Hey Blondie...

So it’s undoubtedly BBQ season, and actually having space to BBQ in has meant I’ve taken advantage of it a fair bit this year. With friends round I feel a bit self-conscious whipping out the note book and sticking my nose into a glass of beer and prattling on about honey and citrus and rum, or whatever… So I’ve sampled a few recently and not taken notes.

Of these I did enjoy Short’s Brewery Huma Lupa Licious (again donated by a kindly friend who brought it back from the states) which from memory was fresh as a daisy, grassy with citrus and pine, but not overdone. Of the rest, not much stands out (Delirium Red was decent, Trouble Brewing Sabotage drinkable if not overly exciting, etc).

However, even with friends there, I did take notes of the beers from the list:

224. La Trappe Blonde

Style: Belgian Blonde. ABV: 6.5%. From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: First off I love these big bottles with a cork and cage top. The beer poured a light golden colour with a lively white head. Big funky yeast aroma, along with wheat, spice, and some banana esters. There is something slightly German wheat beer about this, and the banana and wheat carry over into the flavour – but there is more funky yeast here than in the Germanic version. Quite light bodied and easy drinking for 6.5%.

Thoughts: It wasn’t the first beer I’d tasted that night so it might not have been the fairest test, but the beer was decent without ever really being exciting. Not something I’d rush to but if offered I certainly wouldn’t refuse. The dubble was better for me.

Score: 7

225. Oud Beersel Oude Geuze

Style: Lambic - Guese. ABV: 6%. From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: This one poured quite a strong yellow; it was cloudy with a big fluffy white head. A lemon blast kicks off the aroma, with the wild yeast doing its funky sour thing, and finally there’s a hint of something herbal at the end. Taste again starts out lemon, with a whack of lemon rind. There’s a hint of fizzy sweet sherbet, but it doesn’t overcome the overall tartness. Light bodied yet the fizz lends a creamy texture.

Thoughts: Ah now this was good, not as tart and sour as some but it remained refreshing but drinkable though-out. Lovely.

Score: 8

Right, I'm off to another BBQ!

Cheers

De ranked in the top 220

Two beers away from another round number in my journey though "1001 Beers..." was enough encouragement to open a couple of bottles at the weekend:

219. De Ranke XX Bitter
Style: Belgian Ale (according to ratebeer) / Belgian IPA (beer advocate). ABV: 6.2% From: Drinkstore.ie.
Description: Mid-golden in colour, white head, and a slight haze. Floral hops lead the aroma, followed by Belgian yeast, bread, and something rustic and earthy. Taste kicks off sweet before giving way to some breadiness, floral hops, grapefruit, and some funky fruity yeast esters. Light-to-mid bodied, fizzy but creamy with it. 
Thoughts: Not quite what I was expecting (I try not to read about these before trying to as not to influence what I think it tastes like) but in a good way. Drinkable stuff this and certainly worth trying. 
Score: 7.5

220. De Ranke Guldenberg
Style: Belgian Strong Ale (RB) / Tripel (BA). ABV: 8.5% From: Drinkstore.ie.
Description: Poured a mango colour, hazy, with a tiny white head. Aroma starts with some funky Belgian yeast, but then its all soft stone fruit. Again the taste is surprisingly fruit led, peach, tangerine, nectarine, passion-fruit but a nice earthy malt/grain backbone. Hides the booze scarily well - I'd reckon this stuff is dangerous! Mouthfeel is light with good carbonisation.
Thoughts: Again this wasn't what I was expecting but again I was more than pleasantly surprised. This is really fruity, but not overly sweet - full on quaffable on a hot summer's day but with that ABV so well hidden this could get you in trouble. Great stuff.
Score: 8

I have tweaked the last post slightly, and still not sure it gets across quite what I was trying to say (this is why I do this for fun and nothing more - I'm crap at blogging!). Though I had a recent trip to Dublin that I think points to the future. I had about an hour in the city and got excellent beer and service at both The Norseman and Brew Dock - if you're in the city I can fully recommend both. 

I had a very tasty pint of 8 Degree's Amber Ella which was even better, fresher and more unctuous on draft than it was in the bottle. I'm a fan. Next was a quick sample of Rascal's Ginger Porter, I said previously I'm not a big fan of ginger in beer - this could bring me round quick smart. Coffee and chocolate flavours, with a nice soft body, finishing nicely with a full on whack of ginger spicyness. Would love to try this again and take proper notes. Finally (and about time too) I got a taste of Galway Bay's Of Foam and Fury. Holy shite this is how you make a double IPA - mango, passionfruit, and pineapple balanced with a great, balanced, bitterness and lovely malt. While there's booze here you'd never peg it at 8.5%. Beer of the year so far? I might need a proper bottle to put it to the test but it's right up there.

With this quality available so close by the local guys may need to up their game. If they could replicate any of these I'd be in a beery heaven.

For those who want to see / taste more of these Irish Beers, Brewbot/BelfastBeerClub's Tour takes in both Galway Bay and Rascals. If there are in spaces left your in for a treat!

Cheers    

21

Last Friday night I got a (brief) pass out and decided to hit the Hudson with a couple of mates. It was a great night's crack catching up and the beer offerings there continue to impress - I didn't take notes so not adding anything to the list but managed to sample the Founders All Day IPA, Thornbridge Jaipur, Dark Star Revelation, Partizan 9 grain Porter (which was excellent), and Williams Brother Kelpie will sitting outside in the lovely Hudson Yard. Man, life is tough... 

Unfortunately the pass out didn't extend to Tuesday night's beer tasting by Light House Wines. Anyone want to enlighten me to what was on offer apart from Gamma ray on tap (can't believe I still haven't tried that yet)?

Anyway, another beer from the list was ticked:

209. Birrificio del Ducato Verdi (Black Jack)
Style: Imperial Stout. ABV: 10%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Labelled Islay 2002. Poured tar black, a wisp of a brown head stuck about very briefly before disappearing. Wood, BBQ smoke and molasses on the aroma. Taste is peat, wood, smoke, a boozey warmth, a little honey, and some whisky notes (though not as much as expected). Dark and roasted. Thick and oily mouthfeel.  
Thoughts: Enjoyable this, lots going on but surprisingly light on the whisky overtones, made it quite drinkable for an imperial stout. Not up there with some of the greats but certainly worth trying if you come across it (though it ain't cheap...)!    
Score: 7.5

And a few outsiders:

172. Brasserie de la Senne Jambe de la Senne
Style: Tripel. ABV: 8%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Poured quite a light yellow colour with a white head. Aro,ma wise, Belgian yeast hits you first, then some grassy hops smells. My notes are a mess here... bready malt, brewing sugar, lots of grassy hops, herbal. Light, fizzy, coats your mouth a bit. 
Thoughts: As it started off I wasn't too sure. Quite hoppy for a tripel. But as it warmed up I began to like it more and more. It certainly one worth trying but not up there with the Tripel Karmeliet for me.  
Score: 7


173. 8 Degrees Amber Ella
Style: Amber Ale. ABV: 5.8%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Amber colour with an off white head. Floral hops, but also some peach and nectarine. Caramel malt, grapefruit, peach, decent citrus bitterness. Dry and slightly bitter finish.
Thoughts: Good stuff this and I can see how it recently took a bronze at the World Beer Cup. This is the sort of beer you can still feel in your teeth ten minutes after finishing. Would pick up again and I really should be trying more of this range. 
Score: 7.5


Just finishing with a heads up for the next Beer Club Belfast - 29th May at the Hudson - its a meet the brewer and beer tasting with Marble Brewery. £10 quid in seems a bargain really! See you there.

Cheers 

Beer 171

So here we go again. Another post, another tick from “1001 Beers...”

Beer 171

• Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA. Style: IPA, ABV: 7.5%. Purchased: Brewdog
  
  
  
  Description: Light honey in colour and clear. Skinny white head with good lacing. Lots of citrus aromas, grapefruit and piny hops. Good bready pale malt tastes, with citrus flavours. Bitter finish, slightly sticky coating and a resiny mouth feel.
  Thoughts: You hear it all the time in craft beer circles, “needs more hops”. This beer shows why it not all about hops and why balance is key. Just great. Up there with the best IPAs I've had.
  Score: 8.5.

Beer 83 outside the list

• Brewdog / 8 Wired Brewing Dog Wired. Style: Imperial Pilsner, ABV: 6.8%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Pale blond in colour with a good white head. Wow, lots of tropical fruits on the nose – very fresh aroma. Again a big, totally topical taste (seriously this reminded me of a beer version on lilt). Some grainy cereal in the background. Good fizz (may be too much?) and light.
Thoughts: A twitter review by Tim Higgins and a follow up blog by the BeerMack had me intrigued about this one. I have never (to my knowledge at least) had an imperial pilsner before. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Very fresh tropical hops against a nice fresh cereal background (though maybe slightly too sweet). Actually felt slightly boozier than 6.8%. Nice and different.
Score: 8.

Beer 84 outside the list

• Brugge Tripel. Style: Belgian Tripel, ABV: 8.2%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  
  Description: Poured amber with a big white head. Lots of bready and yeasty smells – slightly musty. Taste of malts, banana , some hoppiness, and a little sour/bitter finish. Syrupy, slight astringent. Dry.
  Thoughts: Wasn't a huge fan of this, tastes every bit 8.2% and then some. None of the really interesting bits that a good tripel has – it just came across too boozy and one dimensional for me.
  Score: 5.5.

Cheers

A Great Belgian Tripel

Thanks to Twitter (and @belfastbeerblog) I've come across a new outlet to purchase good beers. The lighthouse Bar and Wine Shop in Whiteabbey is within easy reach of Belfast and has a nice selection of English Ales, local Whitewater and Hilden Brews, and a very nice range of American Craftbeers. Seriously worth checking out, from taking to the staff they're keen to get in some new stuff (I'm hoping for some Stone Brewing Beers) and they're also looking to set up and beer/ale tasting club. I'll be going back again and if your in the area please support a local company trying to broaden our horizons. Picture of some of my purchases below!

The good weather has made nearly every evening a beer evening, so a few of the recent samples are set out below:

From “1001 Beers...”

Beer number 158

• Tripel Karmeliet. Style: Belgian Triple. ABV 8.4%
  
  
  Description: Poured from the bottle light golden and slightly cloudy. Went into my Leffe Challis, leaving a large white head which quickly left. Good carbonisation, with lots of fizzy bubble to start – though it calmed down a bit as we went along. Strong fruit and herbal aromas, and then really strong Belgian golden ale smell. Mid mouth-feel – bubbly to start though slightly thicker as it calmed down. Citrus fruit flavours – with a nice sourness (slightly cherry like) on the finish – occasional hoppy bitter hits also keep the beer interesting.
  
  Conclusion: This a a great beer – well balanced, fruit flavours but a sourness that means it doesn't become overwhelming. 8.4% gives a really nice alcohol warming kick – it doesn't taste as strong as it should but you know the alcohol is there. Very refreshing after a long day in a warm office! Big fan of the style and of this beer in particular. I'll be buying this again!
  Score: 8.5.

Others

• Wild Hop. Style: IPA, ABV: 5.2%.
  
  
  
  Description: Amber IPA from Harviestoun with a nice bitter finish.
  Conclusion: A really solid IPA with good hop bitterness combined with a decent malt flavour. Nice UK IPA, but not as bitter as some of the US versions. Very Drinkable though
  Score: 6.5
  
  
• Joker IPA. Style: IPA, ABV: 5%.
  Description: Blond IPA from Williams Brothers, quite light and refreshing with a more floral and citrus flavour.
  Conclusion: This beer was covered recently by the Belfast Beer Blog where it received a very impressive score. I'd tried it before but this review made me want to try it again (in fairness they had it on draft which probably improved the tasting and score!). It was better then I remembered. Another nice UK IPA, a little too sweet for me, and a bit more malts would have balanced the overall flavour better. As a Hophead, I prefer something with a bit more bang for my buck – but this might be a good beer to introduce a lager drinker to IPA. Would buy again.
• Score: 6.5

• Brilliant Ale. Style: Golden Ale, ABV: 5.6%.
  
  
  
  Description: Light blond English ale, with little carbonisation, but kept a good head. A little lager like in taste (may be more bitter than an English lager). Overall quite a light beer.
  Conclusion: This was mentioned by Beers I've Known in their coverage of the the recent Beer Bloggers Conference (another source worth following for beer information). Quite refreshing on a warm summers night, but didn't really impress after the beers that preceded it. Worth a try but not something I’d turn too that often (though it might taste much better from cask).
• Score: 6

So that’s a further 51 Beers from outside “1001 Beers...” tasted and scored! Making progress slowly but surely.

The next post will cover the (mostly American) beers purchased at the Lighthouse.

Cheers