Woody's Round-up

Having covered 3 new beers from the list in the last blog, I thought I’d take this opportunity to run quickly through a few other things I’ve sampled over the last few weeks.

First we have Duvel Triple Hop 2014 (Belgian Strong Ale, 9.5%, from @lighthousewines) which poured a cloudy but vibrant yellow, accompanied by a fluffy white head. Belgian yeast is the first smell to hit, but there a definite grassy/piny hop aroma. That spicy Belgian yeast plays a fair part in the taste too, but there’s more lemon here than in the original and more of the fresh cut grass from the aroma. Light bodied for the ABV. It was nice but I think I prefer the original. Score: 6.5.

 113 IPA from Slyfox (IPA, 7%, from @lighthousewines) provided more craft in a can. This one is amber, clear and comes with a small white head. Aroma is biscuit and caramel, with a hint of citrus in the background. Taste is quite malt forward for an IPA - caramel, biscuit malt, with a light pithy bitterness. Resin like mouthfeel. This was ok, I don’t mind a fair bit of malt in an IPA but this one was a little too sweet for me. Score: 5.5.

Anchor IPA (IPA, 6.5%, from @lighthousewines) also poured an amber colour, this time touching on red. Clear with an off-white head. Surprising fruit aroma – lots of berries and passionfruit. The berries carry across into the flavour, with some plums and prunes, it actually tastes quite boozy for 6.5% but not in a particularly bad way. Fizzy number this but quite creamy with it. I think all anchor beers have an identity – there something in the yeast or water that means you’d know it was brewed by Anchor no matter the style. This was solid, and a little different, without being great. Worth picking up though. Score: 7.

Sticking with berries, next was Founders Rübæus (Fruit beer, 5.7% from @lighthousewines). Red, clear, and no head. Tart raspberry aroma. Taste wise this reminds me a bit of red creamola foam! Raspberries, sherbet, and a little sourness to stop it being too sweet. Light but a little sticky. Decent though I’ve had better versions. Score: 6.5.

Pistonhead (Lager, 4.6%, from Tesco) was picked up to round out a deal in Tesco. Straw coloured with an off-white head. Grainy lager aroma. Flavour is grassy, with some grain and something slightly corn-like. Light and fizzy. Wouldn’t buy again. Score 4.5. Charles Wells /

Dogfishhead DNA (IPA, 4.6%, from Tesco) was part of the same deal. Copper coloured with an off-white head. Malt leads an aroma that’s pretty reminiscent of an old school English Bitter. Flavour again is malt led, some caramel too, and a decent bitterness. Mid bodied. This apparently has a reduction of Dogfishhead 60 Minute in it (thus the DNA of the title), and while the 60 minute has more of a malt profile than you might expect, I'm assuming the reduction here is at homoeopathic levels as it really doesn't come through. Don’t bother. Score: 4.

Last, but by no means least, was Stone Pale Ale (APA, 5.6%, from www.drinkstore.ie). A nice amber colour, clear, with a good off-white head. The aroma is quite malt forward, the plenty of toffee but there a grapefruit citrus here too. Taste again is quite malt forward, plenty of bitterness, astringent, green hops, grass, and grapefruit. It opened up and improved a lot as it warmed. Fizzy and resinous body. I’ve had the IPA before which I thought was better than this, but this was an enjoyable especially as it warmed up. Score: 7.

Cheers

Beer from the Bay

As I mention in the beginning, drinking Anchor Steam in San Francisco was one of the things that helped get me into beer. Ever since, their beers have a special place in my heart, even their smell is distinctive and takes me back to the city by the bay. Anchor steam, liberty ale, and their porter are available in a few spots in NI already, but its good to see a few more of their brews available locally. Neither of these are part of my quest to drink my way through "1001 Beers" but are still worth trying and reviewing!

From outside the List

112. Anchor Brekle's Brown. 
Style: Brown Ale. ABV: 6%. From: Lighthouse Wines.
Description: A mid brown cola sort of colour, with a tan head. Decent hop aroma, but then toasted malt and some chocolate/coffee, and a hint of nuts. Good malt profile, but then the hops come through with a little citrus. Some nuttiness in flavour too. Light to Mid bodied.
Thoughts: I love a brown ale, especially at this time of the year, and this was really good. A nice hoppiness to balance out the malt made this drinkable. Will happily buy this again.
Score: 7.5

113. Anchor Big Leaf Maple. 
Style: Amber Ale. ABV: 6%. From: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Poured a red/deep amber colour, clear, with a big tan head. Straight up aroma of anchor beer, presumably from the yeast. Behind that there a little maltyness and then the maple comes through. Flavour of a earthy red ale, with a hint of maple and sweetness on the finish. Light bodied with a dry finish. 
Thoughts: Another good beer from Anchor, while I'm not sure I would have got the maple as much if I hadn't been looking for it, it is in there! This beer is pure autumnal and pure anchor. Love the label too.
Score: 7.5

t's that time of the year again, Belfast Beer Fest is back from 21st-23rd November - I'll be there on the Friday sampling whatever I can get my hands on. It's always a fun day out, so if your about that weekend I'd recommend making your way to the King's Hall.

Cheers

Beer Weather

It really is beer weather out there

A late lunch in Horatio Todd's on the Newtownards road also was a nice surprise. I knew they covered a few beers but there was more choice here than I anticipated. Good to see another pub option in Belfast where you can at least try a few different beers (they also had Belfast Ale on draft, and the food was good!). During the visit I managed:

From the List

• Anchor Steam Beer. Style: Steam Beer/California Common. ABV 4.9%
  Description: An amber and sweet malty “lager”. Light carbonisation. Nice head with some lacing.
  Conclusion: As a said in “the beginning”, Anchor Steam was one of the brews that got me into beer. Lager like but dark and with sweet malts (technically its a hybrid - warm fermented with lager yeast). At the time it was like nothing I’d had before. Much better on draft in San Francisco, the bottles still travel well, and just popping off the cap and taking a sniff bring me back to a great holiday and memories.
  Score: 7
  
  
• Sam Adams. Style: Lager. ABV 4.9%
  Description: Another amber lager with lots more maltyness than we get locally. A head that lasts with some lacing. Biscuit and sweet malt taste.
  Conclusion: A bit of a surprise that Horatio Todd's had this on draft. Another fine lager, a bit like Anchor Steam but a little bit more traditional. Again this is one of the beers that showed me what was available out there. Always happy to grab a bottle or a pint – just a sip takes me back to the Warren Tavern in Boston!
  Score: 7

Others

• Headless Dog. Style: Amber Ale, ABV: 4.3%.
  Description: Poured from a bottle. Amber ale with a hoppy taste, some fruit and malt to finish.
  Conclusion: Solid beer, and a nice one to use to introduce non-hopheads to different beers. A little too mild to my taste but a perfectly fine ale.
  Score: 6.5

The Long weekend in Northern Ireland and, with this weather, a perfect time to sample some (cold, cold, cold) beers at home.

Not on the list:

• Snake Dog IPA. Style: IPA. ABV 7.1%
  Description: Bright gold in colour, poured with a little white head that disappeared pretty quickly. Fruit aromas, but a pretty bitter piney type hope finish.
  Conclusion: Big fan of most flying dog beers, and this one was as good as the rest. Quite a bitter hoppy finish that might be a bit much for some. Maybe too bitter for a summer night but a fine beer.
  Score: 7
  
  
• East India Pale Ale. Style: IPA. ABV 6.9%
  Description: Golden Amber colour with a fair amount of bubbles. Bitter fruit aromas and another with a pine hop finish.
  Conclusion: Again I'm a big fan of Brooklyn beers. This is another good one. Very similar to the Snake Dog, but maybe not quite as bitter a finish. Went down well!
  Score: 7

Cheers