Up the Kriek

Ok, it’s been awhile. I have a child at THAT age, which means when she finally goes to sleep I just want to relax. This can involve having a good beer or two, but the effort to take decent notes and then write them up into a post seems too much at the minute… In order to keep some semblance of momentum up I’ve tried to catch up on the few beers from the list I’ve had since the last posting…

235. Kriek De Ranke

Style: Kriek ABV: 7% From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: Poured a dark ruby red with a nice pink head – pretty clear actually. The aroma is all tart fruit and twangy sourness – cherries mainly but there some tart raspberries in there too. The cherries stay for the taste, along with some cranberries maybe? This isn’t sweet though – more face puckeringly sour. Mid-bodied and a little sticky.

Thoughts: Another great beer from De Ranke, this one balances fruit, tartness and sourness really well into a complex but drinkable beer. Go for it.

Score: 8

236. Left Hand Sawtooth

Style: ESB ABV: 5.3% From: Lighthouse Wines

Description: Amber in colour, actually its almost brown. Poured clear with a small white head. I’m not getting too much aroma wise, a hint of sweet toffee apple combined with something distinctly more pub toilet. Thankfully that latter smell doesn’t follow into the taste, there a definite biscuit malt vibe, some toffee, back up at the end by a very light citrus/grapefruit bitter note. Light to mid bodied.

Thoughts: ESBs generally don’t do a lot for me, this was actually pretty sinkable – once I got past the strange smell – does the job but doesn’t require much consideration/effort. Not sure I’d go out of my way to buy again though.

Score: 6

237. Left Hand Milk Stout

Style: Sweet/Milk Stout ABV: 6% From: Lighthouse Wines

Description: Jet black with a decent tan head. Aroma is mild coffee, light roast, with a hint of lactic milk chocolate. Mocha latte coffee flavours, and a hint of chocolate milk. Quite light and thin for my taste.

Thoughts: I was really looking forward to this – it sounded very me, but it just didn’t quite deliver. The flavours were fine, if a little understated, but the lack of body really let the side down.

Score: 6.5

I also had the Left Hand’s “Nitro” version of the Milk Stout, which was kind of similar to the above, but maybe not even as good. Victory’s Headwaters Pale Ale (Lighthouse Wines again) was a great wee example of the style - basically my notes are summed up by the phrase “Actually this is pretty damn good” - and one worth trying.

Farmageddon’s Mosaic SMASH is the latest beer from the boys from Comber, and one that seems to be getting good reviews. I personally thought it was much better than the Tomahawk version – there’s lots of tropical fruit here and a nice resinous body the reminded me (a little) of Of Foam and Fury. However, I was still getting something TCP/Dettol like on the finish. While not overpowering this time, it just left an unpleasant aftertaste at the very end that down rated the experience for me. I know others who have said they aren’t experiencing the same thing, so maybe its psychological or maybe I’m just being unlucky. Still I think the improvement is there for all to see, next one should be a cracker!

Cheers

Beeryness is next to Godliness

I missed @lighthousewines beer club again, this was specially hard to take give it was Stone Brewing Night! However, given it was my anniversary, and my daughter's birthday, chances of getting out were slim to begin with. Had a lovely dinner at Uluru in Armagh to make up for it (they even have a few local beers on the list but i was driving so on good behaviour). Managed to pick up the left over bottles (see below), any favourites from the night I should look forward to in particular?

My last post covered this years Hilden Beer Fest, which was a great night sampling beers. I managed to follow this up with another night beer tasting with a beer loving friend - even ticking a few more off the list. Now I did take notes, but I seem to have misplaced my geeky little beer book... so the below is going to be based on my memory (which is bad at the best of times) and untapped logins!

  

229. Brouwerij Van Eecke Poperings HommelBier

Style: Belgian Pale Ale. ABV: 7.5% From: The Vineyard.

Description: Hazy, golden, with a decent little white head. Belgian yeast on the nose, with a bit of spice and some unripe banana and clove esters. Nice herbal bitterness, a little floral and a little grain. Well balanced stuff this. Quite light, hiding the ABV far too well... 

Thoughts: Lovely little beer this, light, delicate but packing in plenty of interesting subtle flavours. Pleased it came in quite a small bottle as I'm guessing this is dangerous in larger quantities. Worth looking out for, I'll buy again.

Score: 7.5

230. Brouwerij Bosteels Deus (Brut de Flanders) 2012
Style: Biere De Champagne. ABV: 11.5% From: The Vineyard.

Description: Poured a bright yellow, with a very light cloudlyness and a tiny white head. Lots of very obvious carbonisation. Given the obvious links with champagne production referenced on the bottle I'm not sure how much of this is the power of suggestion... but there is a real vinous and soft fruit quality to the smell. The taste also has some of that peachy soft fruit and some light oak, although there is definitely more graininess than you'd get in champers. As it warmed it got slightly sweeter, but still pleasant - though I did follow the serving instructions pretty closely. Light bodied, slightly thicker and oiler as it warmed up. 11.5%? Where?

Thoughts: Saved this for an occasion and for another beer geek to share it with. I really enjoyed it, interesting, and lots of flavour. My wife wasn't so keen, feeling it was neither a proper beer nor winey enough, so be warned. Glad I bought it, at the price I'm not sure I'd buy again but if anyone one wants to donate a bottle... 

Score: 8.5 (may be a 9)

Of the other's we tried I'd say To Øl's Dangerously Close To Stupid (Imperial IPA, 9.3%, The Vineyard but also at Lighthouse Wines) was the best - lots of citrus, pineapple, and grapefruit (especially in the aroma) I was a bit worried it would be an over-bitter hop bomb but the flavour was nicely balanced, very drinkable, and something I need to be buying again for a proper taste! 

Cheers

Wishing Well

The old beer cupboard is becoming a bit low again so another order has been put into Drinkstore.ie to replenish supplies and get more ticks from the list. In the meantime, I see that Lighthouse Wines have now added a webstore that you might wish to check out. Finally it’s August Beer Club Belfast Thursday 7th (7pm at the Hudson, £10 in) featuring beers from To L – the dates have screwed me again so if you get along let me know how great it is…

Right, two more beers have been ticked off from “1001 Beers…”

 226. Traquair Jacobite Ale

Style: Scotch Ale. ABV: 8%. From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: Poured a translucent rolla-cola brown with a thin tan head that last about 2 seconds. Aroma of dried sticky fruits, spice, a little molasses/brown sugar, and boozy rum. The flavours match that: figs, prunes, cinnamon/aniseed, light chocolate, and treacle. Mid-bodied, relatively low carbonisation, and slightly sticky. The booze provides a warming rumminess throughout.

Thoughts: Definitely a beer more for Halloween that August. Still lovely though, but I have to admit I expected a wee bit more as it warmed up. A sipper that’s worth seeking out.

Score: 7.5

227. Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux

Style: Saison (or a tripel depending on your taste). ABV: 9.5%. From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: This one was lovely peach colour, hazy (this may have been more to do with my bad pouring/settling than the beer itself) with a big fluffy white head. The aroma is unripe banana esters and a yeasty doughy funk. The first taste to hit is that banana, followed up by some pepper, then a lingering grassiness and lemon rind, and finally a rustic spiciness. Jesus this thing is 9.5%... unlike the Jacobite Ale you’d never guess the strength. Light but a fair amount of carbonisation.

Thoughts: Another clinker, great summer drinker but at 9.5% one to be wary of – definitely for sharing in the big bottle form. Overall I think the DuPont Saison is a easier drinking beer beer, but certainly would advise anyone to give this a whirl.

Score: 8

I didn't take any notes, but Mark & Spencer’s (well Oakham Ale's really) Citra is great value for money in their current 3 for £6 deal – great flavour for the price. The Dirty Duck also now has Schneider Tap 1 in bottles on sale as well as their rotating list of cask ales (I say rotating but mainly it’s a mix of Shepherd’s Neame and Hilden stuff – though their ale festival later this month is likely to bring a few more options forward and I hope to get down to check it out).

Cheers

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

Four way

No messing about today, just straight into four more beers ticked off from the list...

211. Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale
Style: Pale Ale. ABV: 6.5%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Light amber with an off-white head. God, I hate trying to read my notes... Citrus but caramel malt backbone on the aroma. Taste is fruit, citrus, and caramel malt and a bit of bready/biscuity follow through. Light to mid bodied, slightly sticky, creamy/foamy.
Thoughts: Second craft in a can! This was lovely, nothing over played just a well balanced American Pale Ale. Worth getting your hands on.
Score: 8

212. Grottenbier Bruin
Style: Bruin. ABV: %. From: Light House Wines
Description: Poured brown and murky with an off-white head. Candied sugar and belgian yeast on the nose. Flavour provides more brown sugar, caramel, spice and some clove. Quite light bodied for the style. 
Thoughts: I rather enjoyed this, though I seem to enjoy most beers that come from Belgium - reasonably priced and certainly worth trying.
Score: 7.5

213. Rogue Juniper Pale Ale
Style: Pale Ale . ABV: %. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Poured golden yellow with a small off-white head. Aroma is like a grainy lager, but there's something more in there, something sweet and fruity but it doesn't shout juniper. Grain and malt on the taste, again there a hint of crisp lager here, but with a touch more floral hops and fruit. Though the Juniper really doesn't push through. Lots of small tight bubble, makes it smooth and creamy.
Thoughts: I had high expectations of this beer, but it really didn't deliver. It's fine, drinkable, but not a huge flavour. There was a lager type cleanness too, but a muted flavour. Wouldn't buy again.   
Score: 5.5


214. Oakham JHB
Style: Golden Ale/Bitter. ABV: 3.8%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Very pale golden, hazy, decent white head. There's a definite herbal hop aroma (my wife even got a whiff of mint!), there's also a jaffa citrus here too. It's the tangerine/orange citrus that comes through on the taste too, giving it a decent bitterness, and more of those herbal hops. Light bodied.
Thoughts: This was enjoyable, lots of flavour despite the 3.8% ABV. Nice beer for supping on a sunny evening. Would buy again but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it.
Score: 6.5

Right, see you at Beer Club on Thursday!

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 

A beer with the bard

First up, the ever brilliant Lighthouse Wines is hosting their first beer tasting event at Bureau by the Lough on Tuesday 6 May. Apparently it's £10 in with 8 beers to sample (none have been announced yet that I'm aware of but give them a follow for more info). Should be worth checking out! 

Anyway, took it relatively easy at the weekend (despite the temptation to crack open a bottle of something huge following the bloody football on Sunday) but did mange to tick another beer off the list...

Oatmeal Stout Battle

208. Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout
Style: Stout. ABV: 6%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Poured a very dark brown with a small tan head. Light coffee aroma, roasted malt, some cocoa, and a touch of dark fruit. On taste I got some smoke and wood to start, coffee and chocolate in the middle, and a toasted malt (and a hint of fruit) on the finish. Creamy and smooth, mid-to-full bodied but a little dryness.
Thoughts: Another little cracker from Rogue. Nicely balanced, nothing to fancy, but very drinkable.
Score: 7.5

Then I thought I'd be ticking another beer off the list, but I wasn't! I mistook the Achel Bruin with the Achel Extra Bruin... Ah well, buying a trappist beer is never that big a mistake.

169. Achel Bruin
Style: Dubble. ABV: 8%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Dark brown, hazy, with a small beige head. Not much going on with the smell to start (it needed to warm up a bit) eventually there were hints of plum, marzipan and brown sugar. Starts with a whack of Belgian yeast, followed by dark fruit, marzipan, brown sugar, honey, nutty, and cherries. Quite full bodied, creamy, tight carbonisation.
Thoughts: There's a lot going on here, but it needed a bit of heat to get going. Actually there may have been slightly too much going on but overall excellent beer. Now I really want to try the Extra - anyone seen it available? 
Score: 7.5

170. Kinnegar Scraggybay IPA
Style: IPA. ABV: 5.3%. From: Grange Wines
Description: Light amber, decent white head. Wow lots of peach in the aroma with some floral notes too. Taste starts off peach and nectarine, but doesn't really follow through with much punch - a little watery and no real bitterness. Light, low(ish) carbonisation, with a slight syrupy mouthfeel.
Thoughts: This is my third beer from Kinnegar Brewing, and the first that hasn't done much for me. It's not bad, just a little watery with no real depth - drinkable but not sure I would return to it.
Score: 5.5

Right - I'm off to to restock the beer supply.

Cheers

Breaky Beers

It's weird, I'm not one for coffee (or tea for that matter) yet I seem to really enjoy coffee porters and stouts.

Maybe its just that hot drinks do nothing for me... anyway, here's three recent variations on coffee porters I've had - even better two of them are ticks from the list!

206. Rogue Mocha Porter
Style: Porter. ABV: 5.3%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Poured a decent oily black with a tan head. Lots of coffee and bitter cocoa in the aroma, and some nice roasted malt in the background. Less coffee in the taste than you'd expect from the smell, more light frappuccino than espresso here, decent chocolate hint too. Some light roasted malt as a backbone. Dryish, with a mid to full body and a little bitterness on the finish.
Thoughts: Subtle, well balanced, quaff-able yet not boring. A great example of a light, interesting, but not overdone coffee porter. I'll be getting again.Score: 8 

207. Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast
Style: Oatmeal Stout. ABV: 7.5%. From: Drinkstore.ie 
Description: Poured a deep black colour with brown head that didn't last very long. Roasted malt on the nose, bitter coffee, but there's a definite aroma of hops here too. Taste starts off all bitter coffee and toasted malt, but then the hops come through providing a can of floral bitterness at the end. Thick, resin like, but quite carbonated with it. Hides the ABV well.
Thoughts: I think expectations got to me here. I was waiting to be wowed  and it never happened. I personally thought it was too hoppy to really go with the coffee and oatmeal base. Not sure I'd buy again to be honest. But feel free to tell me I'm wrong (and why) in the comments!
Score: 6

Now for one outside the list

168. Flying Dog Kujo
Style: Imperial Stout. ABV: 8.9%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Dark with a tan head that disappeared really quickly. Lots of coffee on the nose and a big aroma of toasted malt. Taste eases back on the coffee (just a wee bit), there's some sweetness in here too, with a hint of wood and smoke. I also got a twang of apple (but that might just be me). Effervescent, yet creamy and smooth. Slightly oily and full bodied. 
Thoughts:I genuinely thought this would be way too much coffee for me; I was wrong - this was lovely. Though I could taste every % of the ABV - but in a good way - brings heat to what is a big, but quite well balanced, imperial stout. Go buy some!
Score: 7.5

I missed Beerclubbelfast's much anticipated beer and cheese night - looks like it was a cracker. Anyone who was there fill me in? Best beer, best cheese, best pairing?

Cheers

Penny Pils

So I finally had to bite the bullet and placed an on-line order. Drinkstore.ie had quite a few beers from the list and Island of Ireland delivery for a not bad €6. A hint of a few things to come in the pic below!

So, first up is:

202. SlyFox Pikeland Pils
Style: Pilsner. ABV: 4.9%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Craft in a can. Poured light yellow coloured, slightly cloudy, and a decent white head. Some grassy hops, and there's some light fruit there too (mango I'd say). Taste starts out with some fruit and sweetness, followed up by some grassy hops, a bready malt hit, and a bitterish finish. As it warmed up the fruit came through more. Light bodied, more sparkling than fizzy. 
Thoughts: Pilners don't tend to do a huge amount for me, but this was quite enjoyable. Light, refreshing, and quaffable. Tasty.
Score: 6.5

A couple of other beers not from the list to catch-up on:

161. Wild Beer Bliss
Style: Farmhouse ale?. ABV: 6%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Dark amber / light brown in colour, hazy, with a tight off-white head. A lot of spice in the aroma, nutmeg & cinnamon, and a sour twang in the background. Spice again in the taste, plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon, a hint of dried apricot. Quite light bodied.
Thoughts: Recommended by Stephen as something different... It certainly was that. I've not been that impressed by Wild Beer in general, this was one of the better ones - though more for autumn than this time of the year. Personally would have preferred more apricot but it was grand.
Score: 5.5

162. Beavertown 8-Ball
Style: Rye IPA. ABV: 6.2%. From: Grange Wines
Description: Cloudy light brown/dark orange with no head. Citrus and grapefruit aroma, some pine. Taste is caramel malt, grapefruit, and a little rye spiciness. Light but a little sticky.
Thoughts: Enjoyable but nots good as the Black Betty.
Score: 6.5

Had a wee day out mid-week too. Neill's Hill in Ballyhack produced some good food and an Anchor Liberty Ale to go with it. Then it was over to Horatio Todd's who now have Pilsner Urquell on draft, belfast beer scene keeps getting better doesn't it?

Cheers

Face Palm

I missed Beer Club Belfast again. Judging by Twitter it seems to have been a good night, any one who was there want to share their beer of the night?

A wee trip to the Vineyard helped ease my jealousy and lead me to pick up another beer from the list:

201. Palm
Style: Belgian Ale. ABV: 5.4%. From: Vineyard.
Description: Golden/light amber with a white head. Fizzy looking. Not much going on aroma wise, something slightly metallic. Taste is lagery, some light metallic hops, and a vague bitterness. Light bodied and fairly fizzy. 
Thoughts: Not sure why this is on the list personally. Very lager like. Drinkable(ish) but I won't be buying again.
Score: 5

To make up for missing Beer Club I picked up the two of the beers on show that I hadn't already tried, both are from outside the list:

159. Founders Imperial Stout
Style: Imperial Stout. ABV 10.5%: From: Light House Wines.
Description: This is dark, may be the darkest beer I've had since Bourbon County Stout. Dark Brown head, it every looks gloopy just pouring it into the glass. Aroma of burnt malt, coffee, bitter dark chocolate, and rummy booze. Bitter coffee taste, dark chocolate, then some oak, smoke, and tobacco. A big boozy hit: this is viscous and sticky. 
Thoughts: Very tasty; dark, rich and complex. Though for me there was may be a little too much going on, and every thing is turned up to 11. Personally I though last week's Narwhal was a more balanced beer, and overall I still think founders porter is the best of their range.
Score: 8

160. Williams Brothers / Brooklyn A Wee Bit
Style: Scotch Ale. ABV: 4.5% From: Vineyard.
Description: Dark brown, translucent. White head. Aroma is all peat and smoke. Flavour starts sweet, some malt in the middle, finishing with the peat and smoke. Quite light.
Thoughts: Not bad, not bad at all. Personally I could have taken more smoke, and it needed a slightly stickier body for me.
Score: 6

Cheers!

Beer 200!

So it has taken a while to get here but finally we are up to Beer 200 of "1001 Beers to Try Before You Die" (link to amazon - other online retailers and physical bookshops are available!). Just over a year and I'm a fifth of the way through - it is getting harder and harder to get the beers locally now but a wee internet purchase or two might help from here on in - can anyone recommend a site they use to deliver to NI that's reliable, has a good range, and doesn't want your first born as a delivery charge to these shores?

Anyway, here's Beer 200 and it's a cracker:

200. Cantillon Rose De Gambrinus
Style: Lambic Fruit. ABV: 5%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Pink, clear, tiny head; not unlike pink champagne. Aroma of berries, lots of berries - raspberry mainly - and some funky yeastiness. Taste is tart and zesty - some lemon, but lots of sour raspberry. My wife commented that it reminded her of creamola foam - she had a point, a bit like eating creamola foam from the spoon. Light bodied, decent fizz, with a slightly bitter finish.
Thoughts: Gorgeous stuff. Not the sweetness of some framboise; more sourness and tartness here. But not too sour. Overall nicely balanced and very refreshing - will be having again!
Score: 8.5

I also tasted a few more beers from outside the list:

157. Sierra Nevada Narwhal
Style: Imperial Stout. ABV: 10.2%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Poured jet black with a light brown head. Lots of roasted malt in the smell, light coffee, and some dark fruit (think figs and plums). Taste is good bitter dark chocolate, again some coffee in there too. A little boozy, but not as much as you'd expect given the ABV. Full bodied with a slightly bitter finish.  
Thoughts: And there I thought I was going back to IPAs again... This is a beautifully balanced imperial stout, scarily drinkable for the style. That ABV could do some damage without care. Another great beer from Sierra Nevada.
Score: 8.5

158. Pokertree Red Earl
Style: Red Ale. ABV: 5.5%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Ruby red, clear, and an off-white head that dissipated very quickly. Caramel on the nose. Taste follows that, caramel, biscuity malt. Quite light for the style, I got an ashy finish as well.   
Thoughts: I was impressed with Pokertree's first effort - for me, this wasn't as good. I found it a little too thin for my taste, would have preferred something more syrupy; the ash finish wasn't really my bag either. Drinkable but not very exciting. I should point out that this followed the Narwhal so most beers may have struggled after that - may need to give it another tasting for fairness sake!
Score: 6

A gentle reminder that Beer Club Belfast meets this Thursday (27th March) in the Hudson. Theme is beers with a twist with lots of brews worth trying announced already (if you haven't had it the Sorachi Ace is worth the £10 admission price alone!). If your about come down for a night of beer geekiness (and some good craic too).

Cheers

St Patrick's weekend round up

After Birmingham and Cardiff, what I really needed was some sleep... But sure it was a weekend of sport, sport, and more sport, and all of it good (as an Ulster, Ireland and Liverpool fan anyway). So with all that I just supped a few beers over the weekend, none from the list so just a quick round up below:

153. Farmageddon India Export Porter
Style: Porter. ABV: 5.2%. From: Light House Wines.
Description: Poured dark, tan head, looked quite fizzy for the style. Whiff of coffee and toasted malt. Taste wise some chocolate, liquorice, and some definite light hoppy bitterness. Mid bodied, a slightly oily hop finish.
Conclusions: A beer that shows potential. Definitely a porter with some hop profile rather than a black IPA. Something was slightly off with my bottle that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but a solid effort. Belfast Beer Blog have covered the rest of the range here - along with some interesting thoughts on the local beer scene. This is a discussion I might add to in due course...
Score: 6

154. Ilkley Longhorn
Style: Aged Milk Stout. ABV: 8%. From: Light House Wines.
Description: More ruby red/dark brown in colour than the usual black. No head at all and transparent. Bit of an odd smell, I got candy sugar and something vinegary. Taste is again vinegary and sour - where's the milk, or the cranberry? Not much Barrel or wood flavour either. Oddly thin. 
Conclusions: Has anyone else had this? Is it supposed to taste like this? I'd guess my bottle was skunked, but I couldn't say for sure... If this is what they were aiming for then it's a mess. I'd say it was almost like a bad example of a Flemish red/brown rather than what it said on the label. Either way its one of the first beers I've poured down the sink in awhile. 
Score: (A generous) 1 

155. Beavertown Smog Rocket
Style: Smoked Porter. ABV: 5.4%. From: Light House Wines.
Description: Poured dark brown with an off white head. Aroma is chocolate, roasted malt, and smoke. Flavour is smoked peat, toasted malt, liquorice, chocolate. Mid to full bodied, smooth.
Conclusions: Here we go, following the Longhorn this was a beer to restore my faith. Nicely balanced, very drinkable, interesting without being over done. Good stuff.
Score: 7



156. Beavertown Black Betty
Style: Black IPA. ABV: 7.4%. From: Light House Wines.
Description: Black with a decent white head. Straight up zesty smell: citrus, hops and grapefruit. Taste starts off dark malt and chocolate, and then the hops come through with more citrus and grapefruit. Smooth, decent body but not overly heavy. Hides its strength scarily well.
Conclusions: This a great, one of the best balanced Black IPAs I've had. This beer actually started me craving good strong resiny IPA having been on a stout/porter run for the last while. I'd recommend this to anyone!
Score: 8

Assuming the longhorn stout wasn't off, it reminded me of this interesting post from Boak and Bailey. Basically they took what wasn't a great base beer, and barrel aged the shite out of it to make it "uber craft". I'm all for trying new thing and experimentation, but surely someone should of tried this and went "You know this shouldn't be put out there". Ah well, drink as many different types of beer this and you're going to kiss a frog every now and then! Saint Patrick's and not a Guinness in sight...

Cheers