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.

The Outsiders

Been struggling to pick up beers from "1001 Beers..." recently for various reasons (might need to do a wee online order soon) but I have been picking up other new beers from outside the list to try! Here's a quick run through of the latest outsiders...

130. Weird Beard Hit the Lights
Style: IPA, ABV: 5.8%, Purchased: Gap Wines
Description: Copper colour, hazy,  small white head. Light tropical hop smell, a little malt. Taste to follow, plus grapefruit bitterness. A little earthy. Light boded though a slightly slick mouth feel.
Thoughts: Didn't do much for me (though it's not bad) more bitter than citrus. I wouldn't turn it down but I wouldn't seek it out either.
Score: 5.5





131. Weird Beard Hit the Fairy Lights
Style: APA, ABV: 4.8%, Purchased: Gap Wines
Description: Hazy and light amber. Small white head that dissipated quickly. Floral hop and a little biscuity malt in aroma. Similar taste, with a little orange bitterness to it. Moderate bitterness overall, light to medium body.
Thoughts: Brewed with oranges and star anise apparently. Got the orange but not the star anise. Again didn't do much for me, though it is drinkable. Weird Beard haven't blown me away so far...
Score: 5.5

132. William's Brothers Good Times
Style: Golden Ale, ABV: 5%. Purchased: The Vineyard
Description: Light straw colour. Decent white head. Smells light and a little flowery (brewed with elderflowers apparently). Refreshing and light drinking, a little hops and a little sweetness. Light bodied, decent fizz.
Thoughts:This reminded me a bit of a helles - light and fairly quaffable, would go down a treat at a BBQ. 
Score: 6.5

133. Ilkley Pale
Style: Pale Ale, ABV: 4.2%. Purchased: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Straw coloured and clear. Small white head. Not much aroma, some citrus. Light. Easy drinking. A little sticky. A little bitterness. 
Thoughts: Grand - but nothing I'd go out of my way to get - was expecting more umph from the Nelson Sauvin Hops!
Score: 6

134. Ilkey The Mayan
Style: Stout, ABV: 6.5%. Purchased: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Black with a decent tan head. Aroma is huge choc. Tastes of powdered hot choc (perfectly called by Darren at LightHouse Wines) rather than the good bitter dark choc I was expecting. Chilli brings heat on he finish. Thinner than I was expecting.
Thoughts: Probably the most interesting beer on this list, and the one I'd say to try out of them all. It kinda has all the elements, but just hasn't been balanced and evened out. I could take darker, more bitter chocolate, and less chilli heat.
Score: 6.5

I also picked up a bottle of Brooklyn Black Ops from Lighthouse wines, not cheap but i'm saving it for a special occasion (one beyond the fact that it's a Friday night).

Cheers

Apples

Belfast has got quite beery hasn't it... A trip out in late January took in the Hudson, Aether & Echo, the Dirty Onion, the Harp Bar, Alley Cat and Bittle's Bar - with only the Harp Bar showing a real paucity of options. I mean a few of these places have beer menus... the place has come on a bit from the days of "Laurence", and long may it continue! 

 I'm not going to review the beers (I lost my note book somwhere over the course of the day... and almost my phone but it included the Kernel in Hudson, Flying Dog in Alley Cat, Bourbon County Stout in Bittles!) but cheers for a good days craic to the boys who traipsed around the town and thanks for putting up with me!

Anyway - following that I took a bit of a two week sabbatical from brews to give me, and my taste buds, a chance to chill out.

But tonight I thought, lets try something new.From outside the list:

129. Wild Beer Ninkasi Premier Cru
Style: Belgian Strong Ale. ABV: 10. From: Lighthouse wines
Description: Poured pale yellow, a little cloudy, small white head. Lots of tart green apple on the nose , with some sour yeasty esters, boozy but dry finish. Mid carbonisation. Did I mention apples?
Thoughts: Preferred it to Ninkasi I think. Not very "beery" with all the apple but quite refreshing. Boozy heat means this is a sipper. Nice, and I would drink again, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy it.
Score: 6.5



Hope for a few more beers over the weekend - and a run to the Lighthouse to check out there new offerings!

Cheers

Beer for Breakfast

So, next up on my journey through "1001 Beers to Try Before You Die" is another beer from Founders:

197. Founders Breakfast Stout

Style: Imperial Stout, ABV: 8.3%, Purchased: Lighthouse Wines

Description: Pours black with a decent tan head. Aroma of COFFEE (it need those caps) and some roasted malt, maybe some tobacco in there too. Again plenty of coffee taste, some bitter dark chocolate Think and creamy, though finishes with a slight sweet vanilla note. 

Conclusions: I came to this expecting big things... and its good but its not great. There's a little too much coffee in there for me (I'm not a coffee drinker though) that makes it a wee bit too one note when compared to their well balance, rich and frankly sexy porter!

Score: 7.5

Next up a round up of a few new beers tried from outside the list. First, a new Northern Ireland Brewery, Pokertree.

No. 126 outside the list - Ghrian Golden Ale

Style: Golden Ale, ABV:4.5%, Purchased: Lighthouse Wines

Description: Light Golden in colour, a small white head. There's some citrus in the aroma, and a little floral note, but not "perfumey". Some lemon peal, and a little spice in the taste along with the coriander, but quite well balanced. Light and drinkable

Conclusions: I was inspired to pick this beer up following Stephen Barr's post on Belfast Beer Blog, having missed it at the Belfast Beer Fest in November. Described as a golden ale, it's more like a wheat beer/wit. I really enjoyed it: light, drinkable, and easy going but yet interesting and tasty. In one word I'd say it's "quaffable". May even be my second favourite local beer, after the mighty Hopplehammer - though if you're tempting non-beery friends to try something new this might be a better "introductory" beer.

Score: 7

No. 127 outside the list - Weihenstephaner Dunkle 

Style: Dunkle, ABV:%, Purchased: Gap Wines

Description: A surprisingly light brown. Hazy with a big tan head. Aroma of banana and toffee. Taste follows that, I go so far to say banoffee like with some brown sugar. Light but a little sticky.

Conclusions: Beer that tastes like banoffee, I'm in.

Score: 7.5

No. 127 outside the list - Wild Beer Scarlet Fever

Style: Amber Ale, ABV:4.8%, Purchased: Lighthouse Wines

Description: Red and hazy, with a small head. Apple and funky smells. Malty taste, a little toffee, a little apple, some thing strange in the background I can't quite place. Bitter and dry finish

Conclusions: Just didn't do it for me, I was getting a weird after-taste that meant that while the beer was OK, I wouldn't buy again.

Score: 5

Another day out in Belfast tomorrow... the Hudson here I come!

Cheers

Dead ringer for beer

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 

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

A Wild New Years Eve

Or Not

Christmas turned out to be relatively quiet for a number of reasons... I did make it out with the boys for one day on the beer. The Garrick produced lots of interesting options (including Erdinger Pikintus - beer number 49 from the list) and lots of solid beers from around the world, including plenty of local brews (more hopplehammer, mmm). Those of us who made it out after 6pm (the rest of you are faders) then hit the Hudson. Getting very impressed by the beer range - I mean Santa Paws on draft, Hoppy Christmas in bottles, and Founders and Kernel Beers in the fridge. Ace stuff if you want to try something different!  

I even managed a beer at home afterwards, and  better still it was on the list:

193. Galway Hooker
Style: Irish Pale Ale  ABV: 4.4%. Purchased: Gap Wines
Given this was after imbibing a few not it would be fair to go into to much detail on descriptions or conclusions on this one, but I have scribbled down OK and stuck in a score of 6.5! To be fair to the beer I'll buy again and give it a try and update if required...

I was housebound on NYE, but managed to hit the ever reliable Lighthouse Wines during the day to pick up a couple of treats to see in the New Year.

Number 123 outside the list:

Wild Beer Ninksai
Style: ? ABV: 9%. Purchased: Lighthouse Wines
Description: The reason for the question mark above is that Ratebeer describe this as a strong Belgian ale, Beer Advocate a Saison/farmhouse ale. It certainly didn't taste like anything I've had beer, and it wouldn't describe it as "beery". Whatever it is, it poured a pale yellow, with a huge white head (lots of tight little bubbles). The smell a bit funky, some apple, some pepper. The taste is a little tart and sour, like old apples. Very dry and slightly minerally. Dry, very fizzy, light bodies.
Conclusion: This was a bit of a weird one for me, I think I liked it but I couldn't drink alot of it. There was an awful lot going on, maybe a little too much. It actually hide the ABV very well. If you into unusual beers give it a try, though I'm not sure its something I'd buy again.
Score: The first couple of sips said 7.5, by the end I was closer to 6.5. Maybe a 7 is fair. 

Number 124 outside the list:
Wild Beer Fresh
Style: American Pale Ale ABV: 5.5%. Purchased: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Poured a hazy yellow, with a bright white head. Plenty of fizz. The aroma is totally tropical, citrus, mango, I got a slight funky sour smell as well. Wow this does taste fresh... really light tropical hoppy taste, lots of pineapple, grapefruit, mango, passionfruit, etc. Not much bitterness. Light bodied with lots of carbonisation. 
Conclusion: Really enjoyed this, pure light, bright, fresh, southern hemisphere hoppy heaven. Will be buying more!
Score:8

I have a whack of wild beer to try out, along with a few more from the list (slowly getting towards 200!), so till next time

Cheers.