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

Hit for Six

Six new beers tried and tested over the weekend, and another ticked off the list! Straight down to business...

Beer from "1001 Beers..."

185. Boon Oude Geuze. Style: Lambic Geuze. ABV: 7%. From: The Vineyard

Description: Vibrant yellow colour, hazy, and a good white head. Lots of funky yeast smells, grassyness, and citrus fruit. Sour and tart taste, lots of lemon rind. Quite light and dry, long sour finish.

Thoughts: Ah now this was nice. really well balanced, a little bit of fruit sweetness took the edge off the sour tartness. Really getting into Geuze, must try more... 
Score: 7.5

Beers Outside the List

Some Porter

106. Founders Porter. 
Style: Porter. ABV: 6.5%. From: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Poured deep black with a good tan head. Lots of coffee and toasted malt aromas, a little dark fruit in there too. Coffee and bitter chocolate flavours, toasted, almost smoky malt. Rich, full, mouth feel.
Thoughts: I actually donated this bottle to my wife, I had a quick sample before handing over to and suffered instant regret. This stuff is class, rich, dark, and simply very tasty. The bottle was duly passed over very reluctantly, so I'm off to but more of my own!
Score: 8.5

107. Kernel Export India Porter. 
Style: Porter. ABV: 5.7%. From: The Vineyard
Description: I'd say this was a deep dark brown rather than black. Good beige head that lasted well, plenty of lacing. Toasted almost burnt, malt smells, though you can get a hint of citrus hops in the background. Again a good toasted malt flavour, a little coffee, but then a good hop hit of bitterness and some citrus fruit. Mid bodied. 
Thoughts: Another good dark beer, and another impressive one from Kernel Brewing. This one provided a great contrast - starts all dark and malty, and then in comes the hoppy fruit and a resin like finish. An IPA porter? A Dark IPA? What ever it is a found it very tasty.
Score: 8

Scotch Ale

108. Founders Dirty Bastard. 
Style: Scotch Ale. ABV: 8.5%. From: The Vineyard
Description:  Poured reddish brown, with a small white head. Nice aroma: caramel, brown sugar and toasted malt. I get a real candy apple flavour from this, more brown sugar to taste, again a little toasted malt. Syrupy mouth feel, a little sticky, good alcohol warmth. 
Thoughts: Another good Founders beer. The description above make it sound very sweet, but actually the alcohol and malt balance it out very well. Not something I'd drink all that often but I'd certainly buy again.
Score: 7.5

In the pink

109. Boon Frambiose. 
Style: Lambic Fruit Beer. ABV: 5%. From: The Vineyard
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a large pink head. Lots of tart raspberries in the aroma, and a little sour yeastynees. Again tart fruit flavours, lots of raspberry, and a sour tangy finish. Sticky mouth feel.    
Thoughts: I rather enjoyed this too, very tart, a little sweetness. Not sure I could drink a lot of it but a perfectly pleasant way to start an evening...
Score: 7

110. St Bernardus Pater 6.
Style: Dubble. ABV: 6.7%. From: The Vineyard
Description: Dark brown colour with a log lasting off-white head. Toasted malt smell, a little sugar, and that unmistakable aroma of Belgian yeast. Some dried fruit flavours, a little caramel, a little bitterness. Mid mouth feel (may be slightly lighter than I was expecting).

Thoughts: By all accounts the bigger beers in the St Bernardus range rate better, if that's the case I look forward to trying them. This was a perfectly good, drinkable if unspectacular, Belgian dubble.
Score: 7

Cheers

A Sour Pair

Quick update before I head out into Belfast for a few beers!

Beer 181 from “1001 Beers...”

• Leifmans Goudenband. Style: Sour Red/Brown. ABV: 8%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  
  Description: Dark brown, transparent, small off-white head. Sour yeast smells, but with some nutty malt and chestnut in the background. Oaky. Again you can taste the oak, a nice sourness, but slightly porter like. Mid bodied and coats the mouth, long sour finish.
  Thoughts: Enjoyed this, not very “beery” (in fact my wife said it reminded her of wine – probably the oak), but sour and complex. Plenty going on – hides its ABV well but plenty of kick too. A good one try – but it might be a bit marmite.
  Score: 7.5.

Beer 100 outside the list

• Cantillon Kreik 100% Lambic Bio. Style: Lambic – Fruit beer. ABV: 5%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Creamola foam red, with a big pink head. Cloudy. Aroma of cherries, marzipan, and lots of tart yeasty dough sourness. Taste of very tart dark cherries, plenty of sourness. Light but a wee bit sticky. Dry, long bitter finish.
Thoughts: Mmm, this was good, very good. I love a tart fruit beer and this was right up there. Very sour but very drinkable. Will be buying more of this.
Score: 6

Beer 101 outside the list

• Dominion Oak Aged Stout. Style: Oak Age Stout. ABV: 5.8%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Dark brown with a white head. Toasted malt and vanilla small, but not as strong as I was expecting. Some milk chocolate malt. Where is the booze and the vanilla the label promised me? Strangely light bodied.
Thoughts: This is the anti-Bourbon County Stout. No booze, no flavour, no interest. I'd avoid.
Score: 4


Beer 101 outside the list
• Dominion Beach Lager. Style: Pilsner. ABV: 5.2%. Purchased: The Vineyard
  
  Description: Straw yellow in colour, slightly cloudy, big white head that lasted well. A lot of fruit on the nose (peach?). Fruit flavours, a little hops, no real bitterness. Light, fizzy, with a chalky dry finish.
  Thoughts: The taste of this wasn't too bad (if a little dull) but the chalky finish didn't do much for me. Couldn't see me buying this again.
  Score: 4.5

I missed Beer Club Belfast on Thursday due to family commitments but I really hope to make the next one!

Cheers

A Partizan Crowd

First up, I've ticked another beer off the list and it a good'un:

Beer 169 from “1001 Beers...”

• Liefmans Curvee Brut. Style: Fruit Beer, ABV: 6%. Purchased: The Vineyard
  
  Description: Dark ruby red, a good pink head with plenty of lacing. Aroma of tart stone fruit, cherries, slightly sour notes, with hints of marzipan sweetness. Deep dark cherry flavours, a little malt, and a lot of tart sourness. Light but sticky mouth feel, nice carbonisation; dry finish.
  Thoughts: Fruit beers can be a bit “love 'em or hate 'em”. This though is seriously good, a blend of aged beers mixed to perfection. Sweet but the perfect sourness to balance it. Two points: (1) it's 6%, so stronger than some fruit beers and it might creep up on you; and (2) if you don't like marzipan dark cherries, this ain't for you (how cherry could it be you ask, well for a hint its described on the bottle as “brewed with cherries, aged with cherries, with cherry juice added”! I loved it though, great beer.
  Score: 8

Now on to the topic of the this post: Partizan Brewing. To me, they're a bit of a conundrum. The first beer of theirs I had was was great. That was followed by one I didn't get at all, and one that had a lot of promise but didn't quite deliver. Ever intrepid, and being interested by what they are trying to do, I went back to the well for two more beers...

First up is beer 80 outside the list

• Partizan Brewing Dr Rudi Pale Ale. Style: Pale Ale, ABV: 5.5%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Light amber and hazy. Very slight white head. Lots of tropical fruit on the nose – this sounds weird but it reminded me a bit of Umbongo. Fruit sweetness, with a little citrus/grapefruit bitterness. Mandarin? Long bitter finish. Unfiltered, very light bodied, no carbonisation, slightly oily mouth coating.
Thoughts: First up, I love the Ska inspired artwork – took me back to the '80s! After that, I'm really not sure what to think of this beer. I veered from liking it to not liking it – all in the same mouthful. In the end, I think I enjoyed it more as it warmed up. I maybe need to try another bottle of this, but I've never been so indecisive about a beer before!
Score: 6.5

Beer 81 not from “1001 Beers...”

• Partizan Brewing Mild. Style: Mild?, ABV: 6.4%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  
  Description: Dark Brown and translucent. Small white head. Lots of toasted malt aromas, real smell of porter from this. Tastes of toasted (almost burnt) malts, brown sugar, with a bitter finish. Mid mouth feel.
  Thoughts: This is described as a Mild, but to my uneducated mind it was more like a porter. This is by no means a bad thing. Really enjoyed this: complex, dark, bitter, and perfect for an autumnal night.
  Score: 7.5

Based on this I reckon their dark beers are much better than their light beers. But they are definitely trying interesting things and I'm looking to try more of their brews. Try some folks, see what you think, and let me know!

Cheers

In the pink...

Thursday Night Beer

I wasn't going to have a beer until the weekend; then work happened. So screw it I opened my fridge to see what was cold and interesting. Step forward beer 165 from the list...

• Roisin. Style: Fruit Beer, ABV: 4.2%.
  
  
  
  Description: Poured rose/pink and hazy. Big pink head that stayed for ages. Strong berry aromas. Not as much fruit on the palette as on the nose. Quite a lot of hops and malt in the taste, despite the fruit content. Bitter-sweet berries. Light mouth feel, but slightly syrupy.
  Thoughts:  I have enjoyed all the Williams Bros Beers have had to date, this was... not bad. A slightly different take on a fruit beer from Belgian examples, given the malts. Personally I prefer a sour finsh on a fruit beer. Being colder might have helped
  Score: 6.5

Update

And dammit one beer became two, this one recommended by Light House Wines and is Beer 65 not from the list

• Maredsous 6. Style: Golden Ale, ABV: 6%.
  
  Description: Poured light golden with a wispy blond head. Grapefruit and sour yeasty/bready aromas. Light fruit flavours, again grapefruit and citrus tastes. Slightly sour finish. Started light body but with decent carbonisation, though it became slightly flat before I finished it.
  Thoughts: Nice solid Belgian blond. This would have been my favourite of the maredsous range if it hadn't been for how flat it went at the end. May that was my fault (badly poured maybe?) but it brought down the score a wee bit. Very refreshing beer though, you'd never guess it was 6%!
  Score: 7

Cheers