on show nicely. Overall, this is a very balanced and drinkable offering that I would happily have again, but unfortunately the barrel-ageing hasn't contributed a significant amount to the proceedings and so it seems a but unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Personally I'd rather just have the original Tsjeeses over this, and the Bourbon Barrel Aged edition is definitely the superior of the two. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Until next time....</div>
Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17423176340783822547noreply@blogger.com0