Ilkley Siberia Saison

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Siberia Saison, a Saison from Ilkley Brewery (Ilkley, UK). This beer is the result of a collaboration between Ilkley Brewery and Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of "Let Me Tell You About Beer", and has been brewed with rhubarb and a myriad of hop types. Being both a Saison and an interesting collaboration (two significant positives for me), this beer has been on my "must try" list for quite some time. I was planning to wait until GBBF to sample it but couldn't resist getting a bottle after seeing it in stock at Beer Ritz at the same time as I was putting through an order, so let's see if it lives up to the hype. Review after the pic....

Siberia Saison (5.9% ABV) pours an opaque straw colour with a thick bubbly white head that retains itself on the surface of the beer throughout. Loads of carbonation on this bad boy (the bottle opened with a satisfying pop and I had even had to scoop some of the foam out to continue pouring!) and even some early lacing in the glass- certainly looks like a Saison to me! The aroma is very interesting, with phenolic spice, earthy/herbal notes, funk, some fruity hop character (mango, possibly even grapefruit) and a light honey sweetness in the background.  Later on, as the nose becomes accustomed to the traditional Belgian yeast aromas, the malt makes itself known with biscuit and bread aromas. In true Saison fashion, everything is well-balanced and relatively subtle. The taste builds upon the nose marvelously, with phenols, biscuit malt, bittering hops, funk (reminiscent of Brett) and some tartness in the finish. It does seem like a very English take on a Saison, as the malt comes through more than with standard Belgian Saison offerings, and the rhubarb offers some interesting tartness after drinking that acts as a good transition into the dry aftertaste, warranting frequent sips. At times it also tastes like a hefeweizen, with cloves and banana becoming more noticeable during drinking and in the finish, particularly towards the end of the beer. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated which, in my opinion, always works well with this beer style. Overall, this is a very impressive beer that, whilst being inherently Belgian, is also unmistakably English in its execution. Spicy, sweet, slightly sour, light and very drinkable- perfect for the summer. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

To Øl Sort Mælk

Good evening all. I had the subject of tonight's post on Saturday and only had the opportunity to take down some brief tasting notes, intending to write them up later when I wasn't so busy. Now it seems that "later" has arrived, so allow me to present my thoughts on Sort Mælk, a Whisky BA Milk Stout from To Øl (Copenhagen, Denmark). Review after the pic....

Sort Mælk (13.1% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a light brown head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. Surprising when considering the high ABV percentage, but not exactly a bad thing. The aroma is pretty incredible- full of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits (reminiscent of fortified wine/port), licorice and some medicinal/smoky notes in the background. I'm not sure from which region the whisky barrels originated, but I would guess either Islay or Highland as the whisky aromas are more robust and slightly on the peaty side. The dark fruits from the roasted malt become more predominant throughout the duration of the beer, whereas initially the coffee and chocolate aromas are the most powerful. The volatility of the alcohol is very apparent and remains consistent over the course of drinking. Certainly a powerful Imperial Stout so far, and the taste continues this theme with a myriad of different flavours- chocolate and coffee (although more subdued in comparison to the nose), lactose sweetness, caramel, burnt toast, tobacco, vanilla, yeast extract and some light hop character in the finish/aftertaste. It's very rich and full-bodied with plenty of alcoholic character from the barrel ageing, and the flavours described seem to come and go whilst the consistent background is simply a slight awareness of the roasted malt. Thankfully the oscillating senses are rather consistent, so there's no opportunity for things to get boring. The flavours don't stay around for long in the finish, which also means they don't cloy on the palette and so invite further sips. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and the beer is mildly carbonated. In addition, despite the high ABV percentage it's very drinkable, which is always a good sign with an Imperial Stout (or a bad one in regards to potential inebriation!). Overall, this is a brilliant stout from a brewery that never fails to impress- the subtlety of the milk stout base allows the barrel ageing to shine but not predominate, whilst the balance between all of the flavours and aromas creates a memorable and very satisfying drinking experience. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Flying Dog Brewery Wildeman Farmhouse IPA

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Wildeman Farmhouse IPA, a Saison/IPA hybrid from Flying Dog Brewery (Maryland, USA). Basically it's a hoppy Saison with a slightly amplified ABV percentage, which conveniently marries two of my favourite beer styles into one awesome package complete with Ralph Steadman artwork- couldn't be more perfect really! Sounds fantastic on paper, so let's see if it works in the glass. Review after the pic....

Wildeman Farmhouse IPA (7.5% ABV) pours a light golden colour with a thick white head that maintains itself on the surface of the beer throughout drinking. In true "Belgian" fashion there's a lovely column of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass to continually support the head, which looks fantastic. The aroma is very interesting and reminiscent of an earthy Belgian IPA, with spicy phenols, light candy sugar, some mustiness and an understated floral hop presence. As with most Belgian IPAs, the hops and yeast aromas create an almost resinous sweetness that predominates at first, but further inhales allow these to be separated. The esters that are typical of a Saison are present but not too overpowering, with the hops toning them down so they don't effervesce as much as would be expected. Some great stuff so far, and exactly what it says on the tin- a hoppy Saison. The taste delivers more of the Belgian yeast qualities, leaving the hops on the sidelines in comparison to the nose. Plenty of spice, some funk and a slight awareness of the malt in the background, finished off with light grapefruit notes from the hops and some residual earthy Saison flavours. No bitterness in the finish, and the aftertaste is composed of grapes and lingering spice. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated, with the Belgian yeast providing the characteristic effervescing carbonation that helps to amplify this sensation, which also compliments the hop character. Overall, this is a very light and drinkable beer with plenty of Saison character and a well-balanced quantity of hops to add a different dimension. This is exactly the sort of beer you'd want to drink outside in the sun, so stock up on some now whilst it's still nice outside. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Mikkeller/Brodie's Big Mofo Stout

Good evening all. I'm back again with another post, and this time it's all about Big Mofo Stout, an Imperial Stout forged out of a collaboration between Brodie's (London, UK) and Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). Any readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Mikkeller, but I've only ever sampled one Brodie's beer in my life and I can't even remember what that was (it was at The Rake towards the latter part of the morning though, so maybe I wasn't completely awake!). Let's rectify that with this offering, and you can find the review after the pic....

Big Mofo Stout (10.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick beige head that gradually settles over the course of the beer. The aroma is surprisingly hoppy and very reminiscent of a black IPA, with grapefruit, coffee, chocolate and roasted malt. The hops are very prominent on the nose with the citrus fruits, whilst the roasted malt and accompanying aromas play more of a supporting role. As proved with the black IPA style, the hops and roasted malt work together very well, and both are as powerful as each other in this case so it caters to both IPA and stout fans nicely. The taste also delivers a satisfying hop kick, with resinous pine, chocolate, coffee, licorice and yeast extract flavours bombarding the tongue, followed by a noticeable bitterness from the hops in the finish and an aftertaste similar to lactose (milk stout). The finish is also quite dry as a result of the roasted malt, and the hops impart a grape taste that lingers after drinking. I certainly wasn't expecting this beer to be so hoppy, but it's understandable when considering this is the product of two forward-thinking breweries who both aren't afraid to experiment and modify familiar styles. The alcohol content is also quite noticeable at first, but further sips brings this perception down considerably until it's barely noticeable. The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is well carbonated, which compliments the hop character very nicely. Overall, whilst I'd consider this to be more of an Imperial Black IPA than an Imperial Stout, the most important thing that matters is that it's a very good beer with plenty of interesting flavours that are balanced exceptionally. Definitely worth trying at least once, and I'll be on the look out for it again in the future.

Until next time....

Mikkeller Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills, an American Pale Ale from Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). This beer was brewed to celebrate the release of the band Tiger Baby's third album "Open Windows Open Hills", and amplifies the usual fruity flavours one would associate with hops by including mango and passion fruit in the brewing process. Sounds like an interesting beer, so let's see what it's all about after the pic....

Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills (5.0% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a white head that retains itself well on the surface of the beer. The aroma is sweet and hoppy, with grapefruit, caramel, resinous pine and some earthy/herbal hop notes. The resin and earthy aromas are the most predominant, with the grapefruit lurking in the background supporting everything. There are also some generic tropical fruit aromas that vary in intensity throughout the course of the beer. The sweetness envelopes the hop aromas nicely, acting as a vessel of sorts to transport them to the nose. So far this is a pretty classic American Pale Ale, albeit with a slightly more pronounced hop presence. The taste is very similar to the nose, with grapefruit, pine and some caramelised sweetness. In addition to these there are some light orange and lemon citrus notes, and the finish is almost creamy and certainly not bitter. However, this might not be the case with fresh bottles as I've had this one in my cellar for over 6 months, and no doubt the hop character has died down quite significantly. There is some dryness in the finish though, and the aftertaste is rife with tropical fruits, most likely from the fruit additions as opposed to the hop-derived fruit flavours. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated- personally I would've preferred a bit more carbonation to support the hop flavours. Overall, this is a decent beer with a good dichotomy between the piney/fruity hops and the malty sweetness, offset well by the fruits added during brewing. I'd like to try this fresh to see how much the hops have diminished, but even as it is it's still worth trying. Recommended.

Until next time....

Anchorage Brewing Company The Tide and Its Takers Tripel

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is The Tide and Its Takers Tripel, a Tripel from Anchorage Brewing Company (Anchorage, Alaska). Yesterday was my graduation, and even before travelling up to the event I had this beer in mind to toast the achievement once I had returned home. Now that time has finally arrived, and frankly I can't wait to try this! It's an interesting take on the Belgian Tripel style, being fermented not only with a Belgian yeast but also aged in Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces before being bottled. If that wasn't enough, it's also hopped using Sorachi Ace and Styrian Goldings, with the latter being quite understandable (Duvel Tripel Hop uses it after all) but the former being more of an unusual addition. Sounds very similar to Mikkeller's Nelson Sauvingon, so I'm looking forward to this even more than usual! Review after the pic....

The Tide and Its Takers Tripel (9.0% ABV) pours a light golden colour with a white head that retains itself well on the surface of the beer. There's a small amount of lacing present, and the picture above was taken after I'd poured the rest of the beer into the glass, hence the opacity. The aroma is amazing and very complex, with plenty of Brett character (sherbert, cooking apples, funk), spicy phenols from the Belgian yeast, a vinous quality in the background and some honey sweetness from the malt. The contributions from each yeast type are surprisingly noticeable, with neither predominating over the other throughout the duration of the beer. The Brett delivers the usual funky notes, and as always these work fantastically with the vinous aromas from the Chardonnay, whilst the Belgian yeast supports everything nicely. The sweetness from the malt is also perfect for this beer style. Great stuff, and although the wine isn't as apparent as I was initially expecting, this is understandable when considering the array of aromas bursting forth from the glass. If the aroma was "amazing", the taste is unbelievable, with loads of phenols, effervescing carbonation from the Brett, honey, wine and some light bittering hop character in the background. The Belgian yeast is definitely more noticeable on the palette, with the Brett gradually coming forward with the effervescing sherbet quality that is always instantly recognisable. The wine is noticeable in the finish, accompanied by the spicy remnants of the Belgian yeast, and the malty sweetness also makes itself known at this point. The tartness from the Brett comes out in the aftertaste, along with a slight dryness that I can only assume is due to the wine. The mouthfeel is light and the beer is moderately carbonated, with the perception of carbonation increased because of the Brett. Overall, this is a very impressive beer that balances a lot of interesting flavours and concepts, making it immensely drinkable and definitely one to get again in the future. Highly 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....