My blogging has been very tardy this month. Holidays, work, a child, a house, and some apathy (and, to further enhance my geekiness, Hearthstone) had me doing at other things, though still trying some good beers. There's a few posts in draft that need a bit of work, but I thought I'd better knock some crap out on a quiet night in...
Saturday past brought a friend home from London (waves) and an excuse to head out with him and my usual beer buddy. We hit the Hudson and as usual got a great section of beer, without a dragon or a cartel in sight unfortunately... I particularly enjoyed the Magic Rock Rapture on tap which was all caramel malt, citrus hops and oily goodness. Dead Pony Club did its usual light hoppy thing, and it was nice to see bottles of Rogue Mocha Porter and Kinnegar Yannaroddy in the wild. I also tried the locally brewed Hercules Yardsman but it didn't really show me too much (but in fairness I'd had a few big flavoured beers by then so probably not really a fair first tasting).
One beer from the list to report too:
231. Unertl Weissbier
Style: Wheat beer. ABV: 4.9%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Toffee apple amber in colour, a slight haze (mostly induced by my yeasty pour), with a big beige head - definitely dark looking for the style (or at least what I'm accustomed too). On the aroma there's some classic clove and nutmeg spice, but there's also a hint of smoke here too. A wee bit of light toffee in the flavour, more of that clove spice, wheat, but nothing huge flavourwise - and the smoke has completely disappeared. Silky mouthfeel, mid-bodied.
Thoughts: This was grand, and nice enough on a autumn evening, but it came across just a bit bland to me. Would try again... but wouldn't go out of my way to pick it up.
Score: 6
Just a quick note to point out the next BeerClubBelfast is taking place on Wednesday 24th September in the Sunflower - that's a new night and a new venue. I'm working so won't be there but make sure to make be jealous in the comments or on twitter.
Cheers
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
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...
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| 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
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
So I've been noticing a bit of "regression to mean" in my scoring, with everything getting 6.5 to 7.5. Makes it hard to differentiate between them, especially when looking back for comparison purposes. I suppose its trying to be "nice" and not controversial but I think I need to be a bit clearer. So I'm going to try to be a bit more discerning in my scoring - with a 5 being OK but I probably wouldn't buy again, and upwards from there.
Anyway, I missed BeerClubBelfast on the 16 January but heard good things! Really hope to make the next one in Feb!
Next up is beer 196 from "1001 Beers to Try Before You Die". Again the observant will realise I have skipped 195... well I just realised the Nogne Imperial Stout's on the list and I'd missed it, so it is beer 195!
196. Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Style: Maibock ABV: 6.6% From: Lighthouse wines
Description: Amber and Hazy. Small white head that disappeared quickly. A light malty aroma, maybe a hint of of caramel, but quite muted. A little hop bitterness (in an English ale kinda way) in taste, with lots of decent malt - biscuity, a little sweet but not over done. Slightly heavier than light bodied, mid carbonation.
Conclusion: So this is labelled as a Maibock/Helles Bock - but it says it's made with ale yeast... whatever, its tasty. Really nice - like a bit of an amped up English ale but fizzy! perfect for a post football beer if you ask me!
Score: I'd deffo get this again, despite what I've said at the beginning of this post I think this deserves a solid 7.
Just the one beer tonight - review of Founder's Breakfast stout to come soon!.
Cheers
