Beer Advent Calendar Day 9- Uinta Brewing Company Anniversary Barley Wine

Good evening all. After waking up relatively late I took a trip out to the beach with my family to give the dog a run-around and feel the brisk power of the coastal wind, so it's fitting that day 9's offering is high in alcohol and rich in flavour. It's Anniversary Barley Wine, a Barleywine from Uinta Brewing Company (Utah, USA). Brewed to celebrate the aforementioned brewery's seventeenth anniversary, this particular bottle has had two years age on it since it was bottled, so I'm looking forward to it quite a bit already! Review after the pics....

Anniversary Barley Wine (10.4% ABV) pours a dark amber colour with a thick white head that quickly settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is classic barleywine, with resinous hops, candy sugar sweetness, grapefruit, mango, a significant maltiness and a slight awareness of the alcohol content in the background. The hops come across as very piney at first, which compliments the burnt sugar sweetness very nicely, but soon after this the citrus/tropical fruit notes come out and diversify the proceedings. There's a hint of yeast extract and some rich malt, with the alcohol hidden behind everything and manifesting itself as a light acetone smell. The taste delivers much of the same- grapefruit, resin, mango, caramel and a subtle alcoholic burn in the back of the throat. The hops remain resinous until the finish/aftertaste, where they transition into a light grapefruit flavour that helps to offset the bitterness that starts during drinking and lingers on until the next sip. The alcohol is more prevalent on the palette and creates a tartness that amplifies the hop bitterness, whilst the caramel sweetness has mixed success balancing this twin-attack on the taste buds. When the flavours coalesce they create a general flavour of dark fruits, possibly even going as far as diluted fortified wine. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is lightly carbonated, which works well with the alcohol content and the power of the flavours on show. Overall, this is a great barleywine with all the hops and malty sweetness you'd ever want- a true winter warmer that's perfect for this season. Definitely recommended, I can't attest for fresh offerings but it sure tastes good with some age behind it!

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Mokko Milk Stout

Good evening all. The Great British Beer Festival and a pub crawl around London are the reasons behind my recent lack of activity, so I know you'll all forgive me as it was in the interest of pursuing large quantities of fantastic beer. GBBF was even better than last year, mainly due to the inclusion of more friends and an even better range of foreign beers (although Fantome Saison still eludes me as it was noticeably absent by the time of my arrival on Thursday), and the pub crawl included the opportunity to try Alesmith IPA and Speedway Stout at Craft Beer Co., so I needn't say anything more on that matter! Now that I'm back for a few days before heading off to Brussels it seems appropriate to get back into the swing of blogging, and I've chosen Mokko Milk Stout, a Milk Stout from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK) to do just that. Review after the pic....

Mokko Milk Stout (6.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is remarkably amplified for a milk stout, with lactose, coffee, cocoa powder, caramel and some dark fruits in the background. As with most stouts the coffee and chocolate hit the nose first, accompanied by the sweetness from the lactose sugar, whilst the caramel and dark fruits gradually become more noticeable with frequent inhales. The latter aromas do a great job of supporting the contributions from the roasted malt, giving the whole experience a richness and depth that you would normally expect from a higher-ABV stout. The taste continues this "full-bodied" idea, with coffee, chocolate, blackcurrants, caramel and some light grapefruit hop flavours towards the end of drinking, all delivered with a surprising amount of power. The fruitier aspects of the roasted malt create a slight tartness towards the end of drinking, acting as a nice transition into the finish, which is quite dry and full of lingering grape hop flavours. The sourness and dryness warrant frequent sips, which is fortunately a conceivable prospect with this beer as a result of the lower ABV percentage! The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which acts as a great platform for the flavours on show. Overall, this is a mini powerhouse of a milk stout, with a good balance between the subtleties of the lactose sugar and the richer flavours provided by the roasted malt. On par with Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Bristol Beer Factory's Milk Stout, so it's very much recommended!

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Cohort

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Cohort, a Double Black Belgian Rye-PA from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK). I'm down to the last three beers from my recent Summer Wine haul, with this offering being one of the most intriguing remaining in the cellar. I'm a big fan of black IPAs- somehow roasted malt and hops compliment each other spectacularly- but I'm not sure how much impact a Belgian yeast can have when faced with such an array of flavours as those featured in this beer. Should be interesting to find out though, so check out the review after the pic....

Cohort (7.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is quite subdued but still delivers that characteristic black IPA quality, with grapefruit, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and some resinous pine in the background. The hoppy fruits and the darker aromas from the roasted malt compliment each other well, with neither one overpowering or predominating. The taste delivers more of the resinous hop qualities as opposed to the citrus fruits, with the roasted malt firmly in the background manifesting itself as licorice and yeast extract. The hoppy bitterness is quite pronounced, delivering a bite to the back of the throat and some tartness along the sides. There are also some brown sugar notes, and midway through drinking the Belgian yeast starts to make itself known with a slight phenolic spiciness during drinking, accompanied by the usual sherbet-y effervescing carbonation. The rye sweetness is detectable every so often despite the myriad of flavours present, particularly towards the end of the beer as the hop power starts to diminish. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, but I personally would have preferred more of the carbonation activity that Belgian yeasts are renowned for to have come through, as it would've supported the hops and darker flavours better. Overall, this is a rather interesting beer with flashes of brilliance and cohesion, but because there's so much going on with the hops, malt and yeast it can also be rather imbalanced, with periods of time during drinking when nothing much is going on. It's a good idea and I certainly think the combination of ingredients work well together, but I wouldn't get this again in a hurry. 

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Rouge-Hop

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Rouge-Hop, an Amber Ale from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK). I received an order from Summer Wine's online store this morning, containing a veritable plethora of their offerings and an attractive branded glass, so there was no doubt in my mind as to what I'd be reviewing this evening. I've heard a lot of very positive feedback about Summer Wine recently, but up to this point I'd only tried their Saison and felt this had to be rectified immediately. Earlier in the day I sampled Diablo IPA and found it to be pretty incredible, easily convincing me that another one of their beers deserved the proper treatment on the blog. Review after the pic....

Rouge-Hop (5.0% ABV) pours an amber colour with a bubbly white head that dissipates to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. The aroma is fruity and sweet but surprisingly subtle, with caramel, grapefruit and hints of lemon. As with most amber ales, the fruity hops and malty sweetness combine very readily to produce a uniform tropical candied aroma which is initially predominant, but further inhales separate these senses into individual components. Although it lacks the power of other ambers such as Evil Twin's "Hop Flood" and BrewDog's "5 A.M. Saint", it's still very good and does make a welcome change to the usual candy floss sweet, resinous amber ales on offer. The taste continues along these lines with the grapefruit hop flavours and the malt-derived sweetness, although this time the hops take precedence over the malt as opposed to the even playing field with the aroma, and the finish packs a surprisingly bitter punch with some grape flavours in the aftertaste. The hoppy bitterness lingers for a while after swallowing, accompanied by some burnt sugar notes. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, which doesn't mask the subtle flavours too much. Overall, this is a nicely balanced beer with some well-executed flavours and a puckering bitterness in the finish that's sure to satisfy the most ardent hop-heads. I'd happily get it again, and it's definitely increased my interest in trying other Summer Wine offerings. Fortunately I've got a fair few still, so expect more reviews in the near future!

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Lime & Coriander Saison

Good evening all. Today I decided to travel up to London to acquire a few bottles from the Utobeer stand at Borough Market and generally kill some time walking around one of my favourite cities. I even had time to pay a visit to The Draft House Tower Bridge, where I finally tried Camden Town Brewery Wheat for the first time- absolutely stunning wheat beer that could easily be mistaken for a classic hefeweizen, it's that good! Of course there was also time for a half of Camden Ink after my food, and I left for Guildford with a bag full of new bottles and a feeling of complete satiation (both food- and beer-wise). Tonight's blog post concerns one of the bottles I picked up- Lime & Coriander Saison, a Saison from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, Yorkshire). This brewery has been garnering a lot of positive feedback over the last few months, and today I decided to pick up one of their offerings to see whether the hype was justified. Review after the pic....

Lime & Coriander Saison (6.0% ABV) pours a golden colour with a thick white head that retains itself well throughout drinking. There's plenty of lacing present and a very generous stream of bubbles constantly supporting the head- looks fantastic already! The aroma is very similar to a traditional saison only more subdued, with some mustiness, a herbal quality, some spiciness from the coriander and a light bittering hop aroma. The lime is very noticeable on the first inhale, retreating somewhat in subsequent draws but still present among the hoppy aromas. The coriander provides aromas that are very reminiscent of yeast-derived phenols and earthy esters, except without the volatility that gives these qualities enhanced body in traditional Saisons. It reminds me of a slightly spicy lager on the nose, with the hops and slightly sweet malt aromas juxtaposed against the herb additions and the lime acidity adding an extra dimension to the proceedings. Interesting stuff, not overpowering but enough there to fit the intended style. Tasting the beer brings up more of the spiciness and lime acidity, accompanied by a malty sweetness, grassy flavours and some bittering hops in the background. The finish continues the spice encountered during drinking, with the lime tartness coming through more substantially without the malt and hops getting in the way. The use of the coriander to replicate the Belgian yeast spiciness is definitely interesting, but without the phenols acting as a medium for the spiciness and to add more body, the flavours can cloy on the palette after a while and can seem one-dimensional. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer starts off heavily carbonated but diminishes in the latter stages of drinking. Overall, a good attempt at replicating the characteristic flavours of a Saison, but unfortunately it can taste a bit thin without the phenols and the other yeast-derived aromas and flavours that make this beer style so unique. Regardless, it's still got a solid malt base, a good balance between the herbal additions and the earthy qualities of the hops, and it is a very drinkable beer. I don't think I'd get this again, but I would definitely like to try more offerings from Summer Wine in the future based on the unanimously positive feedback I've read over the last few months. Worth a try, but it's probably best to stick with the more authentic examples of this style. 

Until next time....

Mikkeller Black Hole BA White Wine

Good afternoon all. Last night I promised a review of something special to commemorate the exam conquering, and I always try and deliver when it comes to beer! So without further do, a review of Black Hole Barrel Aged White Wine from the gypsy brewing supremo Mikkeller. Review after the pic....

Black Hole BA White Wine (13.1% ABV) pours a dark red colour (appears black in the glass) with a thick chestnut brown head that retains itself well throughout drinking. The aroma is incredibly vinous and boozy, with almost no sense of any roasted malt or other typical imperial stout aromas. The taste is amazing- very vinous, dark fruits, licorice, chocolate, coffee and some candy sugar sweetness. The finish is dry with a tart piquancy and some nuttiness. The mouthfeel is thick and generously carbonated, and the beer itself is very creamy and drinkable despite the high ABV percentage. This beer renews a thought I always have when I try BA beers- you can't go wrong ageing a beer in a wine barrel. I'm sure there are dire examples that I've yet to try but so far, particularly with Mikkeller's offerings, I've always been thoroughly impressed. This builds upon Black Hole marvelously, and I wouldn't hesitate in buying it again if I had the opportunity. Highly recommended!

Until next time....