The Bruery Oude Tart Beer Review

So I've had a lot of luck in procuring some great beer as of late and the beer I'm reviewing today is no exception: The Bruery's Oude Tart. This will be my first time trying it but my love of The Bruery and my increasing interest in sour beer coupled with this beer's superb reputation tell me that I am going to love this beer. For more information on The Bruery itself, please see my review of their White Oak beer. I want to thank Jungle Jim's for procuring this beer and a great deal of that thanks must go to our representative from Cavalier Distributing for choosing to sell the case to us. Thanks Jeff!

Oude Tart falls into a style of sour ale known as Flanders Red. Originating in West Flanders in the northwest corner of Belgium along the French border, this style has come to represent the region. I've even heard the style called the "Burgundy of Belgium" for its distinct wine-like qualities. Indeed, this style will more closely resemble a red wine than any other beer style. Consequently, I can thoroughly recommend the style to any wine drinkers looking for something new. Perhaps the best known example is the venerable Rodenbach, though I prefer Rodenbach Grand Cru. The style will typically be burgundy to reddish brown in color with a very pale or even white head. The body will be medium with low to medium carbonation. The style owes its sour characteristics to fermentation by wild yeasts and bacteria including Pediococcus and the related Lactobacillus. The beer is also frequently aged in oak barrels, as is the case with Oude Tart, and will also benefit from a blending of old and young beer to make the final product. The flavor and aroma should feature plenty of fruit and oak as well as a tannin-like acidity and a long, dry, complex finish with plenty of tart qualities.The Bruery is remarkably tight-lipped with their production methods on this particular beer. They only advertise that they age the beer in oak (presumably virgin French Oak). Specifics as to blending techniques, maturation periods, and the yeast/bacteria used is all unknown. Oude Tart's reputation suggests that the beer is a faithful interpretation of the style so I suspect that all the techniques I discussed are employed here. I just wish I knew specifics.

The beer is presented in The Bruery's typical 750 ml bottle with their trademark label adorning the front. I wish they used a cork on their beers because a cork would be better for aging and it adds to the presentation, but this is nitpicking. A strong pour into my tulip reveals a ruddy brownish beer with amber and caramel highlights when held to the light. A half inch of ivory-colored head quickly recedes to a quarter-inch ring with plenty of wisps floating on the surface. While the head is meager, it seems to be holding steady. Clarity is moderate. Appearance: 14/15

This beer smells fantastic. I get orange, peach, wood, some dark fruit. Maybe currants or red grapes. All of this rests on a solid oak backbone that pervades the nose but never gets too pushy. That familiar tannin acidity slaps my nostrils a bit, but in a nice way, adding yet another layer of complexity. I can actually smell how tart and funky this beer is, so much so that tasting it seems a foregone conclusion. Nose: 25/25

Oh wow this beer is tasting great. Oak and tannins greet me up front and round out to a smoothly sweet, almost vanilla like character on the back end that somehow transitions to a dry finish that lingers on my tongue for a few minutes.Upon further tastes, the mid-palate sandwiches in flavors of peach, green apple, and grape between the oak and tannins and the vanilla. A gentle smack of tartness and acidity smack the top of my mouth and almost makes me pucker but all the sweet and fruit flavors help keep things in check. Remarkably well balanced flavor profile. Overall taste impression is tart acidity backed by fruit and vanilla that turns into a very long, dry, and satisfyingly complex finish. Palate: 50/50

The mouthfeel is excellent. Medium bodied. The carbonation, while moderate at best, is prickly and almost seltzer like. The carbonation does a remarkable job asserting itself given that it isn't some carbonated monster like Duvel. The carbonation enhances the flavors and complements the beer itself. Mouthfeel is no afterthought with this beer. Bravo. Mouthfeel: 10/10

OVERALL: 99/100

If my glowing review weren't enough of an indication, suffice it to say that The Bruery hit one out of the park with this beer. I'd love to snag another bottle if I can and cellar it a couple years. I tend to believe this guy will age beautifully. This beer earns my highest and most thorough recommendation. Moreover, this beer would be more than at home paired with cheeses, desserts, artisanal breads, fish, and salads. I can imagine it being especially successful with a chocolate tort. Truly this is the Burgundy of Belgium and Oude Tart earns the lofty comparison to Burgundy wines any day. Please, make an effort to seek out this beer. Cheers!

Alesmith Nut Brown Ale Beer Review

Greetings everyone! To drop back into the world of beer reviews, tonight I'll be trying for the first time ever the Nut Brown Ale from one of my favorite breweries, Alesmith. I've had many of Alesmith's offerings and all have been stellar so I expect nothing less from the Nut Brown. Aside from the fact that this beer is new to me (and new to the area, to the best of my knowledge) this beer holds a special place in my heart as I received it off the delivery truck at work and I was the one to find a home for it on our crowded shelves. So in a way, I was destined for this beer.

Alesmith is based in San Diego, CA. Peter Zien founded the brewery in 1995. Alesmith differentiates itself by staying rooted in the homebrewing/amateur brewing scene while making big, bold beers that retain their balance. "Balance" seems to be something of a mantra for the 12 person team at Alesmith. Peter Zien is a Grand Master Level 1 beer judge with the BJCP, the only one of his kind in all of San Diego County. Being rated this highly through the BJCP means that not only has he passed numerous exams; he's also logged an extensive amount of experience in judging both professional and homebrewing contests hosted by the BJCP. The fact that he does this coupled with the fact that most of the Alesmith team seem to be homebrewers turned professionals suggests to me that not only are they deeply committed to craft beer, they also have their finger on the pulse of what is happening in the beer world today. This is what draws me to them.

Alesmith's Nut Brown Ale (previously referred to as Nautical Nut Brown Ale) falls broadly into the category of Brown Ale. If we're going to be sticklers, as the BJCP is, then we'll divide the umbrella category of English Brown Ale into three subtypes: Mild, Southern Brown, and Northern Brown. Milds and southern browns are increasingly rare, even in their home country. Northern Browns are far more common, though still not tremendously so. Most people are familiar with Northern Brown Ales by way of Newcastle, an incredibly available, decent beer that is owned by Heineken, one of the behemoths of the brewing world. Alesmith Nut Brown falls into this subtype, though I hope it is far superior to Newcastle as I've never been particularly impressed. Especially when it skunks out in those insipid clear glass bottles. Anyway, on to the review!

Alesmith bottles all their beer in one of two formats, either the foil topped 750ml champagne bottles or the bottle used here, the more plain 22oz (650ml) bottle, known as a bomber. While the bottle is inherently somewhat less than appealing, Alesmith certainly didn't go out of their way to spruce up the packaging. White block letters on a clear background plainly identify the beer. A little uninspired, for my tastes. Reminds me of how craft beer would look in a communist country. The beer itself pours a rich mahogany, accented by caramel highlights with a darker, murkier brown at the core of the beer. My strong pour reveals a inch or more of beautiful khaki colored head that, in short order, recedes to a quarter inch or so with lacing evident. Appearance: 11/15

The nose is wonderful. Walnut dominates with additional aromas of coffee, toffee, biscuit, and caramel. A faint trace of unmistakable English hops is also present. The hops typical (and most authentic) of the style are Styrian and East Kent Goldings. All in all, a pretty nose. Nose: 24/25

The palate mostly follows the nose. That biscuit aroma takes on more of a toasted quality on the tongue and the hops are more pronounced. That is not to say that the beer is hoppy, just that there are more gentle European hops than I would expect from a style largely defined by its malt bill. The flavors all swirl together and mingle freely, almost like a large gathering of old friends at a party. Much like a party with friends, I know that all those flavors are in there, its just difficult to see them. Rather, I am the wallflower, letting them casually bump into me as they flit in and out of conversations. Nothing distinct and no major transitions, just a solid, easy drinking beer. Palate: 45/50

I rarely drink Brown Ales. When I do, they tend to be variations on the style, like Dogfish Head's Indian Brown or Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar. It is therefore even rarer that I drink such a traditional take on an age old style like this. So every time I do, I am taken aback by how deceptively light and creamy the body is. Also relatively dry, moderate carbonation. Makes for one easy going, laid back beer. Mouthfeel: 9/10

OVERALL: 90/100

So, beers like this remind me of the shortcomings of empiricism. Objectively, this beer is by no means the best beer I've ever had, and my rating reflects that. But I'm giving this beer higher marks than I might otherwise because I can easily imagine my enjoyment of it increasing tenfold if I were to drink it with friends, by a campfire, sharing some burgers, bratwursts, and good cheeses. So keep on keeping on, Nut Brown. Cheers!

A Special Announcement

I wanted to issue my apologies to everybody. I haven't made a new post in a week and a half. I'm aiming to get back into the swing of things. I've started training at the Jungle Jim's in Fairfield to prepare me for when the Eastgate location opens on September 25th. Until I settle into this new rhythm, I've found myself with little free time. I hope you accept my apologies. To return to my old form, I will be writing and publishing a review as soon as I post this. Happy reading. I hope you enjoy it. Cheers!

Bell's The Oracle Beer Review

A couple days ago I was looking over all my beer reviews and, to my horror, realized I had not yet written a review of any beer from the venerable Bell's Brewery out of Kalamazoo, MI. After recovering from my initial shock, I set about righting this wrong straight away. To that end, I am pleased to be reviewing The Oracle.

Bell's Brewery was started in 1985 by Larry Bell. Bell's holds the distinction of being the first brewery founded east of the Mississippi River since before Prohibition. I had the chance to meet Larry a couple years ago and he told me that he started out as a homebrewer, as is common among many craft brewers. When he first started commercial production, he was churning out beer from a 15 gallon soup kettle in his kitchen. Larry today is an icon in the beer world and can take a fair bit of responsibility for introducing the Midwest and eastern U.S. to great craft beer. After establishing a brewpub in Kalamazoo and a production brewery in nearby Comstock that has undergone several expansions, Bell's can easily call itself one of the largest regional players in the American beer market. Bell's is distributed widely in 18 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. While the eastern U.S. is nearly saturated, Bell's only footprint west of the Mississippi River is in Arizona. Their website indicates that they are presently capable of brewing 500,000 barrels per year (1 barrel = 31 gallons). This makes them among the largest craft breweries in the country. They have a solid lineup of great beers, available almost exclusively in six-packs. They are well known for their Oberon, a summer seasonal wheat ale, and for Two Hearted, their American IPA. While these two beers constitute a bulk of their sales, their most highly prized beers include their Expedition Stout, Hopslam, and The Oracle, my beer of choice tonight. They also produce a variety of imminently approachable beers, like their Amber Ale, Porter, Kalamazoo Stout, and Lager of the Lakes. Given that they produce high quality beers at reasonable prices while also maintaining a diverse portfolio that has a beer for everyone, it is easy to see why they are as successful as they are.

The Oracle is one of two Imperial/Double IPAs produced by Bell's. The other is Hopslam, which tends to overshadow The Oracle. Both beers are released once a year, The Oracle in August and Hopslam in January. I'm grateful that Bell's makes both, because it really illustrates the variation possible within a single style. Hopslam is massively citrusy and floral in its hop profile, with a more pronounced malt bill that includes a measure of honey. The Oracle is Bell's attempt at a West Coast style IPA; that is, a lean, dry, highly attenuated beer that makes the malt take a backseat to the hops. I also know that The Oracle's hop profile is different, mixing in piney hops with the citrusy hops. I've had both beers before. I've only had The Oracle two or three times, as its definitely trickier to find. I buy a couple six packs of Hopslam every year, as it is one of my most hotly anticipated yearly releases. There's an ongoing discussion about which is better. Hopslam generally receives better reviews on aggregating websites like Beeradvocate and Ratebeer, but The Oracle has a definite contingent of loyalists on its side. Having had both, I can't rightfully say one is better than the other. They are sufficiently different to warrant being respected in their own right. I will admit my bias from the outset: I know I like this beer. Here I will attempt to qualify and quantify exactly why.

The beer is presented in Bell's all too familiar 12oz bottle. While this format is great for most of their beers, there's a part of me that yearns for the pomp and circumstance of a 750ml cork and cage bottle when approaching a beer with this kind of reputation. The bottle reveals that this is the 11,324th batch of beer that Bell's has ever produced. A printed date indicates that the beer was bottled on Aug. 10, 2012. I appreciate this about Bell's - they bottle date every beer in easy-to-read dates without any cryptic numbering systems. Bottle dates are surprisingly rare in craft beer. I have, more than once, shied away from undated bottles when the freshness of the style, like an IPA, is paramount. Bell's further recommends a time frame in which you should enjoy each of their beers. The Oracle is rated for six months, though I prefer them as fresh as possible. Barely over two weeks is plenty fresh for me. The beer itself pours a vivacious orangey gold color with good clarity and an inch or so of creamy white head that gradually recedes to a quarter inch or so. Lacing appears abundant. Appearance: 13/15

My first whiffs of this beer are glorious. Clean, fresh, bright notes of citrus, pine, and newly cut grass dominate. Almost calls to mind a stroll through a meadow. Also dancing around in there is an unmistakable note of resin. Resin derives from the sticky core of the hop cone. Some highly hopped beers are more resinous than others. I pick up faint notes of alcohol, not burning, unpleasant, or solvent-like and certainly not fusel, but present and assertive nonetheless. More pine after the resin and alcohol. I do detect, buried in there, delicate notes of caramel and biscuit that comprise the malt profile, meager though it is. Nose: 24/25

Upon tasting this beer, I am reminded of why I knew I liked this beer. It is intensely evocative and has immediately transplanted me to the first time I had it, sitting outside at the Cock & Bull Pub in Covington, KY a couple years ago with a friend from high school. I instantly recall the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the conversation. What a special thing this beer has done. I taste more pine than the nose let on, backed by solid citrus, mostly grapefruit and some pineapple. Past experience reminds me that this beer is sweeter than some of its ultra-lean counterparts like Stone's Ruination, but in this moment, its pretty dry. Dry enough that I want to drink it faster than I should, given its quality and alcoholic heft at 10%abv. Traces of caramel and biscuit are there, I suspect the ubiquitous Crystal and Munich malts are the culprits there. The final impression after each mouthful has cascaded down my throat is of underlying bitterness, very apparent cohumulone presence. It leaves behind a marked astringency that, when paired with traces of alcohol and resin, means that the beer doesn't finish as clean on the palate as the nose would suggest. Palate: 47/50

The mouthfeel is mostly pleasant. Full, firm, well carbonated. Nothing especially unique here, just enough to get the job done. Mouthfeel: 9/10

OVERALL: 93/100

Okay, so this is a great beer. Anything rated above ninety is definitely worth checking out. Is it as good as Hopslam? Maybe not. I'll wait until January and do a proper review of Hopslam before rendering my verdict. What I do know is that this beer is a totally different animal than Hopslam. This combined with its greatness means you should check it out. If, however, you can't find it (very understandable) you can wait til Hopslam comes out as it typically has bigger allotments. This is, again, a really great beer. I recommend it thoroughly. Cheers!

Trappistes Rochefort 10 Beer Review

I am long overdue for this beer review. Tonight I'll be examining a true titan of the world of great beer, a beer so spectacular that it has accomplished that rarest of feats, unifying the otherwise overtly opinionated world of craft beer lovers in near-universal adoration. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Trappistes Rochefort 10. 

The entire Rochefort lineup consists of only three beers, simply named the 6, 8, and 10. These numbers are in reference to the mostly outdated Degrees Balling system that used to be the near universal standard for measuring a beer's gravity in Europe. Gravity, as applies to beer and various other beverages, is a method of measuring the sugar content in a solution. With beer in particular, a hydrometer can be used to measure a beer's gravity prior to fermentation (called Original Gravity) and its gravity after fermentation (called Final Gravity). The difference between the two roughly indicates the success of the fermentation and should offer some broad notions of how strong the finished beer will be. Rochefort's beers would've measured 1.06, 1.08, and 1.10 Degrees Balling, respectively, thus giving them their names. The higher the gravity, the more potent the beer. Rochefort 10 is their top product. Degrees Balling has been largely eclipsed in the beer world by Degrees Plato, though the concept is the same. Also remember that many Belgian breweries use a similar system of enumeration to identify their beers.

Rochefort is unique in that it is a Trappist brewery, meaning that the beers are brewed by monks of the Cistercian Order. In order to qualify as an Authentic Trappist Product, a beer must be brewed on monastery grounds by the monks themselves. There are only seven Trappist breweries on Earth. Six are in Belgium: Rochefort, Achel, Orval, Westmalle, Chimay, and Westvleteren. The seventh is Koenigshoeven, located in Holland. In the case of Rochefort, the monks live and brew their beer at the Abbaye Notre Dame de Saint-Remy, outside the town of Rochefort in southeastern Belgium, about 50 miles from the French border. The handful of Trappist breweries only produce a limited range of beers (Orval produces just a single beer for the public) and they are further distinguished by not responding to market demand for their beer. They simply brew enough to support themselves and some charitable causes. They operate as nonprofit entities. Their beers are typically highly regarded and carry a reputation for excellence. Chimay is the largest producer among them, while Westvleteren is so tiny it only sells beer directly from the monastery and never in bulk.

Rochefort 10 will frequently be referred to as a Quadrupel or an Abt. I reject these terms, however, as they appear to be somewhat nonexistent in Belgium. In Belgium, the term "Quadrupel" actually refers to a specific beer produced by Koenigshoeven rather than an entire style. While folks who use the term Quadrupel will argue a stylistic difference between quads and Belgian Strong Dark Ales, I can find no substantive differences and thus defer to the more encompassing Belgian Strong Dark Ale appellation. Belgian Strong Dark Ales (henceforth BSDAs) are a favorite style of mine, though I find I have more favorite styles than non-favorites. BSDAs are robust ales featuring decadent notes of dark fruit and spicy peppery phenols. Fruity ester flavors are present as well. One can also expect sweet flavors of caramel and biscuit, making for an indulgent, complex beer more than worthy of one's total attention. The beer itself will usually present as dark amber to deep brown in color with a tan head. The style is very high in alcohol, often in the double digits, and makes an excellent candidate for aging for the foreseeable future. Rochefort 10 is 11.3% abv. With that, let us embark on this tasty journey.

The beer is presented in a 330ml (11.2oz) bottle, its lone format. No large bottles and certainly no kegs. The label is simple and rustic, almost an anachronism. It hearkens back to when the monks at the Abbey first started making beer in 1595. The pour reveals a deep copper to brownish, almost mahogany colored beer topped off by a half inch beige head that drops back to a thick ring around the edge with plenty of wispy carbonation along the surface. The beer is remarkable for its haze. I remember thinking the first time I had this beer that it was the murkiest beer I could imagine, and it still is. There's even a fair bit of sediment suspended in the beer, yeast and maybe some proteins too. The beer might looks strange to the uninitiated, but for those of us who have seen the light, a murky Rochefort means we're home. Appearance: 15/15

 

Putting the glass to my nose makes me smile reflexively, the sort of smile you get when you wrap a warm blanket around you on a cold night. There is enough going on in the nose to keep me busy all night. Toast, caramel, plums, raisins, cherries, candied pecans, bread pudding, rum, molasses, figs, pepper. Despite this slew of aromas that are as apparent as can be, none overwhelm the others. They are a symphony that somehow manages to allow each note to shine in turn. This is the magic of a truly great beer. Nose: 25/25

Oh. my. word. That's a great beer. To call it a beer seems inadequate - a tribute to the master brewer's art, perhaps? Every aspect of the nose is beautifully recreated on my tongue. While the order in which I experience them has changed from order of the nose, that magical balance is still there. Tasting the transitions  across my tongue and down my throat truly make me sit back in awe. I could never hope to brew a beer like this. I am initially met by spice, then dark and sweet fruit, chased by rum, molasses, and bread pudding. Upon further tastes, I find caramel and toast accompanying the spice at the fore. The beer finishes with a kick of fruit and a drying spice that makes it awfully hard to put this beer down. I can find no flaws here. Palate: 50/50

If the rest of my review were any indication, the mouthfeel is a homerun. It is full and rich, with enough carbonation to assist the beautiful balance of flavors. The mouthfeel and extraordinary balance actually serve to make this very complex, high alcohol beer quite drinkable. Truly a feat of brewing. Mouthfeel: 10/10

OVERALL: 100/100

There were a few beers on my short list of beers that might be my first perfect rating. I wasn't sure which would be first, but I can think of no better beer to take that spot. Truly a magnificent creation worthy of its unbelievably strong reputation. This beer is great. What impresses me is that I enjoyed this very complex beer as a relative novice several years ago. Wandering around Ratebeer's website, I came across this beer with so many stellar reviews and knew I had to try it. Most beers that are this complex would've overwhelmed my young, inexperienced taste buds, but Rochefort 10 did not. Thus, I can thoroughly recommend it to any beer drinker, novice or veteran. While I typically qualify a beer in this lofty price range ($6-7/bottle), this beer needs no qualification to justify its purchase. You need to go out and buy this beer. Heck, buy two. Drink one now and save one for down the road. And remember, if you're looking for a special occasion, the day you open this beer is the special occasion. Cheers!

Epic/Dogfish Head Portamarillo Beer Review

Hey there everybody! I'm sorry I haven't posted in over a week! I feel like the worst blogger ever. Please forgive me. Had a couple busy days and then a few more days of internet trouble and before I knew it a week had lapsed. Lucky for everyone though, I'm back in the saddle tonight and ready to deliver a beer review on a fun new(ish) beer, Portamarillo brewed by Epic Brewing and Dogfish Head. Epic and DFH made this same beer at both of their respective breweries. Tonight, I'll be drinking the Epic bottling that comes to me from way down under in Auckland, New Zealand. Epic is part of a new wave of international craft brewers that are following in the footsteps of their American counterparts by creating big, bold beers crafted with a slant toward individuality and daring. New Zealand, along with Australia and Italy, are major up-and-comers on the beer scene. New Zealand is lucky enough to be situated perfectly for some major hop production and the varietals of hops that they're turning out down there are spectacular (Nelson Sauvin, anyone?) Added bonus: Because they're in the southern hemisphere, their hop season is almost exactly opposite of ours and Europe's, so we can keep a year round supply of hops flowing on the international market. I've already covered some information about Dogfish Head in my review of their 120 minute IPA, so I suggest going there for further enlightening reading.

The Portamarillo would be what you call a porter, a style familiar to many beer drinkers, but it has a twist (Dogfish was involved, there had to be a twist). Whereas your average porter is made with some black malt and roasted barley (among other malts) that lend its characteristic dark color and roasty flavor, this beer has an added component. The brewers made use of tamarillos, which are a variety of New Zealand tree tomato. After collecting enough tree tomatoes, they smoked them using wood chips from the Pohutukawa tree (aka the NZ Christmas tree). They then pureed these smoked tree tomatoes and added them to the mash to be part of the finished beer. I can't imagine that the flavors of anything resembling a tomato would shine through the robust roasted coffee and nutty caramel flavors of a porter, but I'm hoping that some smokiness shows up without getting too smoky. Nobody wants an ashtray in their beer, even if it is from some sacred NZ tree. The name of the beer is something of a portmanteau, a play on words. It is a combination of "porta" which is a phonetic spelling of how your average New Zealander would pronounce "porter" and, of course, tamarillo. Porta + tamarillo = Portamarillo. Aren't they just so clever? Anyway, let's do this thing!

The beer is presented in a serviceable 500ml (16.9oz) bottle that features a small DFH logo to indicate the collaboration. Still not sure why there's a chicken on the label. After pouring very vigorously into my Dogfish Head signature glass, I am left staring at a beer that ranges from ruby at its edges to a very dark brown almost-black at its core. Overall, let's call it cola color. The head is about a half inch of khaki goodness that dissipates to a ring with a blanketing misty wisp of carbonation covering the surface. What remains of the head after a couple minutes seems sturdy, even rocky, and features a slew of different size bubbles. Right on target for a porter. Appearance: 13/15

Well hey there, beer! Smoke greets me on the nose straight away. Not an unpleasant smoke like ash tray or forest fire, but the kind of gentle smoke that I love in my scotches of choice. Almost reminiscent of smoked meat, ham maybe? This note really resounds with me and I anticipate exploring it in the palate. I do also find some roasty/toasty notes and some caramel in there too. There's a certain nuttiness to it, to be sure. I'm thinking almonds at this point but there's enough going on here that I haven't decided just yet. Nose: 23/25

Ok, the smoke is right where it should be. Initial impressions show off roasted and caramel flavors followed by a whiff of easy smoke, almost like a gentle tide lapping lazily on a shoreline rather than a smoky tsunami. Definitely prefer the tide to the tsunami. I've had some beers that were smoky to the point of being undrinkable and uncertainly unenjoyable (I'm looking at you, BrewDog's Smokehead). I get that almond flavor that I smelled in the nose so I'll settle on that to describe the nuttiness that creeps in after the smoke. I detect a faint buttery note that derives from a compound known as diacetyl. The presence of diaceytl is completely unacceptable in most styles but I checked the BJCP's Style Guidelines and they indicate that low levels of diacetyl are tolerable in porters. It isn't my favorite flavor here, but I'll let it slide since it isn't too apparent. Palate: 46/50

This beer has a deceptively light body given its 7% abv. I would call it on the light side of medium. Carbonation is moderate overall but somewhat higher compared to other porters. Its almost prickly across the tongue. Extremely drinkable that balances a laundry list of flavors that might become overwhelming in a heavier beer. Mouthfeel: 9/10

OVERALL: 91/100

Yup, overall a very solid offering. Would I buy a 500ml bottle at $10.99 again? No, but I'm glad to have tried it and thoroughly enjoyed reviewing it. This is actually my first experience with Epic (not to be confused with Epic Brewing in Salt Lake City, UT). While there are a variety of Epic beers available to me, most are IPAs with no bottle date so I'm concerned about their freshness coming from New Zealand. When you have a serious hop craving, there's nothing more depressing than cracking open a highly regarded beer only to find it faded into oblivion. This was a very good beer and you should pick it up if you see it because Epic and Dogfish Head have devoted their entire companies to redefining how people think about beer, and that's pretty cool. Cheers!

P.S. I promise that I'll get back to posting more frequently!

Avery The Beast Grand Cru 2006 Beer Review

My good fortune in procuring a fantastic job (Thanks again Jungle Jim's!) coincides nicely with the arrival of August because that means that a collection of beers in my cellar have just celebrated another birthday. In honor of their birthday and to celebrate my new employment, I'm opening my cellar and breaking my five-year collection to consume the oldest among them, the 2006 vintage of Avery's The Beast. I still have The Beast years 2007-2010 and will, over the next couple weeks, crack them open to see how the beer has grown. I've had The Beast several times and had the 2007 vintage last year at 4 years of age but I've never had it at six years so this will be a new experience. Additionally, I've only had a handful of beers older than this so I'm excited to see how time has changed this massive beer. I remember liking the 4 year old 2007 vintage much better than when the beer is fresh so I'm hoping that the additional two years hasn't made the beer turn bad.

I want to talk very quickly about cellaring/vintage beers. While cellaring and consuming old wines is a well-established tradition, it is something that most people wouldn't think of when they think of beer. The truth is that a great many beers can benefit from some age. Aging tends to mellow out and marry together previously harsh, disparate flavors. It might also affect carbonation and mouthfeel. Beers that are good candidates for aging tend to have high alcohol content and a strong malt profile. One exception to this is sour ales, which will continue developing in the bottle for years to come. Beers that are lighter in style, like pilsner or witbier, would be bad options to age. They will quickly deteriorate, as will very hop forward beers such as IPAs because hops are the first flavor that will begin to fade in a beer, leaving behind an unbalanced, cloying mess. Styles well suited to cellaring include barleywines, imperial stouts, and, in the case of The Beast, Belgian Strong Dark Ales. These styles are also often bottle-conditioned, meaning bottled with live yeast so that the beer will develop in the bottle. The bottled yeast typically increases alcohol slightly and might increase carbonation while also drying the beer out by consuming residual sugars.

Avery Brewing Co. was founded in 1993 and operates out of Boulder, CO. Founder Jason Avery has a wide lineup of beers and produces things to suit every taste, from novice to casual beer drinker to connoisseur. Many of his beers revolve around a theme, such as his Dictators series that includes beers named after Maharaja, Czar, and Kaiser brewed in styles associated with those dictators' respective countries of origin. The Beast hails from the Demons of Ale series and shares this distinction with Mephistopheles, an imperial stout, and Samael, an oak-aged ale that might be called a barleywine or an old ale. These beers are defined by being sold singly in 12oz bottles with forboding all black labels. They are further defined by extreme alcoholic strength that is otherwise uncharacteristic for the style categories they are lumped into.

The Beast carries the designation "Grand Cru," a term borrowed from the wine world to denote a brewery's top offering. This massive Belgian Strong Dark Ale rings in at 14.6% abv, though exact strength varies slightly year to year. While Begian Strong Dark Ales are typically strong and often break into double digits, this is in a whole other league. It would be erroneous to think of this beer as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, in fact. It must be judged on its own merits as it breaks a number of guidelines established for the style. But marking it in this style does give one some indication of flavors to be expected, but those flavors and body will be elevated to stratospheric heights. To learn what defines a typical ale of this style, please see the Beer Judge Certification Program's style guidelines at their website www.bjcp.org. Without any more pretense, let's get to the review, shall we?

The beer is presented in a 12oz bottle wrapped in an ominous black label that features a snarling beast. The neck and cap are wrapped in red foil and I note that the cap features the old cap design that spells out the name Avery. Newer caps simply feature the brewery logo letter "A." After pouring as strongly as I could, I see that the beer itself is a somewhat murky, translucent shade of deep mahogany with shades of ruby, amber, and chestnut at the edges. The core is opaque. The beer is topped by a quarter inch khaki head that quickly fades to a ring. More carbonation than expected for a beer of this strength. I would say this beer, in appearance, is somewhere between a barleywine and a more typical Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Appearance: 14/15

The nose on this beer is extraordinary. It smells like Christmas and a wild weekend in Vegas had a one night stand and this was their demon spawn. Huge sugary booze, rum, molasses, prunes, raisins, enough bready and biscuity sweet malt flavors to choke a very large horse. Hops are, of course, imperceptible. Dark cherries, every dark fruit I can think of wrapped up in sugar, booze, and sweet pound cake. Caramel and a few spices are also present. Maybe they should've called this "The Sweet Beast." Nose: 23/25


Oh my god, this beer just went crazy on my tongue. Gigantic sugary booze and solvent alcohol notes. Cheap, sweet rum. I really taste a burnt flavor across the mid palate that reminds me of the molasses I smelled early on. Of course prunes, raisins, and cherries are dominant forces that twist my taste buds inside out. The beer finishes with a spice that provides a touch of dryness on the swallow, though this meager dryness is difficult to appreciate amid the cacophony of sweet dark fruit and sugar. Alcoholic heat smacks around my mouth the whole time. This is one devilish beer. Palate: 48/50

The mouthfeel is full. No, to say it is full is inadequate. There are no words to say how full this beast is. Additional time in the bottle definitely didn't dry this thing out but it retains a better-than-expected carbonation that keeps the beer from camping out on your tongue like Black Friday shoppers at Best Buy. Mouthfeel: 8/10

OVERALL: 93/100

It is tough to compare vintages of this beer because the alcohol strength varies each year, meaning they are continually tweaking the recipe or perhaps the beer just finishes differently of its own volition. Regardless, I think that later years of this beer hit the mark a little better. But I'm a sucker for boozy, intimidating beers so I might've rated this beer a little higher than others would. If you come across it and don't mind dropping the not insignificant dime, I'd check it out. You'll also want to check out Mephistopheles, which is actually a better beer. Cheers!

A Special Announcement!

Greetings all! Please accept my apologies in having not posted for a few days. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I'm not in the habit of using this blog to divulge personal details or toot my own horn, but I felt it necessary to share this bit of news: Just yesterday, I was offered a job working full time in the Beer and Wine Department at the new Jungle Jim's International Market location in Eastgate (outside of Cincinnati). The soon-to-open Eastgate location will be Jungle Jim's second location. The original, located in Fairfield north of the city, has a well respected beer and wine department. The Eastgate location will build upon this stellar reputation. Without giving too much away, let's just say that this beer department is going to redefine the retail beer buying experience. Definitely not to be missed. To add to this, the store in general will be massive and carry every food imaginable. It is a place you can't afford to miss, even if you don't already love beer and wine. Tell all your friends to come out and see the store when we have the grand opening September 25! The new store is at 4450 Eastgate South Blvd. Cincinnati, OH. If you wander over to the beer department, you're sure to see me running around like a mad man with a big grin on my face and sweat on my brow. Thank you to everyone for supporting me in finding a job doing what I love. I want to thank Mike, Julie, and Katy for being awesome references. I also want to thank Ed Vinson et al. for giving me this amazing opportunity - you won't be disappointed!  That's all for this post. Thanks for sharing in my joy!

Weihenstephaner Vitus Beer Review

Tonight I'm straying from my bulk of American beer reviews to give you my thoughts on a beer from the other side of the Atlantic. I'll be reviewing Vitus from the Weihenstephaner brewery in Freising, Bavaria, Germany. Weihenstephaner (pronounced vine-schte-faw-ner) is a southern German brewery that has been in existence, in one form or another, for nearly 1,000 years and now lay claim to being the oldest brewery on Earth. I can't think of an older brewery, so I have to concede the point. They were originally a monastic brewery but a few hundred years ago they became the official state brewery of Bavaria, back before German unification which didn't happen until the reign of Otto von Bismarck in 1871. Today, the brewery is a Bavarian-endorsed company that operates as a private business. They're no longer state-controlled. They are a fairly common brand whose beers can be found in decent beer and liquor stores as well as bars and restaurants the world over. I find their various wheat beer offerings to be their best efforts (they produce a truly exemplary hefeweizen, the Hefe Weissbier). Given this, I am tonight reviewing Vitus, a weizenbock.

Weizenbocks are a somewhat interesting style. They are a wheat ale that exhibits most or all the same flavors as a typical hefeweizen, but they are brewed to the alcoholic strength of a typical bock; that is to say, stronger than your average hefeweizen. Whereas most hefeweizens are 4.5 - 6% abv, weizenbocks range from 7-10% abv. Vitus is 7.7% abv, for those of you keeping score at home. Since the alcohol is ramped up, what one should expect is a fuller-bodied, more intensely flavored hefeweizen. Let's call it an imperial hefeweizen, yes? For more on the hefeweizen style, please see my style overview. That being said, let's get to work.

The beer is bottled in Weihenstephaner's usual 500ml (16.9 oz) bottle. Many foreign brewers use this half liter size but it is less common in stateside breweries. I like having this size option at my disposal. Sometimes it is just the right amount of beer. I deviate from my usual strong pour and instead pour gently down the wall of the glass, correctly anticipating a huge, creamy white head. I'm also using my weizen glass, as it is historically and culturally accurate to do so. When in Rome, right? The beer itself is a significantly hazy, slightly murky but still beautiful medium gold, or maybe dark straw. The tall, slender glass really shows this beer off and allows the ample head room to form. After a couple minutes, this bodacious carbonation settles into a quarter inch that is solid throughout. Appearance: 13/15

My nose's first forays into the glass reveal major clove spice notes, backed by sturdy banana flavors. I smell lemon, bubblegum, maybe some mint. Yes, definitely mint. Spearmint, if forced to elaborate. All of these are well within reason in a weizenbock but they're presented in such a way that keeps me interested. I like what I smell so far. Nose: 22/25


Banana takes the driver seat, forcing the nose's clove to ride shotgun. Crisp lemon darts about my tongue. There's still a minty flavor present and I rather enjoy it. Its actually more pronounced a mint flavor than other similar beers I've had and I really enjoy it because it provides character to a style that can occasionally become too straightforward. Bubblegum is still there, but its sweetness is a little more vague than the other fresh, bright summertime flavors here. Moderate alcohol content is well hidden beneath the appealing sweetness, offering only traces to my tongue when I really dig around for it. All around good stuff. Palate: 47/50


The mouthfeel hits a bullseye, managing to be both full of spritzy carbonation and creaminess for days. Medium body is supremely easy going down. I can't imagine how I'd improve it. Mouthfeel: 10/10


OVERALL: 92/100


Really great beer from Weihenstephaner. While their Hefe Weissbier is a king in the world of hefeweizens, this weizenbock is really good but not quite the best. For my money, I go to Schneider's Aventinus when I'm looking for a weizenbock. But this is a tasty beer that's affordable enough at $5/bottle for you to do a side-by-side comparison. As always, cheers!

The Bruery White Oak Beer Review

For this review, I'll be diving into a beer that's new to me, White Oak from The Bruery in Placentia, CA.

The Bruery is an amazing upstart little brewery, founded just a few years ago in 2008. The name is a portmanteau of "brewery" and the family name Rue, who founded The Bruery. In its short existence, The Bruery has made an extremely strong name for itself in the beer geek community. They are virtually unknown outside of Orange Co. and the beer geeks worldwide who love them. They make no four or six packs, only large format 750ml bottles (same size as wine bottles). They make a lot of Belgian-esque beers, though often with a twist. Perhaps an unusual ingredient or a strange brewing technique. They do make some non-Belgian beers, however, and a great deal of their cache among the beer geek crowd derives from their Black Tuesday stout, a massive imperial stout that is aged in bourbon barrels for over a year and then bottled around 19% abv, though exact strength varies from year to year. This is a once a year release available only at the brewery and it inspires a great deal of excitement, much like Three Floyd's release of Dark Lord. They are also in the process of releasing a once-a-year Christmas beer. Each year they make a different beer and name each one after one of the twelve days of Christmas. Each one is designed to be aged so that you can collect them all and enjoy them together when Twelve Drummers Drumming finally gets released. This winter, we'll be expecting Five Golden Rings, so we're still a ways off from completing the series. I've had most of The Bruery's regular lineup and have been impressed with all of it so I'm excited by the opportunity to review a beer that I hadn't previously even seen around here. I picked this bottle up from the good people at Ludlow Wines in Cincinnati near the University of Cincinnati campus. Big thanks to Mike for always being friendly, helpful, and eager to strike up a conversation about good beer.

Weighing in at a hearty 11.5% abv, White Oak is kind of in a league of its own. You might call it a Barleywine, even though it's technically 50% wheatwine aged in bourbon barrels and 50% Belgian Strong Golden Ale. Barleywine is a rich, decadent style that originates in England and refers to the very strongest member of the broad pale ale family. Barleywines are kind of like amber ales ratcheted into overdrive. I love barleywines. They make great nightcaps and pair well with lots of cheeses, bread, and desserts. They are called barleywines because they are made with barley (thus they are beer, not wine) but are often brewed to wine or near-wine strength. They tend to start out around 8% abv but quite routinely range into double digits. Making the wheatwine variant of the style is simple enough: you just use a portion of wheat instead of straight barley in the malt bill. Wheat tends to make the body a little leaner and crisper, with a slightly fluffy mouthfeel. Bourbon barrel aging will impart flavors of oak, vanilla, coconut, and maybe even some orange. The beer is named White Oak because it is this species of oak tree that provides the staves used to make most bourbon barrels. So this beer would be unique enough if that were the whole thing, but it's only half the picture. The other half of the beer is The Bruery's Mischief, a hoppy Belgian Strong Golden Ale. I'll be very curious to see how the sweet, rich flavors of caramel, molasses, oak, vanilla, and coconut that I would expect in a barrel aged wheatwine blend with the spicy, fruity flavors of Mischief, a beer I'm familiar with (which is excellent on its own and worthy of you buying a bottle). Let's open this bad boy and find out.

The bottle is a pretty 750ml magnum shape, like a champagne bottle. The label is simple but its shape is unique and consistent across all The Bruery's beers which makes their lineup easy to spot on a shelf. This is a very good thing, establishing a brand like that. The beer itself is very unique unto itself. The color is almost exactly in the middle of the two styles brought together in this bottle. A wheatwine would usually be a copper to dark amber or even reddish brown beer while a Belgian Strong Golden Ale will be a pale gold or even as light as straw. This beer straddles the line; I'll call it dull gold or bronze to light copper. Clarity is decent, some haze present. The beer pours like a Belgian Strong Golden Ale with a massive ivory head that fills the glass like mousse. After a couple minutes, the head has dissipated into a quarter inch with excellent lacing. Appearance: 14/15

The nose on this beer is refreshingly different. A true blend of both styles, I can smell it all. Vanilla, coconut, and fruity esters greet me first, followed closely by oaky notes. Caramel, dark fruits, and spices dance around merrily. The oak also gives off a sort of earthy appeal. More spices there, not peppery, more like cloves. The more I smell, the more I notice the caramel kind of enveloping the whole thing. And I love caramel. Nose: 25/25


First swallow and I get bourbon! Whereas the nose carried all the typical indicators of bourbon, oak, vanilla, coconut, the palate removes all doubts of its bourbon heritage and throws in a smack of bourbon booziness right at the front of the palate. Its almost like a shot of bourbon dropped in a strong ale. I like it, but I love bourbon and like boozy alcohol flavors in moderation so this might not be for everyone. Some dark fruits are there too and great flavors of banana and bubblegum remind me of the Belgian roots that run deep in this beer. It really is a marvelous balancing act they've achieved here. The usual woody notes are present too but I like that the Belgian character expresses itself behind the bourbon flavors. This rescues the beer and makes it far more palatable than most beers with a bourbon punch like this. Palate: 46/50


The mouthfeel is pretty good, and the family rue succeeded in their mission here: crafting a robust yet crisp wheat ale. What I wonder is if they should've abandoned the whole "crisp" thing and given the body a little more oomph to stand up to the bourbon flavors. Rather than a wheatwine, I think a barrel aged barleywine would've been more appropriate and would've achieved better balance. I will give them credit, though, for crafting an 11.5% abv monster that actually drinks much lighter. The Belgian influence tempers the body and leaves it in the medium-full category, rather than overtly full which could've made the beer too sweet. I'll trust that they ran through a couple incarnations of the recipe before settling here. They don't strike me as the type to send beer out that they don't trust, so I'll keep all my hypothetical questions and nitpicking criticisms to myself. Mouthfeel: 8/10


OVERALL: 93/100


So this was a good beer. I'm glad to have tried it and I'm very appreciative of The Bruery trying something that no one else is making right now. What's more is they actually made a good beer out of what could've been a train wreck. That being said, I won't be rushing out to buy more bottles at $14 a piece. There are precious few beers out there that I will repeatedly buy at that price (here's looking at you, Alesmith Speedway Stout) because there are just too many new and different beers that I want to try for me to be spending my sadly limited funds on repeat buys of boutique beers. But you should totally try this beer, unlike any beer I remember having. Cheers!

Beer Basics 101: Ale vs. Lager

For my next entry in the Beer Basics 101 series, I'm donning my professor hat to explain two of the most basic yet most misunderstood beer terms: ale and lager. More specifically, what is the difference between the two?

Let me clarify something first: ale and lager are the names for the two subcategories of beer. Every style on Earth (with maybe one or two exceptions) falls into one or the other. I know that these terms can be confusing because they are often misused by people, including breweries because, let's face it, Anheuser-Busch's advertising department might not know much about beer. I've heard brewers and beer drinkers alike speak about stouts and ales as though they're two separate things. They're not. Stout is merely one type of ale. Please remember that all beers are either ales or lagers.

So what defines these two subcategories of the beer world? Well, that's a tough one. There aren't a ton of hard and fast rules that delineate between the two. What is quantitatively different is the yeast. The all-important yeast. In my style overview of German Hefeweizens, I briefly touched on yeast. The importance of yeast in a beer cannot be overstated. It is the metabolism of the yeast that provides alcohol and, therefore, defines beer. No yeast equals no beer. I further argue that yeast is the agent of change that has made beer such a mystifying drink throughout the millennia. It must be remembered that, for the vast majority of brewing history, human beings knew nothing of yeast. Beer dates back at least 6,000 years and likely much farther but it is only in the last few hundred years that we have known that yeast exists. Prior to the invention of the microscope, all beer was spontaneously fermented by wild, unseen yeast. This has enormous importance as pertains to the cultural significance of beer. Imagine you are a farmer who occasionally makes some beer, living in 4,000 B.C.E ancient Egypt. You are well familiar with the otherwise innocuous ingredients of barley and water. But you also know, through some happy accident, that if you combine the benign barley and water and store them for a period of weeks in one specific spot, that when you revisit your beverage you will find it has new, strange, and powerful abilities to alter your perceptions and state of consciousness. Since fermentation is a mechanism as yet unfathomable to you, you attribute these wonderful new properties to powers beyond your control. Perhaps your supreme God, a lesser god of the harvest or the grain, or even to the animus that you believe flows through all living things. It is this spiritual connection that enamors you of beer from your earliest encounters with it. Beer soon takes its place in various ceremonies and rites as a way of reaffirming your people's belief structure. It is through this great importance assigned to beer that beer eventually permeates its way to other aspects of your life and your experience is not dissimilar from the experiences of your contemporaries around the globe. Drinking beer, in this context, is not unlike Christian communion, wherein believers consume bread and wine as literal or figurative representations of Christ. The core of the rite of communion is to establish a connection with Christ, the same sort of connection sought after by our ancient, beer drinking predecessors. Sure, it's easy to dismiss my ramblings as the waxing philosophical of a delusional nerd because today, the magic is gone. We live in the scientific age and understand yeast so well that, like so many other things in our world, we've begun controlling it and bending it to our use. But the cultural history of beer leaves us an important message: that it is important to, at least occasionally, give beer its due deference because our ancestors thought it magical and used it as proof positive of their understanding of the world around them. And all that magic was thanks to yeast.

Whew, now that the flowery, philosophical geeky stuff is out of the way, let's get back on track. Differences in yeast define the difference between ale and lager. Yeast is a microorganism that is a member of the Fungus kingdom. These tiny little fungi do all kinds of things like make bread rise, provide texture and flavor to cheese, make wine, and make beer! It's this last one that I'm focusing on. Varieties of yeast used in beer fall into the species Saccharomyces cervisiae. S. cervisiae is the ale yeast, and all the infinite multitude of ale yeasts are members of this species, even though they have noticeable differences. These differences occur below the species level, similar to all dogs being classified as Canis familiaris. There are plenty of breeds of dog that look and act quite different, but they're all the same species. Same with the yeast. Lager yeasts, notably fewer in quantity, are known as Saccharomyces pastorianus, although this is based upon obsolete taxonomy. Lager yeasts are now recognized as yet another subtype of S. cervisiae, though the old nomenclature is still used.

Strains of ale yeast are too innumerable to name here (new ones are being created all the time) but there are essentially only two strains of lager yeast that produce the overwhelming majority of all lagers. The difference in ale and lager yeasts is that ale yeasts naturally rise to the top of the beer in the fermentation vessel and are thus known as top-fermenting. Additionally, ale yeasts ferment at relatively warm temperatures, around 60 to 65 degrees. Lager yeasts are just the opposite: they settle to the bottom of the fermenter (bottom fermenting) and ferment at cooler temperatures, usually around 45 degrees. Ales also ferment faster than lagers. In fact, the word lager is German for "storage" due to the long fermentation time.

Because of the difference in how they function, ale and lager yeasts have different properties as pertains to final aroma and flavor. Ale yeasts tend to be more expressive and produce a variety of byproducts that lend additional flavors to the beer. Lager yeasts typically ferment rather clean and depend upon the raw materials of malt and hops to do the heavy lifting in the flavor department. Thus, a rule of thumb is to say that ales are typically more flavorful and distinctive, while lagers tend to be more nuanced and easy drinking. This is a major oversimplification, however, and one should remember that there are exceptions to the rules. Kolsch, for example, is a very light and easy drinking, low flavor and mostly inoffensive ale whereas a doppelbock is a rich, malty, sweet and fruity lager. It is also important to remember that while ales are typically more flavorful, both ales and lagers have their place. I don't always want to drink an imperial stout that requires my full attention, ruins my taste buds, challenges my palate, and demands that I drink it in sips. Sometimes I just want a few bottles of a good pilsner so I can kick back and watch the games or enjoy a barbecue. I keep coming back to my mantra and you would do well to repeat after me: Beer should be fun. I hope this entry wasn't too long or complex. I try to keep it light and minimize how much I geek out on things like yeast, but this topic needed some real explanation because so few people really grasp something as basic as the difference between an ale and a lager. I know I said in my last Beer Basics post that I was going to keep these short and sweet. My bad. I hope they're still worthwhile. If you have any suggestions or questions, leave them in the comments. Thanks. Cheers!

Stillwater As Follows Beer Review

For tonight's beer review, I'll be checking out As Follows from Stillwater Artisanal Ales based out of Baltimore, MD. Big thanks must go to the beer department at The Party Source in Bellevue, KY and especially their beer buyer Danny Gold for having recently begun carrying Stillwater beers. I've had a number of their offerings and I think they're all phenomenal. To have them in my backyard is a real treat, so thanks again guys. There were a couple of beers among the Stillwater offerings at Party Source that I hadn't had and As Follows was one of them so it seemed like a perfect time to review a beer that sounded like it would be right up my alley.

As I mentioned in my review of Stillwater/Hof ten Dormaal's Bronze Age, Stillwater specializes in Belgian styles and As Follows is no exception. For more on Stillwater, check out my aforementioned review of Bronze Age. As Follows is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale, aka Belgian Strong Pale Ale. I reviewed another beer in this style when I reviewed Sierra Nevada's Ovila Belgian Golden so if you'd like to learn a bit more about the style, please check there. As Follows caught my eye not only because it's from one of my favorite up-and-coming breweries doing a style I really dig, but because I think they added a twist to the tried and true Belgian Strong Golden Ale formula. They tout the beer as being "big, bold, hoppy, and gold." It's that magical word 'hoppy' that makes my ears perk up. A hoppy Belgian Strong Golden Ale, you say? Well, I guess I'll have to drink that one, I say! This potential addition of some big juicy hops is just the sort of thing that might send this beer over the edge. I've had hoppy Belgian goldens in the past (though it's been a while) and a couple have been transcendent. I'm hoping for that same experience here, but I won't know for sure til my nose is in the glass. Oh, I'm bubbling with excitement already! Stillwater additionally bills the beer as being, "an eschatological ale. . . built sturdy enough to withstand the apocalypse." This is all the more description I need to be eagerly anticipating this beer before I even cradle it gently in my trunk for the trip home. Let's get down to business.

The bottle is simply exquisite. I adore Stillwater's bottle presentation and As Follows stands tall among its peers. A very fine foil, like what one might expect on a good bottle of wine, conceals the bottle cap underneath on this 750ml bottle. The label art is, as with the rest of their beers, really intriguing. Being an eschatological ale, the label features the sort of retro doom-and-gloom, fire and brimstone artwork that immediately calls to mind Dante or John Milton. This evocative art really complements the whole experience. More brewers would do well to take a page out of Stillwater's book here. As I pour into my Libbey Poco Grande glass, I have to rein in my usual hearty pour because this beer is a frothy monster. A gigantic, three or more fingers of dense, creamy, mousse-like head fills my glass to the brim. After a couple minutes, the head that just won't quit has settled down into a quarter inch of iron-willed persistence. The head itself is a vibrant white. As the head settles, I'm able to appreciate the beer itself. It is a cloudy deep straw to hay in color. Lacing on the glass from the huge head is outrageous. Appearance: 15/15

Sticking my nose in the glass confirms the abundant presence of what I'd been hoping for - hops! I love hops almost as much as I love Belgian ales so this is perfect for me. Big, citrusy American hops dominate. Orange, tangerine, pineapple. I can also smell plenty of bready yeast notes and some spice in there as well. The spice smells almost peppery, but I'm unsure right now. All in all, this beer smells great. I get a few band-aid type phenols in there, but nothing too apparent. Nose: 24/25


Mmm, this beer tastes really good! On the palate, the hops are very apparent. While they're not as fresh as I'd like them to be (like, a hop addition yesterday), I know the freshness of the hops isn't the brewer's fault by the time it makes it to retail shelves so I won't hold it against them. The hops are only ever so slightly faded, revealing some traces of bitter astringency. But again, nothing too off-putting. The hops still complement the other flavors here quite well: Fruity yeast esters like banana and a touch of peach, distinctive spiciness that almost defines the beer. The more I drink it, the more I'm thinking the spice is a cross between black pepper and cloves. I also detect traces of bubblegum hiding in there. Palate: 48/50


The mouthfeel is superb. It is at once creamy and bubbly. The bodacious CO2 is ever present here. A body that sits comfortably on the higher end of medium coupled with ample carbonation make this 9% abv beer dangerously drinkable. As I sit here, I realize just how little is left in my glass or the bottle. They did a really great job with the body and texture here. Mouthfeel: 10/10


OVERALL: 97/100


I was fairly certain I would like this beer from the moment I found it waiting for me on the shelf. It is a beer that pays attention to details and rewards those able to see them. Is it the best Belgian Strong Golden Ale I've ever had? I don't think so, but that doesn't mean it isn't one heck of a beer that is fruity and drinkable enough for hot summer nights but complex and rich enough for wintertime nightcaps. This versatility will also translate well into an assortment of foods. Please, pair this beer with salads, breads, cheeses, chicken, fish, wild game, and fatty entrees that need a little hefty carbonation to cut the richness. I also wouldn't mind putting this beer with some desserts that include bread pudding and angel food cake. Cheers!

Goose Island Lolita Beer Review

I mentioned in my last review of Goose Island's Juliet that I had also come across a bottle of Goose Island's Lolita. Well tonight I'll be reviewing it. I decided to do them back to back to compare them as accurately as possible. I'm interested in which I'll like more.

I don't really have any brewery or style information to share here as the brewery and style are the same as Juliet, a sour ale made by Goose Island. Please see my review of Juliet for more information about Goose Island and sour ales. While Juliet is made with blackberries and aged in cabarnet barrels, Lolita is made with raspberries and aged in unidentified wine barrels. Both are fermented with an unidentified wild yeast and while Juliet comes out at 8% abv, Lolita clocks in at a respectable 9% abv, which is on the upper end of alcohol for any sour ale I've ever seen on either side of the Atlantic. Many Belgian Fruit Lambics, which serve as partial inspiration for both these beers, range from around 2.5% to 5% abv. Maybe both of these sister beers are imperial sours? Also, I mentioned in my previous review on Juliet that I suspected Goose Island of using Brettanomyces bruxellensis to ferment these beers, but I wish to issue a retraction. As I reflected on the beer last night, I decided it didn't exhibit any of the qualities I would expect from a brett-infused beer and that my palate was tasting something that wasn't actually there simply because it was on my mind. Yes, the power of suggestion can work on yourself. The only other information I could glean from the Goose Island website is that they recommend this beer to drinkers of Belgian framboise, a raspberry lambic. They also recommended serving Lolita with a wide variety of foods. That being said, let the review begin!

The beer is presented in the same 22oz bottle as Juliet, though the label is more of a true white and 'Lolita' is written in an all-caps, block letter font in a kind of raspberry color. A touch simple, but classy in its understated aesthetic. The beer pours an interesting pinkish orange, almost like a summer sunset or strongly brewed iced tea. A quarter inch pinkish beige head of countless little bubbles quickly dissipates into oblivion. The beer looks completely still after a moment, belying the plentiful carbonation that I know lurks among its depths. Appearance: 13/15

A lot of the same great funky and tart yeast flavors come billowing forth in the nose, confirming my suspicions that both Juliet and Lolita receive the same yeast treatment. I also smell definite oak, the wine barrels no doubt. Unfortunately, I'm not well-versed enough in wine to venture a guess as to which wine it may be. The beer smells vinous and a touch earthy. There's a little mustiness in there too. The raspberries are quite apparent as well, though not as dominate as I anticipated. They're duking it out for attention with all the other smells as well as a tannin astringency that bites the nostrils, ever so gently. Nose: 24/25


The raspberry comes springing forward much more in the palate. It is young, fresh, and vibrant. Its audacity is ameliorated by the oak and tannins that flank its approach. The raspberry character seems concentrated, more like a jam or preserve than the fruit itself. That certain unmistakable acidity inherent in raspberries is also apparent and serves to balance the sweetness nicely. The overall palate still conveys plenty of tart funkiness and moderate acidity tied together by fruit and oak. There's a certain creamy butter like flavor that flashes across the end of the palate right before disappearing down the throat, almost reminiscent of a buttery  Chardonnay. That particular buttery flavor owes itself to a compound known as diacetyl which is unacceptable at any level in many styles but which can be tolerated at low levels in some Belgian sour ales as a strictly complementary flavor. That is the precise nature of this butter flavor, which makes me think it was intentional. It also puts Chardonnay on the top of my list for culprits responsible for the mystery wine barrels. Palate: 47/50


The mouthfeel was really good. A touch fuller than Juliet and more firmly in the medium range, this fuller body is still belied by abundant carbonation. There is a definite but not exuberant creaminess on the back end. Mostly marked by plenty of champagne carbonation and a springy, fruity body. Nicely done. Mouthfeel: 9/10


OVERALL: 93/100


Well, I definitely liked this beer too and it is another stellar addition to Goose Island's beer geek-centric beers. I think, all things being equal, that I ever so slightly preferred the Juliet. I thought the body was more spot on and the blackberry flavor there intermingled with the oak better. That being said, Lolita is a wonderful beer that I might buy another bottle of before it disappears off the shelves around here because I'd love to age a bottle for a couple years or so and see where it comes out. If you're wanting to get into sours, here's another great place to start as well as a beer that proves that summer beers don't have to be boring. Cheers!

Goose Island Juliet Beer Review

Oh boy am I excited! Tonight I'm reviewing a beer that I've had in the back of my mind for a long time. Goose Island's Juliet is a beer that I had heard many great things about, but which I never seemed able to find. Today, in a stroke of pure luck, the good people at Hyde Park Wine & Spirits in Cincinnati just happened to get some in, as well as Juliet's sister beer Lolita. I'm excited for that beer too and will be reviewing it in the coming days.

Goose Island is a pretty big heavyweight in the brewing world. John Hall started the brewery as a brewpub in 1988 in Chicago, IL and expanded into a production brewery in the 1990s. He opened two brewery locations in Chicago and helped to define Midwestern beer culture. Goose Island is today available in an impressive 36 states and Europe. Last year, Goose Island lost its independence when it was purchased by Anheuser Busch-InBev, the beer conglomerate responsible for so many lackluster beers like Budwesier and Stella Artois. Now a wholly owned subsidiary, this was initially seen as a major blow to craft beer - just another instance of the big boys swallowing the competition. But what seems to be happening, at least for now, is that Goose Island is being left to their own devices to continue making beer their way while benefiting from the marketing campaigns and distribution resources of AB-InBev. This improved distribution is, in my opinion, the reason I was finally able to get my hands on Juliet (and Lolita). I also think that us beer geeks are benefiting from the AB-InBev distributors not being familiar with all these new beers they're selling. They're more concerned with selling product to retailers rather than carefully allocating each case so as to keep things fair among retailers and maximize hype. The end result is that places like Hyde Park Wine & Spirits that are willing to pay the high prices of premium beers like this can find themselves with sufficient quantities to support a far larger number of sales. While this is certainly less democratic, its a gold rush if you know where to shop for the good stuff. So for now, I am cautiously happy about Goose Island's merger with the enemy.

Juliet falls into a somewhat new category of American beer known as American Wild Ales. This still murkily demarcated style doesn't necessarily mean that the brewers used wild yeast, but they might have. A more proper but broader term to describe this style might be to simply call them sour ales. Yes, you heard right. Beers can be sour and sour can be good! This is a hip style in the beer world right now and draws a lot of attention from hardcore geeks and brewers looking to capitalize on the craze. I'll admit to as of yet not being a huge fan of sours, but they're growing on me even as they hurt my wallet (sours are invariably expensive). The reason this style is kind of murky is because American brewers have done something new with these beers. They trace their influence to the great sour ales of Belgium. The Belgian sour ale family includes such a multitude of styles that encompass so many brewing and aging techniques, blending processes, unusual ingredients, and wild or peculiar yeast and bacterial infections that I can't even begin to describe them here. Suffice it to say that these Belgian originals are endlessly creative and their American counterparts have built upon that creative legacy by adding their own twists, including barrel aging. The qualities that all sour ales will typically have in common is some level of sourness, moderate to high acidity, and tannin-like qualities similar to what one might find in wine. Speaking of, this style is the closest thing to wine in the beer world and a great sour ale would be a prime candidate for converting wine drinkers into beer drinkers. Just don't push conversion too hard; you don't want to seem snobby. After all, wine is supposed to be fun just like beer.

Juliet, in particular, is aged in cabarnet wine barrels with real blackberries after being fermented with wild yeasts (I'm guessing, before I even drink the beer, that they're using Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a popular funky yeast). The beer weighs in at 8% abv. Goose Island's website recommends it as a great beer for pinot noir drinkers. I'm interested to see what happens!

The bottle is very pretty, nicely adorned with an eye-catching yet understated off-white label that identifies the beer in purple cursive and also prominently displays the vintage, as if calling out to wine drinkers. Indeed, this beer is bottle-conditioned and sours are excellent candidates for aging, just like wine. After a moderate pour into my upright Libbey Poco Grande glass, I am left with a very beautiful, if somewhat delicate looking, rosy red beer whose excellent clarity shows off tinges of orange, red, and amber. The head is a pinkish white quarter inch of champagne-like bubbles that quickly dissipates to a razor thin ring. Among the more interesting beers I've seen in a while. Appearance: 14/15

Putting my nose in the glass is different for me. As I said, I'm not as well versed in sour ales as some other styles but I like what I smell. A wood tannin-like astringency greets me, backed by a pronounced fruity (blackberry?) note. A hearty swirl reveals some funky yeasty notes I recognize from some Brettanomyces-infused saisons. I definitely get oak, maybe some phenolic spice. But I like these spices; they seem inviting. They're not the nasty sort of band-aid phenols. There might be a trace of white vinegar in there, but this beer smells as appetizing as any sour I've encountered. Nose: 24/25


Oh wow, no wonder they said this was a good choice for pinot noir drinkers. Huge flavors of dark fruit, more assertively blackberry than in the nose, express themselves wrapped around a huge oak tree. These big oak flavors dance nicely with a great red wine-esque tannin character. The beer is unmistakably tart and this might repel some beer drinkers. But the tartness isn't offensive and even suggests the kind of tart one might find in a breezy red wine. The beer is off-dry, neither dry enough to pucker my lips nor sweet enough to cause cavities. The sugars are beautifully attenuated and leave me with a superbly balanced flavor profile that transitions and offers new flavors as it moves down my tongue and hits my throat. Upon further tasting, the tartness is beginning to become a little puckering, more dominant than I initially realized. This isn't bad, just different from my original impression. There's also definitely some light spice in there but I can't put my finger on it. Cloves? Cardamom? I also get some citrus buried in there, is that tangerine? Palate: 48/50


The mouthfeel might be my favorite thing about this beer, even though I thought the rest was pretty damn good. Spritzy, tingly carbonation dances across your tongue. A medium body lends enough weight to support the array of flavors. Finishes clean with a bone dry swallow, dry enough to bring you back for more. Mouthfeel: 10/10


OVERALL: 96/100


Yep. I love this beer. The wait has been worth it. This was one of those pivotal, trans-formative beers for me. It is my favorite sour ale (Sorry, La Folie. You had a good run.) and has helped me cross the threshold into truly loving sour ales, perhaps my last great frontier among beer styles. I thoroughly recommend this beer to all red wine drinkers and adventurous beer lovers like me. I love pairing beer with food and this beauty will work wonders with all kinds of stuff. The bar has been set very high for when I crack open Lolita. Cheers!

Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale Beer Review

For tonight's beer review, I'll be checking out a style that I wish there were more of - the Scotch Ale. For this, I'll be opening Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

Scotch Ales, alternately known as Wee Heavys, are actually an extended family member of the large pale ale family. The Scotch Ale is not to confused with Scottish Ales, which are lighter in body and lower in alcohol but otherwise essentially the same beer. Wee Heavys, as I prefer to call them, spend a longer time boiling in the mash tun during brewing. This extra time caramelizes the wort and imparts sweet flavors and a deep copper to brown color to the beer. The style will also exhibit some smoky notes and there may even be a tea-like bitterness in some examples. The style is quite hefty and serves well as a winter warmer or nightcap as the alcohol by volume ranges from 8% up into double digits. It is the strongest of the pale ale family save for the Barleywine. This particular example from Leinenkugel's tips the scales at 9.5% abv. The best way I can think to describe this style is to say that it is a strong, rich, and sweet beer almost reminiscent of an amber ale on steroids with some notes of smoke and/or peat. I am a scotch drinker, on the rare occasion that I'm not drinking beer, and this is a big part of why this style appeals to me. I love my scotches smoky and peaty and I can find some of those characteristics right here. That's one of the things I love about beer, that beer can exhibit so many flavors from so many other foods and drinks.

The Leinenkugel Brewery is based in Chippewa Falls, WI. While they were founded eons ago in 1867 and survived Prohibition by bottling and selling soda water, they are today a wholly owned property of Coors. They are no longer an independent craft brewery. This is a common occurrence in the beer world; large breweries will often buy smaller craft breweries as a way of competing in the craft market or simply to own their competition entirely. This corporate ownership by Coors explains the pervasiveness of Leinenkugel's. Their beer is available in nearly every supermarket, corner store, gas station, and liquor shop in America. Few if any independent breweries have the type of production capabilities to reach that level of saturation - yet. The only one that comes close is Sierra Nevada. While Leinenkugel's has built its reputation largely upon beers I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole (Summer Shandy, Berry Weiss), they have recently begun producing small batch, limited run beers under the Big Eddy name that retail at medium market prices, around $10 per 4 pack. Other entries in the series have included their Imperial Stout and Imperial IPA. All biases against breweries like Coors aside, these were decent beers. They were tasty and technically very good. My only complaint is that they might have not had enough personality. Both tasted exactly like the textbook definition of their respective styles, as though the BJCP guidelines had come to life in a beer. But there was nothing that made them stand out in a crowd, no defining feature, nothing memorable. I'm at a point in my beer drinking where I'm more interested in creativity and uniqueness than technical perfection. That being said, these are great beers to try if you're just getting into craft beer. I'll be curious to see if Big Eddy's Wee Heavy falls into the same trap. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that this beer has very big shoes to fill as my favorite Wee Heavy is the much revered Alesmith Wee Heavy. I will honestly make every attempt to set this and my bias against Coors aside and judge this beer in its own right.

The beer is presented in the typical Leinenkugel's Big Eddy bottle, a typical 12oz brown bottle wrapped in a rustic brown label. Each beer in the Big Eddy series sports a different trim color to quickly differentiate each one. The Imperial Stout was red, the Imperial IPA green, and the Wee Heavy navy blue. Upon cracking the bottle cap and pouring strongly into my Libbey Poco Grande glass, I am met by a very deep copper colored beer with many highlights of ruby, amber, mahogany, and garnet. The light even exposes traces of a burgundy-like color. The head is only about a quarter inch of khaki foam that quickly drops back to a thin ring. This lower level of carbonation is perfectly acceptable for the style, though some do exhibit large heads. Appearance: 13/15

The nose is pleasing. Notes of molasses and caramel greet me upfront. Sweet, dark fruit esters accompany them to the party - plum and raisin perhaps? I have a finely tuned nose for peat and my nose tells me its in there. There's something earthy, peaty, and smoky about this beer that instantly recalls Islay scotches. More straight smoke masquerades behind the peat. I smell a campfire. A little biscuit-like bready malt dances around in there too. A delight to sniff. Nose: 23/25

The beer becomes smokier and sweeter on the palate. I readily identify roaring peat fires floating in the background combined with a faint cured meat-like smokiness. The sweet dark fruit flavors are vying for attention as well. All these flavors are wrapped up in a sturdy caramel backbone. It is very good but, despite my hopes to the contrary, this beer is beginning to resemble an imminently well crafted but perfectly forgettable beer just like its Big Eddy brethren. Palate: 45/50

The mouthfeel is decent; big and powerful. While it certainly tries hard, it does fall through on the back end of the swallow; a certain unmistakable wateriness come creeping in when instead I would be hoping for a final punch of bitterness or smoke to finish the job. Mouthfeel: 7/10

OVERALL: 88/100


Well, this beer landed about where I expected it to but hoping it wouldn't. Its a shame when a beer's biggest flaw is its utter mediocrity but that alone is enough to let it get lost in the shuffle of an ever-evolving world of beers to tantalize and entice. I just can't imagine remembering this beer in six months. It was still very decent and would be a great introduction to the style, though I'd sooner choose Founders Dirty Bastard as your initial foray into Wee Heavys. Sorry Leinenkugel's, I know you tried really hard with the Big Eddy series and I know what you were going for, but you're not quite there. Cheers!

Beer Basics 101: What is Beer?

Tonight I'm starting yet another series of posts entitled "Beer Basics 101." While my Beer Geekery 101 posts are written about the finer points of truly appreciating great beer, the Beer Basics 101 series will seek to answer some nuts and bolts questions, clear up confusion, and dispel commonly held myths. I hope this distinction makes sense and proves useful.

For this entry, I thought I'd start with some very fundamental topics that a lot of non-beer geek folks might find themselves at a loss to answer. First, what is beer? Beer, quite simply, is any beverage that is brewed, not distilled like hard liquor, and then fermented to low or moderate alcoholic strength wherein the fermentable sugars are derived from cereal grains. Make sense? What my best attempt at a broad technical definition means is that you make beer by steeping partially germinated cereal grains (partially germinated cereal grains are called "malts") in water and then exposing the resulting "tea" (known in the beer world as wort) to yeast that feeds upon the maltose sugars available in the malts (that's why you have to partially germinate them - to make the inner sugars available for yeast consumption). The process of yeast consuming sugars and converting them into byproducts, in the case of beer, alcohol and carbonation, is called fermentation. Between steeping the malt and pitching the yeast, most modern beers receive a hop addition, though this wasn't always the case as we look back in history. After the yeast is introduced, fermentation begins and the soon-to-be-beer is laid down for a period of weeks or months to allow fermentation to complete. The time necessary to complete fermentation varies by style and, more importantly, the particular strain of yeast being used. I mentioned that beer is derived from cereal grains. Cereal grains can refer to any number of different crops, though barley is the overwhelming choice worldwide today not only because of its abundance and ability to grow well in a variety of climates, but also because its physical structure and durability lend itself well to the brewing process. Aside from barley, a whole slew of grains may be used. They include but are not limited to: wheat, oats, rye, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, and spelt.

I think I'm going to keep my Beer Basics 101 posts short and sweet. I'd prefer they be a fast, easily digestible read so that educating yourself is quick and simple. I left a lot unsaid, even about the basics of what beer is, so my next post will focus on varieties of yeast and the difference between an ale and a lager. I'll then probably post about hop varieties so that these three short and snappy reads will give you an understanding of what's in your glass next time you crack one open. Cheers!

Stillwater/Hof ten Dormaal Bronze Age Beer Review

Tonight I'll be reviewing an interesting beer, Bronze Age, a collaboration between Baltimore, MD based Stillwater Artisanal and the brewery Hof ten Dormaal in Tildonk, Belgium. This beer came to me by way of my wonderful girlfriend who stopped by famed beer store Bruisin' Ales in Asheville, NC when she was there back in April. Big props to her. Also, as I have also been to Bruisin' Ales in the past, I want to give a big shout-out and an even bigger thanks to everyone at Bruisin' Ales. While you have a selection that can't be beat, I think what makes you guys a world class beer store is your attitude and clear investment in and love for the beer community. Keep on keeping on!

Stillwater is a curious brewery as they're one of a handful of breweries I can think of that are nomads; that is, they don't have a brewery to call their own. Rather, they travel the country and world and brew their beers in other established breweries. This spirit of collaboration in the craft beer world is great. The most well known nomadic brewer is Mikkeller, which is a Danish brewery run by a guy named Mikkel, simply enough. Being a nomadic brewery means that your production might be a little inconsistent but it also gives you the opportunity to sow your beer seeds all over the place and brew a far greater variety of beers than would be possible under a single roof. For proof of this, one need look no further than Mikkeller's astonishingly long lineup of beers (ratebeer.com lists over 300 beers made by Mikkeller). Stillwater is very well regarded for their much smaller collection of beers including some of the best saisons on either side of the Atlantic. Since they focus mostly on Belgian styles, travelling to Belgium and working in tandem with Hof ten Dormaal to make a beer seemed a natural fit. Bronze Age would be called a saison or farmhouse ale. In fact, the label identifies the beer as a "Traditional Belgian Farmhouse Ale." For an in-depth explanation of saisons, please see my style overview. Remember when I said in my overview of saisons that they varied wildly from brewer to brewer and often contained unique ingredients? Well, Bronze Age is a prime example. They brewed it with a portion of the grain bill being spelt, an ancient and wild variety of wheat that was a staple of many European diets during the Bronze Age. The idea with this beer, insofar as I can deduce, was to reasonably recreate the type of beer that would've been produced in Belgium during the Bronze Age, which occurred there from about 1600 to 700 B.C.E. Let's step back in time, shall we?

The beer is beautifully presented in a 375ml (12.7oz) green bottle with a cork and cage finish. The label exhibits Stillwater's usual intriguing and eye-catching artwork that features two hands, one wrapping the other in guaze with a background that features wild wheat and what appears to be a brain. How very curious. The beer itself pours with a massive ivory head. I have to cut my usual strong pour short so as not to spill over the glass. I half expect this type of carbonation in beers like this, so I am unfazed. This 8% abv beauty is a light straw yellow that is semi-hazy. Everything looks great so far. Appearance: 14/15

After the head recedes over the course of a few minutes, leaving some lacing, I have space to really get my nose in the glass. I'm met with a very saison-ish nose. Classic hints of spice, pepper, some fruity esters. I smell some barnyard and cellar funkiness. Giving the glass a hard swirl clarifies some of those esters, there is pear and red apple very apparent. The pepper definitely smells like standard black table pepper. There is also a pleasing lemony zest to the nose. I think what I previously called barnyard could more accurately be called grassy. Solid nose and this beer so far has my taste buds jumping in anticipation. Nose: 23/25


Ah, tasting, my favorite part of beer. Doing this elaborate reviews with the beer right in front of me while I write about other aspects of the beer really drives up the anticipation and makes the payoff that much better. I taste a little more funkiness and mustiness than was in the nose. I still get that grassy note and I'm beginning to think that is due to the hops. I've never read anything about the exact hop bill on this beer, but I'm guessing Styrian. The pepper kind of bounces around throughout the beer, even as the beer transitions and travels from the front of my mouth to the back of my throat. The peppery spice makes a grand final gesture, giving me a quick blast of spice right as I swallow. Kind of lovely, actually. The esters of apple and pear are there too and help balance out the spice and the funk (Sidenote: The Spice and The Funk is now the name for my next homebrew when I make a saison. Don't steal my idea.). Very nice flavors overall and, while not groundbreaking, they are as unique as any saison and they're on-point for what I expect from the style. Palate: 45/50


The mouthfeel is nothing spectacular but very good nonetheless. Ample carbonation and a lean, dry body make this 8% complex ale immensely drinkable. It is very bubbly, almost champagne like. In case you're wondering, there is a beer style that very nearly approximates champagne. Its called biere de champagne. Its a new style still gaining traction in the beer world. Anyway, great mouthfeel. Mouthfeel: 9/10

OVERALL: 91/100

Well, its safe to say I liked this beer a lot. I'm a sucker for saisons and since my second area of geeky interest is history, throwing in a special ingredient like spelt and naming your beer 'Bronze Age' is sure to win me over. That being said, I think this beer is very solid and definitely worth a try if you find it. Cheers!