971-980. The Extreme Beer Fest Part II
Published by Unknown on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 9:30 AM.
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.
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 apologize for the tardiness of this post. Over a month and a half late, I'm beginning to feel like Ward.
Jadyn and I went to the afternoon session of Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest on the 27th of October. We arrived early enough to be within a half-block of the doors. This year's fest seemed less crowded than last year's. The middle row of booths was removed and replaced with seating. Overall I think this was an improvement, there's still more than enough variety and it's far less crowded.
As with other fests the notes are more general, abbreviated and are probably to be trusted less as the fest progresses.
715. Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours an opaque black, with a foamy brown head. Aroma is roasty with dark fruit and chocolate. Sweet, stoutish roastiness, dark fruit, chocolate, with a roasty bitterness in the finish.
716. The Lost Abbey Mother Pucker
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This is an apricot lambic-style beer. Pours a hazy straw color with a wispy white head. The aroma is strong apricots with a funky aroma underneath. Sour, but has a nice sweet-apricot flavor. Mild earthiness in the finish. Nice and dry. One of my favorites from the fest.
717. Brooklyn Abbey Singel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy straw. Fizzy white head. Aroma is fruity: bananas, clove, Belgian yeast. Crisp maltiness, followed by characteristic Belgian yeast fruitiness, and a peppery graininess in the finish.
718. Bam Noire
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Alcohol: 4.30%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clearish brown, topped by a beige head. The aroma is predominantly Brett, with a light fruitiness underneath. The flavor is predominantly Brettanomyces with a roasty finish. An odd combination, but interesting.
719. Cantillon Lambic Aged in Cognac Casks
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Year: March 2005
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
A rare Cantillon, I had to try it. Looks much like the Gueuze, hazy straw colored with a faint head. The aroma is smooth, with the cognac making the funkiness less powerful. The beer is still sour, but is smoothed out nicely by the cognac flavors. This was tasty, but I still prefer the bright sourness and earthy funkiness of the original.
720. Ommegang Abbey Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy, light-golden with a wispy white head. The aroma is fruity with bananas predominating, also notes of grain and more substantial malt (caramel maybe). Sweet malts and the banana heavy Belgian yeast profile. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness.
721. Black Jacob
Beer Stats:
Brewery: American Flatbread Burlington Hearth
Alcohol: 5.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a brown color, topped by a beige film. The aroma is yeasty, grainy and roasty. Toasty, dark fruit, with a roasty finish. I like Saisons with a little bit of earty/funky flavors that I felt that this one was lacking.
722. Dogfish Head Red & White
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy red with a very light, pink, foamy film. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, Witbier characters seem muted. Malty upfront, moves into a fruity center with a citric bite and a peppery finish.
723. De Ranke Père Noël
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy, light amber. White film of a head. Mellowed hop aroma with a hint of fruitiness. Light bready sweetness upfront, moves through a fruity center before a pleasantly hoppy finish.
724. Kasteel Rouge
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a light red with a fizzy pink head. Cherry smell with only a little bit of tartness. Sweet cherry flavors throughout with minimal tartness. I remember being unimpressed.
725. Smuttynose Brett & I
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
A beer brewed with Brettanomyces, I had to try it. Pours a hazy golden, topped by a smooth, filmy head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is characteristic Brettanomyces with some nice medicinal characters. Toasty upfront, clean, light sweetness in the center, and an herbal, bitter finish with a hint of Brett.
726. Lost Abbey Veritas 002
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Hazy brown, beige ring lines the glass. The aroma is earth raspberries and tart medicinals. Lightly sweet raspberries, earthy and malty.
727. Dogfish Head Fluckey's Fest
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
From the website
728. Infusco
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Rock Art Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Dark brown with a faint, beige ring of a head, can see floating aggregates. The aroma is sweet, candi sugar with a light phenolic touch. Sweet, chocolatey, lightly sharp medicinal finish.
729. Sixpoint Belgian Rye-PA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 7.70%
Style: Belgian IPA
Pours a hazy amber. Topped by a sudsy beige head. Aroma is peppery spice with a touch of sweetness. Toasty upfront with a sweet center. The finish is spicy and hoppy.
730. Ølfabrikken Abbey Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ølfabrikken
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy brown with floating particles. The aroma is of sweet, dark fruit. High carbonation upfront, sweet caramel malts, apricot fruitiness. Sweet, but very nice.
731. Urthel Vlaemse Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Leyerth Brouwerijen
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, brown amber with a sudsy beige head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is very malty: butterscotch, caramel, dark fruit. Lightly sweet upfront (flavors the same as the aromas). The finish is lightly grainy and bitter.
732. Nøgne Ø Saison
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nøgne Ø - det kompromissløse bryggeri
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw-golden topped by a white sudsy head. Funky aroma with tart citrus. Bready, citrus, funky and bitter. I liked this one, it's hard to find a saison with a good amount of funk to it.
733. Troublette
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Caracole
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw color. The aroma is soda like with lots of citrus and fruit. Carbonation is high, grainy, citrus, banana, fairly sweet.
734. Weyerbacher Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 12.20%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Lightly fruity aroma with some nice malts. Very smooth, malty with some nice dark fruit.
735. Gouden Carolus Ambrio
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed amber with a fuzzy, beige head. The aroma is a nice mix of malty and fruity. Sweet upfront, nice maltiness with some hints of fruit. Lightly bitter finish. Moderately carbonated.
736. Malheur Brut Noir
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Landtsheer
Alcohol: 12.00%
Style: Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
Pours a hazy brown with a light brown head. Aroma is tart with a bit of roastiness. Sweet throughout, finish is fruity.
737. Sixpoint Belgian IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian IPA
Hazy golden. Sweet fruity aroma, citrus and banana. Sweet banana fruitiness. Light, citric, hop bitterness in the finish.
738. Harpoon Munich Dark Barrel Age: The Funk
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a clear brown with a hint of amber. The aroma is sour and Brett-like. Light flavors at the onset, but moves into a nice fruity sourness. The finish is dry.
739. Harpoon Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol:?
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Aroma is malty and fruity with a hint of bananas. Flavor is Belgian yeast fruitiness, banana, alcoholic spice, peppery.
Jadyn and I went to the afternoon session of Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest on the 27th of October. We arrived early enough to be within a half-block of the doors. This year's fest seemed less crowded than last year's. The middle row of booths was removed and replaced with seating. Overall I think this was an improvement, there's still more than enough variety and it's far less crowded.
As with other fests the notes are more general, abbreviated and are probably to be trusted less as the fest progresses.
715. Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours an opaque black, with a foamy brown head. Aroma is roasty with dark fruit and chocolate. Sweet, stoutish roastiness, dark fruit, chocolate, with a roasty bitterness in the finish.
716. The Lost Abbey Mother Pucker
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This is an apricot lambic-style beer. Pours a hazy straw color with a wispy white head. The aroma is strong apricots with a funky aroma underneath. Sour, but has a nice sweet-apricot flavor. Mild earthiness in the finish. Nice and dry. One of my favorites from the fest.
717. Brooklyn Abbey Singel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy straw. Fizzy white head. Aroma is fruity: bananas, clove, Belgian yeast. Crisp maltiness, followed by characteristic Belgian yeast fruitiness, and a peppery graininess in the finish.
718. Bam Noire
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Alcohol: 4.30%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clearish brown, topped by a beige head. The aroma is predominantly Brett, with a light fruitiness underneath. The flavor is predominantly Brettanomyces with a roasty finish. An odd combination, but interesting.
719. Cantillon Lambic Aged in Cognac Casks
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Year: March 2005
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
A rare Cantillon, I had to try it. Looks much like the Gueuze, hazy straw colored with a faint head. The aroma is smooth, with the cognac making the funkiness less powerful. The beer is still sour, but is smoothed out nicely by the cognac flavors. This was tasty, but I still prefer the bright sourness and earthy funkiness of the original.
720. Ommegang Abbey Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy, light-golden with a wispy white head. The aroma is fruity with bananas predominating, also notes of grain and more substantial malt (caramel maybe). Sweet malts and the banana heavy Belgian yeast profile. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness.
721. Black Jacob
Beer Stats:
Brewery: American Flatbread Burlington Hearth
Alcohol: 5.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a brown color, topped by a beige film. The aroma is yeasty, grainy and roasty. Toasty, dark fruit, with a roasty finish. I like Saisons with a little bit of earty/funky flavors that I felt that this one was lacking.
722. Dogfish Head Red & White
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy red with a very light, pink, foamy film. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, Witbier characters seem muted. Malty upfront, moves into a fruity center with a citric bite and a peppery finish.
723. De Ranke Père Noël
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy, light amber. White film of a head. Mellowed hop aroma with a hint of fruitiness. Light bready sweetness upfront, moves through a fruity center before a pleasantly hoppy finish.
724. Kasteel Rouge
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a light red with a fizzy pink head. Cherry smell with only a little bit of tartness. Sweet cherry flavors throughout with minimal tartness. I remember being unimpressed.
725. Smuttynose Brett & I
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
A beer brewed with Brettanomyces, I had to try it. Pours a hazy golden, topped by a smooth, filmy head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is characteristic Brettanomyces with some nice medicinal characters. Toasty upfront, clean, light sweetness in the center, and an herbal, bitter finish with a hint of Brett.
726. Lost Abbey Veritas 002
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Hazy brown, beige ring lines the glass. The aroma is earth raspberries and tart medicinals. Lightly sweet raspberries, earthy and malty.
727. Dogfish Head Fluckey's Fest
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
From the website
"Admiral Fluckey's Lager was brewed with 51% Pilsner malt and 49% Chardonnay grapes, then fermented with Champagne yeast. It islow (~15 IBU’s) on the bitterness scale, a bit sweet, about 7-8% abv, with the slight acididity of a champagne. Admiral Fluckey was the first commander of the USS Dogfish (submarine) and just passed away on July 2, 2007."Pours a hazy, straw color with a white head that thins to a film. Light, clean graininess in the aroma. Fruity, you can taste the grapes. Moves through to a lightly grainy finish.
728. Infusco
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Rock Art Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Dark brown with a faint, beige ring of a head, can see floating aggregates. The aroma is sweet, candi sugar with a light phenolic touch. Sweet, chocolatey, lightly sharp medicinal finish.
729. Sixpoint Belgian Rye-PA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 7.70%
Style: Belgian IPA
Pours a hazy amber. Topped by a sudsy beige head. Aroma is peppery spice with a touch of sweetness. Toasty upfront with a sweet center. The finish is spicy and hoppy.
730. Ølfabrikken Abbey Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ølfabrikken
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy brown with floating particles. The aroma is of sweet, dark fruit. High carbonation upfront, sweet caramel malts, apricot fruitiness. Sweet, but very nice.
731. Urthel Vlaemse Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Leyerth Brouwerijen
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, brown amber with a sudsy beige head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is very malty: butterscotch, caramel, dark fruit. Lightly sweet upfront (flavors the same as the aromas). The finish is lightly grainy and bitter.
732. Nøgne Ø Saison
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nøgne Ø - det kompromissløse bryggeri
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw-golden topped by a white sudsy head. Funky aroma with tart citrus. Bready, citrus, funky and bitter. I liked this one, it's hard to find a saison with a good amount of funk to it.
733. Troublette
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Caracole
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw color. The aroma is soda like with lots of citrus and fruit. Carbonation is high, grainy, citrus, banana, fairly sweet.
734. Weyerbacher Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 12.20%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Lightly fruity aroma with some nice malts. Very smooth, malty with some nice dark fruit.
735. Gouden Carolus Ambrio
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed amber with a fuzzy, beige head. The aroma is a nice mix of malty and fruity. Sweet upfront, nice maltiness with some hints of fruit. Lightly bitter finish. Moderately carbonated.
736. Malheur Brut Noir
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Landtsheer
Alcohol: 12.00%
Style: Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
Pours a hazy brown with a light brown head. Aroma is tart with a bit of roastiness. Sweet throughout, finish is fruity.
737. Sixpoint Belgian IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian IPA
Hazy golden. Sweet fruity aroma, citrus and banana. Sweet banana fruitiness. Light, citric, hop bitterness in the finish.
738. Harpoon Munich Dark Barrel Age: The Funk
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a clear brown with a hint of amber. The aroma is sour and Brett-like. Light flavors at the onset, but moves into a nice fruity sourness. The finish is dry.
739. Harpoon Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol:?
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Aroma is malty and fruity with a hint of bananas. Flavor is Belgian yeast fruitiness, banana, alcoholic spice, peppery.
Labels: Beer Fests, Belgian IPA, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Bière de Champagne, Dubbel, Fruit Lambic, Fruit/Vegetable Beer, Saison, Tripel, Unblended Lambic, Witbier
Belgium Comes to Cooperstown: Saturday, Part III
Published by Unknown on Friday, July 21, 2006 at 8:09 PM.
I'm finally getting around to posting my tasting notes for Belgium Comes to Cooperstown. This should be the last of my posts about the actual beer fest. I'll write one more post about Sunday, but that'll be about the Baseball Hall of Fame and won't mention beer at all.
The beer selection was outstanding. There were a lot of great importers in attendance. The selection at the Shelton Brothers booth alone was phenomenal. There were also a lot of good North American breweries including: Allagash, Brooklyn Brewery, Dogfish Head, and Unibroue just off the top of my head.
Just some general comments about my tasting notes: I tried to be as concise as possible to facilitate more sampling, I didn't assign numerical rankings because of the small sample sizes, and I decided to dispense with the drinkability category for the fest. I decided to eliminate drinkability because it's the hardest category to get a good feel for with a small sample of beer, and because at the Extreme Beer Fest it was the first category that my objectivity slipped on as I approached inebriation. David also took tasting notes, though I don't have those to post.
All beers were served in the 4 oz. sampling glass that was provided. They were served variously on tap and from bottles, though I didn't make a note of this when I was served, I'll note the ones I'm sure about (which may turn out to be most of them). Some breweries had some merchandise for sale at their booths. Brooklyn had bottle openers on lanyards, glassware and what appeared to be thongs. Unibroue was selling large cardboard versions of their bottle labels. I bought two when I was pretty drunk.
They were out of La Fin Du Monde
I have pictures of me with most of the beers, but I can't remember which beers are which. I'll only post a few that I'm sure of.
408. Rodenbach Grand Cru
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a reddish-amber with good clarity, topped by a persistent brown/beige head.
Smell: Sweet, sour, cherries, and a sharp aroma I couldn't place.
Taste: Sour, but not overpowering, the aftertaste is sharp and tart.
Mouthfeel: Light, effervescent carbonation, finish is sour and dry.
409. Blanche De Brooklyn
I'd seen Garrett Oliver walking around the brewery building that morning when I took the tour. He was at the booth when I went by. I told him that I enjoyed his book. Perhaps I should have tried to get a picture with him.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Very hazy, with a pale straw hue, the head is creamy and white, and fades to a persistent thin layer.
Smell: Fruity, bananas, pepper.
Taste: Banana fruitiness is evident, though not as strong as the aroma. The finish is spicy and peppery. Perhaps grains of paradise?
Mouthfeel: Strong carbonation, light-bodied, with a lightly dry finish.
410. Cantillon Iris
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy bright golden, a thin ring of white bubbles is the only sign of a head.
Smell: Lambic sourness, funkiness emerges upon swirling. There's also a strong hoppiness, though the hop aromas themselves seem to have mellowed.
Taste: Sour lambic flavors upfront, with mellow but dominant hop flavors in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, with a dry finish.
411. Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale
The Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale was created for Belgium Comes to Cooperstown. I'd read that it was Harpoon IPA fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. I had to try this because I probably wouldn't get a chance to try it again, and because it had the potential to really showcase the differences in yeast strains. The guy at the Harpoon booth, who introduced himself as the brewery's microbiologist, said that he had pulled off a small amount of the wort from a batch of Harpoon IPA and pitched the Duvel yeast strain.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale/ American IPA
Appearance: Pours a clear golden-amber with a thick, fluffy, white head that leaves patchy lace.
Smell: Intensely fruity and floral.
Taste: Fruity upfront and through the center. The fruitiness fades into bitterness in the finish, but the bitterness is mellow compared to the IPA.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, moderate carbonation, medium-bodied with a creamy/silky feel.
412. Ommegang Bier De Mars
This is another one-off release from Ommegang, this time a Bière de Garde. I had this one right after a sample of Ommegeddon.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Bière de Garde, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy golden amber, with a head that fades to nothing.
Smell: Tart, hoppy, with a hint of musty funkiness. I wouldn't be surprised if this beer was fermented with Brettanomyces.
Taste: Hint of citric sweetness and tartness. The finish is musty and funky with mellow hops.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation, with a dry finish.
413. De Ranke XX Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Lightly hazy yellow straw color, my pour had no head.
Smell: Aroma reminded me of the Harpoon BPA. Juicy fruity aromas, with a mellowed but strong hop presence.
Taste: Sweet fruitiness, notes of bananas, followed by mellowed but bitter hops.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied, smooth, moderate to low carbonation.
414. St. Bernardus Tripel
I'm typically a fan of St. Bernardus beers. I haven't seen this one at Downtown Wine & Spirits, so I decided to give it a try.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thick white head.
Smell: Typical Belgian fruitiness. Bananas, yeast and light alcohol.
Taste: Fruity with nutty and buttery notes, spicy alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium-bodied, low carbonation.
415. Dogfish Head Fort
Neither of the Daves were enthusiastic about trying a raspberry beer, but I wanted to give it a try since I missed it at the Extreme Beer Fest and haven't seen it for sale in Boston.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 18.00%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a beige head that leaves patchy lace.
Smell: Raspberries and alcohol.
Taste: Tart raspberries and very spicy high alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium to full-bodied.
416. Barrel Aged Four
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy brown with amber tints, no head on my pour.
Smell: Fruity. Notes of cherry, alcohol and vanilla.
Taste: More fruitiness in the taste, with notes of bourbon and an herbal flavor.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium-bodied, smooth and almost silky.
417. Palm
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Palm NV
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a fluffy white head that thins to a patchy layer.
Smell: Belgian yeast fruitiness, with a bit of malt.
Taste: Toasty malts, yeast, fruit, with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Tingly carbonation, medium bodied.
418. Obbie's Grand Cru
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Appalachian Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a very cloudy light brown with a white head.
Smell: Belgian yeast fruitiness.
Taste: Fruity upfront. The finish is spicy, with a light bitterness detectable in an otherwise sweet finish.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation that conceals most other characters, light-bodied.
419. Zinnebir
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Sint-Pieters
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a very cloudy golden with a foamy head that leaves thick lace on the glass.
Smell: Light fruitiness with hints of orange.
Taste: Fruity, peppery. The finish is grainy and spicy with a hoppy bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, light-bodied and smooth.
420. The Shed Substance D
This beer was advertised as a Saison with Brett.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant and Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy light golden with a creamy bubbly white head.
Smell: A tart, hoppy Brettanomyces aroma. Funky and lightly fruity.
Taste: Citric tartness, fruitiness, mellow hop flavors with a bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, smooth, medium-bodied.
421. The Shed Double Hoppy Illumination
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant and Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a persistent beige head.
Smell: Fruity with resiny hops.
Taste: Hoppy with a nice sweet fruity and malty notes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy with low to medium carbonation.
In addition to the new beers I had several samples of Ommegeddon, another sample of Ommegang's Bier De Mars, Cambridge Brewing Company's Tripel Threat and some others I can't remember. There were a lot of beers that I wanted to try but wasn't able to due to a limited supply, limited time or limited sobriety.
Overall Belgium Comes to Cooperstown was an excellent beer fest. The brewery grounds during summer are an ideal place (weather permitting) for an event like this. Perhaps there could have been more seating, but maybe it wouldn't have been needed without the rain. I definitely want to go again next year, and maybe even camp out.
The beer selection was outstanding. There were a lot of great importers in attendance. The selection at the Shelton Brothers booth alone was phenomenal. There were also a lot of good North American breweries including: Allagash, Brooklyn Brewery, Dogfish Head, and Unibroue just off the top of my head.
Just some general comments about my tasting notes: I tried to be as concise as possible to facilitate more sampling, I didn't assign numerical rankings because of the small sample sizes, and I decided to dispense with the drinkability category for the fest. I decided to eliminate drinkability because it's the hardest category to get a good feel for with a small sample of beer, and because at the Extreme Beer Fest it was the first category that my objectivity slipped on as I approached inebriation. David also took tasting notes, though I don't have those to post.
All beers were served in the 4 oz. sampling glass that was provided. They were served variously on tap and from bottles, though I didn't make a note of this when I was served, I'll note the ones I'm sure about (which may turn out to be most of them). Some breweries had some merchandise for sale at their booths. Brooklyn had bottle openers on lanyards, glassware and what appeared to be thongs. Unibroue was selling large cardboard versions of their bottle labels. I bought two when I was pretty drunk.
They were out of La Fin Du Monde
I have pictures of me with most of the beers, but I can't remember which beers are which. I'll only post a few that I'm sure of.
408. Rodenbach Grand Cru
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a reddish-amber with good clarity, topped by a persistent brown/beige head.
Smell: Sweet, sour, cherries, and a sharp aroma I couldn't place.
Taste: Sour, but not overpowering, the aftertaste is sharp and tart.
Mouthfeel: Light, effervescent carbonation, finish is sour and dry.
409. Blanche De Brooklyn
I'd seen Garrett Oliver walking around the brewery building that morning when I took the tour. He was at the booth when I went by. I told him that I enjoyed his book. Perhaps I should have tried to get a picture with him.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Very hazy, with a pale straw hue, the head is creamy and white, and fades to a persistent thin layer.
Smell: Fruity, bananas, pepper.
Taste: Banana fruitiness is evident, though not as strong as the aroma. The finish is spicy and peppery. Perhaps grains of paradise?
Mouthfeel: Strong carbonation, light-bodied, with a lightly dry finish.
410. Cantillon Iris
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy bright golden, a thin ring of white bubbles is the only sign of a head.
Smell: Lambic sourness, funkiness emerges upon swirling. There's also a strong hoppiness, though the hop aromas themselves seem to have mellowed.
Taste: Sour lambic flavors upfront, with mellow but dominant hop flavors in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, with a dry finish.
411. Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale
The Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale was created for Belgium Comes to Cooperstown. I'd read that it was Harpoon IPA fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. I had to try this because I probably wouldn't get a chance to try it again, and because it had the potential to really showcase the differences in yeast strains. The guy at the Harpoon booth, who introduced himself as the brewery's microbiologist, said that he had pulled off a small amount of the wort from a batch of Harpoon IPA and pitched the Duvel yeast strain.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale/ American IPA
Appearance: Pours a clear golden-amber with a thick, fluffy, white head that leaves patchy lace.
Smell: Intensely fruity and floral.
Taste: Fruity upfront and through the center. The fruitiness fades into bitterness in the finish, but the bitterness is mellow compared to the IPA.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, moderate carbonation, medium-bodied with a creamy/silky feel.
412. Ommegang Bier De Mars
This is another one-off release from Ommegang, this time a Bière de Garde. I had this one right after a sample of Ommegeddon.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Bière de Garde, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy golden amber, with a head that fades to nothing.
Smell: Tart, hoppy, with a hint of musty funkiness. I wouldn't be surprised if this beer was fermented with Brettanomyces.
Taste: Hint of citric sweetness and tartness. The finish is musty and funky with mellow hops.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation, with a dry finish.
413. De Ranke XX Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Lightly hazy yellow straw color, my pour had no head.
Smell: Aroma reminded me of the Harpoon BPA. Juicy fruity aromas, with a mellowed but strong hop presence.
Taste: Sweet fruitiness, notes of bananas, followed by mellowed but bitter hops.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied, smooth, moderate to low carbonation.
414. St. Bernardus Tripel
I'm typically a fan of St. Bernardus beers. I haven't seen this one at Downtown Wine & Spirits, so I decided to give it a try.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thick white head.
Smell: Typical Belgian fruitiness. Bananas, yeast and light alcohol.
Taste: Fruity with nutty and buttery notes, spicy alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium-bodied, low carbonation.
415. Dogfish Head Fort
Neither of the Daves were enthusiastic about trying a raspberry beer, but I wanted to give it a try since I missed it at the Extreme Beer Fest and haven't seen it for sale in Boston.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 18.00%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a beige head that leaves patchy lace.
Smell: Raspberries and alcohol.
Taste: Tart raspberries and very spicy high alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium to full-bodied.
416. Barrel Aged Four
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy brown with amber tints, no head on my pour.
Smell: Fruity. Notes of cherry, alcohol and vanilla.
Taste: More fruitiness in the taste, with notes of bourbon and an herbal flavor.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium-bodied, smooth and almost silky.
417. Palm
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Palm NV
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a fluffy white head that thins to a patchy layer.
Smell: Belgian yeast fruitiness, with a bit of malt.
Taste: Toasty malts, yeast, fruit, with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Tingly carbonation, medium bodied.
418. Obbie's Grand Cru
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Appalachian Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a very cloudy light brown with a white head.
Smell: Belgian yeast fruitiness.
Taste: Fruity upfront. The finish is spicy, with a light bitterness detectable in an otherwise sweet finish.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation that conceals most other characters, light-bodied.
419. Zinnebir
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Sint-Pieters
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a very cloudy golden with a foamy head that leaves thick lace on the glass.
Smell: Light fruitiness with hints of orange.
Taste: Fruity, peppery. The finish is grainy and spicy with a hoppy bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, light-bodied and smooth.
420. The Shed Substance D
This beer was advertised as a Saison with Brett.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant and Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a hazy light golden with a creamy bubbly white head.
Smell: A tart, hoppy Brettanomyces aroma. Funky and lightly fruity.
Taste: Citric tartness, fruitiness, mellow hop flavors with a bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, smooth, medium-bodied.
421. The Shed Double Hoppy Illumination
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant and Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a persistent beige head.
Smell: Fruity with resiny hops.
Taste: Hoppy with a nice sweet fruity and malty notes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy with low to medium carbonation.
In addition to the new beers I had several samples of Ommegeddon, another sample of Ommegang's Bier De Mars, Cambridge Brewing Company's Tripel Threat and some others I can't remember. There were a lot of beers that I wanted to try but wasn't able to due to a limited supply, limited time or limited sobriety.
Overall Belgium Comes to Cooperstown was an excellent beer fest. The brewery grounds during summer are an ideal place (weather permitting) for an event like this. Perhaps there could have been more seating, but maybe it wouldn't have been needed without the rain. I definitely want to go again next year, and maybe even camp out.
Labels: Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Bière de Garde, Flanders Red Ale, Fruit/Vegatable Beer, Lambic, Quadrupel, Saison, Sour Beer, Travel, Tripel, Unblended Lambic, Witbier
382. Cantillon Broucsella 1900 Grand Cru
Published by Unknown on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at 1:33 AM.
382. Cantillon Broucsella 1900 Grand Cru
I purchased this at Downtown Wine & Spirits tonight. I chilled it in the fridge and served it in one of my New Belgium snifters. This is the fourth Cantillon beer that I've had in the last few weeks. I've been slowly working through the Cantillon selection at Downtown Wine & Spirits. I've been sticking to the "cheaper" bottles, but I'll eventually shell out the $30 for either a LouPepe Framboise, a Lou Pepe Gueuze or maybe the $40 for a Saint Lamvinus. My next Cantillon purchase will probably be Fou' Foune, their apricot lambic. This is an Unblended Lambic. BJCP Style Guide.
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a thin layer of large bubbles that quickly disappear leaving only a transient thin ring.
Smell (4.0): Much like the other Cantillon lambics the nose is dominated by sour and musty earthy aromas. These are more subdued than the other Cantillon beers that I've tried. I also noticed a light fruity sweetness. A sniff directly from the bottle reminds me of grapes, but I don't catch this once decanted.
Taste (3.5): Upfront there are tart lemony and citric flavors that mingle with a light sweetness. The finish is earthy and significantly sour. The flavors are mellower than the Organic Gueuze and definitely more mellow than Rosé De Gambrinus.
Mouthfeel (3.5): No detectable carbonation, smooth and a little watery with an extremely dry finish.
Drinkability (5.0): For a lambic this is very drinkable.
Overall (3.85): This beer is enjoyable, but it doesn't stand up to the Lou Pepe Kriek or the Rosé De Gambrinus. The qualities that cause the taste score to suffer increase the score for drinkability though.
I purchased this at Downtown Wine & Spirits tonight. I chilled it in the fridge and served it in one of my New Belgium snifters. This is the fourth Cantillon beer that I've had in the last few weeks. I've been slowly working through the Cantillon selection at Downtown Wine & Spirits. I've been sticking to the "cheaper" bottles, but I'll eventually shell out the $30 for either a LouPepe Framboise, a Lou Pepe Gueuze or maybe the $40 for a Saint Lamvinus. My next Cantillon purchase will probably be Fou' Foune, their apricot lambic. This is an Unblended Lambic. BJCP Style Guide.
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a thin layer of large bubbles that quickly disappear leaving only a transient thin ring.
Smell (4.0): Much like the other Cantillon lambics the nose is dominated by sour and musty earthy aromas. These are more subdued than the other Cantillon beers that I've tried. I also noticed a light fruity sweetness. A sniff directly from the bottle reminds me of grapes, but I don't catch this once decanted.
Taste (3.5): Upfront there are tart lemony and citric flavors that mingle with a light sweetness. The finish is earthy and significantly sour. The flavors are mellower than the Organic Gueuze and definitely more mellow than Rosé De Gambrinus.
Mouthfeel (3.5): No detectable carbonation, smooth and a little watery with an extremely dry finish.
Drinkability (5.0): For a lambic this is very drinkable.
Overall (3.85): This beer is enjoyable, but it doesn't stand up to the Lou Pepe Kriek or the Rosé De Gambrinus. The qualities that cause the taste score to suffer increase the score for drinkability though.
Labels: Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic, Reviews, Sour Beer, Unblended Lambic
