Jadyn and I went to Ireland to visit her sister the week of Thanksgiving 2010. Since Ireland's not a "Beer Country" like Belgium/Germany/England/Czech Republic, I didn't spend a lot of time seeking out Irish beer. Though I probably drank more Guinness in one week than I did in the last three to four years, and we did take a tour of the Guinness Brewery
On Saturday evening Jadyn and I went to a show at Whelan's with her sister. We stopped for a beer at The Dice Bar. I went with Sparta Pils, which I mistakenly thought might be Irish.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, and is topped by a white head that's fed by lots of bubbles. The aroma has notes of cooked grain, and a bit of malty sweetness.
The taste is clean and crisp with a mild sweetness, and a grassy bitterness in the finish. This beer is crisp, light-bodied, and has a good deal of carbonation.
Overall this was a pretty good pils, not the best, but solid.
Jadyn and I spent Monday the 22nd taking her nephews around Dublin. After dropping them off with Jadyn's sister we had dinner and beer at The Porterhouse in Temple Bar after walking around a bit.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.1
This stout pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thick, creamy, brown head that retains well. The aroma is chocolatey with roasted malt notes. The chocolate gives the aroma an almost fruity aspect.
This stout has a roasted backbone, which moves into a milder center with a bit of bite and roasted bitterness in the finish that's cut by a mild sweetness. Light-bodied and smooth with mild carbonation.
I thought this was a very nice stout.
After dinner I had a three beer sampler, and Jadyn had another beer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Pours a clear, light golden with a creamy head. The aroma is clean with grassy notes. It's grainy with a mildly sweet finish. Pretty ho-hum.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a dark brown that's clear up to the light. It's topped by a dense, creamy head. The aroma is chocolatey and sweet with roasted notes and not a lot of fruit. There are mild roasted malts throughout with only a very mild sweetness. The finish is lightly bitter.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a clear brow with a creamy brown head. The aroma is roasted malts with a bit of a sharp edge. This stout is very mild with only a mild roasty character. The finish has a mild sweetness and light spiciness.
On Tuesday Jadyn and I took a tour of the Guinness Brewery. The tour was pretty slick and marketing heavy. The brewing process was discussed, but not in depth. The most interesting part of the tour was the video that discussed cooperage. The highlight by far was having beers in the Gravity Bar, which had great views of the city.
A slick waterfall.
I picked this beer up at a grocery store, either Tesco or SuperValu, and had it at Jadyn's sister's house on Thanksgiving.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Carlow Brewing Comany
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.3
This beer pours a clear golden with a fluffy white head that fades to a thin layer, but leaves clinging lace. The aroma is wheaty and grainy with notes of fruit and spicy hops.
This beer is grainy upfront with a grassy backbone. There are enough spicy, leafy hops in the finish, just enough to prevent it from being bland. This beer is crisp, light-bodied and slightly dry.
Not super flavorful, but refreshing enough.
On Saturday evening Jadyn and I went to a show at Whelan's with her sister. We stopped for a beer at The Dice Bar. I went with Sparta Pils, which I mistakenly thought might be Irish.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, and is topped by a white head that's fed by lots of bubbles. The aroma has notes of cooked grain, and a bit of malty sweetness.
The taste is clean and crisp with a mild sweetness, and a grassy bitterness in the finish. This beer is crisp, light-bodied, and has a good deal of carbonation.
Overall this was a pretty good pils, not the best, but solid.
Jadyn and I spent Monday the 22nd taking her nephews around Dublin. After dropping them off with Jadyn's sister we had dinner and beer at The Porterhouse in Temple Bar after walking around a bit.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.1
This stout pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thick, creamy, brown head that retains well. The aroma is chocolatey with roasted malt notes. The chocolate gives the aroma an almost fruity aspect.
This stout has a roasted backbone, which moves into a milder center with a bit of bite and roasted bitterness in the finish that's cut by a mild sweetness. Light-bodied and smooth with mild carbonation.
I thought this was a very nice stout.
After dinner I had a three beer sampler, and Jadyn had another beer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Pours a clear, light golden with a creamy head. The aroma is clean with grassy notes. It's grainy with a mildly sweet finish. Pretty ho-hum.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a dark brown that's clear up to the light. It's topped by a dense, creamy head. The aroma is chocolatey and sweet with roasted notes and not a lot of fruit. There are mild roasted malts throughout with only a very mild sweetness. The finish is lightly bitter.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a clear brow with a creamy brown head. The aroma is roasted malts with a bit of a sharp edge. This stout is very mild with only a mild roasty character. The finish has a mild sweetness and light spiciness.
On Tuesday Jadyn and I took a tour of the Guinness Brewery. The tour was pretty slick and marketing heavy. The brewing process was discussed, but not in depth. The most interesting part of the tour was the video that discussed cooperage. The highlight by far was having beers in the Gravity Bar, which had great views of the city.
A slick waterfall.
I picked this beer up at a grocery store, either Tesco or SuperValu, and had it at Jadyn's sister's house on Thanksgiving.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Carlow Brewing Comany
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.3
This beer pours a clear golden with a fluffy white head that fades to a thin layer, but leaves clinging lace. The aroma is wheaty and grainy with notes of fruit and spicy hops.
This beer is grainy upfront with a grassy backbone. There are enough spicy, leafy hops in the finish, just enough to prevent it from being bland. This beer is crisp, light-bodied and slightly dry.
Not super flavorful, but refreshing enough.
Labels: Czech Pilsener, Euro Pale Lager, Irish Dry Stout, Travel
1179. Mahou Clasica
Back in Madrid, Jadyn and I had dinner and beer at Antigua Hueveria.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mahou SA
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 2.0| Mouthfeel: 2.5 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 2.65
Mahou Clasica pours a clear, darkish golden, and is topped by a creamy, bright white head that fades to a film, leaving good lace. The aroma is light, with grassy, slight peppery hops, and sweet notes.
Upfront this beer is mildly sweet, with a neutral graininess throughout. The finish only has a mild, mild hint of bitterness. This beer is light-bodied, mildly carbonated and thin.
Mahou Clasica is pretty bland, there's not much flavor at all, and it feels watery.
1180. Cruzcampo Lager
Later, after wandering around Madrid, Jadyn and I ended up on Calle de Las Huertas, and had tapas at a place called Milano, which seemed to be staffed by a single, slow waitress.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Grupo Cruzcampo SA
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 2.95
Cruzcampo pours a clear golden color, and is topped by a white head that eventually fades to a film leaving good lace. The aroma is pretty plain: lager sweetness, graininess, and grassy and peppery hops.
This beer starts out with the standard grainy/sweet lager taste, and then moves into a mildy bitter finish that has a small dose of grassy hops. This beer is light-bodied, moderately carbonated, and crisp.
Overall this was better than some of the other lagers we had, but it was still pretty generic.
Back in Madrid, Jadyn and I had dinner and beer at Antigua Hueveria.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mahou SA
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 2.0| Mouthfeel: 2.5 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 2.65
Mahou Clasica pours a clear, darkish golden, and is topped by a creamy, bright white head that fades to a film, leaving good lace. The aroma is light, with grassy, slight peppery hops, and sweet notes.
Upfront this beer is mildly sweet, with a neutral graininess throughout. The finish only has a mild, mild hint of bitterness. This beer is light-bodied, mildly carbonated and thin.
Mahou Clasica is pretty bland, there's not much flavor at all, and it feels watery.
1180. Cruzcampo Lager
Later, after wandering around Madrid, Jadyn and I ended up on Calle de Las Huertas, and had tapas at a place called Milano, which seemed to be staffed by a single, slow waitress.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Grupo Cruzcampo SA
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 2.95
Cruzcampo pours a clear golden color, and is topped by a white head that eventually fades to a film leaving good lace. The aroma is pretty plain: lager sweetness, graininess, and grassy and peppery hops.
This beer starts out with the standard grainy/sweet lager taste, and then moves into a mildy bitter finish that has a small dose of grassy hops. This beer is light-bodied, moderately carbonated, and crisp.
Overall this was better than some of the other lagers we had, but it was still pretty generic.
Labels: Euro Pale Lager
We took the AVE train to Barcelona on April 20th. We had some tapas and Estrellas that day, and we had two new beers for me on April 21st.
1177. San Miguel Especial
Jadyn and I stopped for tapas and beer at La Taberna del Cobre in the La Ribera section of Barcelona. We had a couple of San Miguels on tap.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: San Miguel Fabricas De Cervaza Y Maltas
Alcohol: 5.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
San Miguel poured a clear golden, and was topped by a white head that faded to a film, leaving good lace. The aroma was mild with some grainy and grassy notes, and a mild sweetness in the aroma.
A neutral graininess upfront moves into a mildly sweet center. The finish is grassy with only a slight bitterness. San Miguel is light-bodied, moderately carbonated, and feels a bit thin.
This was a pretty standard Euro Pale Lager.
1178. Verboden Vrucht
After Tapas at La Taberna del Cobre Jadyn and I set out to find Churros con Chocolate, which resulted in quite a bit of wandering about. We ended up having them at Opera Suprema de Barcelona on Las Ramblas. They had a variety of beers available, so I decided to have a Belgian beer that's widely available, but that I've somehow never had.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.65
This beer pours a cloudy, reddish brown, and is topped by a fluffy, beige head that had small flecks in it, and left decent lace. The aroma is quite varied. There are notes of cherry, dark fruit, caramel, and slight notes of medicinal phenols.
This beer is well attenuated upfront, but quickly moves into a sweet center with notes of cherry and dark fruit. The finish was slightly medicinal. This beer is medium-bodied, well carbonated, and slightly dry in the finish.
Overall this beer was decent, a bit sweet overall.
1177. San Miguel Especial
Jadyn and I stopped for tapas and beer at La Taberna del Cobre in the La Ribera section of Barcelona. We had a couple of San Miguels on tap.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: San Miguel Fabricas De Cervaza Y Maltas
Alcohol: 5.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
San Miguel poured a clear golden, and was topped by a white head that faded to a film, leaving good lace. The aroma was mild with some grainy and grassy notes, and a mild sweetness in the aroma.
A neutral graininess upfront moves into a mildly sweet center. The finish is grassy with only a slight bitterness. San Miguel is light-bodied, moderately carbonated, and feels a bit thin.
This was a pretty standard Euro Pale Lager.
1178. Verboden Vrucht
After Tapas at La Taberna del Cobre Jadyn and I set out to find Churros con Chocolate, which resulted in quite a bit of wandering about. We ended up having them at Opera Suprema de Barcelona on Las Ramblas. They had a variety of beers available, so I decided to have a Belgian beer that's widely available, but that I've somehow never had.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.65
This beer pours a cloudy, reddish brown, and is topped by a fluffy, beige head that had small flecks in it, and left decent lace. The aroma is quite varied. There are notes of cherry, dark fruit, caramel, and slight notes of medicinal phenols.
This beer is well attenuated upfront, but quickly moves into a sweet center with notes of cherry and dark fruit. The finish was slightly medicinal. This beer is medium-bodied, well carbonated, and slightly dry in the finish.
Overall this beer was decent, a bit sweet overall.
Labels: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Euro Pale Lager
Despite the best efforts of Eyjafjallajokul Jadyn and I managed to fly from Philly to Madrid on April 18th. We arrived in Madrid early on the 19th, and spent the day seeing the city, and fighting off sleep to try to lessen the effects of jetlag. Our first day we quickly discovered that, as anticipated, Spain is not a beer country.
1175. Estrella Damm
We had dinner at La Gloria de Montera, which was pretty good, although my Fideua (paella with noodles rather than rice) was only so-so. The only beer that they had was Estrella Damm, which would be the first of many mediocre lagers that I had over the course of the trip. Unfortunately we forgot to bring the camera out after dropping off our bags at the hotel.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Damm S.A.
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.1
Estrella Damm pours a straw golden color, and is topped by a decent, fluffy, bright white head that fades slowly. The aroma is clean and mild though there are notes of adjunct "maltiness", and faint, grassy hop notes.
There's a clean, neutral maltiness upfront that moves into a slight sweetness in the center. Thankfully there's a bit of hop presence in the finish which really do wonders to make this palatable. The hops are slightly spicy with mild bitterness. This beer is light-bodied, with prickly carbonation, and a crispness that keep it from being watery.
This beer was crisp and had some hop presence, and it was probably the best Spanish beer that we had on the trip, though Jadyn liked Mahou best.
1176. Legado de Yuste
After dinner we decided to walk around the area of Madrid where we were staying for a bit. We ended up walking past a bar called Beer Station, which advertised a large beer selection, and seemed to be geared towards tourists to me. We dropped in hoping to get to try some less common Spanish beer. The selection here was pretty bad, while being much better than any other bar we went to in Spain. Most of the beer available was mass-market European beer that was also available in the US. We each ended up getting a Legado de Yuste (Legacy of Yuste), which was an alleged Belgian-style abbey ale.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Grupo Cruzcampo SA
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 2.5 | Smell: 1.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 2.45
Legado de Yuste pours a clear, golden copper in color, and is topped by an off-white head that fades to a sudsy film. The aroma is very, very mild. I had to really try to pick anything out. There was only a very mild fruitiness present in the aroma, which was joined by a hint of sweet maltiness when the beer was swirled. I really don't know how a beer can have such a mild aroma.
The taste was clean overall with nothing objectionable, but the lack of flavor. A neutral graininess upfront moved into a mild banana fruitiness in the center. The finish had a bit of chalky yeast, pepper, and dry hops. This beer was medium-bodied, and highly carbonated.
Overall this beer was pretty bland, but fortunately that was really its most objectionable quality.
1175. Estrella Damm
We had dinner at La Gloria de Montera, which was pretty good, although my Fideua (paella with noodles rather than rice) was only so-so. The only beer that they had was Estrella Damm, which would be the first of many mediocre lagers that I had over the course of the trip. Unfortunately we forgot to bring the camera out after dropping off our bags at the hotel.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Damm S.A.
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.1
Estrella Damm pours a straw golden color, and is topped by a decent, fluffy, bright white head that fades slowly. The aroma is clean and mild though there are notes of adjunct "maltiness", and faint, grassy hop notes.
There's a clean, neutral maltiness upfront that moves into a slight sweetness in the center. Thankfully there's a bit of hop presence in the finish which really do wonders to make this palatable. The hops are slightly spicy with mild bitterness. This beer is light-bodied, with prickly carbonation, and a crispness that keep it from being watery.
This beer was crisp and had some hop presence, and it was probably the best Spanish beer that we had on the trip, though Jadyn liked Mahou best.
1176. Legado de Yuste
After dinner we decided to walk around the area of Madrid where we were staying for a bit. We ended up walking past a bar called Beer Station, which advertised a large beer selection, and seemed to be geared towards tourists to me. We dropped in hoping to get to try some less common Spanish beer. The selection here was pretty bad, while being much better than any other bar we went to in Spain. Most of the beer available was mass-market European beer that was also available in the US. We each ended up getting a Legado de Yuste (Legacy of Yuste), which was an alleged Belgian-style abbey ale.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Grupo Cruzcampo SA
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 2.5 | Smell: 1.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 2.45
Legado de Yuste pours a clear, golden copper in color, and is topped by an off-white head that fades to a sudsy film. The aroma is very, very mild. I had to really try to pick anything out. There was only a very mild fruitiness present in the aroma, which was joined by a hint of sweet maltiness when the beer was swirled. I really don't know how a beer can have such a mild aroma.
The taste was clean overall with nothing objectionable, but the lack of flavor. A neutral graininess upfront moved into a mild banana fruitiness in the center. The finish had a bit of chalky yeast, pepper, and dry hops. This beer was medium-bodied, and highly carbonated.
Overall this beer was pretty bland, but fortunately that was really its most objectionable quality.
Labels: Belgian Pale Ale, Euro Pale Lager
After leaving Black Rabbit in Greenpoint, we set off in search of food. Being an historically Polish area of Brooklyn it's perhaps not surprising that we ended up eating at a Polish restaurant called Krolewskie Jadlo (King's Feast). Win had the Traditional Stew, David had the Beef Stroganow, which was served in a breadbowl, and I - because I'm a sucker for potato pancakes and perogies - had the sampler.
954. Warka Beer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browary Warka
Alcohol: 5.60%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a crystal clear copper color. The head thins to noting almost immediately. The aroma is light with a hint of caramel sweetness. This beer is predominantly malty. Bready and caramel notes upfront. There's a bit of alcoholic spice in the finish, but not a lot of bitterness. Medium-bodied and highly carbonated. Overall a decent beer.
955. Lech Premium
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lech Browary Wielkopolski
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, light, fluffy, white head that fades to a patchy film. The aroma is sweet and malty, but nothing distinct. Sweet malts upfront give way to a moderate hop bitterness. Light-bodied and crisp.
954. Warka Beer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browary Warka
Alcohol: 5.60%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a crystal clear copper color. The head thins to noting almost immediately. The aroma is light with a hint of caramel sweetness. This beer is predominantly malty. Bready and caramel notes upfront. There's a bit of alcoholic spice in the finish, but not a lot of bitterness. Medium-bodied and highly carbonated. Overall a decent beer.
955. Lech Premium
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lech Browary Wielkopolski
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, light, fluffy, white head that fades to a patchy film. The aroma is sweet and malty, but nothing distinct. Sweet malts upfront give way to a moderate hop bitterness. Light-bodied and crisp.
Labels: Euro Pale Lager, Märzen / Oktoberfest, Travel
834-842. New York: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Published by Unknown on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 9:32 AM.
Win wanted to go to a couple Mets home games this year since it's their last season at Shea Stadium. Win arrived in New York on Thursday and I took the bus down from Boston on Saturday June 21st.
I met Win and David at our hotel, and then we went to a nearby diner so I could grab lunch. They had previously eaten at the always delicious Kitchenette. After eating we went to Central Park and watched the end of a baseball game, and afterwards David set off to find entertainment. He returned with a wiffle ball and bat, which entertained us for awhile. Our next destination was a beer garden in Williamsburg, but before heading to Brooklyn we stopped by a stationary store for a pack of cards and David's impulse buy of multi-colored pipe cleaners.
We went to Radegast Hall & Biergarten, which was across the street from The Levee, a bar we had been to for David's bachelor party last summer. I got the impression that this place opened fairly recently, but I might be mistaken. The bar consists of two, long, single-story buildings that sit side by side. From the street Radegast Hall is on the left, and the Biergarten is on the right. The hall is large with various tables and booths for seating. There's also a large spectacle shaped bar towards the back right of the establishment with a service window that looks out onto the biergarten. The floors, tables and booths were all wooden, with a worn character, thought the bar was smooth and new. The Biergarten is a long, brick structure that's semi-enclosed. There are retractable awnings over openings the length of the ceiling and the windows at the front were open. Long benches were located at either side of the building creating a single aisle down the center. There are some good pictures on the website that give you a feel for the place.
We grabbed the end of a table in the biergarten and decided on our first round. There were twelve taps and about two or three times as many bottles. All of the taps were dedicated to German beers, except two for Czech beers, one Austrian beer, and a single Belgian Witbier. The bottles were half German/Czech/Austrian, half Belgian. The draft beers were available both in pints, liters and pitchers.
We spent a few hours here, and first got a snack of bratwurst and sauerkraut. The brats were nice, and the kraut was tasty, though a tad sweet. When we determined that we'd be staying for awhile longer we ordered dinner. Win had the hanger steak, David had the braised rabbit and I had the veal schnitzel. The bits of the rabbit and steak that I had were tasty, and I was quite happy with my choice. Though when isn't schnitzel delicious?
The pipe cleaners that David bought were instantly popular. Our waitress took one for a bracelet, and later another waitress did the same. Various tablemates took a few, and people were stopping by our table fairly regularly to make things.
Most of these are lagers, which I have limited experience with as far as rating goes, so some of my descriptions may be off.
834. Gaffel Kölsch
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Kölsch, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear golden with a white head that fades to a film. The aroma is light, there's a bit of pepper and a grassy, leafy aroma, presumably from hops.
Clean and crisp overall, generous carbonation pulls the flavors along on the palate. There's a slightly sweet, but mostly neutral malt undercurrent running through the beer. There's a bit of pepper and a husky graininess in the finish that melds with a light bitterness and a hint of citrus. Crisp, and slightly dry.
Very drinkable, flavorful without being overpowering. Refreshing.
835. Brou Czech Dark
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nova Paka Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager, BJCP Style Guide
There are two BrouCzech Darks on BA, but I think they're the same beer. So I'm putting this one into the main entry.
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.1
Garnet brown in color with a beige head that thins to a patchy film. The aroma is peppery with fruity malts that are accentuated on swirling.
Sweet malts upfront, fruitiness appears in the center with a peppery finish and a light bitterness. The aftertaste is a bit off. Light-bodied and thin feeling with high carbonation.
A tad sweet, but still fairly drinkable.
836. Gösser
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Braueri Göss
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a fluffy, bright white head that fades to a film leaving trails of lace. The aroma is light. There's a hint of graininess and perhaps a bit of peppery yeast.
Malty sweetness throughout. Light citric character with some pepperiness and a light grassy finish that hints at bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation and a dry finish.
Drinkable, but it falls a bit flat overall. Perhaps a bit more carbonation would help brighten things up.
837. Gose
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 4.60%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gose
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.2
Pours a lightly hazed golden. The fluffy, white head fades to an asymmetric film. The aroma is quite strong. There's almost an acidic fruitiness in the aroma, but it balances towards sweeteness. Notes of citrus, honey and coriander. Smells absolutely delicious.
The taste is mild overall, but still complex and flavorful. There's a sharp citric character that gives a nice tartness, but doesn't overpower. Sweet, but not cloying malts and some neutral graininess throughout. The finish is a bit salty. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. There's a bit of a bite to this beer.
This is my first experience with Gose, and I have to say that I'm a big fan. Very flavorful and a bit of a departure from other beers.
838. Uerige Sticke
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.7
Pours a cloudy, particulate brown. The beige head is thin and quickly fades to nothing. The aroma is rich and malty. There are notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruit. Swirling brings out a sharp character.
Sweet malts are definitely the focus of the beer, but they aren't too sweet. There's a boozy character upfront that mixes with the caramel and toffee flavors. There's an alcoholic spice and a moderate bitterness in the finish.
A bit sweet overall, but very flavorful.
839. Berliner Style Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 3.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.65
Pours an extremely pale, straw color. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is light. There are some banana and orange notes, as well as a light acidity.
Tart upfront, but this fades through to the finish. There's a light graininess and only a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, low carbonation and a hint of dryness.
Tasty and very refreshing. I would have liked a little bit more sourness, but that's just me.
840. Urbock 23°
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Castle Eggenberg
Alcohol: 9.60%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.45
Pours a hazed, golden copper. Topped by a thin white head that fades to a wispy film. The aroma is sharp, but light. There almost seems to be a medicinal undercurrent.
Very malt forward, lots of sweet caramel. Hints of citrus. Moves into a heavy, alcoholic spice that interacts with a pronounced dry finish. Medium-bodied with moderately high carbonation.
Spicy, strong and a little sweet, but overall decent.
841. König Pilsener
Beer Stats:
Brewery: König-Brauerei
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a white head that fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy and grassy.
Lightly sweet. WIth a graininess throughout. There's a nice grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, high carbonation, crisp.
842. Ettaler Kloster Edelhell
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a nice golden with a light haze. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy with a light sweetness.
Sweet malts, but the sweetness is unobtrusive. Very tasty. A bit of pepper and a mild bitterness. Light-bodied and highly carbonated.
I met Win and David at our hotel, and then we went to a nearby diner so I could grab lunch. They had previously eaten at the always delicious Kitchenette. After eating we went to Central Park and watched the end of a baseball game, and afterwards David set off to find entertainment. He returned with a wiffle ball and bat, which entertained us for awhile. Our next destination was a beer garden in Williamsburg, but before heading to Brooklyn we stopped by a stationary store for a pack of cards and David's impulse buy of multi-colored pipe cleaners.
We went to Radegast Hall & Biergarten, which was across the street from The Levee, a bar we had been to for David's bachelor party last summer. I got the impression that this place opened fairly recently, but I might be mistaken. The bar consists of two, long, single-story buildings that sit side by side. From the street Radegast Hall is on the left, and the Biergarten is on the right. The hall is large with various tables and booths for seating. There's also a large spectacle shaped bar towards the back right of the establishment with a service window that looks out onto the biergarten. The floors, tables and booths were all wooden, with a worn character, thought the bar was smooth and new. The Biergarten is a long, brick structure that's semi-enclosed. There are retractable awnings over openings the length of the ceiling and the windows at the front were open. Long benches were located at either side of the building creating a single aisle down the center. There are some good pictures on the website that give you a feel for the place.
We grabbed the end of a table in the biergarten and decided on our first round. There were twelve taps and about two or three times as many bottles. All of the taps were dedicated to German beers, except two for Czech beers, one Austrian beer, and a single Belgian Witbier. The bottles were half German/Czech/Austrian, half Belgian. The draft beers were available both in pints, liters and pitchers.
We spent a few hours here, and first got a snack of bratwurst and sauerkraut. The brats were nice, and the kraut was tasty, though a tad sweet. When we determined that we'd be staying for awhile longer we ordered dinner. Win had the hanger steak, David had the braised rabbit and I had the veal schnitzel. The bits of the rabbit and steak that I had were tasty, and I was quite happy with my choice. Though when isn't schnitzel delicious?
The pipe cleaners that David bought were instantly popular. Our waitress took one for a bracelet, and later another waitress did the same. Various tablemates took a few, and people were stopping by our table fairly regularly to make things.
Most of these are lagers, which I have limited experience with as far as rating goes, so some of my descriptions may be off.
834. Gaffel Kölsch
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Kölsch, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear golden with a white head that fades to a film. The aroma is light, there's a bit of pepper and a grassy, leafy aroma, presumably from hops.
Clean and crisp overall, generous carbonation pulls the flavors along on the palate. There's a slightly sweet, but mostly neutral malt undercurrent running through the beer. There's a bit of pepper and a husky graininess in the finish that melds with a light bitterness and a hint of citrus. Crisp, and slightly dry.
Very drinkable, flavorful without being overpowering. Refreshing.
835. Brou Czech Dark
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nova Paka Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager, BJCP Style Guide
There are two BrouCzech Darks on BA, but I think they're the same beer. So I'm putting this one into the main entry.
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.1
Garnet brown in color with a beige head that thins to a patchy film. The aroma is peppery with fruity malts that are accentuated on swirling.
Sweet malts upfront, fruitiness appears in the center with a peppery finish and a light bitterness. The aftertaste is a bit off. Light-bodied and thin feeling with high carbonation.
A tad sweet, but still fairly drinkable.
836. Gösser
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Braueri Göss
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a fluffy, bright white head that fades to a film leaving trails of lace. The aroma is light. There's a hint of graininess and perhaps a bit of peppery yeast.
Malty sweetness throughout. Light citric character with some pepperiness and a light grassy finish that hints at bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation and a dry finish.
Drinkable, but it falls a bit flat overall. Perhaps a bit more carbonation would help brighten things up.
837. Gose
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 4.60%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gose
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.2
Pours a lightly hazed golden. The fluffy, white head fades to an asymmetric film. The aroma is quite strong. There's almost an acidic fruitiness in the aroma, but it balances towards sweeteness. Notes of citrus, honey and coriander. Smells absolutely delicious.
The taste is mild overall, but still complex and flavorful. There's a sharp citric character that gives a nice tartness, but doesn't overpower. Sweet, but not cloying malts and some neutral graininess throughout. The finish is a bit salty. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. There's a bit of a bite to this beer.
This is my first experience with Gose, and I have to say that I'm a big fan. Very flavorful and a bit of a departure from other beers.
838. Uerige Sticke
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.7
Pours a cloudy, particulate brown. The beige head is thin and quickly fades to nothing. The aroma is rich and malty. There are notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruit. Swirling brings out a sharp character.
Sweet malts are definitely the focus of the beer, but they aren't too sweet. There's a boozy character upfront that mixes with the caramel and toffee flavors. There's an alcoholic spice and a moderate bitterness in the finish.
A bit sweet overall, but very flavorful.
839. Berliner Style Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 3.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.65
Pours an extremely pale, straw color. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is light. There are some banana and orange notes, as well as a light acidity.
Tart upfront, but this fades through to the finish. There's a light graininess and only a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, low carbonation and a hint of dryness.
Tasty and very refreshing. I would have liked a little bit more sourness, but that's just me.
840. Urbock 23°
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Castle Eggenberg
Alcohol: 9.60%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.45
Pours a hazed, golden copper. Topped by a thin white head that fades to a wispy film. The aroma is sharp, but light. There almost seems to be a medicinal undercurrent.
Very malt forward, lots of sweet caramel. Hints of citrus. Moves into a heavy, alcoholic spice that interacts with a pronounced dry finish. Medium-bodied with moderately high carbonation.
Spicy, strong and a little sweet, but overall decent.
841. König Pilsener
Beer Stats:
Brewery: König-Brauerei
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a white head that fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy and grassy.
Lightly sweet. WIth a graininess throughout. There's a nice grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, high carbonation, crisp.
842. Ettaler Kloster Edelhell
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a nice golden with a light haze. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy with a light sweetness.
Sweet malts, but the sweetness is unobtrusive. Very tasty. A bit of pepper and a mild bitterness. Light-bodied and highly carbonated.
Labels: Altbier, Berliner Weissbier, Doppelbock, Euro Pale Lager, German Pilsener, Gose, Kölsch, Munich Dunkel Lager, Munich Helles Lager
The activation energies for these multi-beer posts is pretty high, but I'm really behind in the blog, so I'll really try to get some of them done. This post is from mid-February.
After brunch at Gaslight and an afternoon at an arcade, David, Win and I went to Cafe Polonia, a Polish Restaurant in South Boston. We shared potato pancakes, Win got the Polish Plate, David had the goulash, and I had pierogis. The beer selection was small, but consisted almost entirely of Polish beers. We had two rounds, trading off partway through each beer. I originally gave ratings, but looking back I don't think that I had enough to justify them, so I've cut them. We had some nice Baltic Porters that were smooth and flavorful, though perhaps not as rich as some other examples I've had. We also had some decent European Lagers.
787. Okocim Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 8.10%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, ruby, brown with a thin head on top. The aroma is malty with lots of dark fruit, cherries, and a boozy quality. The flavors are malty all the way. Sweet molasses gives way to a raisiny fruitiness and a light roasty finish. Medium-bodied on the palate with moderate to low carbonation. Tasty, but the sweetness could get in the way were you to have a few.
788. Okocim Palone
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, dark amber with a thin beige head. This is another malty one, with aromas of dark fruit and molasses with a touch of roasty malts. The flavors are sweet and malty, with caramel, breadiness, toastiness and fruitiness. Lightly bitter in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. Not overly sweet, balanced.
789. Lomza Petne
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Łomża
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Golden in color and lightly hazed with a wispy film of a head. The aroma is very light. There are notes of graininess, a light sweetness, and a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.
790. Zywiec Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zywiec Breweries
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a lightly hazed brown-ruby. Topped by a thick, brown, fluffy head. The aroma is lightly malty with notes of dark fruit. Starts with sweet maltiness, some molasses and dark fruit. The finish is lightly spice with a nice roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied with low carbonation.
791. Okocim OK
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, pale straw-golden that's topped by a fluffy, white head that leaves nice lace as it fades. There's a light graininess in the aroma with a hint of sweetness. Lightly sweet with a nice clean malty flavor with a mild bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, very drinkable.
792. Lezajsk 1525 Legendary Premium Lager
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zakłady Piwowarskie w Leżajsku
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Style, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a pale golden with a fluffy white head that leaves moderate lace. The aroma is a little peppery. Grainy malts, light sweetness with a peppery finish. Moderate carbonation.
After brunch at Gaslight and an afternoon at an arcade, David, Win and I went to Cafe Polonia, a Polish Restaurant in South Boston. We shared potato pancakes, Win got the Polish Plate, David had the goulash, and I had pierogis. The beer selection was small, but consisted almost entirely of Polish beers. We had two rounds, trading off partway through each beer. I originally gave ratings, but looking back I don't think that I had enough to justify them, so I've cut them. We had some nice Baltic Porters that were smooth and flavorful, though perhaps not as rich as some other examples I've had. We also had some decent European Lagers.
787. Okocim Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 8.10%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, ruby, brown with a thin head on top. The aroma is malty with lots of dark fruit, cherries, and a boozy quality. The flavors are malty all the way. Sweet molasses gives way to a raisiny fruitiness and a light roasty finish. Medium-bodied on the palate with moderate to low carbonation. Tasty, but the sweetness could get in the way were you to have a few.
788. Okocim Palone
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, dark amber with a thin beige head. This is another malty one, with aromas of dark fruit and molasses with a touch of roasty malts. The flavors are sweet and malty, with caramel, breadiness, toastiness and fruitiness. Lightly bitter in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. Not overly sweet, balanced.
789. Lomza Petne
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Łomża
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Golden in color and lightly hazed with a wispy film of a head. The aroma is very light. There are notes of graininess, a light sweetness, and a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.
790. Zywiec Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zywiec Breweries
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a lightly hazed brown-ruby. Topped by a thick, brown, fluffy head. The aroma is lightly malty with notes of dark fruit. Starts with sweet maltiness, some molasses and dark fruit. The finish is lightly spice with a nice roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied with low carbonation.
791. Okocim OK
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, pale straw-golden that's topped by a fluffy, white head that leaves nice lace as it fades. There's a light graininess in the aroma with a hint of sweetness. Lightly sweet with a nice clean malty flavor with a mild bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, very drinkable.
792. Lezajsk 1525 Legendary Premium Lager
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zakłady Piwowarskie w Leżajsku
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Style, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a pale golden with a fluffy white head that leaves moderate lace. The aroma is a little peppery. Grainy malts, light sweetness with a peppery finish. Moderate carbonation.
Labels: Baltic Porter, Euro Pale Lager
Day Two, Brussels: Poechenellekelder, Mort Subite, Ploegmans
Published by Unknown on Saturday, December 02, 2006 at 10:58 PM.
We woke up Sunday morning and had to hurry to get our free hostel breakfast. The breakfast established two patterns that remained constant the entire trip: Oxfam fair trade products everywhere, and the standard minimal breakfast consisting of bread, cheese (always the same lightly funky variety), cold cuts, spreads for the bread, and muesli.
Having lost our Lonely Planet guide, we purchased a map of Brussels from the hostel for 0.40 € (or is it 0,40?). We returned to our room, marked some bars on the map and headed out. Our first stop was Poechenellekelder on Rue du Chêne. We took the subway to the Arts-Loi (Kunst-Wet) stop and walked through Park van Brussel on our way to the Grand' Place.
Poechenellekelder, which means "Mannequin Cellar," is across from the Manneken Pis, which was dressed in a costume that morning.
As its name suggests Poechenellekelder is heavily decorated with puppets. It wasn't terribly crowded when we arrived so we were able to easily get a table in the larger room away from the entrance. We sat near a group of Americans whose heavy accents suggested that they were from somewhere in the south. Snippets of their conversation that we caught suggested that they were the academic types.
504. Geuze De Cam
Having enjoyed the Boon Mariage Parfait Geuze at Moeder Lambic the night before, we decided to try the De Cam Geuze. Incidentally, aside from the serving baskets at Cantillon, this was the first time we'd been given a serving basket for a bottle of Gueuze. I think this is the beer that led us to propose a morning Gueuze break instead of a coffee break.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Cam Geuzestekerij
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden, with a thick creamy head that has great retention, and leaves patchy lace on the side of the glass.
Smell (4.5): Sour acidic tartness, light fruit, and light barnyard aromas that are enhanced upon swirling.
Taste (4.5): A very intense acidic sourness is dominant. There's a light lemony citrus character in the center that brings along a bit of sweetness, followed by a mild earthiness. Excellent, excellent sourness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation, with a moderately dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): The sourness necessitates that this is a sipper.
Overall (4.45)
505. Bush Blonde
We also had this at Poechenellekelder.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dubuisson Frères
Alcohol: 10.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a cloudy, straw color, with a thick white head that fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Very fruity, but hard to place. Sugar, alcohol and grain are also evident. There's also a bit of a phenolic aroma upon swirling.
Taste (4.0): Fruity and sweet upfront, with hints of banana. The center is grainy, and the finish is a nice mix of berry sweetness, yeast and peppery alcohol, with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Full-bodied and creamy with low carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Ten and a half percent alcohol and it shows.
Overall (3.85)
After leaving Poechenellekelder we went to A la Mort Subite (Sudden Death) on Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères. The Good Beer Guide: Belgium describes it as a fin de siècle (turn-of-the-century) long bar. There's a bench that runs the length of the establishment with accompanying tables. The inside was nice (check the website for pictures). We had a round of the Mort Subite beers and a salami and cheese plate with pearl onions and cornichons. The beers catered to the mainstream palate, but the food hit the spot.
506. Mort Subite Framboise
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Keersmaeker
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy red-orange, with a rocky, pink head that retains well and leaves heavy lace on the inside of the glass.
Smell (2.0): A sweet raspberry fruitiness dominates, with only a light funkiness evident.
Taste (1.5): Sweet and syrupy raspberry is all that is evident.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Medium-bodied, tingly carbonation, syrupy.
Drinkability (3.5): Drinkable, but too sweet.
Overall (2.45)
507. Mort Subite Gueuze
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Keersmaeker
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden-orange. Topped by a white head that thins to a patchy film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (3.0): Acidic sourness. Swirling brings out light funkiness and an odd sugary aroma.
Taste (3.5): Moderate sourness with some citric notes, lightly sweet in the center. There's a light funkiness in the finish. All of the lambic characteristics are there, but they're toned down.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation, lightly dry.
Drinkability (4.0): Toned down and easy to drink.
Overall (3.55)
After leaving Mort Subite, we took the Metro to the Palais de Justice. We walked past a WWI or WWII statue of large barrel-chested soldiers with crossed arms, on which someone had placed a Chimay Blue empty. There was an elevator that went from the high ground near the Palais, to a lower part of the city where Ploegmans was located. The bar itself was nothing special, the beer selection was pretty pedestrian. We ordered a Lindemans Gueuze and the ubiquitous Jupiler, which seems to be the Belgian equivalent of Bud.
508. Jupiler
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Piedboeuf
Alcohol: 5.20%%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear, straw color with a foamy white head that fades leaving heavy lace.
Smell (2.0): Pretty standard lager smell. Light hops, sweet malt, with a little graininess.
Taste (2.5): Standard. Malty sweetness followed by light grain and a mild hop bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Crisp, with moderate carbonation, somewhat watery.
Drinkability (3.5): Easy to drink because it's boring.
Overall (2.75)
Having lost our Lonely Planet guide, we purchased a map of Brussels from the hostel for 0.40 € (or is it 0,40?). We returned to our room, marked some bars on the map and headed out. Our first stop was Poechenellekelder on Rue du Chêne. We took the subway to the Arts-Loi (Kunst-Wet) stop and walked through Park van Brussel on our way to the Grand' Place.
Poechenellekelder, which means "Mannequin Cellar," is across from the Manneken Pis, which was dressed in a costume that morning.
As its name suggests Poechenellekelder is heavily decorated with puppets. It wasn't terribly crowded when we arrived so we were able to easily get a table in the larger room away from the entrance. We sat near a group of Americans whose heavy accents suggested that they were from somewhere in the south. Snippets of their conversation that we caught suggested that they were the academic types.
504. Geuze De Cam
Having enjoyed the Boon Mariage Parfait Geuze at Moeder Lambic the night before, we decided to try the De Cam Geuze. Incidentally, aside from the serving baskets at Cantillon, this was the first time we'd been given a serving basket for a bottle of Gueuze. I think this is the beer that led us to propose a morning Gueuze break instead of a coffee break.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Cam Geuzestekerij
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden, with a thick creamy head that has great retention, and leaves patchy lace on the side of the glass.
Smell (4.5): Sour acidic tartness, light fruit, and light barnyard aromas that are enhanced upon swirling.
Taste (4.5): A very intense acidic sourness is dominant. There's a light lemony citrus character in the center that brings along a bit of sweetness, followed by a mild earthiness. Excellent, excellent sourness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation, with a moderately dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): The sourness necessitates that this is a sipper.
Overall (4.45)
505. Bush Blonde
We also had this at Poechenellekelder.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dubuisson Frères
Alcohol: 10.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a cloudy, straw color, with a thick white head that fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Very fruity, but hard to place. Sugar, alcohol and grain are also evident. There's also a bit of a phenolic aroma upon swirling.
Taste (4.0): Fruity and sweet upfront, with hints of banana. The center is grainy, and the finish is a nice mix of berry sweetness, yeast and peppery alcohol, with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Full-bodied and creamy with low carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Ten and a half percent alcohol and it shows.
Overall (3.85)
After leaving Poechenellekelder we went to A la Mort Subite (Sudden Death) on Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères. The Good Beer Guide: Belgium describes it as a fin de siècle (turn-of-the-century) long bar. There's a bench that runs the length of the establishment with accompanying tables. The inside was nice (check the website for pictures). We had a round of the Mort Subite beers and a salami and cheese plate with pearl onions and cornichons. The beers catered to the mainstream palate, but the food hit the spot.
506. Mort Subite Framboise
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Keersmaeker
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy red-orange, with a rocky, pink head that retains well and leaves heavy lace on the inside of the glass.
Smell (2.0): A sweet raspberry fruitiness dominates, with only a light funkiness evident.
Taste (1.5): Sweet and syrupy raspberry is all that is evident.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Medium-bodied, tingly carbonation, syrupy.
Drinkability (3.5): Drinkable, but too sweet.
Overall (2.45)
507. Mort Subite Gueuze
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Keersmaeker
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden-orange. Topped by a white head that thins to a patchy film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (3.0): Acidic sourness. Swirling brings out light funkiness and an odd sugary aroma.
Taste (3.5): Moderate sourness with some citric notes, lightly sweet in the center. There's a light funkiness in the finish. All of the lambic characteristics are there, but they're toned down.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation, lightly dry.
Drinkability (4.0): Toned down and easy to drink.
Overall (3.55)
After leaving Mort Subite, we took the Metro to the Palais de Justice. We walked past a WWI or WWII statue of large barrel-chested soldiers with crossed arms, on which someone had placed a Chimay Blue empty. There was an elevator that went from the high ground near the Palais, to a lower part of the city where Ploegmans was located. The bar itself was nothing special, the beer selection was pretty pedestrian. We ordered a Lindemans Gueuze and the ubiquitous Jupiler, which seems to be the Belgian equivalent of Bud.
508. Jupiler
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Piedboeuf
Alcohol: 5.20%%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear, straw color with a foamy white head that fades leaving heavy lace.
Smell (2.0): Pretty standard lager smell. Light hops, sweet malt, with a little graininess.
Taste (2.5): Standard. Malty sweetness followed by light grain and a mild hop bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Crisp, with moderate carbonation, somewhat watery.
Drinkability (3.5): Easy to drink because it's boring.
Overall (2.75)
Labels: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Euro Pale Lager, Fruit Lambic, Gueuze, Lambic, Sour Beer, Travel
