I say Yes to Edinburgh

So a managed a wee trip to Edinburgh the week before the big vote. I LOVE Edinburgh. It's just one of those cities with a good vibe. I had a little spare time between work, and wondered the streets on my own taking in the buzz, the tourists, and watching the world's media (OK, well the UK's media anyway) descend like vultures on the latest news morsel to pick over (endlessly as it turned out) till the vote was done.

I had hoped to have more time and check out a few new pubs, the Hanging Bat in particular was on my list thanks to recommendations from beer gurus like Michael Kerr. Work screwed me. I had less time than I needed and therefore decided to drop into Brewdog Edinburgh which was near where I needed to be. Like the rest of Edinburgh, it had an easy going vibe but plenty of people out for a Monday night. Lots of American's in there getting their hops on.

I sampled Brew by Numbers Tripel, which I found a little chalky, there was some nice light hoppiness going on but a little too yeasty (and not spicy yeast at that) for me. Next up was a quick sip of Brewdog's This.Is.Lager., ridiculous name aside there wasn’t much more going on here than in Fake Lager. It was fine, and a decentish pils, but not worth a second go round in my view. I finished with a quick half of Brewdog's Dead Pony Club, which is still a good light, session-able IPA that made me wish I'd just started with that. I left heartbroken with two beers behind the bar which were on the list (Grand Divide Yeti and Fantom Saison) which were too big to drink that night but I had no way of getting home with me (no check in luggage). I still managed to leave with a smile on my face, until a realised I had work to do in the Hotel...

Back home I managed to add on another couple of beers from the list:

232. St Bernardus Tripel

Style: Tripel ABV: 8% From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: Poured a nice dark straw colour, hazy, with a small perfectly white head. The aroma did the normal tripel thing, yeasty Belgian spice, a bit of fruit (I’d say a definite hint of apple), but then added in a hint of smoke. Flavour was more of the light apple fruit, a green grassy hops, spice (coriander). Light to mid bodied with a definite vinous quality.

Thoughts: Ah now this is how you do it. It’s a big beer, but plenty of subtly with it too – dangerous stuff with that high ABV hidden so well (till the second glass anyway).

Score: 8

233. St Bernardus Wit

Style: Wit ABV: 5.6% From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: Pale yellow in colour, cloudy, it poured with a small white head. My notes say “damn it I’ve got the cold and can’t get much from this” so that’s enlightening… there was a hint of orange and lemon, and a fair whack of wheat too. Slightly chalky wheat flavour to start, more of that orange juice in the taste, and – if I try really hard - maybe a hint of lemon rind and lemongrass. Pretty light bodied – expected it to be creamier.

Thoughts: With so many good beer produced by St Bernardus, I came into this with expectations. While there weren’t met by the beer, it was fine without ever being exciting or particularly tasty.

Score: 6

234. Rothaus Hefeweizen

Style: Wheat ABV: 5.6% From: Drinkstore.ie

Description: Colour was on the dark side of yellow for a hefe, hazy, and a big white head. Lots of orange juice in the aroma, and a hint of winter spices (clove, nutmeg, etc). There’s more of that orange juice in the flavour, again backed up by some clove and unripe banana. Medium body and creamy

Thoughts: Quite enjoyed this, in my opinion it was better than the Unertl version I recently sampled. Would buy again.

Score: 7

Cheers

Beer Club Belfast - November Style

So I made it to the second  Beer Club Belfast under new management. Myself and a mate jumped on the train and headed into Belfast and the Hudson. We actually cut it quite tight and made it though the door of the Hudson just at 8pm. I was actually surprised by the number of people in the room (and as Belfast Bar Man(ager) points out by the amount of facial hair!), clearly good beer has a reasonable customer base in Belfast!

Despite the 60 odd people in the room the atmosphere was informal, buzzy, and friendly. I'll also add warm, very fecking warm. Getting the coat off helped, but the beers certainly weren't there to cool us down!

Each night at the club is themed, I missed the first night which covered IPAs (see an excellent  review of that night by Stephen Barr on Belfast Beer Blog here). This night was Belgian Beers and a nice few surprises awaited us, including one new beer for me from "1001 Beers...".

Rochefort 10

First up were the dubbles, Chimey Red and Rochefort 6 - both good beers but the Rochefort is the better of the two in my opinion. Next up was Rochefort 8 - a kinda super dubble or a mini quad depending on your point of view, another good beer with lots of complexity and warmth. Then came Westmalle Tripel which was described as a palate cleanser... a 9.5% palate cleaser... either way its an awesome beer. Finally came the quads, Rochefort 10 and St Bernadus Abt (which was my beer number 192 from the list).  Both are really good beers that you should try if you see in your local offie. The 10 is darker, richer and more complex, while the Abt is slightly lighter and easier drunk. You could go either way on which is best - on the night a slightly prefered the Abt as it was slightly cleaner, but the Rochefort would be an excellent if you were just having the one. 

Some great beers right there, and a snip at a tenner if you ask me. The next one is on the 12th December at 8pm in the Hudson - and its porter and stout night! Two of my favourite beers (Bourbon County Stout and Brooklyn Chocolate Stout) are on the list for the night, so basically it would be rude not to attend. If your about get down there!

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