In concluding my detailed review of the 19th Annual Mondial de la Bière, I'd like to point out a few final things: a few links to some discoveries, some awards, a brief reminder of my most highly recommended discoveries, a few regrets and a nod to the best breweries.
First, I'd like to note the ingenuity, excellence, and personal friendliness of the merchandise and crew at BBbarfly who make and sell decal-coated, multi-coloured, unique butterfly-knife styled bottle openers that have been apparently engineered to not damage caps (though I have opened three and one was slightly bent, but may have been my fault!) They are very fun, very cool, much more legal and useful than the real knives, have excellent designs and you can support an excellent Toronto small business run by some friendly folks. The website even includes trick tutorials/slowed videos!
Second, I met a friendly gentleman named Phillippe, the Beer Hunter, who has rated 7600 beers. Though he is tens of thousands away from the top in the world, he reminds me of my thoughts to remind you that I truly am a beginner here (and deserves the aforementioned link). I was once criticized on another blog for something that author missed which I make abundantly clear in my first post and wish to reiterate here: that in the process of learning about beer I am writing my own thoughts and may as well share them. If you disagree (or agree), please share your thoughts back with me in the comments! We can hopefully all learn from and get tips and hints from each other! It isn't a pissing contest, for me anyway, but rather a pleasurable service in the enjoyment of excellent craft beer!
Third, I discovered an excellent designated driver service, Point Zero8, and as I do not, cannot, and will not support drunk driving, I found it my duty to pass it on (and also to note that I was only three times over the legal limit upon departure my second day, according to their test, though I assuredly wasn't driving!)
Next, I'd like to note the Awards of the event listed at http://www.bieresetplaisirs.com/2012/06/07/mondial-2012-resultats-du-concours-mbiere-greg-noonan/ though I wish several of them were not sold out by halfway through the second of (an otherwise wonderful) five day event and that I'd dispute a few though many listed there I hadn't tried.
In review and on my best of the fest, I'd encourage any/all of you to try any of the following as they were all simply remarkable:
Achel Blond
Achel Brune
Westmalle Dubbel
Westmalle Tripel
Allagash Curieux
Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (or really any Charlevoix beer!)
Malheur 12
Lagunitas IPA
La Vache Folle RyePA
Dogfish Head Burton Baton
Dieu du Ciel Chaman
St. Ambroise Vintage Age Millésimée
Beau's Winterbrewed
Wilco Tango Foxtrot
Beau's Strong Patrick Irish Red
Founder's Porter
Grado Plato Chocarrubica
Elysian Dragonstooth Stout
Malédiction
La Vache Folle Imperial Milk Stout
Bierland Imperial Stout
Arcadia Imperial Stout
Chatoe Rogue First Growth Dirtoir Black Lager
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Lips of Faith Cocoa Molé
Dominus Vobiscum Brut
Bacuri Forest
Finally, I'd just like to give an extra special nod to Microbrasserie Charlevoix, New Belgium Brewing, Achel, and Lagunitas Brewing for simply continuing to impress above and beyond the high standards of great craft beer! Many other were great too, but each of these breweries offered me numerous new tastes of note and deserve the accolades (as many others do and will again at another time!)
Thanks too to the organizers. I can't wait til next year!
Showing posts with label Charlevoix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlevoix. Show all posts
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Mondial Review #5: Strange & Sour Oddities
Some of the gems of Mondial de la Bière fell into odd categories, the first comprising two Flanders Red Ales, a Gueuze, an American Wild and a Bière de Garde, the latter being made up of a Brut, a Chilean spiced beer, and a fruit/spiced beer made with the rare Amazonian fruit called bacuri. Let's dissect them further.
Sours
Personal Best of the Fest: Brouwerij Rodenbach Grand Cru (6% ABV), a Flanders Red Ale is simply fantastic - if you dig sour! It pours a light brown with a fine, creamy-beige head of solid retention and lacing. Aromas are primarily of sour cherries with hints of yeasty spice, and a touch of apple cider vinegar. It tastes wonderfully sour - like everything that is good about a maraschino cherry without any of the artificially sweet additive notes! Very sour, but just perfect for the style! Medium bodied with fair carbonation, it floats smoothly across the tongue and is easy drinking for the style. Grade: A+
Brouwerij Van Honsenbrouk's St. Louis Geueze Fond Tradition (5% ABV) is also quite pleasant if not legendary. It pours a beautiful, dark amber with excellent tan head, retention, and lacing. The aroma is faint and mostly of mildly-spiced yeast, though it is possible my sample came from a long-opened bottle. The flavour was also fairly mild, sour but not excessively so (or seemingly not at all immediately after the above!) appearing at first mild and tea-like before some sweetly sour traces of a light lemony tartness. Smooth despite fair carbonation, but perhaps thanks to a light-ish body. Nice, just mild - perhaps a good intro to the sour for some? Grade: B+
Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza (8% ABV) was my first Bière de Garde with little frame of reference except what I have read in some books and on websites. It pours a faintly cloudy golden in colour with little head but nice surface spotting. There is a fine balance between sweetness and sourness, sort of like a dry wine or champagne, with a sweeter nose that has a touch of sour and a more sour, tart, acidic taste with just a touch of balancing sweetness. There is a touch of coriander spice and a fairly drying floral hoppy finish. It is smooth, creamy, and essentially lacks carbonation. Very interesting and not bad, but just not as desirable for me personally as a true Belgian sour. Grade: B/B+
Vermont Pub & Brewery's Tulach Leis (6.1% ABV) didn't impress around my crew. Appearing with a nice amber colour and moderate off-white head of fair retention and lacing, it offered only a faint aroma with only faintly sour notes. It was far too sour without the complexity of the Rodenbach alongside an unappealing funkiness. Grade: C+/B-
Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja (7.2% ABV), an American wild ale allegedly in the Flanders tradition, didn't impress as much as those truly Belgian sour offerings. I can get the appeal here, but also think the style (or this beer) goes a bit far, though with wild yeast who knows what can happen! It pours a lightly cloudy dark amber that has negligible head (perhaps due to the pouring) at the event. It offered funky, sweaty, and pear notes predominantly, though funky earthiness is easily the most evident and apt description. It offers a bitter-sweetness (in that sour candy sort of way) with a peaty and earthy/sweaty flavour of unfiltered wild yeast. It is tingly and pop-like on the tongue and I didn't find this very fitting with the funkiness, though I could get the appeal of it if it were what you were into. It isn't the sourness that turns me off, rather it is the funk! Grade: C+/B-
Brouwerij Van Honsenbrouk's St. Louis Geueze Fond Tradition (5% ABV) is also quite pleasant if not legendary. It pours a beautiful, dark amber with excellent tan head, retention, and lacing. The aroma is faint and mostly of mildly-spiced yeast, though it is possible my sample came from a long-opened bottle. The flavour was also fairly mild, sour but not excessively so (or seemingly not at all immediately after the above!) appearing at first mild and tea-like before some sweetly sour traces of a light lemony tartness. Smooth despite fair carbonation, but perhaps thanks to a light-ish body. Nice, just mild - perhaps a good intro to the sour for some? Grade: B+
Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza (8% ABV) was my first Bière de Garde with little frame of reference except what I have read in some books and on websites. It pours a faintly cloudy golden in colour with little head but nice surface spotting. There is a fine balance between sweetness and sourness, sort of like a dry wine or champagne, with a sweeter nose that has a touch of sour and a more sour, tart, acidic taste with just a touch of balancing sweetness. There is a touch of coriander spice and a fairly drying floral hoppy finish. It is smooth, creamy, and essentially lacks carbonation. Very interesting and not bad, but just not as desirable for me personally as a true Belgian sour. Grade: B/B+
Vermont Pub & Brewery's Tulach Leis (6.1% ABV) didn't impress around my crew. Appearing with a nice amber colour and moderate off-white head of fair retention and lacing, it offered only a faint aroma with only faintly sour notes. It was far too sour without the complexity of the Rodenbach alongside an unappealing funkiness. Grade: C+/B-
Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja (7.2% ABV), an American wild ale allegedly in the Flanders tradition, didn't impress as much as those truly Belgian sour offerings. I can get the appeal here, but also think the style (or this beer) goes a bit far, though with wild yeast who knows what can happen! It pours a lightly cloudy dark amber that has negligible head (perhaps due to the pouring) at the event. It offered funky, sweaty, and pear notes predominantly, though funky earthiness is easily the most evident and apt description. It offers a bitter-sweetness (in that sour candy sort of way) with a peaty and earthy/sweaty flavour of unfiltered wild yeast. It is tingly and pop-like on the tongue and I didn't find this very fitting with the funkiness, though I could get the appeal of it if it were what you were into. It isn't the sourness that turns me off, rather it is the funk! Grade: C+/B-
The Miscellaneous, Unique, and Bizarre
Yes, most of these beers can be categorized in some way, but rather than having three categories of one, I thought I'd go through them here, and rather than listing a 'best of the fest,' all three deserve a medal type of honour in this catch-all category as all are very noteworthy for a reason!
The Golden Oddity: New Belgium's Lips of Faith Cocoa Molé (9% ABV) is simply amazing - but not if you can't stand a little spicy chili in your beer! It's a good thing this was my last beer on day one or I might have drank it all day and tried no others (though I started the day with Allagash Curieux and ended just as strongly!). It pours a golden-tinged dark brown with a nice creamy mocha head, though of negligible retention or lace. Up front it tastes slightly sweet in chocolate molé way, but just after swallowing a fair chili spiciness kicks back through the palate in a very pleasant manner (unless you're my mother!) It leaves a nice warming dryness from the chili that just smooths out the sweetness and leaves you me wanting more... and more. I devoured this glass and tried to get a second only to discover I had finished their selection. Best spicy beer I have ever tasted! Grade: A+
The Silver Oddity: Okay, a Bière Brut (Champagne Beer) is not that odd to beer folks, if it is to the public, but they are fairly uncommon and it was the only one I consumed at the fest. Yet, Microbrasserie Charlevoix graces the review pages again with their Dominus Vobiscum Brut (11% ABV) which I thoroughly enjoyed! It offers a cloudy golden body beneath a gorgeous foamy, fizzy, white head that settles down fairly quickly leaving a decent lace. Aromas are of lemon zest and rind as well as some sweeter citrus notes. Flavourwise, there is a predominance of sweet pear/apple fruitiness with a lightly drying peppery/yeasty spiciness. Simply delicious - champagne but better! Grade: A/A+
The Bronze Oddity: Take a wild, rare Amazonian fruit, put it in a Brazilian beer without Canadian distribution and watch me try something I may never taste again. Make it good and hear me rave about it! Cervejaria Amazônia was able to do both with their Bacuri Forest (3.8% ABV) which pours a standard pale yellow with a fizzy white head that settles down quickly with just slight lace. Orange scented hops greets the nose with fainter hints of rind and pine, like a mild IPA. The citrus notes continue in the mouth but with a sweet lemon presentation that is quite enjoyable indeed and dried out with the citrusy hops. With low carbonation, light body, and low alcohol, this beer is a smooth-drinking session beer if ever there was one... now to find myself a case for that session... Grade: A-/A
Well, that's it for beer reviews, stay tuned for my final Mondial wrap-up!
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Mondial Beer Review #2: Pale and Brown Ales
In this second review of beers I tasted at Mondial, I will cover Pale Ales, IPAs, Old Ales, Vintage Ales, Scotch Ales, Barley Wines, Amber/Red Ales, and Brown Ales. For the sake of categorization, I will be lumping together: 1) Bitters, Pale Ales, IPAs and Rye IPAs; 2) Imperial/Double IPAs and Black IPAs; 3) Old Ales, Scotch Ales and Barley Wines; and 4) Brown Ales and Amber/Red Ales. I am lumping some (slightly) diverse categories together just for organizing my 55 or so ratings from the fest and do realize I am not fully comparing apples to apples. Now, without further ado:
Personal Best of the Fest: Lagunitas IPA (6.2%). This well respected brewery here offers a very well balanced American IPA that pours a dark golden colour. The head was lacking, but was poorly poured, so I won't comment on its usual head. Aromawise, this beers presents a toasty grapefruit primacy with some faint floral piney notes. Tasting notes are similar, but the up front grapefruit is somewhat sweet with a more orange citrus-ness, before a finely drying estery finish. It seemed only lightly carbonated (had the bottle sat a while?) with a medium body and was quite pleasant to drink. Not my favourite American IPA, but a very good one! Grade: A-
Microbrasserie Charlevoix's just launched La Vache Folle RyePA (6%) was a very close second in this category. As I tasted this beer at the media launch, the poured glasses had been sitting for a short while and the aroma was faint and had mostly dissipated, so my assessment here may be slightly off, but it seemed to be more dominated by malty fruitiness with a VERY faint hint of smokiness that was primarily sweet. Though it didn't smell bad, I would have presumed greater hops and will have to try this again after a fresh pour to be certain. Despite sitting for a short while, though, the rocky white head was excellently retained with a thick, foamy lacing that looked simply gorgeous. Flavorwise, the hops characteristic is predominantly piney and it is well (im)balanced, by which I mean it is fairly dominated by the imbalance of the style, yet without going over the top. Only very faint traces of bready, smoky, peaty rye are present, but enough to add to the enjoyment of this fine brew. With a medium body and a light-medium carbonation, there is ample 'crispness' to this beer and it is quite enjoyable indeed! Grade: A- (A promotional release photo follows with more reviews after the shot)
Central City Red Racer ESB (5.6%) is a bit of an oddity in this category that otherwise includes IPAs, but this isn't a traditional English ESB and is a bit more of an American styled Pale Ale, or at best a hybrid as it offers scents of mild-to-moderate grapefruit with a dominant bitterness present beyond what an English ESB would exude. It is light amber in colour with a nice head and retention, though no lacing to speak of. It is only malty sweet up front for a brief moment, before a nicely drying finish of toasty citrus and rind. With a medium body and medium carbonation, this is a decent and enjoyable, if not exemplary offering, but a unique one and gets some marks for that, even if pushing the style boundary. Grade: B/B+
For the last in this category, I had Swiss brewer, Birrificio Ticinese's Bad Attitude Hobo IPA (6% ABV) (which came highly recommended by "Beer Hunter" Phillippe who has rated 7600 beers at http://www.bov.ch/) yet failed to overly impress. It had a great piney nose and a fine deep amber colour, with an excellent faintly off-white head that had great retention but poor lacing. The bitter nose led to to think this would be hop-head heaven, but though dry it was almost equally bready sweet (almost like french toast) and a bit of almost yeasty spice with equal parts grapefruit. It was more balanced than it smelled like it would be, but didn't really work for me perhaps due to bordering on the style characteristics of many divergent styles. Some might call it complex, but besides the nose it just didn't work for me. It was crisp and tingly, yet probably excessively carbonated perhaps muting the hoppiness of the style for me. Grade: C+/B-
Personal Best of the Fest: Dogfish Head Burton Baton (10% ABV) is actually made by blending an English Old Ale and a Double IPA and then aging the blend in oak barrels. The nose is dominated by oaky vanilla notes, while traces of pine are muted by this sweetness if still present. It is clear and golden amber in colour with only slight head and retention, but nice glass-trailing lacing. Though the flavour is quite dry as it finishes with a quite bitter citrus, the excessive dryness doesn't linger as it is tempered from beginning through end by the vanilla-citrus combined sweetness of the oak. No it is not sweet, but it is complex, nuanced, and pleasant beyond what a 'normal' imperial IPA might offer. The carbonation is fairly substantial making it crisp and tingly to the tongue, though with a lighter body than is characteristic for the style. Grade: A-/A
In a close second is Dieu du Ciel's Chaman (9% ABV) which is cloudy amber in colour with just a slight creamy white head, though with good retention. On the nose, the flavour is predominantly citrus hops with a touch of bread, though the taste is nicely nuanced characterized by both grapefruit bitterness and a peaty/earthy dryness that, despite also drying, adds a pleasant complexity. Fairly full bodied with moderate carbonation, yet fairly smooth on the tongue. Grade: A-
In a close third is Founders Double Trouble (9.4% ABV) which presents aromas of fruity esters, predominantly citrus, but also floral and with hints of rind. It pours a golden colour that seems a bit light for the style, but offers a nice frothy white head with good retention and lacing. Floral and citrus hops dominate the tongue and leave a substantive bitterness yet one without any lengthy lingering. Medium bodied with only low carbonation makes this beer feel smooth - which to me detracts slightly from a bitter IPA which I, personally, find benefits from some crispy, tingly carbonation, but I am well aware this is an opinion open to much debate! Still, a fine beer! Grade: B+
Yet again, there isn't a huge distance between third and fourth in this category, but next is Le Saint Bock's Black Jesus (9.3% ABV) which pours a dark, dark brown with a fine mocha head, good retention, lace, and surface spotting. Oddly, this beer smells like mocha, chocolate, and sweetened coffee much like a milk stout and without any style characteristics - but it smells nice! Conversely, as there is nothing on the nose suggesting black IPA, there is nothing on the tongue resembling this sweetness, as the flavour is bitterly piney with hints of pepper and rind. With a medium body and fair carbonation, this beer otherwise feels style appropriate. I actually love the sweet stout aroma even if it is inappropriate, but though good, the taste isn't quite enough for me, but it is still enjoyable enough. Grade: B/B+
Next, I come to Black Moon from Vermont's Rock Art Brewery (10% ABV), which pours jet black with a good frothy white head and solid retention, though negligible lacing. It smells of pine up front with a trace of floral esters. It is quite piney/earthy bitter and borders on astringency in flavour - which is certainly style appropriate - but it is a bit much for me and lingers a bit too long, though hop-heads are sure to love it! It is full bodied with slightly low carbonation levels and doesn't tingle the tongue as it dries its way down! Good, very stylistically quintessential, yet perhaps a bit too bold in that regard at the same time! Grade: B
Finally, for this category, I come to the Black Rye IPA offering from Brazil's Cervejaria Bodebrown (7% ABV) which pours a gorgeous jet black, with a lightly cream-coloured thick, rocky head with good retention and lacing. Aromas are slightly smoky and peaty, as well as offering faintly fruity hints, but are not very dominant and are faint at best and not exactly conforming to the style. Flavourwise, it is more approrpiate as it is but faintly sweet up front in a citrusy way that dries out quickly with grapefruit, pine, and spice notes that linger excessively. It is light-to-medium bodied and equally carbonated. Aside from the aroma, it well fits the style descriptors, but pushes to the point of astringency. Grade: C+/B-
Old Ales, Scotch Ales, and Barley Wines
Yes, there is fair disparity in this category, though strength, malt, body, and (rough) geographic origin offer some useful categorization and, since I only had one of each, perhaps we can lump these together into an arbitrary category!
Personal Best of the Fest: St. Ambroise Vintage Age Millésimée 2010 (10% ABV). This aged ale (called both a Barley Wine and an Old Ale depending on the source) certainly ages well though I have never had a fresh one! It shows unfiltered cloudiness with a dark red colour, while the head is fair, off-white, frothy and offers decent retention and trailing lace. It smells quite boozy, yet also offers nice aromas of plums, brown sugar, and molasses. To the tongue, the booziness remains present but is tempered by sweet caramel maltiness that makes it nicely drinkable, with only a slight-to-moderate drying finish (tempered by age perhaps?). It is warming and fairly full bodied, but with a creamy, low carbonation that makes this fit the Barley Wine tradition and 'wine' inspiration quite well. Grade: A
Next best for me would be the oddity of the grouping: Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale (8.5% ABV) from Founders Brewing. This strong Scotch Ale pours a dark brown with quite nice head and retention, though with no lacing to speak of. Faintly smoky earthy aromas meet the nose while the flavour is similar yet the peaty illusion is sweet in its toasty/woods maltiness. With medium carbonation and a light-to-medium body, this beer is also fairly warming but not boozy. Nice, but despite its commanded level of respect, I actual found it to be sweeter than desired and good, but perhaps not as good as many find it, though you should try it for yourself! I'd like to try it again alongside the Dieu du Ciel Scotch Ale that I so thoroughly adored on draft. Grade: B+/A-
Finally, I come to the Vermonster (10% ABV), a Barley Wine from Rock Art Brewery that meets the nose with piney/floral hops. It pours a nice brown with excellent off-white frothy head and noteworthy retention. There is some malty fruit up front, with very faint notes of raisins, plums, and caramel, but it is wiped out promptly by a very drying floral estery finish with a lingering aftertaste. As typical of the style, it is fairly full bodied with negligible carbonation, such that it would likely show well on cask. It was decent, but there wasn't enough barley for me... as the hops shut it down and I would have liked a few more malty aromas and or tastes. Though I understand that hop heads love it - as one would expect. Grade: B+
Personal Best of the Fest: The winner for me is a rare hybrid oddity that almost shouldn't qualify: Beau's 2011/2012 incarnation of Winterbrewed (5% ABV) which is infused with brewed coffee and changes slightly year to year. This Winter's batch had Guatemalan coffee rather than last year's Nicaraguan and was as delicious as I recall! Pouring a dark amber-to-light brown with nice rocky mocha head full of lacing with remarkable retention. Just gorgeous and then you smell it: freshly brewed gourmet coffee (and, with fair-trade Bridgehead organic coffee, it truly is quality!). The nose has faint hints of earthy hops and caramel malts, but trying to smell anything other than the coffee seemingly brewing beneath your nose is difficult! The flavour is toasty and nutty, but primarily offers a thick and lingering coffee goodness that is met with just enough hops to dry out the finish that maintains that lingering coffee for quite some time (though not long enough!) Medium bodied, with slight carbonation, this is fairly oily (as per the coffee) but just a delight to drink! Grade: A+
It may be somewhat unfair to let my coffee love name the Personal Best of the Fest for one whose "Amber" qualities are nearly indiscernible, so I offer the Backup Best of the Fest here as Wilco Tango Foxtrot (7.8% ABV) a so-called "Imperial Brown Ale" from Lagunitas. This beer is golden brown in colour and a bit lighter than anticipated with a nice off-white head and decent retention and lace. Oranges and drier citrusy hops aromas meet the nose while the taste is simply complex and remarkably balanced. At times, I felt like it began with malty toasted grains before a piney drying finish that didn't last, yet on other sips felt the inverse, being met by floral citrus hops before the malty sweetness and drying end (without any lingering bitterness). The complex balance is very, very good. It is very creamy, nearly chewy, and medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. Not boozy at all. Very drinkable. Grade: A-/A
Beau's Strong Patrick Irish Red Ale (6.7% ABV) comes in next, though I would love to try this again and offer more. I adore good Irish Reds, but they must be consumed before Barley Wines and such and, for various reasons, this didn't happen and its subtleness was lost a bit on me at the time. It was easy drinking for it's ABV, had nice caramel and toasty notes on the nose and tongue and finished with the lingering sweetness one expects from an Irish Red. Saying more than that will require a second tasting, but I did enjoy it and I am sure I would again! Grade: B+/A-
Next, is Maracaibo Especial (a 7.5% ABV American Brown) from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. It pours a deep amber with a decent, creamy, whiter-than-expected head of moderate retention and pacing. There was also a remaining brown yeast sediment visible in the glass. It has two-part aroma beginning with sweet-and-sour dark malty fruits and finishing with a slight citrus hoppiness. Tastes like slightly smoky camp toast with a rindy/citrus finish. It is good, but not exactly like expected in aroma or taste for the style. It had a nicely drying finish, but more in an American Pale Ale manner than that of a Brown. Good, but not legendary to me. Grade: B/B+
Finally, I come to BarbaRoja Barrel-Aged Red Ale (9% ABV) which pours a gorgeous deep amber with an excellent frothy beige head with thick bubbles that remain and leave a fair trace. It has but a faint aroma merely of sweet citrus and lightly toasted malts. Tastes are of spicy fruit with a piney finish and they somehow seem to clash rather than complement each other. Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, though a bit oily and fairly warming. Good, enjoyable, but not something I'd go back to often. Grade: B
Well, that's it for now. Remaining posts about Mondial: Stouts/Porters, Lagers and Wheat Beers, Sours and Unique Oddities, and finally a wrap up post with some concluding remarks - stay tuned as I keep re-living this phenomenal event!
Bitters, Pale Ales, India Pale Ales, and Rye IPAs
Personal Best of the Fest: Lagunitas IPA (6.2%). This well respected brewery here offers a very well balanced American IPA that pours a dark golden colour. The head was lacking, but was poorly poured, so I won't comment on its usual head. Aromawise, this beers presents a toasty grapefruit primacy with some faint floral piney notes. Tasting notes are similar, but the up front grapefruit is somewhat sweet with a more orange citrus-ness, before a finely drying estery finish. It seemed only lightly carbonated (had the bottle sat a while?) with a medium body and was quite pleasant to drink. Not my favourite American IPA, but a very good one! Grade: A-
Microbrasserie Charlevoix's just launched La Vache Folle RyePA (6%) was a very close second in this category. As I tasted this beer at the media launch, the poured glasses had been sitting for a short while and the aroma was faint and had mostly dissipated, so my assessment here may be slightly off, but it seemed to be more dominated by malty fruitiness with a VERY faint hint of smokiness that was primarily sweet. Though it didn't smell bad, I would have presumed greater hops and will have to try this again after a fresh pour to be certain. Despite sitting for a short while, though, the rocky white head was excellently retained with a thick, foamy lacing that looked simply gorgeous. Flavorwise, the hops characteristic is predominantly piney and it is well (im)balanced, by which I mean it is fairly dominated by the imbalance of the style, yet without going over the top. Only very faint traces of bready, smoky, peaty rye are present, but enough to add to the enjoyment of this fine brew. With a medium body and a light-medium carbonation, there is ample 'crispness' to this beer and it is quite enjoyable indeed! Grade: A- (A promotional release photo follows with more reviews after the shot)
Central City Red Racer ESB (5.6%) is a bit of an oddity in this category that otherwise includes IPAs, but this isn't a traditional English ESB and is a bit more of an American styled Pale Ale, or at best a hybrid as it offers scents of mild-to-moderate grapefruit with a dominant bitterness present beyond what an English ESB would exude. It is light amber in colour with a nice head and retention, though no lacing to speak of. It is only malty sweet up front for a brief moment, before a nicely drying finish of toasty citrus and rind. With a medium body and medium carbonation, this is a decent and enjoyable, if not exemplary offering, but a unique one and gets some marks for that, even if pushing the style boundary. Grade: B/B+
For the last in this category, I had Swiss brewer, Birrificio Ticinese's Bad Attitude Hobo IPA (6% ABV) (which came highly recommended by "Beer Hunter" Phillippe who has rated 7600 beers at http://www.bov.ch/) yet failed to overly impress. It had a great piney nose and a fine deep amber colour, with an excellent faintly off-white head that had great retention but poor lacing. The bitter nose led to to think this would be hop-head heaven, but though dry it was almost equally bready sweet (almost like french toast) and a bit of almost yeasty spice with equal parts grapefruit. It was more balanced than it smelled like it would be, but didn't really work for me perhaps due to bordering on the style characteristics of many divergent styles. Some might call it complex, but besides the nose it just didn't work for me. It was crisp and tingly, yet probably excessively carbonated perhaps muting the hoppiness of the style for me. Grade: C+/B-
Double/Imperial IPAs and Black IPAs
Personal Best of the Fest: Dogfish Head Burton Baton (10% ABV) is actually made by blending an English Old Ale and a Double IPA and then aging the blend in oak barrels. The nose is dominated by oaky vanilla notes, while traces of pine are muted by this sweetness if still present. It is clear and golden amber in colour with only slight head and retention, but nice glass-trailing lacing. Though the flavour is quite dry as it finishes with a quite bitter citrus, the excessive dryness doesn't linger as it is tempered from beginning through end by the vanilla-citrus combined sweetness of the oak. No it is not sweet, but it is complex, nuanced, and pleasant beyond what a 'normal' imperial IPA might offer. The carbonation is fairly substantial making it crisp and tingly to the tongue, though with a lighter body than is characteristic for the style. Grade: A-/A
In a close second is Dieu du Ciel's Chaman (9% ABV) which is cloudy amber in colour with just a slight creamy white head, though with good retention. On the nose, the flavour is predominantly citrus hops with a touch of bread, though the taste is nicely nuanced characterized by both grapefruit bitterness and a peaty/earthy dryness that, despite also drying, adds a pleasant complexity. Fairly full bodied with moderate carbonation, yet fairly smooth on the tongue. Grade: A-
In a close third is Founders Double Trouble (9.4% ABV) which presents aromas of fruity esters, predominantly citrus, but also floral and with hints of rind. It pours a golden colour that seems a bit light for the style, but offers a nice frothy white head with good retention and lacing. Floral and citrus hops dominate the tongue and leave a substantive bitterness yet one without any lengthy lingering. Medium bodied with only low carbonation makes this beer feel smooth - which to me detracts slightly from a bitter IPA which I, personally, find benefits from some crispy, tingly carbonation, but I am well aware this is an opinion open to much debate! Still, a fine beer! Grade: B+
Yet again, there isn't a huge distance between third and fourth in this category, but next is Le Saint Bock's Black Jesus (9.3% ABV) which pours a dark, dark brown with a fine mocha head, good retention, lace, and surface spotting. Oddly, this beer smells like mocha, chocolate, and sweetened coffee much like a milk stout and without any style characteristics - but it smells nice! Conversely, as there is nothing on the nose suggesting black IPA, there is nothing on the tongue resembling this sweetness, as the flavour is bitterly piney with hints of pepper and rind. With a medium body and fair carbonation, this beer otherwise feels style appropriate. I actually love the sweet stout aroma even if it is inappropriate, but though good, the taste isn't quite enough for me, but it is still enjoyable enough. Grade: B/B+
Next, I come to Black Moon from Vermont's Rock Art Brewery (10% ABV), which pours jet black with a good frothy white head and solid retention, though negligible lacing. It smells of pine up front with a trace of floral esters. It is quite piney/earthy bitter and borders on astringency in flavour - which is certainly style appropriate - but it is a bit much for me and lingers a bit too long, though hop-heads are sure to love it! It is full bodied with slightly low carbonation levels and doesn't tingle the tongue as it dries its way down! Good, very stylistically quintessential, yet perhaps a bit too bold in that regard at the same time! Grade: B
Finally, for this category, I come to the Black Rye IPA offering from Brazil's Cervejaria Bodebrown (7% ABV) which pours a gorgeous jet black, with a lightly cream-coloured thick, rocky head with good retention and lacing. Aromas are slightly smoky and peaty, as well as offering faintly fruity hints, but are not very dominant and are faint at best and not exactly conforming to the style. Flavourwise, it is more approrpiate as it is but faintly sweet up front in a citrusy way that dries out quickly with grapefruit, pine, and spice notes that linger excessively. It is light-to-medium bodied and equally carbonated. Aside from the aroma, it well fits the style descriptors, but pushes to the point of astringency. Grade: C+/B-
Old Ales, Scotch Ales, and Barley Wines
Yes, there is fair disparity in this category, though strength, malt, body, and (rough) geographic origin offer some useful categorization and, since I only had one of each, perhaps we can lump these together into an arbitrary category!
Personal Best of the Fest: St. Ambroise Vintage Age Millésimée 2010 (10% ABV). This aged ale (called both a Barley Wine and an Old Ale depending on the source) certainly ages well though I have never had a fresh one! It shows unfiltered cloudiness with a dark red colour, while the head is fair, off-white, frothy and offers decent retention and trailing lace. It smells quite boozy, yet also offers nice aromas of plums, brown sugar, and molasses. To the tongue, the booziness remains present but is tempered by sweet caramel maltiness that makes it nicely drinkable, with only a slight-to-moderate drying finish (tempered by age perhaps?). It is warming and fairly full bodied, but with a creamy, low carbonation that makes this fit the Barley Wine tradition and 'wine' inspiration quite well. Grade: A
Next best for me would be the oddity of the grouping: Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale (8.5% ABV) from Founders Brewing. This strong Scotch Ale pours a dark brown with quite nice head and retention, though with no lacing to speak of. Faintly smoky earthy aromas meet the nose while the flavour is similar yet the peaty illusion is sweet in its toasty/woods maltiness. With medium carbonation and a light-to-medium body, this beer is also fairly warming but not boozy. Nice, but despite its commanded level of respect, I actual found it to be sweeter than desired and good, but perhaps not as good as many find it, though you should try it for yourself! I'd like to try it again alongside the Dieu du Ciel Scotch Ale that I so thoroughly adored on draft. Grade: B+/A-
Finally, I come to the Vermonster (10% ABV), a Barley Wine from Rock Art Brewery that meets the nose with piney/floral hops. It pours a nice brown with excellent off-white frothy head and noteworthy retention. There is some malty fruit up front, with very faint notes of raisins, plums, and caramel, but it is wiped out promptly by a very drying floral estery finish with a lingering aftertaste. As typical of the style, it is fairly full bodied with negligible carbonation, such that it would likely show well on cask. It was decent, but there wasn't enough barley for me... as the hops shut it down and I would have liked a few more malty aromas and or tastes. Though I understand that hop heads love it - as one would expect. Grade: B+
Browns, Reds and Ambers
Personal Best of the Fest: The winner for me is a rare hybrid oddity that almost shouldn't qualify: Beau's 2011/2012 incarnation of Winterbrewed (5% ABV) which is infused with brewed coffee and changes slightly year to year. This Winter's batch had Guatemalan coffee rather than last year's Nicaraguan and was as delicious as I recall! Pouring a dark amber-to-light brown with nice rocky mocha head full of lacing with remarkable retention. Just gorgeous and then you smell it: freshly brewed gourmet coffee (and, with fair-trade Bridgehead organic coffee, it truly is quality!). The nose has faint hints of earthy hops and caramel malts, but trying to smell anything other than the coffee seemingly brewing beneath your nose is difficult! The flavour is toasty and nutty, but primarily offers a thick and lingering coffee goodness that is met with just enough hops to dry out the finish that maintains that lingering coffee for quite some time (though not long enough!) Medium bodied, with slight carbonation, this is fairly oily (as per the coffee) but just a delight to drink! Grade: A+
It may be somewhat unfair to let my coffee love name the Personal Best of the Fest for one whose "Amber" qualities are nearly indiscernible, so I offer the Backup Best of the Fest here as Wilco Tango Foxtrot (7.8% ABV) a so-called "Imperial Brown Ale" from Lagunitas. This beer is golden brown in colour and a bit lighter than anticipated with a nice off-white head and decent retention and lace. Oranges and drier citrusy hops aromas meet the nose while the taste is simply complex and remarkably balanced. At times, I felt like it began with malty toasted grains before a piney drying finish that didn't last, yet on other sips felt the inverse, being met by floral citrus hops before the malty sweetness and drying end (without any lingering bitterness). The complex balance is very, very good. It is very creamy, nearly chewy, and medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. Not boozy at all. Very drinkable. Grade: A-/A
Beau's Strong Patrick Irish Red Ale (6.7% ABV) comes in next, though I would love to try this again and offer more. I adore good Irish Reds, but they must be consumed before Barley Wines and such and, for various reasons, this didn't happen and its subtleness was lost a bit on me at the time. It was easy drinking for it's ABV, had nice caramel and toasty notes on the nose and tongue and finished with the lingering sweetness one expects from an Irish Red. Saying more than that will require a second tasting, but I did enjoy it and I am sure I would again! Grade: B+/A-
Next, is Maracaibo Especial (a 7.5% ABV American Brown) from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. It pours a deep amber with a decent, creamy, whiter-than-expected head of moderate retention and pacing. There was also a remaining brown yeast sediment visible in the glass. It has two-part aroma beginning with sweet-and-sour dark malty fruits and finishing with a slight citrus hoppiness. Tastes like slightly smoky camp toast with a rindy/citrus finish. It is good, but not exactly like expected in aroma or taste for the style. It had a nicely drying finish, but more in an American Pale Ale manner than that of a Brown. Good, but not legendary to me. Grade: B/B+
Finally, I come to BarbaRoja Barrel-Aged Red Ale (9% ABV) which pours a gorgeous deep amber with an excellent frothy beige head with thick bubbles that remain and leave a fair trace. It has but a faint aroma merely of sweet citrus and lightly toasted malts. Tastes are of spicy fruit with a piney finish and they somehow seem to clash rather than complement each other. Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, though a bit oily and fairly warming. Good, enjoyable, but not something I'd go back to often. Grade: B
Well, that's it for now. Remaining posts about Mondial: Stouts/Porters, Lagers and Wheat Beers, Sours and Unique Oddities, and finally a wrap up post with some concluding remarks - stay tuned as I keep re-living this phenomenal event!
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Mondial Beer Review #1: Trappists, Abbeys, and the Belgian Inspiration
As a slight disclaimer before kicking into my series of five beer review posts from Mondial, I should say that I will slightly lump together some similar, but different beer styles to review a few together and note the best of the bunch first in their respective categories. Sometimes these categories will be a bit catch-all and slightly unfair but will help organize things.
I'll also note that, when accompanied by some assistants on Saturday (thanks to Hec and Hec!), I tasted a few beers more than once and was reminded of the differences from day to day in what appeals. These, as always are according to my palate on a given day and are of course personal, but also hopefully helpful! Unfortunately, I only tasted 55 new beers at the event and cannot compare all of them, but of those, here begins a barrage of posts!
On the Belgian beer trail, I'll be including not only true Belgian beers, but beer styles associated with Belgium. I have categorized these as 1) Dubbels; 2) Tripels; 3) Quads; 4) Saisons; and 5) Belgian Pale Ales. Next, I will do a post on Pale Ales/IPAs/Old/Vintage/Scotch Ales/Barley Wines/Browns and Reds. The next post will cover Stouts, Porters, and variations therein. The fourth post will review my tasted Wheat beers and Lagers, and finally I will post on various sours and oddities.
Dubbels:
Having staggered upon a few desired dubbels that were sold out, I did manage to have two long-awaited Trappist offerings narrowing my list of untasted Trappist beers to just the Westvleteren ones and Achel's quad, but Westmalle and Achel's dubbels were worth their high ticket price at the event.
Personal Best of the Fest: Trappist Achel 8 Brune (8% ABV) is simply stellar. Plummy aromas greet the nose alongside faint hints of figs and dark bread and an even fainter note of floral hops esters. This presented a thick, creamy, yet smooth head of fine carbonation with excellent lacing and retention. It is, indeed, best described as brown, though since (both of my) samples came from the top of a new bottle, no yeasty cloudiness was discernible. Flavorwise, it is sweeter even than anticipated, not so much in the sugary way of many Trappist and Abbay beers, but in a very strong malty fruitiness dominated by figs, plums, and prunes, with a trace of raisins. Despite being sweeter than many, it was so fruity (as opposed to artificial) that it was delicious and refreshing both times. There was no sense of its booziness as it offered a smooth creaminess alongside a medium body and nicely drying finish. This probably equals Trappist Rochefort's as my favourite dubbel. Grade: A+
Also: Westmalle Trappist Dubbel (7% ABV) is similar in aroma, with dark fruits up front but there is also some cherries, perhaps even smelling like a candied variant - sort of like a cross between maraschino cherries and what cherries would be like if candied like a candy apple. I wasn't crazy about this artificial sweetness scent (or flavour) but did mostly enjoy it nonetheless. This beer pours a darker brown than the Achel, but with a whiter, if equally creamy, head that also expressed excellent lacing and retention. Though still sweet, it is more dissimilar in flavor to the Achel than in aroma insofar as raisins, molasses and pumpernickel bread flavourings were more predominant. Likewise, this is also medium bodied and nicely creamy with a perhaps slightly drier finish, yet I found it to taste boozier despite a lower ABV. Overall, a very good beer (in a style I enjoy) but one that was simply bested by Achel according to my tastes. Grade: A-
Tripels:
As someone who generally prefers dubbels and quads to tripels, I was surprised by the tripels that rocked my world at this event. Despite tasting the famous Westmalle Tripel for the first time, and liking it, I found myself adoring two other tripels in ways I never knew I could love this style (though the recently tasted Tripel Karmeliet and Dominus Vobiscum Tripels also entice!).
Personal Best of the Fest: A two way tie between...
Trappist Achel 8 Blonde (8% ABV) smells excellent with notes of honey, pears, and rind most evident alongside sweaty yeast hints. Quite cloudy (with only fine particulate), this fine Trappist ale pours a nice golden colour with a very nice (and nicely retained) white head of medium bubbles. Flavourwise, it begins with sweet notes of pear, apples, and faint citrusy whisps, yet follow with a drying floral semblance of hoppiness with traces of cloves and spicy yeast. It is quite carbonated with a medium body that well masks its high ABV. This beer is not boozy in the least! I am a convert to the ways of the Tripel! Grade: A+
and it is tied with...
Allagash Curieux (11% ABV) offers a variant on this highly respected beer style insofar as it is aged in Jim Beam Bourbon barrels. Aromas of sweet apples, bread, and rind meet the nose alongside an appearance that offers golden, lightly cloudy beer though with only a faint head (with a bit of spottyness on the surface) though the head may have been absent due to a bad pour. Curieux is delicious: a sort of sweet and simultaneously sour apple is predominant alongside vanilla hints from the Bourbon barrels that are clearly present and enticing, yet not overwhelming. Somehow, the two flavours balance perfectly with a sufficiently drying finish presented by a medium body with a tingly-crisp feel of fair carbonation. Simply blissful! Grade: A+
Yes, the legendary, original tripel, Westmalle Trappist Tripel (9.5% ABV) comes in behind these others to my tastes (on that given day, anyway!) Aromawise, I was met with spicy notes exemplary of Belgian yeasts, alongside sweet pears and alcohol. Also golden, but not as cloudy as the Achel, this could be due to topping the bottle, while it was poured with a good and comparably retained/impressive white head. Though there is a complexity of spice and fruits in the flavour, I was a bit disappointed by an excessive booziness and obvious warmth alongside an equally excessive sweatiness to the yeast that - while not bad - were to me less pleasant than its peers offered. Much drier and perhaps better balanced, though with a lighter body and carbonation than their peers that perhaps prevented the masking of the booze. Perhaps it was overhyped for me, but though enjoyable and quite drinkable, I was more blown away by the nuance of the others and wonder if this simply commands its great respect (primarily) on legacy. Grade: B+/A-
Quads:
Personal Best of the Fest: Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (10% ABV) wins out by a slight fraction over Malheur's below in my estimation. It offers scents primarily of raisins and yeasty spices alongside faint remnants of caramel-like maltiness. A bit lighter in colour than anticipated, it was still beautifully dark red with a near glow while the head was a perfect tan with remarkable retention, lacing, and yeasty surface-spotting. In the mouth, plum and berry notes are present, but so too are the raisins and spicyness evident on the nose. A bit of dark bread makes its way in before the quite drying finish that comes off as very port-like. It was a bit lighter bodied than anticipated, yet crisp in a moderate carbonation. Very, very nice, even if a bit drier and lighter than desired. Grade: A
Malheur 12 (12% ABV) finished just-a-shade below the Hibernus in my 50-point rating assessment (based on the BJCP). The nose is dominated by sweet plums, caramel, and bready yeast. It is dark brown with a fantastic creamy, tan head with superb retention and smooth lacing. It is quite sweet in flavour as well with faint hints of chocolate alongside the ever-present dark fruits, but this sweetness is pleasant to me as it hides the ABV that could otherwise take over. It brings a fairly full body with a medium carbonation, but perhaps not quite enough of a drying finish (if somewhat present) to balance for the sweetness, but it presents those notes so well, that this 'flaw' is, at most, negligible! Grade: A
Ommegang Three Philosophers (9.8% ABV) is dominated on the nose by sour cherries that are quite enticing, as is brown colour and ample beige head of noteworthy retention, though with negligible lacing. Flavourwise, I found it complex, yet overly sweaty and the cherry flavours became sweet but in an artificial sort of way. Still nice, but not enlightening enough for me! Though creamier and smoother than the other quads, I found it insufficiently drying and overly boozy despite a lower ABV. Was it good? Hell yes! Was it worth the hype? Not for me. Grade: B+
Saisons:
I have sometimes loved a saison, and other times loathed them. I do not consider myself well versed in the style though and one of these two was a taste of a peer's sample at the end of the night and I was unable to add too much nor smell too much, so I will say little, but I will note the following:
Personal Best of the Fest: Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Saison Sainte Réserve (6% ABV) is fruity with pear and banana notes, alongside a slight spiciness and earthiness that can almost be called musty, but in a raw and appealing manner. It is golden and slightly cloudy with slight head, yet fair spotting and retention though only slight lace. The flavour is mild and mellow, yet faintly sweaty and earthy. It is light-bodied and crisp on the tongue with a moderate carbonation evident. It is nice, but a touch too dry bordering on astringency, yet I gather that this is style exemplary! Grade: B+ (but on a scale I am just learning for this style that is yet to inspire a personal 'saison-spree') (A shot follows with reviews continuing afterwards)
Again, I tasted a helper's beer called "Ichthus" according to the sign at the Le St. Bock booth - as it was on draft, I presume it was from Le Saint Bock. It was called a "Saison Sushi" and was stated as 6.1% ABV, but the brewer was not listed, the beer is not in the program, and I cannot find it via internet search. If anyone can help offer more information (or verify the brewer) or a link in the comments below it would be most appreciated. All I can say for sure now is that it smelled and tasted a bit too murky, earthy, and/or funky for me at the end of the day and I would tentatively give it a Grade: B-
Belgian Pale Ales:
I could call Ommegang's Rare VOS the best Belgian Pale I tasted, but I could also call it the worst as it was the only one I had at the event! That said, it was good, if well overhyped for me personally! It has citrusy and bready aromas, but they are dominated by the yeasty sweatiness. It is lightly cloudy and spotty on the surface, while light amber in colour with a fine white head that boasts excellent lace and retention. A hoppy pine quality not present on the nose comes through on the tongue, as does some yeasty spice. It is bold and very, very dry nearly to the point of astringency, yet in an odd way: it is the combination of sweaty yeast and piney hops that dries as if merging the Belgian and American Pale Ale styles, but is closer to what could be called a Belgian/India Pale Ale possibly. It has a medium body and a low carbonation that, if higher, could suit the dryness a bit better. Grade: B-
That's it for now! More to come soon as I'll continue with Stouts, Porters, Etc as soon as possible!
I'll also note that, when accompanied by some assistants on Saturday (thanks to Hec and Hec!), I tasted a few beers more than once and was reminded of the differences from day to day in what appeals. These, as always are according to my palate on a given day and are of course personal, but also hopefully helpful! Unfortunately, I only tasted 55 new beers at the event and cannot compare all of them, but of those, here begins a barrage of posts!
On the Belgian beer trail, I'll be including not only true Belgian beers, but beer styles associated with Belgium. I have categorized these as 1) Dubbels; 2) Tripels; 3) Quads; 4) Saisons; and 5) Belgian Pale Ales. Next, I will do a post on Pale Ales/IPAs/Old/Vintage/Scotch Ales/Barley Wines/Browns and Reds. The next post will cover Stouts, Porters, and variations therein. The fourth post will review my tasted Wheat beers and Lagers, and finally I will post on various sours and oddities.
Dubbels:
Having staggered upon a few desired dubbels that were sold out, I did manage to have two long-awaited Trappist offerings narrowing my list of untasted Trappist beers to just the Westvleteren ones and Achel's quad, but Westmalle and Achel's dubbels were worth their high ticket price at the event.
Personal Best of the Fest: Trappist Achel 8 Brune (8% ABV) is simply stellar. Plummy aromas greet the nose alongside faint hints of figs and dark bread and an even fainter note of floral hops esters. This presented a thick, creamy, yet smooth head of fine carbonation with excellent lacing and retention. It is, indeed, best described as brown, though since (both of my) samples came from the top of a new bottle, no yeasty cloudiness was discernible. Flavorwise, it is sweeter even than anticipated, not so much in the sugary way of many Trappist and Abbay beers, but in a very strong malty fruitiness dominated by figs, plums, and prunes, with a trace of raisins. Despite being sweeter than many, it was so fruity (as opposed to artificial) that it was delicious and refreshing both times. There was no sense of its booziness as it offered a smooth creaminess alongside a medium body and nicely drying finish. This probably equals Trappist Rochefort's as my favourite dubbel. Grade: A+
Also: Westmalle Trappist Dubbel (7% ABV) is similar in aroma, with dark fruits up front but there is also some cherries, perhaps even smelling like a candied variant - sort of like a cross between maraschino cherries and what cherries would be like if candied like a candy apple. I wasn't crazy about this artificial sweetness scent (or flavour) but did mostly enjoy it nonetheless. This beer pours a darker brown than the Achel, but with a whiter, if equally creamy, head that also expressed excellent lacing and retention. Though still sweet, it is more dissimilar in flavor to the Achel than in aroma insofar as raisins, molasses and pumpernickel bread flavourings were more predominant. Likewise, this is also medium bodied and nicely creamy with a perhaps slightly drier finish, yet I found it to taste boozier despite a lower ABV. Overall, a very good beer (in a style I enjoy) but one that was simply bested by Achel according to my tastes. Grade: A-
Tripels:
As someone who generally prefers dubbels and quads to tripels, I was surprised by the tripels that rocked my world at this event. Despite tasting the famous Westmalle Tripel for the first time, and liking it, I found myself adoring two other tripels in ways I never knew I could love this style (though the recently tasted Tripel Karmeliet and Dominus Vobiscum Tripels also entice!).
Personal Best of the Fest: A two way tie between...
Trappist Achel 8 Blonde (8% ABV) smells excellent with notes of honey, pears, and rind most evident alongside sweaty yeast hints. Quite cloudy (with only fine particulate), this fine Trappist ale pours a nice golden colour with a very nice (and nicely retained) white head of medium bubbles. Flavourwise, it begins with sweet notes of pear, apples, and faint citrusy whisps, yet follow with a drying floral semblance of hoppiness with traces of cloves and spicy yeast. It is quite carbonated with a medium body that well masks its high ABV. This beer is not boozy in the least! I am a convert to the ways of the Tripel! Grade: A+
and it is tied with...
Allagash Curieux (11% ABV) offers a variant on this highly respected beer style insofar as it is aged in Jim Beam Bourbon barrels. Aromas of sweet apples, bread, and rind meet the nose alongside an appearance that offers golden, lightly cloudy beer though with only a faint head (with a bit of spottyness on the surface) though the head may have been absent due to a bad pour. Curieux is delicious: a sort of sweet and simultaneously sour apple is predominant alongside vanilla hints from the Bourbon barrels that are clearly present and enticing, yet not overwhelming. Somehow, the two flavours balance perfectly with a sufficiently drying finish presented by a medium body with a tingly-crisp feel of fair carbonation. Simply blissful! Grade: A+
Yes, the legendary, original tripel, Westmalle Trappist Tripel (9.5% ABV) comes in behind these others to my tastes (on that given day, anyway!) Aromawise, I was met with spicy notes exemplary of Belgian yeasts, alongside sweet pears and alcohol. Also golden, but not as cloudy as the Achel, this could be due to topping the bottle, while it was poured with a good and comparably retained/impressive white head. Though there is a complexity of spice and fruits in the flavour, I was a bit disappointed by an excessive booziness and obvious warmth alongside an equally excessive sweatiness to the yeast that - while not bad - were to me less pleasant than its peers offered. Much drier and perhaps better balanced, though with a lighter body and carbonation than their peers that perhaps prevented the masking of the booze. Perhaps it was overhyped for me, but though enjoyable and quite drinkable, I was more blown away by the nuance of the others and wonder if this simply commands its great respect (primarily) on legacy. Grade: B+/A-
Quads:
Personal Best of the Fest: Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (10% ABV) wins out by a slight fraction over Malheur's below in my estimation. It offers scents primarily of raisins and yeasty spices alongside faint remnants of caramel-like maltiness. A bit lighter in colour than anticipated, it was still beautifully dark red with a near glow while the head was a perfect tan with remarkable retention, lacing, and yeasty surface-spotting. In the mouth, plum and berry notes are present, but so too are the raisins and spicyness evident on the nose. A bit of dark bread makes its way in before the quite drying finish that comes off as very port-like. It was a bit lighter bodied than anticipated, yet crisp in a moderate carbonation. Very, very nice, even if a bit drier and lighter than desired. Grade: A
Malheur 12 (12% ABV) finished just-a-shade below the Hibernus in my 50-point rating assessment (based on the BJCP). The nose is dominated by sweet plums, caramel, and bready yeast. It is dark brown with a fantastic creamy, tan head with superb retention and smooth lacing. It is quite sweet in flavour as well with faint hints of chocolate alongside the ever-present dark fruits, but this sweetness is pleasant to me as it hides the ABV that could otherwise take over. It brings a fairly full body with a medium carbonation, but perhaps not quite enough of a drying finish (if somewhat present) to balance for the sweetness, but it presents those notes so well, that this 'flaw' is, at most, negligible! Grade: A
Ommegang Three Philosophers (9.8% ABV) is dominated on the nose by sour cherries that are quite enticing, as is brown colour and ample beige head of noteworthy retention, though with negligible lacing. Flavourwise, I found it complex, yet overly sweaty and the cherry flavours became sweet but in an artificial sort of way. Still nice, but not enlightening enough for me! Though creamier and smoother than the other quads, I found it insufficiently drying and overly boozy despite a lower ABV. Was it good? Hell yes! Was it worth the hype? Not for me. Grade: B+
Saisons:
I have sometimes loved a saison, and other times loathed them. I do not consider myself well versed in the style though and one of these two was a taste of a peer's sample at the end of the night and I was unable to add too much nor smell too much, so I will say little, but I will note the following:
Personal Best of the Fest: Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Saison Sainte Réserve (6% ABV) is fruity with pear and banana notes, alongside a slight spiciness and earthiness that can almost be called musty, but in a raw and appealing manner. It is golden and slightly cloudy with slight head, yet fair spotting and retention though only slight lace. The flavour is mild and mellow, yet faintly sweaty and earthy. It is light-bodied and crisp on the tongue with a moderate carbonation evident. It is nice, but a touch too dry bordering on astringency, yet I gather that this is style exemplary! Grade: B+ (but on a scale I am just learning for this style that is yet to inspire a personal 'saison-spree') (A shot follows with reviews continuing afterwards)
Again, I tasted a helper's beer called "Ichthus" according to the sign at the Le St. Bock booth - as it was on draft, I presume it was from Le Saint Bock. It was called a "Saison Sushi" and was stated as 6.1% ABV, but the brewer was not listed, the beer is not in the program, and I cannot find it via internet search. If anyone can help offer more information (or verify the brewer) or a link in the comments below it would be most appreciated. All I can say for sure now is that it smelled and tasted a bit too murky, earthy, and/or funky for me at the end of the day and I would tentatively give it a Grade: B-
Belgian Pale Ales:
I could call Ommegang's Rare VOS the best Belgian Pale I tasted, but I could also call it the worst as it was the only one I had at the event! That said, it was good, if well overhyped for me personally! It has citrusy and bready aromas, but they are dominated by the yeasty sweatiness. It is lightly cloudy and spotty on the surface, while light amber in colour with a fine white head that boasts excellent lace and retention. A hoppy pine quality not present on the nose comes through on the tongue, as does some yeasty spice. It is bold and very, very dry nearly to the point of astringency, yet in an odd way: it is the combination of sweaty yeast and piney hops that dries as if merging the Belgian and American Pale Ale styles, but is closer to what could be called a Belgian/India Pale Ale possibly. It has a medium body and a low carbonation that, if higher, could suit the dryness a bit better. Grade: B-
That's it for now! More to come soon as I'll continue with Stouts, Porters, Etc as soon as possible!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Three Quebec-Brewed Belgian Reviews: La Terrible, Dominus Vobiscum Double & Chambly Noire
Since I seem to be drinking more beer than I find time to write about, three brief(-ish) reviews follow. What binds these beers together for this review is both that they are all Quebec-brewed versions of popular Belgian (Trappist/Abbay) styles and that I have drank them all within the past few days!
Unibroue's La Terrible, a bottle conditioned Dark Belgian Strong Style Ale which checks in at 10.5%, is a very good representative of the style from outside the Abbays, but, in my opinion, falls a bit short of the original Belgian products it draws its inspiration from. The beer itself is dark brown in color with a quickly receding off-white to beige head that leaves a very smooth lace. Aromas of figs, plums, port, and alcohol meet the nose. As with the aroma, the flavor is equally sweet and malty, but also includes hints of cherries, plums, and yeasty spices that are much less present on the nose. Full bodied, yet simultaneously creamy and warming in a lingering/fairly drying finish a bit like a nice dry wine. It is perhaps drier than typical of the style, which is again subject to personal preference. Grade: B+
I have heard much of the greatness of the Dominus Vobiscum Belgian-style beers brewed by Microbrasserie Charlevoix, but had yet to try one. Their Dominus Vobiscum Double is the first of their beers for me to taste (since my preference for Dubbels always makes me try them first) and, judging by this product, these beers are almost of Trappist quality such that I anxiously await trying more! This beer pours a beautiful ruby red in colour, with a decent tan-colored head and a good amount of lace. Aromas are primarily of dark fruits, plums, figs, raisins and anise, and the yeasts are much less prevalent than in some Belgian style beers masked by the extreme malty primacy - which could be seen as a detraction from the style accuracy, but to me is appealing since it maximizes the fruity aromas. Tastewise, this beer continues this malty sweetness, but the alcoholic warmth and slight dryness prevents it from being cloying. Hints of brown sugar go along with the dark fruit and licorice. On the tongue, this fairly full-bodied beer is a bit syrupy, yet smooth and just warming enough so as to invite further sips/swigs. A very, very good beer! The praise is well-deserved! Grade: A-
Returning to Unibroue, I was slightly disappointed by their Chambly Noire, which has an ABV of 6.2%. It offers a very slight off-white head with negligible lacing and a very dark brown body. Aromas are yeasty and malty, but not particularly sweet, more bitter, spicy, and alcoholic. On the nose, this beer is also somewhat sour, with notes of sour plums. For its purported style, the taste is not very complex. In fact, I was quite disappointed. It basically offers a yeasty spiciness with a slight hint of sour fruit, but little of complex excellence and much less malty fruitiness than one would expect of the style. Moreover, the slight sourness (in both aroma and flavour) are not indicative of the style (making me slightly wonder if I'd received a bad bottle). Low carbonation for the style as well as a thinner body than I was anticipating are further examples of this ill-fit, in my assessment. Not bad, per se, but far less enjoyable than I'd imagined and not very representative of the style parameters. Grade: C+
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