Ali and I made a trip out to Brookline to visit The Publick House in order to buy tickets to the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest. I checked up on their beer selection, and counted 155 different beers (the slight overlap between draught and bottles lowers this number). Of these I've only had 61. The selection is really amazing. Check the menu to see for yourself. As Ali mentioned in her entry we were going to get dinner there, but seating was limited due to a private party. All tasting notes come from what I've written down in my tasting notebook. I'm looking forward to going back to the Publick House for more beer, and for their food, which looked delicious.
This was in the Men's room:
313. Ommegang Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend
I began with Three Philosophers because I'm a fan of Ommegang beers, and because I wanted to try it without investing in a 750 mL bottle. It was served on tap in a Three Philosophers wine glass. Three Philosophers is a blended Belgian Style Quadrupel, it consists of a strong dark ale blended with Lindemans Kriek (Cherry) Lambic.
Appearance: This beer is dark with a deep red color. When it got to me there was only a thin ring of carbonation around the glass.
Smell: The smell was very subtle. Most of what I caught was light fruitiness, mostly cherries and raisins.
Taste: The carbonation dominates the front of the palate. There was a dryness in the center along with roasted malts that reminded me of a stout or porter. The finish was tart with warming alcohol and spicy notes. The fruitiness of the cherries remains throughout.
Mouthfeel: The beer first seems thin, but then seems to expand into a medium body.
Drinkability: Despite the carbonation this is a smooth beer. It was easy to drink in that respect, but the high alcohol content, along with the strong flavors make it hard to drink a lot of.
Overall: This is another fine offering from Ommegang. It's a nice beer to have a glass of, but it's not as drinkable as Ommegang or Hennepin.
314. Affligem Blond
I decided to stick with Belgian or Belgian Style Ales for the night so I decided to go with Affligem Blond. This was served on tap in an Affligem chalice. It is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, as is La Fin du Monde a favorite of mine.
Appearance: Pours a hazy golden color with a thick white head that dissipates down to a thin film.
Smell: The aroma is very strong, fruity with strong clove notes.
Taste: There's a sweetness at the beginning of the palate. Bitterness and spicy notes, especially clove, emerge in the center. The finish is dry with an alcoholic warmth. It has the particular flavor that all beers of this style have that I like, and Ali doesn't.
Mouthfeel: This is a medium bodied beer, though it almost seems to evaporate off the tongue.
Drinkability: This is a nice beer to drink, but again the alcohol and strong flavors make this a tough one to drink a lot of.
Overall: I'm a fan of the style, and this beer has all of the characteristics of Belgian Strong Pale Ales that I like, but it falls short of some of the others that I've had.
315. Vichtenaar
I wanted to stick with the Belgian theme, but move on to something different. Ali had already started her tasting of this beer so I decided to follow suit. The bottle features two lions on either side of a coat of arms. It was served in an oversized wine glass. This is a Flanders Red Ale.
Appearance: This beer pours a clear brown with red hues. A thick head builds and then quickly dissipates.
Smell: The smell reminds me of a wine that an old roommate brought home from Europe, very nutty and buttery.
Taste: Sweet at the outset with definite cherry flavors. Sourness becomes evident in the center, and the beer finishes dry and sour.
Mouthfeel: This beer is light-bodied, with mild carbonation. It almost reminds me of a wine, aside from the carbonation.
Drinkability: Again, a pleasant but strong flavor would prevent you from drinking a huge amount of this.
Overall: This is a nice Sour Ale. The pronounced cherry flavors, and the mouthfeel remind me of a Kriek Lambic.
Cheese
Ali and I had a cheese board with Morbier, a french cheese. I really liked this cheese. It was soft, had a mild flavor and was slightly sweet. Read Ali's post for more cheese details.
This was in the Men's room:
313. Ommegang Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend
I began with Three Philosophers because I'm a fan of Ommegang beers, and because I wanted to try it without investing in a 750 mL bottle. It was served on tap in a Three Philosophers wine glass. Three Philosophers is a blended Belgian Style Quadrupel, it consists of a strong dark ale blended with Lindemans Kriek (Cherry) Lambic.
Appearance: This beer is dark with a deep red color. When it got to me there was only a thin ring of carbonation around the glass.
Smell: The smell was very subtle. Most of what I caught was light fruitiness, mostly cherries and raisins.
Taste: The carbonation dominates the front of the palate. There was a dryness in the center along with roasted malts that reminded me of a stout or porter. The finish was tart with warming alcohol and spicy notes. The fruitiness of the cherries remains throughout.
Mouthfeel: The beer first seems thin, but then seems to expand into a medium body.
Drinkability: Despite the carbonation this is a smooth beer. It was easy to drink in that respect, but the high alcohol content, along with the strong flavors make it hard to drink a lot of.
Overall: This is another fine offering from Ommegang. It's a nice beer to have a glass of, but it's not as drinkable as Ommegang or Hennepin.
314. Affligem Blond
I decided to stick with Belgian or Belgian Style Ales for the night so I decided to go with Affligem Blond. This was served on tap in an Affligem chalice. It is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, as is La Fin du Monde a favorite of mine.
Appearance: Pours a hazy golden color with a thick white head that dissipates down to a thin film.
Smell: The aroma is very strong, fruity with strong clove notes.
Taste: There's a sweetness at the beginning of the palate. Bitterness and spicy notes, especially clove, emerge in the center. The finish is dry with an alcoholic warmth. It has the particular flavor that all beers of this style have that I like, and Ali doesn't.
Mouthfeel: This is a medium bodied beer, though it almost seems to evaporate off the tongue.
Drinkability: This is a nice beer to drink, but again the alcohol and strong flavors make this a tough one to drink a lot of.
Overall: I'm a fan of the style, and this beer has all of the characteristics of Belgian Strong Pale Ales that I like, but it falls short of some of the others that I've had.
315. Vichtenaar
I wanted to stick with the Belgian theme, but move on to something different. Ali had already started her tasting of this beer so I decided to follow suit. The bottle features two lions on either side of a coat of arms. It was served in an oversized wine glass. This is a Flanders Red Ale.
Appearance: This beer pours a clear brown with red hues. A thick head builds and then quickly dissipates.
Smell: The smell reminds me of a wine that an old roommate brought home from Europe, very nutty and buttery.
Taste: Sweet at the outset with definite cherry flavors. Sourness becomes evident in the center, and the beer finishes dry and sour.
Mouthfeel: This beer is light-bodied, with mild carbonation. It almost reminds me of a wine, aside from the carbonation.
Drinkability: Again, a pleasant but strong flavor would prevent you from drinking a huge amount of this.
Overall: This is a nice Sour Ale. The pronounced cherry flavors, and the mouthfeel remind me of a Kriek Lambic.
Cheese
Ali and I had a cheese board with Morbier, a french cheese. I really liked this cheese. It was soft, had a mild flavor and was slightly sweet. Read Ali's post for more cheese details.
Labels: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Brouwerij Affligem, Brouwerij Verhaeghe, Cheese, Flanders Red Ale, Quadrupel, Reviews, Sour Beer, The Publick House
