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!