1164. Lips Of Faith Biere De Mars



This was another beer that I picked up at Spec's, but I didn't have a chance to drink it until Tuesday at my parent's house.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: New Belgium Brewing
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: American Wild Ale

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 4.35

New Belgium's Biere de Mars pours a cloudy, peach color, and is topped by a thick, off-white head that fades to a film, leaving good lace. The aroma is dominated by Brettanomyces. There's the characteristic "hopsack" aroma along with banana, citrus, and toasty malts. Swirling brings out spicy alcoholic aromas.

The first sip suggests that this is a well attenuated beer. There are toasty and bready malts, but they're only mildly sweet. However, towards the center the sweetness comes out a bit with notes of banana and orange peel. The malts are balanced in the finish by a moderate bitterness, and an earthy Brett contribution. This beer is light-to-medium-bodied, and has a moderate amount of carbonation.

I really liked this beer a lot. It's balanced, and has a nice Brett flavor.

Labels: American Wild Ale

Jadyn and I went to Cambridge Brewing Company's 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Festival on Halloween. After dinner at home, we took the T back to Kendall Square and arrived at around 10 PM. There was a fairly sizable line, but turnover was brisk, and we got in about 15 or 20 minutes later.

Entry to the event was $10, but this included a GPF pint glass. They were out of them when we arrived, so we got two CBC pint glasses instead. Luckily Jadyn has good eyes, and on our way back to the T, spotted an abandoned GPF glass on a table in the courtyard of the Kendall Marriott.



Beers were purchased with tickets, which were sold at two locations at the event. Tickets were available in increments of four, and we ended up buying two sets of twelve tickets totaling $30. For most beers one ticket equaled a four ounce pour, but for stronger beers or rarer beers two tickets equaled a four ounce pour. For us it worked out to about $5.50 per pint, about standard for a pint of quality beer in the area.

The CBC had six of their pumpkin beers on tap, Great Pumpkin Ale, Olde Pumpkin Porter, Biere de Gourde, Spinal Pumpkin, Black Magic, and Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse. They also had their standard house beers on tap, as well as another non-pumpkin beer. There were also fifteen pumpkin beers available from other breweries such as Allagash, The Bruery, Dogfish Head, and Elysian to name a few. I was pleased with the variety of different styles of "pumpkin beer." In general I tried to taste the beers that weren't the standard spiced, pumpkin ale.

Jadyn and I were lame, and didn't wear costumes. However, all of the staff and the majority of the patrons were dressed up, and the bar was heavily decorated for Halloween. I thought this was a great beer event. The variety of different interpretations of pumpkin ale kept things interesting, and the food menu looked great. I'll definitely want to go next year.



I've included the description on the beer list before my tasting notes for each beer.

1086. Mr. Yuck

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

"Brewed with pale, Munich, Cara-Hell and 150º Crystal malts and both malted and unmalted wheat, as well as wheat flour. Very lightly hopped with UK Fuggles and aged in fermentation for ten months wwith second-generation sour Belgian yeast blend (a culture we've kept alive for seven years), then in kegs for an additional four months. Pumpkin in the mash and kettle."

Mr. Yuck pours a hazy, copper golden. The aroma is pleasingly acidic with notes of funk, wet blanket, and characteristic Brett hopsack. The acidity is moderate, and the finish has Brett flavors. Nicely crisp and dry. I liked this beer, but thought it could have been a bit more sour.

1087. Heavy Seas - The Great Pumpkin

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Clipper City Brewery
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Pumpkin Ale, BJCP Style Guide

"From our Heavy Seas line of extreme beers, our best experiment ever. The secret is in the 3 ounces of spice per barrel for this fall brew. We add the pumpkin during the mash at precisely the right time to create just the perfect balance of malt, hops, pumkin and spice. The crew at the brewery voted on their favorite recipe to bring you the best & biggest pumpkin beer you'll ever have!"

Pours a clear copper color with an off-white head. There are mild pumpkin notes and strong notes of nutmeg and cinnamon in the aroma. Sweet, sugary pumpkin up front move into a cinnamon and clove spiciness in the center and finish. There's a moderate hop bitterness in the finish.

1088. Olde Pumpkin Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide

"Olde Pumpkin Porter is our attempt at recreating the pumpkin-infused beers of colonial days. Brewed with pale and roasted malts and fresh organic sugar pumpkins, it has whiled away the past year in old bourbon barrels, where it was inoculated by Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus naturally occuring in the CBC dungeon, er, Barrel Cellar. It was then blended with cinnamon sticks and candied ginger, and finished with new oak. It's tart and roasty palate may just transport you back to 17th Century Boston"

Pours a dark black, and is topped by a brown head. The aroma has notes of bourbon, roast and a light acidity. Initially this porter is mildly sweet with roasted undertones, but moves into a boozy center, and a roasted bitterness in the finish. There are also hints of tartness and Brett earthiness in the finish. I thought this was an interesting beer, I'm always interested in attempts to make beers in a somewhat historic context.

1089. Black Magic

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 3.75%
Serving: Cask
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide

"Our Irish Dry Stout, Blackout, has been infused with fresh pumpkin, ancho and chipotle peppers, cacao nibs, and whole cinnamon sticks. No beer is safe from the pumpkin! Going one step further, this little beauty is served on cask for this event!"

BLack Magic pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thin, brown head. The aroma is a peculiar mixture of maltiness and cinnamon that gives the distinct impression of Graham Crackers. There are more subtle aromas of peppery spice and roast, but the Graham Cracker aroma was what really stuck out at me. There's a bit of chocolatey, and pumpkin sweetness upfront, but this is quickly eclipsed by the spiciness of the cinnamon, ancho, and chipotles. This spiciness finishes out the beer, leaving a strong, lingering heat. I thought this was a great beer. I really liked the heat, and thought that the slightly sweetened (pumpkin infusion) Irish Dry Stout backbone provided the perfect base for the spiciness. I wonder if this was inspired by Mayan and Aztec chocolate drinks. This was probably my favorite beer of the evening.

1090. Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse



Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide

"Possibly the world's first pumpkin Berliner Weisse! Infused with autumn spices and fresh sugar pumpkin and, well, a secret ingredient to turn this beer a bright orange. Sweet upfront, tart in the finish, pumpkin-spicy in the middle."

Pours a cloudy, golden, orange color, and is topped by a light, white head. The aroma is grassy and grainy with mild spice aromatics, and a sour apple undertone. The initial maltiness leans towards sweet with hints of grassiness. The finish is pleasingly tart with a dry, and earthy character. The pumpkin pie spice is mild, but present throughout. This was another favorite of the evening.

1091. Jack O' Bite

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide

"Brewed with pale, 77º Crystal, Munich and Cara-Hell malts, and bittered lightly with Glacier hops. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle and fermenter; aged in Jack Daniel's and wine barrels for 6 weeks, inoculated with yeast from Rodenbach."

Pours a hazed, amber-red. It's topped by an off-white head with good lace. The aroma is boozy with woody, acidic and funky notes. A pumpkin and malty sweetness upfront moves into a tart bite. The finish is dry. I thought this was an interesting blend of pumpkin, Scotch Ale, and sour.

1092. St. Alphonso

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This was the one non-pumpkin beer I had all night. It's sort of a cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a hoppy APA. Their description:

Brewers have long held a tradition of naming beers after patron saints. We wanted to do the same, but which saint to choose?
All of the good ones being taken – St. Arnold, St. Bridgette, St. Augustine, etc., etc. – we were left with old Saint Alphonso, patron saint of church pancake breakfasts.
What’s he got to do with our newest beer? Nothing, really. Like I said, all of the good saints were taken.

Inspired once again to abuse our position and mess up the mainstream, we’ve created an “American” take on the Belgian single, or table beer. Created for consumption on a daily basis while at the meal table, as opposed to the richer and stronger doubles and triples reserved for festival times, bière de table in Belgium is a lower alcohol beer with plenty of spicy, yeasty, malty flavors.

Our spin involves our house Belgian yeast strain and bucketloads of American hops. Brewed with pale and aromatic malts, its primary flavors and aromas are big, floral, grassy and citrusy thanks to Glacier, Amarillo, and Centennial hops. Glacier hops were added at first wort, and combined with Amarillo and Centennial at the end of the boil and in the whirlpool. Additionally nearly 1.5 pounds per barrel of dryhops were added for that bit of something we call “extra.” No bittering hops were used, but the flavors and residual dryness from the hops, combined with a very well-attenuated, super-dry, light-bodied beer, create a perfect balance on the palate.
Call it a hoppy Belgian session beer if you like.
We call it St. Alphonso.

St. Alphonso pours a pale, straw color, and is topped by a white head. The aroma is primarily hoppy: lots of resin and grassy hops, and a bit of citrus. A distinct citric flavor accompanies a light, grainy maltiness upfront. This moves into resiny and leafy hop flavors in the finish, which contribute more to flavor than to bitterness. This one seems insanely drinkable.

1093. Hansel and Gretel



Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide

"Brewed with organic pale, Weyermann Munich and Cara-Hell malts, with pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with peeled and pureed gresh ginger in the boil and bright tank and hopped with lots of Czech Saaz hops (otherwise it wouldn't be traditional)."

Pours a clear, golden color. Ginger and pumpkin notes beat out the Saaz in the aroma. The pumpkin contributes a distinct sweetness to the style. This sweetness moves into a ginger-spice center, and through to a nice, hoppy bitterness in the finish.

Labels: American Porter, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Berliner Weissbier, Czech Pilsener, Irish Dry Stout, Pumpkin Ale, Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy

1011. Reckoning



Jadyn and I went to dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company last night (April 22nd). It was mostly spurred by the release of their second 20th anniversary beer, Reckoning, which was fermented with only Brettanomyces. Their current beer list is huge, probably 20 beers or so available on tap, either is for the Craft Brewers Conference, or for their 20th anniversary.

From the website:

Reckoning, or dead reckoning, is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course. It’s also the name of the Grateful Dead’s live album from the Warfield Theater run in 1981, a series of shows from which Phil ‘Brewdaddy’ Bannatyne was ejected personally by Bill Graham himself.

Reckoning also applies to CBC’s current position, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary – looking back on our path to this point, and plotting our course ahead into the future.

Reckoning, the beer, is a first for us, representing the first time we’ve brewed a beer with 100% Brettanomyces (Brett). Primary fermentation was in stainless, and it was then sent to the Barrel Cellar into five pinot noir barrels to finish fermentation and conditioning. Four months later this beer has emerged, full of fruit and funk.

Unfiltered, it presents a very cloudy mien and offers aromas of tropical fruit with a hint of fresh hay. On the palate, the grassy notes become much more earthy with hints of horse blanket and barnyard (in a good way. Trust me.) commingling with the fruity, high end of yeast character.

This funky brew references our history of pushing the boundaries of beer, from Belgians to Barrel Cellars,and from our traditional friend Saccharomyces to our unicellular brothers in weirdness like Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Brett.

We hope you enjoy it, and look forward as we do to twenty more years of great beer and good times.

Incidentally, this is also our first trip to the CBC since they updated their menu. I was sad to see the Cubano removed from the dinner menu, but at least it's still on the lunch menu. A notable addition to their appetizer menu is the "Local Picks Plate", which consists of "Artisanal Cheese, Cured Meat, Vegetable Pickles, Fruits, Local Honey, Fried Nuts." There's a picture of ours below. The cheese was very tasty as were the pickled vegetables, which included spring onions, cauliflower, and fiddlehead ferns. For dinner Jadyn had the Veggie Muffaletta sandwich, a new addition to the menu, and I had their barbecue burger, which was very tasty.




Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 4.25

Pours a cloudy, pale, golden color, and is topped by a thin, white head that quickly fades to a ring. The strongest aroma evident is the characteristic 'hop sack' aroma contributed by Brettanomyces. Swirling brings out phenolic, funky and earthy aromas, somewhat reminiscent of lambic, but much more restrained. Underneath this wild character lies a mild fruitiness with hints of citrus, and banana.

There's a mild, bready sweetness upfront that builds into a fruity center with notes of grape, banana and citrus. This is mirrored by the flavors contributed by the Brett, which appear early on and build towards the center where they contribute a slight tartness. The Brett character mellows towards the center lending earthy and woody characters. The beer is medium-bodied and smooth with a prickly finish that moves into a nice dryness.

Perhaps I'm biased, but I love beers brewed with Brettanomyces. I thought that this beer had a nice mix of the wild characters that I like and an underlying fruitiness that helps to add depth.

Labels: American Wild Ale, Cambridge Brewing Company

This is the final set of beers that I tasted at the 2009 Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest.

Overall I thought the fest was fun. Going with friends from lab was a different experience, more focused on drunkeness than times I've been with David and Win.

981. Cuvee de Castleton

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a cloudy, straw golden. The aroma is acidic and sour with a light graininess and citric hints. There's a nice sour backbone running throughout the beer with notes of citrus and grape fruitiness. The finish has a nice dry character.

982. Tröegs Mad Elf

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Tröegs Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, dark amber. Topped by fizzy, soda-like carbonation. Sweet malts in the aroma: toffee and candi sugar. The taste is much like the aroma with a spicy alcohol in the finish.

983. Magic Hat Wild Ginger

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Ginger was added to this beer once during primary fermentation and once after fermentation was complete. It poured a dark copper. The aroma was dominated by ginger. There were mild caramel malts before the spiciness of the ginger took over.

984. Rosso e Marrone

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, reddish amber. The aroma is acidic and hints at the sourness to come. There's a nice tart acidity throughout over a backbone of fruity characters.

985. Plead the 5th

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 12.00%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours an opaque, dark black. The aroma is roast with notes of coffee. Dark roasted malts give a chocolate and fruity sweetness upfront, and a coffee bitterness in the finish.

986. Behemoth Blonde Barleywine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 12.50%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear copper. There are notes of citrus and fruit as well as caramel malts in the aroma. Caramel and raw sugar malt notes upfront, followed by a leafy and citric hop flavors in the finish. Overall the malts come through as only lightly sweet.

987. Samuel Adams Imperial White

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden. Standard witbier aroma: coriander, orange peel, Belgian yeast. The flavor profile is much the same with a nice spiciness in the finish.

988. Scotty Karate Scottish Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.75%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, dark amber-brown. The aroma is malty: caramel, molasses. Malty throughout the palate. Notes of caramel, toffee, hints of chocolate, and a lightly bitter finish.

989. Dry-Hopped 2008 Double Bastard Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: American Strong Ale

Double Bastard dry-hopped with Columbus and Amarillo hops. Pours a hazed copper. Sweet malts are evident in the aroma, as well as strong resiny hops. The flavors were similar. My notes were minimal because I was pretty drunk at that point.

Labels: American Barleywine, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Flanders Oud Bruin, Herbed/Spiced Beer, Russian Imperial Stout, Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, Witbier

This is the second set of beers that I tried at the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest 2009.

971. OatGoop

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.40%
Style: Wheat Wine (Oat Wine)

Pours a hazed copper. Floral hops and sugary malts are the strongest component of the aroma. Sweet and fruity upfront and through the center. The finish has some floral hop bitterness and a bit of sweetness.

972. Dwarven Hammer

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed golden-copper. The aroma is light, but predominantly malty. Sweet and malty throughout with nice notes of caramel. The finish had a sugary character tat complemented the coffee flavors well.

973. Phunky Duck

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is the base lambic for a Gueuze project that Lost Abbey is working on. It's nice to see American brewers trying for authentic lambics. Pours a hazed-straw golden. The aroma is classic lambic: acidic, earthy and funky. Very sour throughout: nice bright and acidic. There are nice grassy and citric notes as well a good, funky earthiness. An excellent rendition of the style. Another fest favorite (yes, they all tend to be sour beers).

974. Brute

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale

I couldn't pass up either of Ithaca's sour beers. The Brute pours a cloudy, straw color. The aroma has a nice grainy, wheat component, fruit, mild acidity and hint of Brettanmyces. Well attenuated so there's a good amount of wheat character without a lot of malty sweetness. Sourness builds through the center, followed by a nice earthy finish. I liked this one a lot. I'll have to give it another try if I see any bottles in the area.

975. "Sour" Flower Power Bretted IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 7.50%
Style: American Wild Ale

This is Ithaca's Flower Power IPA fermented for an additional three months with Brettanomyces. Pours a cloudy golden. The aroma is a nice combination of citric hops and mild Brettanomyces. The malts are attenuated to the faintest of sugary hints. The hops remain unscathed, leaving nice hop flavors and bitterness that really relegate the usually dominant Brett to a minor role in the finish.

976. Special Holiday Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Winter Warmer, BJCP Style Guide

This is a collaborative Winter Warmer brewed by Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color. Spices domiate the aroma: sage and juniper, but there are also malty aromas. Sweet upfront: malty and fruity. The finish is herbal and spicy with a nice bitterness.

977. Hottenroth Berliner Weisse

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 3.10%
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a pale straw color. Notes of sour apples, hay and an earthiness in the aroma. There's a mild graininess in the backbone underneath fruity notes of apple, and a nice lactic sourness.

978. Magic Hat Bergamot Bitter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

This is Magic Hat's Ordinary Bitter with bergamot added during conditioning. Pours a pale copper color. The aroma is dominated by the bergamot: peppery notes, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. Lightly malty with some good breadiness and a finish that's peppery and lightly bitter.

979. Apex

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.10%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed copper with a frothy head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of citrus and resin. The malt backbone is mildly sweet and provides a good counterpoint to the strong resiny and citric hop flavors.

980. Founders Double Trouble

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.40%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear golden, with a huge, white head. The aroma is resiny and herbal hops over a backbone of caramel and sugary malts. Resiny and leafy hops are evident throughout the beer over a mildly sweet malt backbone.

Labels: Altbier, American Double IPA, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Berliner Weissbier, English Bitter, Unblended Lambic, Wheat Wine, Winter Warmer

I hadn't managed to go to any of the Beer Advocate Fests with any of my lab mates until this years Extreme Beer Fest. Jadyn and I went along with Jeremy, Matt, Elçin and Alfonso. The fest format has remained constant: unlimited two ounce samples and booths lining the sides of the venue as well as a row of booths in the center of the venue. I was pleased with the line up of brewers at this years fest. There was a good regional representation from brewers like Harpoon, Cambridge Brewing Company, Allagash and American Flatbread to name a few. There were also a good number of brewers whose distribution doesn't cover Massachusetts: Bell's, Three Floyds, and The Bruery. I ended up having samples of 29 beers that I hadn't previously tried. I've broken up the notes into three posts, and as usual the notes are fairly minimal and should be trusted less and less the later I am into the fest.

After the first few beers I decided the most efficient way to drink was to try what I wanted to try from one booth and then to move on to the booth next door.

961. Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition/Double Cream Blend

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a deep black with a brown head. The aroma has notes of oak, vanilla and a resiny character. There are nice flavors of chocolate and vanilla with a boozy quality contributed by the bourbon barrels. The finish is roasty.

962. Allagash Gargamel

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale

This beer wasn't on the Fest beer list, but the description said it was brewed with Brettanomyces so I had to give it a try. Pours a hazed copper. The aroma hints at the sourness to come and has a nice notes of the wild yeast. Acidic and sour throughout, well attenuated so there isn't a lot of residual sweetness. The finish has a nice earthy Brett characteristic. Easily one of my favorites of the fest.

963. Allagash Confluence

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.40%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a pale, hazed golden-copper. The aroma is malty and citric with notes of acidity and Brett. Sweet overall with a sugary undertone. There's a light sourness in the center followed by earthy flavors in the finish. I'm biased towards sourness in my wild ales, so I was a bit disappointed, but that doesn't mean the beer wasn't good.

964. Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right BA Select

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide

From the fest website: "A collaboration beer brewed by Sam Calagione, Bryan Selders, and the Alström Bros at the original Rehoboth Beach Dogfish Head brewpub for the 2009 Extreme Beer Fest. Brewed with maple syrup, chestnuts, green peppercorns, Korean Corn tea (Oksusu-cha), Fawcett's Maris Otter base malt, MFP kiln coffee malt, Liberty and Vangaurd hops, and DFH's Raison D'Etra yeast strain... The name is an ode to The Konami Code (cheat code) on the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s"

Pours a clear amber brown. The aroma is redolent of chestnuts, maple syrup and roasted malts. Sweet upfront with a light roasty character. Maple syrup sweetness appears in the center along with a nutty flavor that contributes a bit of tannic huskiness in the finish. There's also a nice peppery spice in the finish.

965. Bell's HopSlam Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear copper, topped by a sheet of white foam. Notes of citrus give the malts a candy-like aroma. Sweet upfront, raw sugar malts. Citric hops in the finish with a concealed bitterness.

966. Bell's Expedition Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a dark black. Coffee and roasted malts in the aroma. Chocolate sweetness upfront, which moves into a sharp fruitiness, followed by a roasted bitterness in the finish.

967. Bell's Third Coast Old Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed amber, with a good head, especially for a fest pour. The aroma is nice and malty, with caramel and a bit of toffee, there are also notes of hops. Malty with notes of caramel and dark fruit. The finish has a good bit of hop flavor and bitterness.

968. Samuel Adams Double Bock

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, dark copper. Malty aroma: toffee, butterscotch and boozy notes. Caramel and toffee sweetness upfront, followed by a strong and boozy finish with lots of alcoholic spice.

969. CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Style: Milk / Sweet Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a deep, dark brown. The aroma is predominantly chocolate with some nice hints of roastiness. Roasty notes upfront, but becomes increasingly sweet through the center with notes of chocolate and fruit. The finish has a nice bit of chocolate flavor.

970. The Colonel's Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.30%
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear brown with garnet hints. Roasty malts in the aroma with a nice Brettanomyces character. There's a roasty malt backbone with fruity notes, but not a lot of residual sweetness. The finish is sour with a strong Brett finish. Another very good beer. One of my favorites from the fest.

Labels: American Brown Ale, American Double IPA, American Stout, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests

This is the third and final post containing the last five beers that I had at the beer fest. Not much else to say, other than to say it was a great fest.

891. Weyerbacher Thirteen

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 13.60%
Style: American Double Stout

Pours an opaque black, and is topped by an dark brown head. The aroma is banana bread, chocolate and roasted grain. There are notes of chocolate, banana, tart fruit, coffee and chocolate.

892. Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.60%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazed golden. Topped by a sudsy white head. There's an apple fruitiness in the aroma. Bready sweetness with hints of caramel and fruit. Lightly bitter in the finish.

893. Harpoon Wild Hibernian

Beer Stats:
Brewery:Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a cloudy copper. Topped by a thick beige head. The aroma is characteristic Brettanomyces with a bit of apple fruitiness. Sweet upfront, bready with hints of apples. Mildly spicy with a light funkiness in the finish.

894. Southampton Bier de Mars

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy golden. Topped by a thin, sudsy white head. Banana and honey in the aroma. Notes of pepper, banana, and honey on the palate. There's a course graininess in the finish along with a light bitterness.

894. Smuttynose Abbey Single

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.80%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed golden. Citric aroma, hoppy? Light but flavorful. This is the extent of my notes, I was probably in a rush to try to get a last sample of La Folie.

Labels: American Double Stout, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Saison

These are the second set of 10 new beers that I had at the Belgian Beer Fest. A good portion of them seem to be rare or one-off beers given that they're not in the BA database. I think this is a sign of a good beer fest, that brewers are willing to bring their small batch, one-off beers to a fest, or better yet, to brew them for a fest. It helps keep the variety high and the offerings interesting.

881. The Tap Honing Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a sudsy head. Honey is definitely present in the aroma with a bit of a resiny character. The sweetness of the honey mingles well with a nice tart fruitiness from the yeast. I thought this was an excellent honey ale, and was one of my favorite beers from the fest.

882. L'esprit de l'escalier

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden-copper, and is topped by a thin white head. Grassy, grainy, light fruit and citrus in the aroma. Toasty malts upfront with some honey-like sweetness. The finish has a peppery spice, and a light bitterness in the aftertaste.

883. Samuel Adams Blonde Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazed, golden. Topped by an off-white head. The aroma and taste are both peppery with notes of apple fruitiness.

884. Samuel Adams Knee Deep Kriek

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed reddish-copper with a pinkish head. Cherries in the aroma. Light cherry flavors upfront move into a tart finish. Not a lot of depth.

885. Dernière Volonté

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, straw golden, topped by a thin white head. Bready, with notes of caramel and honey in the aroma, and perhaps a hint of medicinal phenols. Light sweetness upfront moves into a medicinal character. Very tasty.

886. Stone Cali-Belgique

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.90%
Style: Belgian IPA

Pours a lightly-hazed golden. Topped by a thin, white head. Strong aroma of a Belgian ale, banana and other fruitiness. There's also a good bit of hops in the aroma. There is a sweet Belgian fruitiness upfront for a fleeting moment, before it's crushed by a wall of hops. Hoppy, definitely my preference for a Belgian IPA, but lacks balance.

887. Orphan Annie

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a hazed, reddish brown. The head is a wispy beige ring. The aroma is woody with cherry fruitiness. Lightly sweet cherry flavors upfront move into an awesome cherry tartness. Dry finish. This was another favorite from the fest.

888. Avril

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Alcohol: 3.50%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

I'm calling this one a Belgian Pale Ale rather than a Saison, which is what BA has it listed as. I think a BPA is closer in style.

Pours a lightly cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a thin, white head. The aroma is surprisingly strong for a table beer, nice grassy and grainy malts and a bit of banana fruitiness. Lightly grainy malt upfront with light fruit and light peppery spice. Pretty mild.

889. Unibroue 17

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Unibroue
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy brown. Toppe by a thick, light brown head. The aroma seemed a bit hoppy and chocolatey. Lightly bready malts upfront, roasty with notes of chocolate and a peppery finish.

890. Les Deux Brasseurs

Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is a collaboration between De Proef and Allagash.

Pours a cloudy, straw golden. The aroma seems to be characteristic Brettanomyces, with some acidic hints. Lightly sour upfront moving through to a medicinal, funky finish with a light bitterness.

Labels: American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian IPA, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Fruit Lambic, Saison

Jadyn and I went to the afternoon session of Beer Advocate's Return of the Belgian Beer Fest on Saturday September 27th. This is always my favorite BA fest... I can't get enough Belgian beer. I do regret no going to the Friday night special session though. The format seems to be pretty constant now: unlimited 2 ounce samples, food from Sunset, Belgian sugar waffles, talks, and booths from a good variety of breweries and importers.

I was pleased to see New Belgium at this fest. They haven't been at any of the other Beer Advocate fests that I've been to, and I managed to get a couple samples of the phenomenal La Folie.

871. Brooklyn Flemish Gold

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a white head that thins to a film. The aroma is fruity with notes of bananas, as well as grainy and hoppy aromas. Upfront is a neutral bready malt character. A mild banana sweetness in the center with a mildly hopped finish.

872. Brooklyn Grand Cru

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 8.40%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours an insanely cloudy, beige color with an almost reddish tint. Topped by a thick, off-white head. Notes of coriander, orange peel and alcohol in the aroma. Smooth banana fruitiness, citric orange, and peppery spice.

873. Saison Rue

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed golden-copper. Topped by a sudsy, off-white head. Apples and a light peppery spice in the aroma. Apple sweetness with an accompanying tartness upfront. There's also a slight medicinal character in the finish.

874. Duvel Draft

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a crystal clear, straw color. Topped by a rocky, merengue-like head. The aroma is fruity with hints of apple and banana. The flavor is mild. There are grainy and lightly fruity flavors with maybe a hint of apple tartness. The finish is lightly bitter with a grassy dry quality.

875. Ommegang Rouge

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: 5.50%
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy reddish-brown. Topped by a thick beige head that faded quickly to a film. The aroma is nice and acidic. Amazingly tart upfront, with a cherry fruitiness and moderate sweetness in the center. The finish is woody and medicinal. Delicious. One of my favorites from the fest.

876. Rock Bottom Blueberry Lambic

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: 4.00%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy purple. Topped by a sudsy, purple head. The aroma is blueberries and funk. Sour upfront with blueberries throughout and a mild funkiness in the finish. I thought this was an odd combo, the blueberries and lambic characters didn't mesh well. I still have to applaud the attempt though.

877. Eric's Ale (Lips of Faith #3)

Beer Stats:
Brewery: New Belgium Brewing
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

This is a sour ale brewed with peaches. It pours a hazed orange-copper, and is topped by a thin, off-white head. The aroma is lightly acid with hints of peach. Sour, but not mouth puckeringly tart. The sourness is balanced nicely by a light sweetness from the peach.

878. Harpoon Belgian Dip

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: 13.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

I'm guessing at the style here, so take that into account. Pours a hazed-reddish copper. Sweet on the nose: chocolatey, caramel and candi sugar. There's also a mild whiff of alcohol. Sweet throughout with dominant flavors of candi sugar, caramel and toffee. The finish has a pronounced alcoholic spice. Overall a bit one-dimensional.

879. Harpoon Belgian Chocolate Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is black with a sudsy, brown head. The aroma is deeply chocolatey with hints of toffee as well. Sweet chocolate upfront, roasty in the center and finish.

880. Monk's Brew

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mikkeller
Alcohol: 11.50%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy brown, and topped by a beige head. The aroma is fairly light, but is much the same as the palate. Caramel with hints of chocolate and dark fruit. The finish has a peppery and alcoholic spiciness.

Labels: American Stout, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Flanders Red Ale, Fruit Lambic, Quadrupel, Saison, Witbier

714. Kriek du Cambridge

Jadyn and I went to the CBC to get lunch and a pair of tickets to the Belgian Beer Fest a couple Fridays ago. Unfortunately they were out of tickets, which we later procured at Cambridge Common, but they did have a Lambic-style beer on tap. Since I love sour beer I had to order it.

From the website:

Kriek du Cambridge began its life over eighteen months ago, when it was relegated to the darkest depths of the CBC Barrel Cellar, aging in two French oak barrels formerly housing Napa chardonnay. But it wasn’t alone! Each barrel was also filled with fifteen gallons of whole sour cherries, and then inoculated with a zooful of microflora from various sources including bottles of Cantillon lambic, and La Folie from our friends at the New Belgium Brewing Company (yes, we drank most of the beer first). The wild fermentation which ensued left a very acidic beer with tart cherry flavor and a dry finish, very much akin to a traditional lambic beer.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.30&%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear, reddish-orange. Not much in the way of a head, some beige wisps that fade to a ring, about what you expect from a lambic.

Smell (4.5): Sour cherries, medicinal phenols, and a nice, woody earthiness on swirling.

Taste (4.0): Tart cherries upfront, followed by a sour, acidic center. The acidity lasts through to the finish where it mingles with woody and earthy flavors.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation, with a very dry finish.

Drinkability (4.0): The sourness is pucker inducing, but it's damn tasty with well hidden alcohol.

Overall (4.15): Very good stuff, great lambic character.

Labels: American Wild Ale, Cambridge Brewing Company

334. Ommegeddon

Jadyn and I went to dinner at Christopher's in Porter Square on Tuesday night. I noticed that they had Ommegeddon on tap. It was served in a 12 oz. Ommegang glass.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy golden. Pleasingly turbid, not so cloudy as to look murky, but enough to give a nice diffuse glow to the light passing through. A thin white head fades to a wispy film leaving patchy lace.

Smell (4.0): Bananas, candi sugar, Brettanomyces funk, and a grassy tartness.

Taste (4.5): Initially sweet, with a spicy sensation coming from the tingly carbonation. Fruitiness becomes evident, bananas and something I couldn't place. The finish is a mild Brettanomyces finish: lightly bitter with an earthy tartness. The Brett isn't the strongest, but it works well here.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Light bodied, moderately carbonated, dry in the finish.

Drinkability (5.0): Crisp, tasty with a refreshing dryness in the finish.

Overall (4.45): Certainly not the "funkiest" of beers, but it's still tasty and very tasty. I think it would do well with a year in the cellar.

Labels: American Wild Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Sour Beer

654. Allagash Interlude 2006



I purchased a bottle of 2006 Interlude at Downtown Wine & Spirits several months ago. It's been sitting in my fridge ever since. I finally got around to opening it tonight. It comes in a corked and caged 750 mL bottle with a simple beige label. There's a tag attached to the cork that says "bop belgian" on the front; the inside says:

Interlude - somewhere between the leap and the landing. It's a jazz solo, the riffing, the unexpected improvisation. Rooted in a Belgian theme, Interlude soars from a second fermentation with our own wild Brettanomyces yeast. Then takes five in French oak wine barrels that once cellared fine Merlots and Sirahs. And then a bottle conditioning. In all, an outrageous effort to make a bottle of beer. But then, if you prefer to swing with magnificent red wine notes and funky farmhouse flavors dancing in the undercurrents of a crisp, remarkable brew, then Interlude has that thing. C'est le goût, toujours!. It's the taste that is always an adventure.

I let this warm to the 40s and served it in one of my Duvel tulip glasses.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Year: 2006
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide, American Wild Ale

Appearance (5.0): Pours a clear copper with a thick, creamy, off-white head that's fed by a massive quantity of bubbles. Retention is excellent, the head slowly fades to a persistent quarter-inch layer leaving lace that clings to the glass in thick patches. I can't think of a single thing wrong with the way this beer looks.

Smell (4.5): Initially the aromas are a mingling of fruit and Brettanomyces. I predominantly detect aromas of lemon and sour apple. There's also a nice earthy, grassy aroma. Swirling brings the earthiness to the fore along with, maybe, a hint of woodiness. I really love the Brett aromas in this one.

Taste (4.5): Lightly sweet upfront, before moving into a fruity, lemony sourness, which maintains its presence through to the finish. The center is dominated by sourness with some vinous characters making an appearance as well. The finish is funky and earthy with a nice grassy quality from the hops. The sourness and hops create a finish that is sour and mildly bitter. Both bitterness and sourness last well into the aftertaste where they're met by a spicy warming sensation. Pouring the yeast into the glass makes the finish a bit funkier.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-to-medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation, with a nice mildly dry finish. Honestly it feels a bit thin to me, perhaps a little more carbonation would help. Decanting the yeast helps.

Drinkability (4.0): Very flavorful with nice sour and funky flavors that aren't overpowering. The alcohol is very well hidden.

Overall (4.45): This seems like a stronger, fruitier and more sour Orval. I really, really like beers that use Brettanomyces, so take the ratings with a grain of salt. I wish I would have purchased another bottle to cellar.

Labels: American Wild Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale

649. Cerise Cassée American Sour Ale

On Friday after CCR Beer Hour I checked the CBC website on a whim and read the description for Cerise Cassée. Since I love sour/wild ales I decided to go over and have a glass. I went upstairs to distract Christian from studying for his quals and got him to come along. The beer was served in a flute-like glass. The website says:

A complex beer in both process and palate, Cerise Cassée is brewed from a 3-day sour mash, fermented with 300 pounds of sour cherries, and aged for one year in French oak wine barrels. In the wood it further ferments with multiple strains of wild yeasts, which contribute both mysterious wild flavors and a funky but smooth, oaky finish. This tart, effervescent, amber-red ale is adventurous and challenging, blurring the lines between tradition and innovation. Bonne chance! A la votre!

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

Appearance (3.5): Pours a very cloudy, brownish amber with a thin beige head that fades to a patchy film, but eventually disappears completely.

Smell (4.5): The aroma is sour and tart cherries. There's also a phenolic, medicinal aroma that gives way to some woody aromas. Swirling accentuates the woodiness and light earthy notes. Upon warming, swirling brings out a nice Cantillon-like funkiness.

Taste (4.5): The cherries used in brewing are definitely the dominant element in this beer. Upfront they provide a light sweetness, which is quickly eclipsed by a strong sourness that lasts through to the finish. The sweet, cherry fruitiness emerges again in the finish along with a nice earthy and woody quality.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation. It seems a bit effervescent. The finish has a nice moderate dryness.

Drinkability (4.0): Tasty and incredibly flavorful. The beer is nicely sour, but isn't overpowering.

Overall (4.25): I really liked this beer. The cherries add a nice fruity character and light sweetness that is never too sweet. The medicinal, woody and earthy characters provide a nice balance to the sourness.

Labels: American Wild Ale, Cambridge Brewing Company

This is the last of my posts on the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Feast 2007. The tasting notes are from the last 10 new beers of 30 new that I sampled. The notes get very general and short towards the end, and the handwriting gets pretty terrible, a good indicator of how drunk I was by the time the fest was over.

631. Kuhnhenn Wheat Wine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: Wheat Wine

Pours a hazy amber with an off-white head. The aroma is predominantly resiny hops with a bit of fruitiness. The flavor is fruity and malty.

632. Magic Hat Belgian Sour Red Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide

According to the program: "1 BBL batch, brewed exclusively for EBF. Malty, fruity, sharp and acidic, with slight oak characters." Pours a hazy copper. The aroma is yeasty and fruity with a light acidic hint. The flavor is mildly sour, though not too sweet. The finish is lightly medicinal. It's good, but it could have been more sour.

633. Stone Coast 840 Imperial India Pale Ale Bourbon Aged 2005

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Coast Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy amber. There's a light bourbon aroma with notes of vanilla. The beer is sweet and malty upfront with vanilla evident, the aftertaste is strong and hoppy.

634. Hairy Eyeball Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.80%
Style: American Strong Ale

Pours a clear, dark amber. The aroma is light, but dark fruit is evident. The flavors are predominantly malty and sweet, with little bitterness.

635. Redbridge

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Style: American Amber/Red Lager

This is A-B's gluten free, sorghum beer. I was curious to try it. Pours a clear, golden-amber. The aroma is light, and predominantly fruity. The flavor is much the same.

636. Weyerbacher Extreme Dark American Wild Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale

There was a sign up at Weyerbacher saying to come by at 9 for a new "Extreme Dark Wild Ale". Being a sucker for Wild Ales I showed up around 8:55, and got the first pour at 9:00. Pours a lightly hazy amber. The aroma is sour and acidic with hints of Brett. The flavor is mostly sour and acidic with some malts and sweet fruitiness as well.

637. Founders Blushing Monk

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Fruit/Vegatable Beer, BJCP Style Guide

This has to be the most minimal set of notes I have from the fest. Appearance, smell and taste are all sweet raspberry, with a light tartness.

638. Founders Backwoods Bastard

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.20%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, dark amber. The aroma is very much like a Scotch Ale, heavy malts. The flavors are the same with a nice peatiness.

639. Kuhnhenn Braggot

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 13.00%
Style: Braggot

Pours a hazy amber. The taste and aroma are both sweet and fruity.

640. Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 14.50%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, red color. The aromas are fruity and malty. The taste is the same with some bourbon notes, as well as some light spiciness and bitterness.

Like I mentioned in my first post, I really like the unlimited tastings format. It's easier to sample more beers, but it also increases the chances that you'll drink too much, which I certainly did. Perhaps the best strategy is to sample new beers early in the session, and save the last hour or so for getting sloshed. The food was pretty good, I had a sausage and pepper sandwich from Sunset, which was tasty, and later in the evening I had a Waffle Haus waffle, that was, as always, excellent.

I only have four beers marked as favorites, and three of those are from early in the evening: Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Weyerbacher Simcoe, Iron Hill Framboise and Weyerbacher Extreme Dark American Wild Ale. I neglected to keep track later in the evening, so I'm probably giving short shrift to some of the other beers.

Labels: American Amber/Red Lager, American Double IPA, American Strong Ale, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Flanders Red Ale, Wheat Wine

A few Fridays ago I went to the CBC to have dinner and some beer.

120. Charles River Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.90%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours an opaque black with a thin beige head.

Smell (4.0): Roasted coffee and chocolate in the nose.

Taste (4.5): There's a nice roasted bitterness that dominates. There's also some dark fruit sweetness and a mild sourness. The aftertaste is roasted and hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel (4): Medium-bodied with mild carbonation.

Drinkability (4.5): Nice and roasty and very drinkable.

Overall (4.25)

581. Pisser Mauvais

I had two or three glasses of this. From the website:

Inspired by the famous Mannekin Pis, Brussels’ fountain statue of a young boy urinating. The name translates very loosely as “Wicked Pissah.” Brewed in Autumn, 2004, this black beer was aged in oak barrels which previously held the funky-yet-famous Benevolence. Fermentation ensued spontaneously in the barrel from the various wild yeast and other organisms residing in the porous wood, and after fermentation it rested for twenty-four months. Following this extended quiescence, the beer was racked and blended, conditioned, and chilled for your pleasure today. The nose features an obvious lactic tartness, notes of hay and horse blankets, and an underlying maltiness with hints of chocolate and burnt oak (in a good way). The palate has a nascent sharp sourness leading to flavors reminiscent of a lambic beer, finishing dry with plenty of oak and a clean roasty finale. Initially challenging, this beer becomes quite accessible, and opens up considerably as it warms in the glass.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

Appearance (4.0): Pours an opaque brown-black with a two-finger, brown head that fades to a film leaving patchy lace.

Smell (4.5): Lambic-like tart aroma, medicinal phenols and a mild earthiness.

Taste (5.0): Tart with a light cherry like sweetness, though the tartness is still eveident. There's a medicinal character with a light, woody roastiness that contributes character, but not bitterness.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied. Low but prickly carbonation.

Drinkability (4.5): A delicious sour ale.

Overall (4.55)

122. Great Pumpkin Ale

I'm not ashamed to say that I like pumpkin ales to be sweeter, rather than balanced and to have spicing that really reminds me of a pumpkin pie. CBC's Great Pumpkin Ale fits the bill.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Pumpkin Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear amber with a thin head that fades to a ring.

Smell (4.5): Very strong aromas of pumpkin with secondary nutmeg and cinnamon aromas.

Taste (4.5): Sweet pumpkins upfront, with nutmeg and cinnamon spices. The finish is lightly bitter.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth.

Drinkability (4.0): Sweet, but not overly so, though my opinions on the style may differ from others.

Overall (4.35): A great pumpkin ale!

Labels: American Porter, American Wild Ale, Cambridge Brewing Company, Pumpkin Ale

David and I went to Beer Advocate's Return of the Belgian Beer Fest last night at the Cyclorama. This is the first BA fest that I've been to since they revamped the format. All pours are now two ounces, but tastings are unlimited rather than ticket based. While larger pours would have been nice, overall the changes are an improvement.

Food was provided by Sunset Grill and Tap. We had dinner before hand, but I saw grilled sausages with peppers and onions, moules frites, and pretzels. Waffle Haus was serving their always delicious waffles. We had two during the course of the evening.

We arrived at around 6 and stayed around as long as possible, getting beer from the booths that were still pouring. Quite a few people were dressed up in Halloween costumes, these were two of the most visible:



The cover to the fest guide was cool:



We talked to a few people. One woman was curious about my notes, we got a recommendation from a fest volunteer (Kastaar), and we got a great tip from another note taker about a single bottle of De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000 that was opened at 9 PM.

Rather than taking detailed notes on each beer I wrote a short paragraph about each. I've been pretty general in my notes, listing general characteristics more than specifics. There are several reasons for this including, speed of taking notes, lingering congestion from a cold, and the small sample sizes.


467. Dogfish Head Pangaea

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pangea is brewed with an ingredient from every continent. It pours a hazy golden with a foamy head. The aroma is malty and a little spicy. The flavor is mild and sweet with caramel notes. Smooth and light bodied with moderate carbonation. Pangea was pleasant enough, but nothing phenomenal.


468. Stone 04.04.04 Vertical Epic Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Year: 2004
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap(?)
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

Beer Advocate lists this as a Tripel, but when I asked what style it was teh guy said it was a Saison/Bière de Garde hybrid. Pours a hazy, pale golden. The aroma is sweet and fruity with a touch of mellow hops. The flavor is lightly fruity with a funky, hoppy finish. Light-bodied with high carbonation.


469. Allagash Curieux

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

Curieux is Allagash's Bourbon aged tripel. It pours a hazy golden. With aromas of fruit and bourbon. The beer is lightly fruity with spicy bourbon and vanilla flavors. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.


470. Brooklyn BLAST!

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden with a strong aroma of citrusy hops. Fruity and citrusy upfront, but fades into a strong hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is oily with strong carbonation. Good stuff.


471. Bornem Dubbel

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy brown with a thick beige head. The nose is heavy on caramel and dark fruits. The palate is sweet and malty with notes of raisins, pepper and a light bitterness. Very high carbonation.


472. Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy peach color, with a strong sour aroma and accompanying funkiness. The flavors are dominated by sourness, with notes of fruity cherries. Light-bodied, low carbonation with a dry finish. Very good.


473. Abbaye Des Rocs Grand Cru

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, light brown with a beige head. The nose is peppery with light fruity notes, maltiness and subtle hops. The flavors are sweet and fruity with evident honey, and a peppery finish. Light-bodied with low carbonation.


474. Matilda

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Goose Island
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden with a fluffy, off-white head that leaves thick lace. The nose is fruity and citrusy with the charcteristic Brettanomyces aroma. Lightly fruity with a nice Brett finish. Light to medium-bodied, low carbonation. This was one of my favorites from the fest.


475. Demolition 1800 Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Goose Island
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazy golden with a foamy head. The aroma is fruity with a honey-like character. The flavors are fruity and malty with light pepper and bitterness. Medium-bodied, low carbonation.


476. La Gnomette Part II

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie d'Achouffe
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This is the Brooklyn Blast recipe brewed at Brasserie d' Achouffe with Belgian yeast. Pours a very cloudy straw color, leaving massive lace. The nose is dominated by characteristic Belgian yeast fruitiness, with underlying citric hops. Flavors of banana and tart fruit that fade into a muted hop bitterness. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.


477. Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Fonteinen
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy red with a thin wispy head. The aroma is sour cherries with a light funkiness. Sour cherries are evident upfront, but fade into a sour funky finish. Light-bodied with low carbonation.


478. Calabaza Blanca

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazy pale golden. The aroma is fruity and peppery. Sour and tart fruitiness is evident upfront, this fades into a peppery spice wiyh a light bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.


479. La Seigneuriale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Unibroue
Alcohol:7.50 %
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy light-brown/amber. The aroma is light and fruity with peppery alcohol. The flavor is light fruit, a sour tartness, graininess, peppery spice and a light lingering bitterness. Medium-bodied with moderate to high carbonation.


480. Luciérnaga

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy amber/golden. The aroma is tart and fruity with a hint of funky Brettanomyces. The flavors are tart and fruity with a finish that is lightly bitter hops and Brett funkiness. Light to medium-bodied with tingly carbonation.


481. Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Slaapmutske
Alcohol: 8.10%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

How can you not try a beer with "Nightcap" in the name? Pours a cloudy pale straw color. The aroma is fruity. The flavor is fruity and tart with pepper and alcoholic spice in the finish. Medium-bodied, low carbonation. David says "Pleasant, I'd like to be in a room with it."


482. Sixpoint Grand Crüe

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 12.40%
Serving: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, light brown. The nose is dominated by caramel and dark fruit with light hops evident. The flavors are much the same, caramel and dark fruit with a light hop bitterness in the finish. Medium to full-bodied, low carbonation


483. Kastaar

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Block bvba
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, pale straw. The aroma is predominantly sour apple, as is the flavor with a nice crisp finish. Light-bodied with high carbonation.


484. Ned Flanders

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Milly's Tavern
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide

David was skeptical based on the name, but this turned out to be a good choice. Pours a hazy-brown. The aroma is sweet with a light tartness. The flavors are predominantly sour cherries with a little bit of funkiness. Light bodied with moderate carbonation.


485. Merry Monks' Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.30%
Serving: ?
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazy golden. The aroma is very strong bananas. Bananas dominate the flavors as well, however there is peppery and alcoholic spice in the finish. Medium-bodied with low to moderate carbonation.


486. Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy straw color. The aroma is light, but there is the sour lambic aroma with a bit of Brett. Sour and tart in the palate, definites notes of sour apples and possibly a bit of citrus. Light bodied, low carbonation with a dry finish.


487. Napoleon's Waterloo

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Milly's Tavern
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a light amber/golden. The aroma is tart with a bit of Brett funkiness and hoppiness. The flavors are the same, tart and fruity with characteristic Brett flavors. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.

488. De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Year: 2000
Alcohol: 12.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Thanks to a fellow fest attendee for the great tip on this one. Pours a clear, light amber. The aromas are very vinuous, with strong caramel and alcoholic spice. Very port-like in the nose, very nice. Upfront the flavors are a blend of caramel, sweet fruitiness which are eclipsed by the alcoholic spiciness in the finish. Low carbonation, medium to full-bodied. Very very good stuff.

Other Beers:
I also had samples of Ommegeddon, Chimay Red, Harpoon 100 Barrel Saison and Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel. I'm sure I had some others that I'd had before, but my memory is failing me.

Top Five:
Of the new beers that I tried the top five in the order I tried them are: Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label, Matilda, Luciérnaga, Napoleon's Waterloo and De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000.

Labels: American Double IPA, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Dubbel, Flanders Red Ale, Gueuze, Lambic, Reviews, Sour Beer, Tripel, Witbier