Win bought tickets for a Mets game in early July, so I went down to NY to go to the game and see Win, Dave, and David. I got into town Friday afternoon, and we took the subway to Park Slope, and had dinner at a German restaurant whose name escapes me. I had two new beers there with dinner.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Tap
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0| Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.65
This beer pours a clear, straw-golden color, and is topped by a white head that fads to a ring, but is fed by streams of bubbles. The aroma is a bit richer than a lot of other Pilseners. It's grassy and has a bit more of a pronounced malt character that other examples of the style.
A mild, malty sweetness upfront moves into a dry, crisp finish with grassy hops, which leave a nice lingering bittereness. This beer is crisp, and clean with good carbonation.
I thought that this was a pretty tasty Pils.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Keegan Ales
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.9
This IPA pours a very lightly hazed amber. It's topped by a thick, off-white head that leaves good lace. The aroma is malty with notes of caramel, slight roast, and chocolate, which is very odd for an IPA. The hops are mild and resiny with hints of citrus.
Caramel malts upfront move into a dry grassy, and citric hop finish. This beer is medium-modied with moderate carbonation.
Despite the interesting combination of aromas this was a nice, bitter IPA with good malts to back up the hops.
After dinner we went across the street to a great beer bar and small plates establishment called Beer Table, which had a phenomenal beer list, great snack plates, and a knowledgeable server.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birrificio Del Ducato
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.05
Chimera pours a cloudy red color, and it topped by a creamy, off-white head. It looks very nice. The aroma is mild with notes of cherry, and a mild acidity, which made it seem like it might be a milder Flanders Red.
It starts off malty and moves into a light, cherry fruitiness in the center. The finish has a pulpy fruit character, notes of chocolate, and a mild bitterness. This beer is medium-bodied, moderately carbonated, and dry.
This beer reminded my of a mild Flanders Red that was more balanced and less tart.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.45
This beer pours a hazy golden color. It's topped by a white head that quickly fades to a ring, and eventually disappears altogether. The aroma has typical esters thrown off by Belgian yeast: bananas and citrus. There's also a bit of graininess, and an odd, hard to place aroma.
Grassy malts move into a fruity, banana sweetness in the center. The finish has a grassy bitterness. This beer feels a bit watery.
The flavors here were good, but it lacked pep.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Molen
Alcohol: 9.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.0
This is Double IPA from a Dutch brewery... interesting. It pours a hazy caramel color, and is topped by a white head that fades to a film. The aroma is malty with overripe banana, buttery notes, and some nuttiness. There's a strong peppery alcoholic whiff, and notes of resiny hops.
Sweet caramel and bready malts upfront move into a center that's sweetened by flavors of overripe fruit. The finish has peppery alcoholic heat, and a resiny, citric hop character, that imparts a moderate bitterness. Full-bodied and moderately carbonated with a smooth finish.
Though not quite an American DIPA this was definitely an enjoyable beer.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij 't Brouwkot
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.25
Netebuk pours a hazy golden color, and is topped by a half-inch, bright white head that fades to a film. This is a very attractive beer. The aromas are subdued, but there are notes of lemon, citrus, and grass.
Grassy notes upfront quickly give way to sweet fruity flavors of bright citrus. The finish is crisp with a mild bitterness. This beer is medium-bodied with refreshing and vigorous carbonation.
I though this was a crisp and refreshing saison.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 5.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.15
Hof Ten Dormaal's Blond pours a cloudy golden, and is topped by a tall, white head that fades away very slowly. The aroma has a sourdough breadiness, notes of banana, and hay.
Upfront there's a clean but quite sweet maltiness that yields to a banana and citric fruitiness in the center, and moves into a yeasty finish with only hints of bitterness. This beer is light-bodied and highly carbonated.
Pretty aggressive for a saison, but quite tasty.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birrificio Montegioco
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.35
My notes started to get shorter here. This beer pours a hazed red color. The head is thin, and is made up of large, thin bubbles. The aroma is acidic with notes of sour cherries, and woody notes.
There are flavors of cherries, dark fruit, and woody notes. The sourness is there, but as an undertone. The finish has a mild bitterness. This beer is dry and crisp with low carbonation.
Despite not being as sour as I normally like I thought that this beer was a good balance between a puckering Flanders Red and a milder beer.
After leaving Beer Table we went to a bar called The Gate, where we had a couple more drinks.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.83%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Strong Ale
WTF pours a clear brown color, and is topped by an off-white head that is thick and fluffy. The aroma is a nice mix of citric hops and caramel and molasses malts.
This beer starts malty with a mix of roasted and caramel notes. It mellows towards the center before moving into a resiny, grassy hop bitterness. It's medum-bodied and moderately carbonated.
It's a bit strong, but makes a good sipper.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: English Pale Mild Ale, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a clear, copper color, and is topped by a quickly fading beige head. The aroma has notes of grapefruit hops and mild malts.
It's sweet upfront, moving into a citric hop finish. It's sort of one-note. There are citric hops, but not a lot of malt baking, which for me makes the mild.
We had this, among other beers at the Beer Garden in Queens after the game.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Královský Pivovar Krušovice
Alcohol: 3.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Schwarzbier, BJCP Style Guide
I thought that I'd had this one before, so I didn't take notes. I remember enjoying it, and that's about all I remember about it.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Tap
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0| Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.65
This beer pours a clear, straw-golden color, and is topped by a white head that fads to a ring, but is fed by streams of bubbles. The aroma is a bit richer than a lot of other Pilseners. It's grassy and has a bit more of a pronounced malt character that other examples of the style.
A mild, malty sweetness upfront moves into a dry, crisp finish with grassy hops, which leave a nice lingering bittereness. This beer is crisp, and clean with good carbonation.
I thought that this was a pretty tasty Pils.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Keegan Ales
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.9
This IPA pours a very lightly hazed amber. It's topped by a thick, off-white head that leaves good lace. The aroma is malty with notes of caramel, slight roast, and chocolate, which is very odd for an IPA. The hops are mild and resiny with hints of citrus.
Caramel malts upfront move into a dry grassy, and citric hop finish. This beer is medium-modied with moderate carbonation.
Despite the interesting combination of aromas this was a nice, bitter IPA with good malts to back up the hops.
After dinner we went across the street to a great beer bar and small plates establishment called Beer Table, which had a phenomenal beer list, great snack plates, and a knowledgeable server.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birrificio Del Ducato
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.05
Chimera pours a cloudy red color, and it topped by a creamy, off-white head. It looks very nice. The aroma is mild with notes of cherry, and a mild acidity, which made it seem like it might be a milder Flanders Red.
It starts off malty and moves into a light, cherry fruitiness in the center. The finish has a pulpy fruit character, notes of chocolate, and a mild bitterness. This beer is medium-bodied, moderately carbonated, and dry.
This beer reminded my of a mild Flanders Red that was more balanced and less tart.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.45
This beer pours a hazy golden color. It's topped by a white head that quickly fades to a ring, and eventually disappears altogether. The aroma has typical esters thrown off by Belgian yeast: bananas and citrus. There's also a bit of graininess, and an odd, hard to place aroma.
Grassy malts move into a fruity, banana sweetness in the center. The finish has a grassy bitterness. This beer feels a bit watery.
The flavors here were good, but it lacked pep.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Molen
Alcohol: 9.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.0
This is Double IPA from a Dutch brewery... interesting. It pours a hazy caramel color, and is topped by a white head that fades to a film. The aroma is malty with overripe banana, buttery notes, and some nuttiness. There's a strong peppery alcoholic whiff, and notes of resiny hops.
Sweet caramel and bready malts upfront move into a center that's sweetened by flavors of overripe fruit. The finish has peppery alcoholic heat, and a resiny, citric hop character, that imparts a moderate bitterness. Full-bodied and moderately carbonated with a smooth finish.
Though not quite an American DIPA this was definitely an enjoyable beer.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij 't Brouwkot
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.25
Netebuk pours a hazy golden color, and is topped by a half-inch, bright white head that fades to a film. This is a very attractive beer. The aromas are subdued, but there are notes of lemon, citrus, and grass.
Grassy notes upfront quickly give way to sweet fruity flavors of bright citrus. The finish is crisp with a mild bitterness. This beer is medium-bodied with refreshing and vigorous carbonation.
I though this was a crisp and refreshing saison.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 5.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.15
Hof Ten Dormaal's Blond pours a cloudy golden, and is topped by a tall, white head that fades away very slowly. The aroma has a sourdough breadiness, notes of banana, and hay.
Upfront there's a clean but quite sweet maltiness that yields to a banana and citric fruitiness in the center, and moves into a yeasty finish with only hints of bitterness. This beer is light-bodied and highly carbonated.
Pretty aggressive for a saison, but quite tasty.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birrificio Montegioco
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.35
My notes started to get shorter here. This beer pours a hazed red color. The head is thin, and is made up of large, thin bubbles. The aroma is acidic with notes of sour cherries, and woody notes.
There are flavors of cherries, dark fruit, and woody notes. The sourness is there, but as an undertone. The finish has a mild bitterness. This beer is dry and crisp with low carbonation.
Despite not being as sour as I normally like I thought that this beer was a good balance between a puckering Flanders Red and a milder beer.
After leaving Beer Table we went to a bar called The Gate, where we had a couple more drinks.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.83%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Strong Ale
WTF pours a clear brown color, and is topped by an off-white head that is thick and fluffy. The aroma is a nice mix of citric hops and caramel and molasses malts.
This beer starts malty with a mix of roasted and caramel notes. It mellows towards the center before moving into a resiny, grassy hop bitterness. It's medum-bodied and moderately carbonated.
It's a bit strong, but makes a good sipper.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: English Pale Mild Ale, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a clear, copper color, and is topped by a quickly fading beige head. The aroma has notes of grapefruit hops and mild malts.
It's sweet upfront, moving into a citric hop finish. It's sort of one-note. There are citric hops, but not a lot of malt baking, which for me makes the mild.
We had this, among other beers at the Beer Garden in Queens after the game.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Královský Pivovar Krušovice
Alcohol: 3.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Schwarzbier, BJCP Style Guide
I thought that I'd had this one before, so I didn't take notes. I remember enjoying it, and that's about all I remember about it.
Labels: American Double IPA, American IPA, American Strong Ale, Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, English Pale Mild Ale, German Pilsener, Saison, Schwarzbier
