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

Gueuzey Does It

Firstly apologies for that title, my excuse is that its a Sunday night and that's the best I could do! But at elast I managed to get my hand on another beer to tick off the list...

197. Boon Mariage Parfait
Style: Gueuze, ABV: 8%, From: LightHouse Wines
Description: Poured a light golden, with a big fluffy white head. Lots of fizz and slightly hazy. Big lemon aroma, some lemon rind, a little sherbet, a touch of wine/vinegar and a sour yeasty tartness. Main flavour is tart lemon, a little lemon grass, and a slightly salty finish. Light and dry.
Thoughts: Once you get over the shock of the first sip that makes your face pucker, this is a great beer. Dangerous too as you'd never guess its 8%. Give it a go.
Score: 8 

The other new beers this weekend were outside "1001 Beers..."
137. Ilkley Siberia
Style: Saison, ABV: 5.9%, From: LightHouse Wines
Description: Golden and clear. No real head, little carbonation. Aroma is quite subtle, some funky yeast and the hint of something tart and bitter. Taste is buttery, some grassy notes, bittersweet, with just a hint of rhubarb on the finish. Quite light, not much fizz. 
Thoughts: First couple of sips didn't do much for me, but as it warmed up I warmed to it. Interesting brew.
Score: 6.5

138. Ilkley Black
Style: Mild, ABV: 3.7%, From: LightHouse Wines
Description: Poured a translucent dark brown, small beige head. Aroma of smokiness, tobacco, leather, and toasted biscuity malt. Big smoky flavour (though not like this bad boy) and toasted malt. Mid bodied and quite smooth.
Thoughts: This was a cracking low ABV beer that delivered big flavour... might be the best of the Ilkley's so far.
Score: 7.5

139. Sierra Nevada Beer Camp #93 IPA
Style: IPA, ABV: 6.9%, From: LightHouse Wines
Description: Pale amber in colour, decent white head. Hazy. Aroma of hops, hops, hops - citrus and some floral notes. Tastes of grapefruit, bitter finish. Quite resin like mouth-feel, light-to-mid bodied.   
Thoughts: Again wasn't too sure of this at the start - I was expecting a bit citrus hop bomb - but actually it was a bit more subtle and bitter than that. Became smoother and better balanced with some heat. Good but not great.
Score: 7

Cheers.

Beer 194

Early 2014 was quiet, and I took it easy beer wise. But a long weekend made me think it was time to tick another beer from the list...

194. Weihenstehpaner Vitus
Style: Weizen Bock, ABV: 7.7%, Purchased: Gap Wines (at least I think it was...)
Description: Light yellow, hazy, huge white head (big bubbles, wee bubbles, basically a shit load of bubbles). Aroma wasn't that strong, a little clove, some banana, may be a little bubblegum. Again lots of banana flavours, some cloves, a little peppery, and some wheat sweetness. Creamy, light to mid bodied, slightly coating finish. I though it hid the booze quite well, but there was a decent warming sensation that accompanied it.
Conclusions: I'm not convinced that this is a much better beer than the Weihenstephaner Hefe (which is fairness is almost an archetype example of that style). Though it was enjoyable, I could have taken a bit more clove, spice and banana in taste. It was also slightly thin considering the ABV. Having said that I'd buy again.
Score: 7

Having ticked one off the list I thought I'd try a few other beers that had come my way! So next up is beer 125 outside the list and more Wild Beer from the Lighthouse...


Beers not on the list
125. Wild Beer Epic Saison
Style: Saison, ABV: 5%, Purchased: Light House Wines
Description: Poured light golden, hazy, with a good white head. Some of that funky aroma that saison's give off, a little sour, a little farm yardy, but with a definite tropical background. Taste is pure tangerine, with a slightly sour, tart finish. Quite light bodied.
Conclusions: Preferred this to the Ninkasi but may be not as good as Fresh. Very tasty though (and like eating a bag of tangerines...).
Score: 7


125. Wild Beer Modus Operandi
Style: Sour Red/Brown Ale, ABV: 7%, Purchased: Light House Wines
Description: Dark brown with no real head. Aroma is almonds, marzipan, dark/dried fruit, cherries, some cloves and spices. Again marzipan to taste, cherries, quite tart with a woody/oaky finish. Slightly sticky, with more fizz than I expected.
Conclusions: Now this was good - maybe not up there with the Rodenbach but very tasty.
Score: 8



Just finishing on a reminder that Beer Club Belfast is on again this Thursday (16th January 2014) in the Hudson. I believe its going to be a mixture of Weird Beer and the Kernel - cerytainly beers worth getting along a trying... £10 in for 6 tastes of great beer - good value for money if you ask me. Not sure I can make this month but let me know how it goes in the comments if I'm not attached to the bar...

Cheers

Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom

A fruitful update, 3 new beers from the list ticked off, a couple of decent outsiders, including one cracker. First up the beers from the list:

Beer 176 from “1001 Beers...”

• Green King Strong Suffolk Ale. Style: Old Ale. ABV: 6%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  
  Description: Dark brown, translucent, basically no head. Aroma of ripe fruit and figs (maybe some prunes?), a little toasted malt, burnt caramel, and a fair bit of booze. Sticky and sweet tastes, ripe fruit. Mid to full bodied, with a coating sticky mouth feel – no fizz.
  Thoughts: Despite my expectations (a clear glass bottle is generally not a good sign), this wasn't bad. Sticky and sweet; a sipper rather than a gulper. Not sure I would buy it again, but it had a good sweet boozy hit.
  Score: 6.5
  
  

Beer 177 from “1001 Beers...”

• Nils Oscar God Lager. Style: Helles. ABV: 5.3%. Purchased: Tesco

  
  Description: Poured a pale straw colour, clear, small white head, and surprisingly flat looking. Not much aroma; lager yeast with a little citrus fruit in the background. Sweet flavours, a little grainy, some fruit, and no real bitterness to speak of. Light with next to no carbonisation.
  Thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of lagers generally, but I think Helles are really tasty. This was light, refreshing, and easy drinking. Really decent session lager.
  Score: 6.5

Beer 178 from “1001 Beers...”

• Augustier Lagerbier Hell. Style: Helles. ABV: 5.2%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

  
  Description: Poured very light yellow, clear, with a big white head. Again not a huge aroma; lagery. Tasted much like the God Lager, but maybe a little more bitterness and not as sweet. Light bodied, but this had a good fizz.
  Thoughts: Another good Helles, the bitterness gave this a slight edge on the God Lager. Tasty; though I think their Edelstoff was better,
  Score: 7

Beer 95 outside the list

• Brooklyn Sorachi Ace. Style: Saison. ABV: 7.8%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

Description: Comes lovely big wine bottle with a cork and cage. Pours bright yellow and hazy; big white head. Lots of citrus and soft fruit aromas, a little floral hoppiness in the background. Subtle and soft flavours, again lots of fruit, a little pepper/chili bite, buttery (some vanilla too?), and a nice bit of lemon rind thrown in for good measure. Light and fizzy; hides its ABV very well but still has a nice warming sensation from the alcohol.
Thoughts: Loved it. Close your eyes, and this could be a tasty aged Chardonnay, but one with a nice peppery finish. I presume it's the champagne yeast that gives it the vinous quality. Not cheap but worth every penny.
Score: 8.5


Beer 96 outside the list
• Aecth Schlenkeria Weizen Rauchbier. Style: Rauchbier. ABV: 7.5%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines
  
  Description: Light brown and cloudy; big white head. Unfiltered and unpasteurised. Lots of woody smoke on the nose, not much else getting through. Taste follows the smell; woody, smoky, but a bit lighter and less hammy than their Marzen. Mid bodied; creamy.
  Thoughts: Great stuff again from Aecth Schlenkeria. Overall I think I preferred the smoked bacon of the Marzen - but this might be slightly easier drinking.
  Score: 7

Cheers

Too Many Hops?

So here’s the thing, beer geeks love hops. I love hops. After many years of drinking bland fizzy things masquerading as beer, hops are a revelation. I just wonder if we are now getting a bit carried away, can there be a beer with too much hoppy bitterness...

Beer 84 outside the list

• Brewdog Jackhammer. Style: IPA, ABV: 7.4%. Purchased: Brewdog
  
  
  Description: Golden appearance with a good white head. Tropical hop aroma, a bit of grapefruit. Starts sweet and fruity, goes citrus, and then a really bitter hop finish. Very dry, with a long bitter finish.
  Thoughts: See, I thought I was a hop head - this beer has made me question that. It starts promising but, for me, the huge hop bitterness and very dry finish make it almost undrinkable. No doubt there are plenty of people out there who will disagree with me – if you do let me know in the comments or on twitter – or maybe the bottle I had was a bit off. If you REALLY like hops give it a go.
  Score: 5

Beer 85 outside the list

• Mikkeller Yeast Series Lager 2.0. Style: Lager, ABV: 6.4%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Light amber colour, with a big beige head (some yeast gunk made it into the glass too). Hoppy tropical smell, with a little yeast mustiness. Starts with some floral hops, then a little malt, followed by a quite tart bitterness. Very fizzy, quite dry and a wee bit sticky.
Thoughts: My first Mikkeller beer. This one is part of a series of beers where all the ingredients and processes are the same, they just change the type of yeast used (and the appropriate fermenting temperature). Quite a lot of hops in this so maybe more like an imperial or strong lager? A lot of bitterness and mustiness in mine, along with a very dry sticky mouth feel, made this one a bit weird to me. Wouldn't try this again but look forward to comparing notes to others in the range.
Score: 5.5

Beer 86 outside the list

• Brewdog Electric India. Style: Saison, ABV: 6.4%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Blond and clear, with decent lacing. Great smell of yeasty mustiness, backed up by some tropical fruits. Sweet/sour taste, plenty of funky yeast, but plenty of tropical fruits flavours too. As it warms up it gets a really peppery finish. Thin and light body.
Thoughts: Now this is more like it. Fun beer, that became better as it warmed up. Light yet complex. Get on it.
Score: 8

Beer 86 outside the list

• Brewdog Watt Dickie. Style: Ice Distilled, ABV: 35%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Poured light brown, clear, with no head. A really strong booze aroma – you could probably fuel a plane on the fumes alone. Prune and brandy tastes, lots of booze. Syrupy and more like a spirit than a beer.
Thoughts: More in the line of Brewdog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin and Sink the Bismarck. Described by my wife as “vile”. It's not quite that bad but not something I’d buy again. Fun to try but tough to finish.
Score: 4.5

Beer 172 from “1001 Beers...”

• Wadsworth 6X. Style: Bitter, ABV: 4.3%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  
  Description: Copper colour. Clear with a wispy white head. A little biscuity malt. Mostly a malt flavour, a little hops, a little ash, and overall not much going on. Lightly carbonated and a mid mouth feel.
  Thoughts: Beers from the list normally start the blog, this one was so dull I stuck it here. Not awful, just not much going on. The slight ash taste isn't my thing.
  Score: 5

Cheers

The Outsiders

Going off Piste
I normally like to kick off these posts by ticking off another beer from “1001...”, however this weekend I had a cracker from outside the list so thought I'd cover it (and a few others) prior to getting back the the trail!

Beer 76 not from “1001 Beers...”

• Kernel Imperial Brown Stout London 1856. Style: Imperial Brown Stout, ABV: 9.9% (!). Purchased: The Vineyard
  

  Description: Poured so black it started sucking the light out of the room. Nice tan head. Smells like an awesome coffee shop – coffee, cocoa and toasted malt. Again coffee on the palate, some dark fruits, almost burnt malt, and booze. Slight dark chocolate taste on the finish. Thick mouth feel, with a slightly oily mouth coating (this doesn't sound good but is).
  Thoughts: Now that’s what I call a beer. Dark, warming, complex; what more could you want? I can't recommend highly enough. Apparently this could be kept and aged, which I'd love to try that but I'm convinced I'd just drink it...
  Score: 9

Clearly myself from Belfast Beer Blog have similar tastes. There great review of the same beer is here. The only problem is, at 9.9% ABV, I'm not sure you could drink too many and it’s a bit of a nightmare to follow...

Beer 76 not from “1001 Beers...”

• Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout. Style: Oyster/Dry Stout, ABV: 5.5%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

  

  
  
  Description: Slightly lighter in colour than the Kernel Beer above, but still dark brown. Very small head, but it was a bit of a ham fisted pour by me in fairness. Not much aroma going on, a little bit of chocolate and coffee. Toasted malt taste, with a wee bit of brininess. An unexpectedly light body.
  Thoughts: I'm a fan of Flying Dog beers (see here and here) but I think I preferred their Gonzo Porter to this. It may have been affect by following the Kernel Brew, and this paled a bit in comparison (and maybe that unfair on the beer, I'll try another bottle and update if required). A little too light in taste and mouth feel for me. Overall, OK.
  Score: 6

Beer 78 not from “1001 Beers...”

• Partizan Brewing Saison Grisette Styrian Goldings. Style: Saison, ABV: 4%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  

  Description: Almost lemon in colour and hazy. A very flimsy head that didn't hang about. Lots of lemon on the nose, slight biscuit notes, and some bitter yeast. Lots of zesty lemon, a little sourness and slightly bitter. Very thin and light mouth feel. Yeasty and dry finish.
  Thoughts: This is interesting, and it feels like there is a good beer in their trying to get out, but I'm not sure it works as well as it should. Much better than the rather strange sage thing of theirs I tried, but this is just a little too light and too thin for me. Refreshing though.
  Score: 6

The observant among you, or at least anyone still reading by this stage of one of my posts, will have noted I skipped from beer 76 to 78. Well I also had Macs Gold All Malt Lager – a pale lager that’s not really worth going into detail about: scored 4.

Next time we'll be back on the trail of beers from the list, and I have a few ticks already lined up!

Cheers

One helles of a beer

Beer and Footy

Bank holiday weekends are great. The Hilden Beer fest on Friday night was followed by lots of footy on Saturday and Sunday. It's great to have the football back. This summer has been a real pain in the ass, with transfer deals that challenge the ending of “Return of the King” as the most drawn out sage of all time. As a Liverpool fan, the brilliant Tomkins Times website has been keeping sane (well maybe not sane... saner?). Despite a good result on Saturday, and ultimately on Tuesday, watching Liverpool often drives me to drink, and with the deep defending in the second half – and the injuries – I certainly needed something to settle my nerves! At least the fridge is full of interesting beers these days...

Beer 167 from “1001 Beers...”

• Edelstoff. Style: Helles, ABV: 5.6%. Purchased: The Vineyard
  

  
  
  Description: Poured very light yellow/straw coloured. Decent white head. Actually not much aroma (though that might be the slight cold I have). A little sweetness but refreshing and tasty. Light bodied with decent fizz.
  Thoughts: I almost didn't find this in the book – so a big thanks to Abs other wise this one would have slipped by. Not generally a fan of pale lagers but not sure I've knowingly had a Helles before. This was good. A perfect light, yet tasty, lager for watching the football, with a little sweetness and a decent fizz. Must try more Helles.
  Score: 7.5

Beer 72 outside the list

• Partizan Saison Grisette Sage. Style: Flavoured Saison?, ABV: 5.6%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  Description: Poured hazy light yellow. Unfiltered. Smells of lemongrass, with a hint of sage. Next to no head. Lemon and sage flavours, no real beeryness (pretty sure that’s not a word but what the hell) about it.
  Thoughts: There's no doubt I enjoy a weird beer or two, but this just wasn't for me. It rates quite well on some sites, so may be its a marmite sort of thing. It'll not put me off this brewery as I loved their stout, maybe just a case of picking the wrong one this time! And if you've had it and liked it let me know, but I wouldn't buy again (though I did finish it, which probably says more about me than the beer...).
  Score: 4

Beer 73 outside the list

• Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA. Style: IPA, ABV: 7%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

  Description: Caramel colour with a small white head. Strong grassy/piney hop aromas, with maybe a little honeysuckle/foral hint. Good strong hop bitterness. Some caramel and honey malts on the palette. Slightly oily/resiny finish. Medium body with decent carbonisation.
  Thoughts: One for the Hop Heads – and that’s a group which definitely includes me. Much more a strong bitter IPA, with decent caramel malts, rather than something lighter (see Founders All Day IPA). Very drinkable, but a sipper rather than a gulper. I’m not sure you could have more than one in a session (the 7% ABV gives it a kick too!). Very, very nice - would love to try more in the range.
  Score: 8 (revised upwards)

With the footy back there may be a few posts that are put up following supping a beer or two. This may make them more incoherent, rambling, and typo filled than usual! (“They can get worse...” I hear you cry).

Anyway, more reviews - including the very interesting Hitachino White Ale - to come soon!

Cheers

The Vineyard for the win

Its a little thing called style...

So, the London trip didn't give me a chance to tick off any beers from the list. To console myself I headed to the vineyard to see if they had anything new in. Looks like I timed it perfectly, not only where there a great selection of beers – there was also a number of beer styles I had yet to try. I love try new beers styles so I was in beer heaven!

Beers from the List:

• Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. Style: Rauchbier, ABV: 5.2%.
  
  
  
  
  
  Description: German smoked beer, lovely woody/malty smell. Tastes a bit like smoked bacon. Nice head that stuck around, in diminished form, through-out the pint.
  Conclusion: This is one of the beers I spotted skimming though “1001 beers...” that I really wanted to try. I'd never heard of rauchbier, but how could you resist a description that includes “tastes like smoked ham” and “probably the lowest ABV extreme beer in the world”. I really enjoyed it. May not best to have it these warm nights but I’ll certainly have more (and another bottle is in the fridge!)
  Score: 7.5
  
  
• Saison Dupont. Style: Saison, ABV: 6.5%
  Description: Pale straw colour, fruit aromas, with a slightly sour finish.
  Conclusion: Another new style of beer for me. I am a big fan of pale ales and golden ales, and this comes across as a bit of a hybrid between the two. Very refreshing. The sour note at the end of the tasting (like many Belgian sour beers) really helped making sure it wasn't too light. Very interested in the style and the beer – I’ll be looking out for more Saisons and will buy this one again when I see it.
  Score: 7.5
  
  
• Frau Kolsch. Style: Kolsch, ABV: 4.9%
  Description: Very light golden lager/pilsner in look. Poured with a nice head and plenty of carbonisation. More hoppy and less bitter than most German lagers.
  Conclusion: Had this on a warm summers night and it was light and refreshing. I'd never had Kolsch before so I wasn't quite expecting it to be as lagerary (I think I just invented a new word) as it was, but it was tasty. Not a huge fan of the style but I’d have it over a watery “pint” any day. Interested in trying different versions to see if there is much difference between brewers.
  Score: 6.5

Off the List:

• Wild Raven. Style: Black IPA, ABV: 6.6%.
  Description: Jet Black, with a thin head that disappears quickly. Fruity and citrus aromas, including pineapple. Really nice hoppy hit to taste and a slightly thicker mouthfeel than most IPAs.
  Conclusion: I love IPAs. I love porters, stouts and Schwarzbier. Could this hybrid be better than the sum of its parts. For me it works really well, nicely balanced hoppiness and bitterness. But there is a slight disconnect between how the beer looks and its mouthfeel – it looks like it should taste thicker and that is slightly disconcerting. However, overall it a really good effort and one i'd try again. Are there more/beer black IPAs outthere I should be trying?
  Score: 7.5
  
  
• Leffe Radiuese. Style: Strong Ale, ABV: 8.2%
  Description: A malty, thick, boozey Belgain string ale.
  Conclusion: I'll be honest – I just bought a lovely Leffe Challis glass and I wanted a strong Belgian ale to christen it. This did the job. But there are better versions outthere to my taste.
  Score: 7
  
  

That puts me up to 156 beers tried from the list (and a further 44 scored and rated) - just 845 to go!

A quick disclaimer. This blog is about better beer, not more beer. Quality over quantity if you will. There are many reasons why you shouldn't overdo alcohol, therefore responsibility (and sensible drinking) is the key. But if you do drink, then you should drink good beer! These posts may also cover more than one “session” but have been put together to stop me posting incessantly.

Cheers