Semi-half assed review(s): Trappist Rochefort

I've been drinking...

Hey...remember me? Sure it's been a while but it doesn't mean that I haven't been drinking the good stuff and analyzing the crap out of it.

Bored right now, have knocked back a few, and figured I'd write about it. To be fair, I decided to pull out two of the better beers on the planet and talk about them. Maybe this little blip on the radar of the blog world will get you to go out and find these bad boys to enjoy yourself.

Had a few at the bar and thought I'd take a few to go with me. I stuck with the same brewer and decided I'd dissect the Trappist Rochefort 8 and the Trappist Rochefort 10. The "10" is consistently in the top 25 of the beeradvocate.com, and the "8" goes in and out of the top 100. There are a handful of beers I consider "must likes" if you are a fan of good beer. There are certain beers that you simply have to like, regardless of style, if you like good brew. If you can't enjoy anything Rochefort makes....you simply don't like good beer, that's all there is to it. Go find a Blue Moon and screw off....

The beauty of these guys, is that they are (relatively) easy to find in terms of the top top brews on the planet. They aren't all that seasonal, and a good liquor store, or a high end bottle bar generally has them in stock. Now, they are going to cost you....generally retailing as cheap as 5 bucks and also as high as 8 bucks for an 11.2 oz bottle. Absolutely, positively worth every single penny, as these are the epitome of Belgian ales and "beer" in general.

These aren't ones to throw down in a quick "while watching the game" manner,....... these are ones to sip and savor.

TRAPPIST ROCHEFORT 8




9.2% ABV, only available in 11.2 oz. bottles. I guess you can call it a "strong Belgian Dark Ale", but calling it a "Quadruple" is just fine in my book, as you're splitting hairs at this point. Pours a deliciously chocolate brown, with hints of deep violet into your chalice. Decent head gives way, and the little bit of yeast that's sure to sneak out of the heavily conditioned bottle is going to bubble most of the way through the drink.

Smells like chocolate covered dark fruit,...raisins, figs, pretty much everything you see in a text-book description of the style. Big, malty, yeasty, vibrant, full of awesome. Taste matches it. Never thin, never chemical, never metallic. (like the shitty Belgian-style brews) Everything that one might find in a cheaper, dark, Belgian just simply doesn't exist here. The flavor is full with every sip, and the alcohol only comes well after the drink with only the most minimal dryness. Perfectly acceptable booziness for something that's over 9% abv. Stays drinkable, in the sense you can have 2-3, but of course not a whole sixer.

Not as bold or as "wow" as the 10 (we'll talk about that in a bit), but I'm not sure what else you'd want in a big Belgian. People generally skip the 8 to go straight for the 10, but it's certainly worth a go. Not saying the 10 isn't worth it, but the 8 is also. Maybe go for the 8 so you could have 1-2 more seeing as how it's slightly more subdued and a little lower in abv?

Semi-half assed verdict: 9/10

TRAPPIST ROCHEFORT 10



Far drunker now.....

Rochefort 8 and 6's bigger brother....well, to be fair it's MOST beer's bigger brother. One of the more respected beers on the planet and it's not all that hard to find (once again, in comparison to many other top 50 brews). I think many of us forget that this brew is really one of the better made products in the world and pass over it for other stuff that's really priced somewhat similarly.

Pours the same (as the "8") big, chunky brown (with violet hues), and has the same big, tan head that dissipates rather quickly. (this is, in part, due to my most likely dirty chalice). The beer is almost opaque, and appears, visually, as a challenge to my tongue/pallet. Fine by me.

Once again, the nose is big, malty, yeasty, dark fruits, with substantial chocolate. There's nothing "light" about this beer, in the sense that your tongue will be spared with crispness, or lack of aftertaste. The beer will coat your tongue and stay there for some time. The mouthfeel is certainly heavier (11.3% abv, so that's assumed), and definitely creamier. The taste is like I described before with the "8", only a bit heavier in the malt/chocolate department, with equal parts of the dark fruit.

Outside of, maybe the Westvleteren 12, this might be the pre-eminent Belgian Ale. Big, heavy, chewy malt, tons of yummy chocolate and dark fruit, and never really any sort of harshness to it. Most other beers that you take on over 11% abv will let you know early and often of their strength. The alcohol is here, but it never burns, and this is far and away anything from a "hot" beer in the likes of crap made by Avery or other supposedly "high end" stuff with big ABVs.

Once again, if you claim to like "good beer", and don't pop at least a minor boner from this brew, you're lying.

Semi-half assed verdict: 9.99999999/10



Cheers...bitches.

Half-Assed beer reviews: 1/1/2011

So unlike most, I'm not nursing too bad of a hangover today as I
worked til pretty late last night. I've decided to pop open some stuff in my cellar and throw out some half-assed reviews of some new(er) stuff I've tried recently, and stuff that I'm beginning to really enjoy and would like to recommend to some of my buddies that tell me they actually read this thing.

Fantome - Saison

I had this beer for the first time about a half year ago, and enjoyed it then. I've tried it a handful more times since and seem to like it more and more as I try it. I think initially you might call it a "sour", but I think it's more tart than sour. It's got a good tart/sweet bite, a little bit of funk, and it's nice and earthy/grassy which is what I really like in a Saison. It finishes very clean and with only minimal hop bitterness. It's refreshing, obscenely easy to drink, no characteristic is overpowering and everything plays nicely with each other. Like many of the brews I consider the "best", it practices the fine art of subtlety. I wouldn't put a new beer nerd on to this right away, but if you can get some good saisons under their belt, like Saison Dupont, or Boulevard's Tank 7, this might be a good next step. It also might be a good way to bridge the gap if you or someone else wants to try some of the more sour brews.

Be forewarned: A 750ml bottle of this usually runs around 14 bucks a pop, retail.

Half-assed verdict: 8.5/10

Boulevard - Amber Ale

I think most beer nerds see Amber Ales as kinda lame beers, and stuff that's left for the newbie who thinks they're branching out because "OMG, THIS IS A DARK BEER". I've been on that boat before, and too often roll my eyes when someone asks me for a good "Amber". Regardless, this is actually a really solid session brew. I'd be more than happy if this were the beer of choice for a Super Bowl party, or something similar. It's got a nice full body, a good mingling of sweet and bitter, and enough taste to make you want more, but not overpower you. I'd say the flavor profile is a bit of caramel up front, and just enough hops to give it a clean finish, nothing more. It's not meant to blow up your palate, and it's not meant at any one point to make you go "WOW". But if you click on the link (the session brew), that's the point of a session beer, you can put down a sixer and not be in a vomit-inducing state. Like many other Ambers, this one is still a good introduction to craft beer in that it's not too overpowering, or unapproachable, and the AB/Miller/Coors drinker can still say: "OMG, THIS IS A DARK BEER" which will make them happy.

Also helping the sessionability, this won't go for more than 8-9 bucks a sixer.

Half-assed verdict: 6.9999/10

Abita - Jackamo IPA

Abita is one of those breweries everyone gets excited about because they drank a ton of it while they were having a good time, and associate that with quality. The brewery is out of Louisiana so they most likely had it while getting shit-canned, eating gumbo during a binge drinking weekend in New Orleans. I have no problem with all of those things, I'm just posting this particular beer because it is another example of what is (IMO) an average, at best, brewery. Abita's beer really isn't anything special. You might associate it with good times, but just because an ugly girl is good in the sack, doesn't mean she isn't ugly. You were drunk, and it was fun......just like this beer. Specifically, their IPA is really awful. It's sloppy, overly sharp, the malt is too thin and syrupy sweet, and the hops are far too bitter and out of balance. I'm not sure what hop variety they used but it's "unpleasant" at best. I had this once at a beer festival and had to pour out the other half of my 3 ounce sample. It's going to rank higher than your bud lights, etc...but only because it at least attempts to impart flavor on the drinker, and has a decent ABV so at least you can tie one on more quickly. I'm not a huge IPA-nut, but this isn't an issue of style for me, this is just me having an issue with a poorly made beer.

Half-assed verdict: 3/10



Well, that's all for now.

Cheers, folks.

Aventinus Weizenbock (wheat doppelbock)

Remember when I had a discussion about beers that I'm not sure American brewers could recreate? This may be one of them. A seemingly simple beer with an obscene amount of depth and subtlety. If I had a "ten beers you wanted to bring to a desert island" list,....this one would most likely make that list. As you can tell, I know I'm going to like this one coming in, but I thought I'd give it a full review for all you newbies out there, so maybe you have an idea what to expect.

This beer is a "weizenbock" which is essentially (at least this specific beer) is part hefeweizen, part doppelbock. It has all the yummy esters (crap you taste from the yeast) and pairs it beautifully with a heavier dose of malt. This particular bottle essentially tells you that this is a wheat version of a doppelbock.

This is a 16.9oz/500ml bottle, and you can usually find it for like 4-4.50 a bottle at a good liquor store. As this is double-malted, it clocks in at a stout 8.2% abv. I poured this into a big hefe-glass pretty much similar to the one shown in the pic on the right.

The pour is dark like a big heavy doppelbock, but a little more hazy and with some golden hues. The head is a big, off-white, fluffy,, almost root-beer float like, and stands about 3 fingers. It almost looks like you could take a spoon to it like whipped cream on top of your milk shake. Effing beautiful. After about 5 minutes, a good finger's worth remains.

The first thing you get in the nose is a big sharp clove, big banana, and like any yummy hefeweizen, a fair amount of bubble gum. This smells effing delicious. (that's 2 "effings" if you're counting). After a few more whiffs, there is a definite alcohol presence. Not a huge amount of booze, but more than you'd find in most wheats. Overall, the clove dominates.

Taste is everything you find in the nose, but with a bit of caramel and almost sugary malts. The alcohol and banana meld together, while the clove and the bubblegum linger on the tongue. It's all very smooth and almost creamy at times. This is just like the name of the beer would suggest, it's 1/2 wheat, and 1/2 doppelbock. Not as crisp as a good hefe, and not as syrupy as a normal doppelbock.....but a mix of the two. There's a hint of dark fruit-like stuff in there that you get with the bigger dark malts, but the caramel and sweetness I described are certainly more prevalent. It never feels overly heavy and is obscenely drinkable for it being 8.2% abv. This is a ton of ingredients and flavors to put into one brew, but at no times does it become overwhelming or too much to handle on the tongue. (that's what she said)

This is simply one of the finest beers on the planet, and maybe one of the top 5 brews (my humble opinion of course) to come out of Germany. It's big, complex, beautiful, but still subtle enough to be extremely accessible, even to the noobiest of the beer noobs. If some d-bag out there refuses to drink "dark beers" but is a lover of all things Blue Moon and Blvd. Wheat, then this is the beer to show them that not all dark beers look and taste like Guinness draft. This gives them all the wheat-y goodness they want and introduces them to some darker malts and the flavors and sweetness that comes with it. This is the definition of a "big beer" but remains a quintessential German brew in that it's really really easy to drink.

If you don't enjoy this beer at least a little, I have a hard time believing you are even a fan of beer in general.

Verdict: 9/10

Cheers, biatches.

Boulevard's Tank 7

Ok, I know this time of year is just right for winter warmers, big stouts, old ales, scotch ales/wee heavys and the like, but I just felt like talking about this yummy beer while it's still reasonable outside. Too many times people new into the beer scene look down on Boulevard as a brewery in that they think that all they have to offer are the oft-seen Unfiltered Wheat and Pale Ale. They want to try something new and fail to realize that (while there's nothing wrong with Bully's everyday offerings) Boulevard has a number of really top notch brews in their "Smokestack" Series. Often times, where I work, the Tank 7 is a nice introduction into the previously unknown world of the high-end Boulevard offerings.

Like I said before, Tank 7 is a "Saison" aka: "Farmhouse Ale", and thus the crispness and dryness of the beer makes people think that it is more appropriate in the spring or summer. Nonsense, this (the Tank 7, that is) is a solid brew and is good any time of year. Furthermore, this beer can pair with a ton of food, as the dry character of it works as a great palate cleanser.


While you usually don't see this beer in bottles, I was fortunate enough to score a 12oz version of it. The Smokestack stuff was generally only available in 750ml bottles, but Boulevard just recently started putting out four packs. We'll see how this goes. Also, I usually post my own photos of the beers I'm drinking, but frankly that is becoming a pain in the ass. That being said, I would not recommend the glassware used in this picture for a Saison. I'm thinking something like a tulip, or at least not something with a wide mouth. I usually like a lot of air to get to my Belgians, and am not worried about head retention or loss of carbonation, but not with this beer. I like my Saisons to be a little more sharp, tart, and crisp. The smaller opening on the glass should help retain some of that character. Of course this is merely a suggestion, and my personal preference.

So....

12oz bottle poured into a Ommegang Hennepin glass. Boulevard is certainly going for the "Belgian" look with these new bottles. The label says this is 8% abv, pretty sturdy for a saison. Normal pour gives me a nice 2 finger head with a really deep, golden, hazy body with orange hues. In giving the beer a minute or two to settle down, the head is retaining pretty well with some lacing....although it's not the distinct rings, but more random little islands.

Smells like a real Belgian. Bready and yeasty. Outside of that is notes of alcohol and some sharp citrus with lemon/lemon-grass dominating the fruitiness. Back to that "smells like a real Belgian" comment: there is that definite hint of farmhouse funk to the beer. It's ok to use that term, because that's what I think it is, it's a funk. Not a bad or a good thing, but a nice quality that doesn't exist in a lot of American made Belgian ales.

Taste is interesting. I've only had this on tap (a bunch of times) and it may be because this is a touch colder than usual......but I'm getting quite a bit more hop bitterness than I'm used to. This isn't bad, it's just different. So I let it warm up a bit and the bitterness gets taken down *just* a touch. The first thing you notice when you drink it is the carbonation in it, which is followed by a punch of tart and citrus. It's not a HUGE kick of either, it's there....but it's clean and crisp. That is followed by the hops and alcohol which is certainly present. There is a hint of sweetness that's present in the background during most of the drinking, but it's not tongue-coating, or very "big" in that respect. Every aspect of the beer is clean and crisp, the only thing that lingers is a touch of hops and a touch of alcohol. I would say from my experience, that all these sharp flavors are lost (just a touch) when you get it on tap, and you get a slightly sweeter product. Now, don't get me wrong, it's phenomenal on tap, it's just a bit different as I find it sweeter.

(Note: this beer by all means gets sweeter as it warms up. If it's too tart or bitter at first, just give it 10-15 minutes).

All in all, this is just a top-notch saison. I talk a lot of shit on American brewer's ability to make Belgian beers, but this is definitely done right. It has that nice funky-yeasty character that most U.S. brews are missing, and keeps the flavor profile consistent with the traditional saisons. It's balanced, tart, clean, and refreshing and drinkable. The only thing that makes this clearly American is the noticeable hope profile. It adds a bit of "green-ness" that you probably won't see from ones from across the pond.

Once again, to all you beer newbies out there, Boulevard is more than a wheat beer with a lemon in it, they make some really top notch, high-end brews in their Smokestack Series. The tank 7 is one of them.

Verdict: 8/10

Cheers.

Boddington's Pub Ale

Yeah......it's been a long g.d. time since I've written on here. I'd like to attribute it to a growing number of hours at work, but I'm not sure that would really work. I've just been a bit lazy. I've been drinking a ton of beer, as per usual.....but I just have been too lazy to write about it. Oh well. I'm sure your hearts were unmercifully broken for the last few months.

All that crap aside, I've decided to write a post or two tonight and am starting with a beer I have never really liked. Well, when I initially drank it 6-7 years ago, I though I was cool and hip because people would see the Guinness-like consistency of it (it's generally served with Nitrogen as opposed to CO2) and be all "WTF?!?!"...and I guess the taste wasn't too much one way or another. Soon thereafter I began drinking bigger beers and found this to be a very bland brew. Now, I'm trying to reconsider the place that some of the more old-fashioned session brews have in my life and have decided to give this another go. A few sips recently from the tap at work have made me think maybe Boddington's isn't THAT bad. So let's see.

Now, as this is being enjoyed in my living room, I'm serving this out of a can poured into a glass. The can has one of those nitrogen plastic balls in it to help mimic what you get out of the draught, although it never does justice to the real thing. So take this with a grain of salt.

Poured the beer from a cold (not super-cold, though....the can recommends 41 degrees F) can into a simple pint. Opened the can.....and the sumbitch done exploded all over the place. I was able to salvage it with some quick thinking and got to pouring. Super tan, with tiny bubbles all over the place. There is a bit of cascading action, but it clears up much quicker than a nitro stout like Beamish/Murphy's/Guinness. Color settles to a really deep golden/yellow/brown. Very white head remains, although only about half a finger. Usually if it's a fresh pour off a good keg you'll get at least twice as much. Carbonation is non-existent as there is no added carbonation to this beer (only nitrogen), and no bubbles messing around outside of the remaining head. Not much to say about the look, but the average beer drinker might think it's flat. And that person would be an idiot.

Smell actually resembles that of a low hopped, mild, English ale with a touch of sweetness, and a grainy smell you get from when you're brewing or visiting a brewery and you smell real, un-milled barely. A bit of a metallic note is there as well. Not sure if that is from the beer or the can. I think I usually get that same smell when I have this on tap, so I'm going to assume it's probably the beer. Either way, it's negligible. Not gonna lie though, this smells like a cheap beer.

Taste is....ehh. There is a little hop bitterness on the tongue, but not much. It's not floral, piney, fruity, resinous, or any other way you want to describe hops, it's just flat out bitter. Not saying that's a bad thing, but just that it is there. Definitely more bitter than what you smell. It's almost as if there is bitterness coming from somewhere else, as the sweetness doesn't play any more role than that of a balance from the malt. As it warms, that metallic note becomes a bit more present, and unfortunately lingers a bit with the bitter. I'm not sure what one taste people are seeking out when they order/buy one of these. Nothing about it is overly pleasant. It's palatable and not "horrible", at best.

Mouthfeel is what people probably dig about this beer, and I'm ok with that. The fact that it's a nitro-brew and that it's a bit flattened out makes this fairly creamy on the tongue. No harsh carbonation at ALL to speak of makes it really easy to put down, and sometimes not even notice the flavor of the beer. (this may be a good thing)

Drinkability, as alluded to in the mouthfeel comment is very high. It's really creamy/smooth and easy to put down. Most traditional brews from the British isles are meant for sessioning (aka: drinking for a long period of time with ease) and this one certainly meets that criteria. I imagine after a couple of these that beers # 4,5,6 would be unnoticeable. (once again, maybe a good thing)

So like I said before, I can dig the drinkability aspect and the mouthfeel to this beer. Only problem is that there are other beers that meet this criteria and taste light years better. This simply is not a very good tasting beer no matter how you put it. I don't need to be drop-kicked with flavor, but what flavor this does have isn't great. I'm putting it into the Budweiser heavy category where I most likely won't order one unless it is the only non-light beer available, but I won't be all that perturbed if someone buys a round and that's what I get stuck with. It's extremely easy to put down, smooth from the first sip all the way down to where it reaches your belly. For that I give it props, but I'm pretty sure that drinkability has more to do with the fact that the beer is served with nitro, and has not much to do with the actual flavor of the product.....which is ultimately sub-par.

Oh well, cheers.

Verdict: 4/10

Ska Brewery is here. (in Missouri that is)

So, Ska Brewing out of Durango, Colorado is finally available in Missouri. Seeing as how I am currently employed somewhere that carries the product, I've been able to try quite a few of their brews (7 to be exact) and decided to throw some of my half-assed reviews of their product out into the interwebz. Nothing is mind-blowingly awesome, but the majority of their stuff is pretty solid so far. Outside of one or two beers, you're not going to be all that disappointed.

Here goes:

BUSTER NUT BROWN.

Outside of a cheeky name, this simply isn't all that good of a beer. Now, it's not that there is something that tastes bad, or off about the beer, it's just a watered down version of the style, in my opinion. There's a nice, dark, brown sugar/molasses, and toasted sweetness to it, and a noticeable nutiness, but it's just too thin. I want a beer that relies on its sweetness to be thick enough to coat the tongue with the malt, and this has a dry, clean, crisp finish which just isn't what I think I want in a a brown ale. Those are good aspects to other beers, but that's why I drink those beers. When I want a good brown, I want something a bit fuller, a bit heavier and sweet, and a bit chewier....if that makes any sense. Now, like I said, nothing really tastes bad here, there just isn't enough of that "taste". It leaves you wanting quite a bit. Annoying, if you ask me. ANNOYING.

Half assed-verdict: 5/10.







TEN PIN PORTER.

All in all a solid porter. The porter seems to be a dying style, and something that too many breweries and drinkers don't really worry about any more. I'm not sure if it's because nobody likes the style all that much, or that most breweries brew porters that are just so close to their milk stouts or regular stouts that they (brewers and drinkers) say "screw it" and not worry about making one. We'll talk about the differences between porters and stouts some other time. Either way, this is a solid porter. I like porters to be sweet (caramel sweet), a touch of roast, and just a hint of hop bitterness in the finish. This has that, maybe a touch too sweet. It's a got a good chewy-ness to the malt, which I like, and while drinkable, is a nice, filling beer. If you like porters, this ain't too bad.

Half-assed verdict: 6.5/10



PINSTRIPE RED ALE.

Dang good red ale. Not quite to the level of North Coast's Red Seal Ale, (at least in my opinion) it's a really solid red. I'm not looking for a red ale to blow me away with any sort of flavor, or have something really stand out by itself, I'm just looking for a well balanced ale. I want a good chewy-malt-sweet presence, and a good clean, bitter finish. A nice balance with a noticeable, firm presence on the tongue (thus, the "chewy" comment). This gets pretty close. I paired it with some of my super bad ass homemade buffalo wings, and it was perfect. There is enough malt to sit heavy on the tongue, sort of coating it, but it finishes with just enough clean bitterness to get you ready for your next wing. It's never too sweet and never too bitter. It might even fair to say that it's just a good pale ale, whatever you want to call it. If you want a solid session beer, something to throw back with burgers or wings while watching the game, this isn't a bad choice.

Half-assed verdict: 7/10


STEEL TOE MILK STOUT.

Decent, not great stout. Now, I guess I should call it a decent "milk stout", because that's a bit different than a normal stout. Milk stouts are supposed to be a touch sweeter, and this one is good, in that there is still some good roast there, but it's possibly a touch too sweet for me. It's got a good look to it, and a good consistency, but the finish has this grainy aspect.....not in the sense of barley or hops, but grainy like grains of sugar. It's a bit of a weird sensation that I usually don't pick up on. It's pretty much the only part of the beer that puts me off as it's not bad up til that point. Of course I say all this and I realize that this is my subjective taste. It's not bad, really, nothing really makes you do a funny face thing, it's just that the finish is a bit sugary sweet for my taste.....but I can't lie, it's not like it's over the top. It is a decent milk stout, maybe just a step below, say the Left Hand Milk Stout. I'm curious to give this a shot on tap, that might help.

Half-assed review: 6/10




ESB SPECIAL ALE.

Not a bad ESB. ESBs, I think are becoming like porters. They kind of meander over into pale ale territory so much that people forget about them as being their own thing. That's fine, as I guess the label doesn't matter if it's a good brew. This was weird as the first 1/3 of the can (yes it's in a can, more on that later......and don't worry I poured it into a glass) was all bitter, and nothing else, kind of unpleasant. So I didn't pay attention to it for about 10 minutes. I came back and the beer changed quite a bit and the malt did it's job. The bitterness is still king (ESB = Extra Special Bitter), but it's malt friend provided a touch of backup. Yes, I'm going to use the word "chewy" again, in that that's what it did. I like the "chewy adjective, and if you have a problem....screw off. The malt gave it a good touch of balance, but still allowing the hops to do it's thing. The hops are more of a dry, floral variety. There's not a huge smack of grapefruit and pine on the lips, and instead they're a touch more flowery and just a bit leafy/grassy. They really are more of a bittering agent in this brew. This would be a really good session beer. We'll get to the can thing a bit on the way down.

Half-assed verdict: 6.5/10


DECADENT IMPERIAL IPA.

Not sure what to think of this beer. When you think "Imperial IPA", you think that you are going to be Karate Kid-ed in the face with hops. That just isn't the case. There may be a ton of hops in this beer but it's so malted that you don't really notice them to level you think you would. Now, they are certainly there, mind you, but they really aren't the star of the show. This confuses me, as they (Ska, that is) are throwing around the whole "IPA" label. Many other beer nerds I've talked to agree with me almost instantaneously in that this beer is a huge malt bomb, that happens to be a bit hopped up. So yes, it is very sweet. Almost too sweet. But, I will say this, once I get over the fact that I should be less worried about what this beer is labeled as, and focus on whether or not I like it, I kind of enjoy the brew. I prefer malt over hops, so after this guy warms up a touch, and you get through the first half of the glass and realize it isn't a hop bomb....it's not all that bad. It's certainly sweet and malt heavy, but there is still enough hop presence (duh) that it doesn't kill you. You just can't come in thinking you're in for a huge hop-kick to the head, cuz it won't happen. It's a good smooth maltiness, slightly syrupy at times, but it doesn't have a cavity-inducing sweetness to it. There's s touch of spice involved that helps out the balance as well. So, if you can get over what this beer is labeled, and just drink it, I think you can enjoy it.

Half-assed verdict: 7/10



MODUS HOPERANDI IPA.

I guess I'm lame, but I think that's a cool as shit name for a beer. Further more, this is an above average IPA. About the whole "it being in a can" thing, well, you're going to have to deal with it. Just like I want beer wussies to realize that dark beer doesn't = bad beer....beer nerds/snobs need to realize that the can is a good vessel for a beer. (read here, a can may actually keep the product fresher). This brew, and the ESB, as far as I know, come only in cans. And yes, I've had it out of a can as well and it tastes mighty fan, no weird metallic flavors at all. Alright, all that being said, this is a good IPA. It doesn't back off from being afraid of being too bitter, but it does do a nice job of staying balanced, and slightly fruity-sweet. There is a good mixture of sweetness from a good malt backbone, and a nice kick of grapefruit up front. The bitterness in the end is the amount of bitterness you want and expect from an IPA. It's there, it's certainly bitter, but the bitterness doesn't hang on too long, and while it's bigger than the malt, it doesn't kick the malt's ass. This is a good thing. It's a nice IPA to drink, in my opinion. A really great version of the style.

Half-assed review: 7.5/10

Bear Republic - Hop Rod Rye

Seeing as how the last beer I had was something sort of special that you can't get in the Midwest....or many other places for that matter, I figured I'd taste something that you can see at a high percentage of decent liquor stores/beer shops in the MW.

That being said, this isn't some POS beer that I just had lying around. This beer is up there as far as favorites are concerned, and certainly one of my top 5 or so pale ales/IPAs. It is a bit weird though, this beer has the kind of the Kenny G distinction, where it's super highly rated by most rating services (#81 overall on Beer Advocate, and #22 Double IPA on RateBeer), yet I run into a lot of fellow beer nerds, including the lame "hop heads" that for whatever reason won't own up to actually liking the beer. I don't get it.

Oh well, here goes:

This one is a 12oz bottle poured into a simple pint glass. Most of the time you see this, it comes in 22oz bombers, but you can occasionally see 4 packs of 12 ouncers. A 22oz guy will probably run you about 4.5-5 bucks. The bottle's label is different, so that's good, but it is a touch lame with the old hot rod on the front. It calls the beer a "specialty ale", and let's me know that it's 8% abv. Not a huge amount of booze, but most likely enough to notice the malt.

An easy pour gives me a 2 finger light-tan head in my KU Alumni pint glass. The head lasts for a reasonable amount of time and leaves a pretty think soapiness on top. Great, sticky lacing clings to the side. The smell is equal amount hops and malt, with a touch of alcohol. Hops are very typical, with a little grapefruit and just a little pine, nothing over the top. Malt is doughy, crackery, and the rye malt comes in with just a little spice. None of the characteristics seem too overwhelming. The smell allows you to believe that this is a well balanced beer.

This one has been sitting out for a bit, so it's not too cold, which I think this would be nice to allow the rye (malt) to come through. This is by all means a "heavy" beer. Big and chewy....yum. You know, it's actually hard to get a true separation of the flavors here......and distinct flavors is something I usually like, but for some reason in this one, it works. The sweetness of the malt barely sneaks in first, coats the tongue a touch, then you get a nice piney-citrus rind hop, followed by a really good touch of spice from the rye that hits you right as the hop bitterness does the same. The bitterness remains a touch after the spicy rye but it's never overpowering. If there was one word describing this brew, it would be "balance". This is possibly the epitome of the word.

This is just simply a top-notch crafted beer. As I've said many times I don't go nuts over hops, but I do like them when they are not the main show of a beer. This beer is certainly equal part hops and equal part malt (with 18% rye malt, according to the bottle), and they compliment each other very nicely. Never once in the beer does one characteristic dominate the other, and where the hops would leave their mark with an overly bitter finish, the rye comes in and finishes with a good dry spice instead of overwhelming bitterness.

At the end of the day, this isn't beer-gasm-esque as far as flavor is concerned.....although it has a phenomenal taste. This beer has top notch flavor, with top notch balance, which gives it a top notch drinkability for something with a ton of malt, hops and 8% alcohol. For that reason I am giving it an uber-high rating. For you hop-head d-bags out there that want nothing more than mouth puckering grapefruit and razor sharp pine bitterness............eat it. This is a bad as beer, and all the haters can eat a big one.

Verdict: 9/10

Suck it.

Pliny the mother-****** Elder

Ok, it's just "Pliny The Elder", but it's not often that some poor guy like me gets one of the highest rated IPAs on the planet out in the midwest. (#7 on Beer advocate, and #3 Double IPA on ratebeer.com). I took my nerd-dom to a new level and did a beer exchange with a fellow beer nerd who happens to live in Portland, OR. He sent me a bevy of top notch stuff I can't get out here, including the aforementioned PtE, and I'm hoping to return the favor sometime soon. Needless to say, you cannot find this brew out in the midwest, but if you ever get a chance out west, go for it.

Either way, the arrival of the package, which had the beautiful bottle of Pliny sitting on top was borderline "big O" inducing. It was almost a beer-gasm before I even tasted the beer...which definitely would have been a first. Now, I don't go absolutely ape-shit over IPAs, in general, but I do like beers of all styles in the sense that I really enjoy drinking anything that is really well crafted. I figured this wasn't highly rated because it was some obnoxious kick to the head in hops, but because it was still an uber-hopped beer that was well balanced, and well put together. This was all true.

So, let's review, shall we:

As far as I know, this only comes in the 16.9 oz bottle, like the one I received (outside of a few chances to find it on tap in the NW USA). Pretty cool, simple label, brewed by the Russian River Brewing Company out of Santa Rosa California. Looks like this one comes in at 8% abv, which will no doubt help the drinkability, as some big IPAs can get to the 10% level or plus...and that's a bit much even for a big dog like this. The most interesting part about this beauty, however, is that all over the bottle are statements pleading with you to drink the beer fresh, don't age it, and keep it cold. A lot of beer guys, like myself, get their hands on the good stuff whenever they can, regardless of whether they'll drink it right away. We'll grab it, throw it in a dark, cool area, and figure since it's probably a high abv beer, that it will age. Not this guy, they emplore you to drink it ASAP: "Consume Pliny fresh or not at all." This one was bottled on 3/22/10, so I think I was alright.

Beer pours a pretty cool heavy golden-orange. It's murky (not sediment, just thick), and looks really chewy...in a good way. Decent finger or so of bright white head, and as with most good IPAs, some really nice lacing. I was drinking it out of my mini La Trappe chalice/snifter thing.

Smell is of course, initially citrus dominated...but not just grapefruit. There are also some oranges, maybe a beat of peach and apricot, and a little whiff of alcohol presence. I'm getting to the point where I don't think that's a bad thing, anymore as long as it's just a touch. If done right a nice twinge of boos brings it all together. It's still a touch cold, but there is a nice doughy malt in the nose, some biscuity goodness.

Taste is a big fruity, citrus smack, just like in the smell. The fruit comes and goes kind of quickly and lets a decent amount of that malt in there. The malt though, also finishes crisp and extremely clean. And maybe the most interesting part of the drink is the hop bitterness, which comes literally like 2-3 seconds after the drink. The sensation with the bitterness is really cool. None of the flavors are extremely top notch (although the fruitiness of the hops is really nice and crisp, never overwhelming or too coating on the tongue), but the real great thing about this taste is the way it is layered. There is a very distinct 3-4 taste sensations, which is, in my opinion, what often separates the really great brews from the rest of them.

End of the day, this is really a top notch beer. I'm not going to go nuts on my rating because IPAs simply aren't my favorite style. I am really enjoying them more and more each day, but I still don't crave them like a top notch quad, or even an impy-stout. But, regardless of what you like, you have to absolutely appreciate that elite craftsmanship of this brew. The flavors are layered, balanced, and never overpowering.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Cheers, bitchez.

Founders Double Trouble (Imperial IPA)

Hello there, been awhile and I probably am behind a review or two. Oh well.....not like I'm getting paid for this. I've been drinking plenty of beers (often new ones), but very few of them have been at home, and as per my previous "beer-gasm" post, I have a hard time going 100% beer nerd when drinking in public. At least not to the point where I can take notes and what not to the point where I can write a proper review. So, here goes....again.

I've never been a huge IPA guy, not in that I'm anti-hops, but just anti beer being overhopped...which happens quite often nowadays. That's not to say I don't like the good ones, and seeing as how Founder's makes quite a few good "big" beers, I decided to give this one a try. I got it at Friar Tucks at Highway K and 40 in O'fallon, and it wasn't freaky-deaky expensive, at 8.99 for a 4 pack. Certainly not cheap, but in terms of Double-IPAs...nothing to freak out over.

12 oz. squatty botottle poured into a La Chouffe tulip. I figured something with a ton of hops in it could use something to help with the aroma. Bottle says 9.4% ABV as well as 86 IBUs (definition), and as with many Founders brews, it has a pretty snazzy label.

Pours a real pretty, hazy amber-orange. Aggressive pour gives it some decent head (that's what she said) but it goes down to a soap ring awfully quickly. As foam goes down it leaves some really nice sticky lacing, as well. The nose on this thing is brilliant. Big juicy grapefruit...not just like grapefruit zest but like big hunks of freshly cut fruit, floral notes of pine, sweet malt, spicy alcohol. Not quite as juicy as Bell's Hop Slam, but still great.

Taste.........sharp, bitter, piney. I let the beer sit across the middle of my tongue for a little longer and get a touch more of the malt backbone, but the finish is still just a *touch* harsh. If you let it sit on the tongue for while you can pick of the grapefruit, but the second you swallow it you get walloped with the pine and grass a sharp kick of bitterness that coats the whole tongue. The alcohol finishes and joins the sharp bitterness in the aftertaste. The bitterness is tempere as it warms, and the malt does a better job of coating the tongue. The warmth gets it a bit more booziness and grapefruit character and takes away from it being so bitter. Word to the wise: definitely let this warm up a touch. I mean.....you can drink it cold(er) off the bat, but give it a chance to warm up and you'll see that it certainly softens it quite a bit and makes it exceedingly easier to drink.

Well, I cant' stress it enough, letting this one get about 5 or so degrees warmer turned this from a so-so beer into a "good" beer. It goes from bitter and astringent on your tongue to a bit more soft, malty, sweet, before a more reasonable amount of hop-bitterness takes over. The hops are there, don't get me wrong. 86 IBUs and the amount of hops on here won't ever go away, the warmth just lets the sweetness to otherwise come into play to temper the hops and keep it from being too sharp on the tongue. (have I used the word "sharp" enough?......christ)

All that said, this is certainly a "good" beer, but I'm not sure it gets above that. I enjoyed it, and there is plenty going on to make it interesting to drink. A little warmth makes it easier on the tongue and somewhat more enjoyable. It's not a smooth as it could be, and it still could be a touch less harsh. Now, that could be me not being a big hop-head, or that could be a reasonable issue with the beer....who knows. The alcohol is a bout right, it's not kicking your ass but it certainly is present. Fun to drink, but maybe some bigger IPAs that I'd take/suggest before this one. There still needs to be a little more balance. Still a solid offering from a top-notch brewery.

Verdict you say???: 7/10

Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde

Ahh yes, one of my favorite beers. Word to the wise....nearly anything Unibroue makes (outside of their fruit flavored stuff) is good. As far as North American breweries that make a large amount of traditional Belgian-style beers......Unibroue might be the best. Better yet, they are becoming easier and easier to find, as I generally buy mine at Dierberg's grocery stores in the St. Louis area. Also, it's generally a lot cheaper than the authentic belgians, as a 750ml bottle can usually be found for around 7 bucks, and a 4 pack for around 10 bucks. Finally, I try to use this as a sort of "gateway beer" when I want to get someone to step up from good beer, to high level Belgian ales. You'll freak someone out if you give them this after they've been sucking down Bud Light Lime for awhile, but if a person can stomach real beer, especially wheats, have them step up and give this a shot.

I usually do the 750ml bottles for Belgians, but my circumstances required me to settle for a four pack of 12oz bottles. Cool bottle with La Fin Du Monde on the label (meaning: "end of the world"). Bottle says 9% abv and I'm pouring it into a La Chouffe tulip as the bottle has a picture recommending a tulip shaped glass. (A lot of good beers will have a picture of both the glassware that should be used, as well as the proper serving temperature) I'm serving this at around 45 degrees F. Beer Advocate calls this a "tripel", but I think it might just be a "belgian strong ale", as I find a lot of tripels to be a touch more bitter than this. But calling it a tripel isn't completely retarded.

Pours a real cloudy, orangy-golden color. A 2 finger white head comes in but goes back quickly to a decent soapiness. Pretty good amount of bubbles as well. Very murky beer. Looks almost chewy......which is a good thing. There's certainly sediment in this beer, but I haven't poured any of it out into the glass, yet.

Smell is citrus, lemon zest, orange juice, and bubble gum like you'd find in a wheat. From the look and the first smell, you'd almost think this was a wheat beer. There's a touch of spice in there, apparently they brew it with coriander, which may give it that spiciness. This is why I wouldn't call it a "tripel" as all this sweetness isn't usually found. No alcohol in the nose.

First drink is bubbly, citrusy, heavy and chewy, and with more of a booze presence than you get in the smell. It starts with a sharp, refreshing carbonation on your tongue, then you get a bit of an orange peel sensation on the middle of your tongue....but that doesn't last very long. The "chewiness" comes next with a nice, heavy dose of malt on the sides of your tongue, and you get a nice warming booze in the finish. The spice (coriander) is in the aftertaste for me. It's way too heavy and high in abv to be "refreshing", but it does have a certain crispness to it, that probably comes from the carbonation and the nice spice at the end. As it gets a bit warmer the orange starts to turn into a touch of lemon. There is a touch of dryness with the alcohol in the finish, but there isn't a ton of bitterness or hop presence. The hops are there in the background no doubt, but that's not the point of this beer.

This is a very very tasty beer. There are a lot of fun little subtleties in it, and you almost forget that it's a really top notch, well crafted beer whenever I drink it, due to the fact that it's becoming easier to find and it's reasonably priced. For top notch golden Belgian ales (tripel or not) it's hard not to put this among some of the top notch ones, even the authentic ones. This is well thought out, well crafted beer that's complex enough to be fun to drink, but never overwhelming. For having a ton of malt, they don't try to hide the sweetness, but keep it reasonable with letting you get different sensations of citrus, banana, wheat, and top it off with a present but balanced alcohol.

Me likey.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Schlafly Holiday Ale - Culinaria

The only place where I've seen this available is at the gift store in the Schlafly Bottleworks. I went there for a tour for my b-day and wanted to see if I could get something that wasn't widely available in the stores. The bottle says it's a collaboration ale with "Culinaria" which I guess is a division of Schnucks grocery stores. I imagine it might be available at some Schnucks places......but like I said, I'm not 100% sure.

Either way, it's a 750ml bottle that's got a normal cap on it, no cork. I think I paid $8.99 for this, which isn't too bad. Bottle says this is a bottle conditioned "old ale", but for some reason I'm just thinking this will be a "bigger" english ale. (Turns out I was right...I'm such a bad ass.) 8% abv, poured into a big wine glass, well the biggest wine glass I had. After drinking this, I'm not sure why a regular pint glass wouldn't be just fine.

Pours a pretty deep amber, maybe even a bit muddy with a good size tan head (with an aggressive pour). Foam goes down quite quickly and leaves some decent lacing. Also to note there is more carbonation than I'd expect in this type of beer.

Smell is a relaxing, boozy sweetness. That's a good start for a supposedly wintery beer. The sweetness is very present, but it stays on the light side - green apple, grape, maybe a bit of strawberry with the alcohol staying present. The only part of "old ale" that comes through is a bit of musty, leathery funk in the end. Not "funk" in a bad way like old basketball shoes, but a bit of character, is all.

Taste unfortunately is nowhere near as fun as the smell. The booze is present (although stronger than necessary at only 8% abv). The rest is a bit thin on the tongue with nothing much else to speak of. I'm thinking at first maybe it's a bit cold. After it warms up a t ouch there is a bit more sweetness, malt, and some of that grape and apple that you can smell up front. It's all still very light, though. I let it get even warmer, and while the sweetness comes in a bit more it never overtakes the booziness of it, and it all remains thin. The reviews I read of this beer said the alcohol was hidden, I'd say I would respectfully disagree. As I finish it up I start picking up a dry finish as it gets towards room temp, and maybe some toastiness, and maybe some biscuit. Also, there is quite a bit of sediment (bottle conditioned, remember) sitting at the end of the bottle, which makes me even more curious as to how this could remain so thin.

Well, the conclusion is me being a bit disappointed. The beer looked the part, had it's cute little story on the back and really tried to make me excited to try it, which I was. Unfortunately there was just nothing to it other than the alcohol and a bit of the sweet flavors that you get with an average english/old "ale". Only problem is those things didn't get in the way of the alcohol, which at 8% should be present, but not be nearly as dominant as it was here. I guess it wasn't over the top booze, but there was nothing else to combat it. No sweet, no fruit, no malt, no significant bitterness, nothing. I guess I'm going on and on, but I'm just a bit pissed that this is all I got out of some sort of special edition collaboration ale. There's nothing super "bad" about this and none of the tastes make you make a bad face or whatever, it's definitely "drinkable".....it's just nowhere near the 9 bucks I paid for it, and there is certainly nothing that makes it worth the price or effort to find a supposedly exclusive beer. This is the third "special edition" or whatever Schlafly that I've purchased and I have yet to be impressed. In terms of everyday drinking beers, their selection can hang with Boulevard, but when it comes to the high-dollar line of ales, Boulevard bends them over the table, no contest.

Verdict: 6/10.

Half-Assed Reviews - 3/29/10

So I think I might do something from time to time called "Half Assed Reviews" wherein I put quick notes on a handful of beers I've recently tried. While I enjoy some of the in depth reviews, it's a bit of a pain to do with every single beer I drink, as I have many during the course of a 24 hour period. However: there are still a handful of beers that I have enjoyed or disliked, that I simply didn't have time to give full review, was not in the right location to give a full review, or I just flat out didn't feel like getting off my ass and giving them a full review. I figured if I found some gems out there or even some stinkers or underwhelming brews, I should at least give you a heads up. I obviously won't be as detailed in my review, but seeing as how I'm uncomfortably intimate with what I drink, I can assure you that many of the beers I try are fresh on my mind for sometime. (Also I will put some beers on here that I've already had, but I just recently gave a go around to, again. But, there shouldn't be anything on here that I haven't had within the week) So.....here goes:

Flying Dog Brewery - Snake Dog IPA.

7.1% abv. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. A good balance of malt and hops so you don't get killed with bitterness, but the taste just simply isn't all that good. The 7.1% is hidden pretty well and it's actually quite easy to drink. A decent pale ale, or I guess this is an IPA....but nothing to write home about. If it's on sale or special at a bar go for it, but if you have other choices, there a is a bunch better.
Half-Assed Verdict: 6.5/10










Southern Tier - Oak Aged Unearthly IPA (Imperial IPA).

11% abv. Had it on tap at the International Tap House, it was served in a chalice. The regular Unearthly is just an IPA on steroids (so a super hopped pale ale), and this is that same beer, just aged in oak barrels. I found an article listing the original Unearthly at 153 IBUs(!), which is insane and might actually scare me away if I saw it on the label. Regardless, this is an absolutely fabulous beer. Sure, it's HUGE, and it's not something you want more than one or two of, but it is extremely well crafted and extremely tasty. I don't know how to describe it, but the intense hop flavor is present in that there is a TON of hops, but it's not intense in the sense that it is knocking you on your ass and making your lips pucker with the bitterness. There is a good malt backbone (which I think helps keep the hops from killing you) but it doesn't turn into a syrupy mess that some imperial IPAs often become. It's fabulously balanced, and what makes it even better is that the oak gives you a nice, dry woody sort of finish as opposed to a big, bitter, hop bite. It never really feels like it's too much and when you're done drinking it you'd swear that both the 11% is a lie, along with the huge IBU level. I believe this one is only found in 22oz bottles, and I can't imagine it'd be available anywhere without a top notch beer selection, nor will it be cheap. But.....if you happen to see it at a bar or you want a nice treat, it's worth it. Even beer lovers that aren't huge hop-heads (like me) can appreciate this. But, buyer beware, the 11% will hit you, and hit you hard.
Half-Assed Verdict: 9/10

Guinness "Imported" Extra Stout.

6% abv. 12oz bottle poured into a simple pint glass. Now, for all the folks that have the wrong idea about Guinness, this is a beer that does not have the same "thick" consistency that you would find with Guinness Draught. The Draught is that way because it's tapped and served with nitrogen as opposed to CO2 like most beers. The Guinness Draught you get in cans has a little nitro-widget in there as well that tries to replicate getting one off the tap. This beer here, the Extra Stout, is an example of a Guinness product that has a consistency more like what you are used to, because of the presence of CO2, and not nitrogen. Moving on, this is a solid beer that pours the same dark brown/almost black with a really nice chewy tan head. You're going to get the same flavors you get in the "normal" Guinness, but there is obviously the more airy consistency on your tongue because of the lack of nitrogen, and there is also a much more noticeable sweetness, as well as a stronger roast. While not as smooth on the tongue as the draught Guinness, this is still on the "smooth" side, but somewhat heavier, as well. The finish stays with the roasty-coffee sweetness and there isn't the lingering roasted bitterness that comes with the draught Guinness. This is a nice beer, and while different, very much drinkable, like its popular draught cousin. A quintessential stout, and something that would be good to try if you want to move from nitrogen-draught stouts, and onto something slightly different.
Half-Assed Verdict: 7.5/10

New Belgium - Ranger IPA

Well, I'll be honest, I've never "disliked" New Belgium, per se..... I have just thought a number of their beers (of all styles) have been a bit dull and watered down. None of them are bad-tasting or anything of that nature, but just a bit dumbed-down and made "easy to drink". I went into this one thinking the same thing, and while I've had it on tap before and was underwhelmed, I figured I'd sit down and give it a good taste, and ultimately a second chance. While still not amazing, it was a touch better than I remember.

I picked this up at Friar Tucks in a build your own six pack. As it is a New Belgium product, I imagine this is available at most liquor stores and probably a ton of super markets in the St. Louis area, as well as all over Missouri for that matter. You'll probably see it for around 8 bucks for a sixer.

12oz bottle in this case, poured into a basic pint glass. Bottle says it's 6.5% abv. The bottle also says it's 70 IBUs (that's a measure of the hop-bitterness) and that it's brewed with a combination of simcoe, cascade, and chinook hops. I'm a beer nerd, but I'm still not down with the specifics of what hops have what characteristics.

Pours a fairly clear rosey/amber/brown. A good amount of carbonation gives a pretty significant 2 finger head after a somewhat aggressive pour. A good amount of foam remains after a minute or so, and I will have to say that there was some pretty solid lacing during the entire drinking session. Looks a *touch* light for an IPA, but we'll see. Remember what I said in my previous post about tasting your beer, and how lighter colored beers might be lacking malt? Well, that will come into play here.

The smell is on the sweet side, but not a heavy sweet. This is a citrusy-grapefruit kind of sweet. Very floral, leafy, piney as well. There is definitely a bitterness there (with the pine) and you can get a bit of the alcohol in the nose, also. I'm not getting any sort of malt notes here, just a light, leafy-floral thing. It's a good smell, no doubt, but I'm not sure how it will translate to taste.

The first drink brings a big bitter bite right up front with a somewhat astringent finish. A little warmth and a few more sips allows the grapefruit notes to shine through. As it gets warm the grapefruit notes are extremely present, and the bitterness is toned down just a touch. The finish is still bitter and dry with the pine and leafy-ness that I picked up with the first smell. All this is somewhat mellowed out and dulled with a bit of warmth, but it never turns to a heavier sweetness that would make me assume any sort of malt significance. It's fairly light on the tongue. I guess I harped on the grapefruit in it enough, but it's a pleasant presence.

It's not a bad taste, it's bitter like you'd expect out of an IPA. The grapefruit and pine aren't extremely overpowering, and are typical of this style, but it needs a touch of malt to bring everything together and not have the bitterness sit on your tongue as long as it does. I kept waiting for something else that just never came. And while this is a touch better than most New Belgium offerings this is the ultimate issue with their beers, in my opinion. Let's say there are 4 characteristics that make a certain beer a great version of a certain style, but NB always seems to be missing one or two of those characteristics. They'll take 2-3 characteristics and do a good job with them, and make it taste good, but it will be like they left out something else completely. I understand that an IPA is about the hop-presence, but a top notch brew still achieves that balance. The grapefruit and the pine in this brew are good, so is a not too overpowering bitterness. But without the sweetness of some malt to give it some balance, and a bit more weight on the tongue, the bitterness lingers until it turns into an unattractive astringent, chemically quality. Now, it's not, like crazy harsh, just a bit more than it should be.

Overall this is still a good beer, and something I wouldn't mind drinking again. I just get disappointed that NB never seems to be able to take that extra step that makes their beer well rounded and complete to the point where it is a "very good" beer. As usual, this is a "good beer" that is just missing something.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Schneider and Sohn: Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

This is a bit of unique style, an "Eisbock". Read HERE for a bit of an explanation. In not so technical terms, it's basically a ramped up doppelbock, but not because they add a ton of extra ingredients to it, but the extraction of the water through freezing essentially just makes it more concentrated. This gives it high malt levels, high levels of sweetness and booziness, and some of the highest ABVs of any style (this one is 12%). I'm not 100% sure if all eisbocks are made with wheat malt like this one, but this one is a wheat doppelbock that's made in the traditional "eisbock" style. I don't know what the experts say, but I'd say that some of these styles could be considered extreme beers just because of the tedious brewing process and the higher than normal abv levels.

Moving on......

This was an 11.2 oz. bottle poured into a little half chalice/half snifter looking thing. Like I said, this is 12% abv and it was 4.99 for the bottle which I got at Friar Tucks in O'Fallon, MO. There's a good little story on the back about how they started making the beer as if it was some sort of accident....who knows.

Pours an extremely dark, opaque, brown. A touch of head, maybe a finger of tan foam that dissipates quickly to just a few bubbles. I guess that's typical for something this thick and syrupy. Smells very sweet, very syrupy. You get the typical malt-sweetness that gives you hints of banana, along with a weird touch of smokiness. That I may be wrong about, but it's there. There is also some of that "christmasy" spice type of sweetness as well, ...figs raisins, and definitely the cloves that you would expect in a lot of wheat beers. I don't get much booze on the nose, maybe because it's still a bit cold, but it's not too clear, even though it's obviously a super high alcohol beer.

Taste is very sweet, dark-syrupy sweet, although not as heavy on the tongue as you'd think. There's a bit of booze in the middle, but not too overpowering right now like I was afraid of. Dark fruits, figs, candy-sugar, with the cloves and a bit of bubble come are what comes at the end. Definitely a full, and heavy beer, but not as heavy on the tongue as you'd think. Even though the alcohol becomes more present with the warmth, it's not killing you, which is kind of cool considering this is 12% abv. Overall I'd call it a "good" not great taste. It's really sweet, and really syrupy. But I guess that's the point of this style. Hop bitterness is really nowhere to be had.

This is a pretty good beer, and it's fun to try every once in a while as a sipper on a cold night. But if I had my choice, I'd stick with the Aventinus Weizen-bock, which is what I believe this beer starts as before they take it through the freezing process. I couldn't see myself drinking more than 1 or 2 small bottles of this. The alcohol isn't too overpowering in the taste but you can still certainly feel it after only half a bottle.

Verdict: 7/10

Cathedral Square - Belgian Style White Ale

For the unitiated, a Belgian Style White Ale is basically the Belgian's version of a wheat beer (aka: "witbier"). Also, this beer comes from a new St. Louis brewery, Cathedral Square. I could only find two different styles that they make right now, both Belgian. As it was only $3.99 for a 22oz bottle, I figured I'd give it a shot. And yes, I'm very aware there is a picture of Toby Flenderson, HR-rep for Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company on my TV. He did not enjoy the beer, and I may let him write a guest tasting sometime in the future.

As for the other specs, there was no ABV listed on it, which I figured was probably hovering around 5%, give or take a touch. It was poured into my Ommegang Hennepin glass.

Pours a pretty muddy orangy-brownish color. Not as yellow/golden as I'm used to, and overall, somewhat darker than you'd see with say, a Hoegaarden. Decent fluffy white head, 1-2 fingers, doesn't last all that long. Decent bit of foam remaining, but nothing really to write about. This one though, is definitely unfiltered, and looks about as thick and chewy as a beer can be.

Smell is pretty typical, but maybe with a heavier dose of wheat malt than I'm used to in a Belgian Wit. Noticeable amount of citrus fruit and citrus peel, specifically orange. I didn't see on the bottle if it specifically talked about orange peels in the brewing process, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm also getting a touch of bitterness, but I can't tell if it's hop bitterness or malt bitterness. Good smelling beer, but nothing really stands out, in the sense that makes this overly unique.

Initial impressions when drinking is that it's really smooth on the tongue, not all that much carbonation. First taste is a light, sweet wheat that combines with some of the citrusy-orange that you smell. Pretty delicate sweetness there, nothing overpowering (overly-sweet beers suck my ass). A nice touch of spiciness and bitterness in the finish that you'd see in a good witbier, once again, not overly spicy or bitter. Nothing really blows you away in the taste of this beer, but it's solid and pretty balanced throughout. To quote a line from those d-bags in the Bud-Light marketing department, it's very "drinkable". One last thing I would say is that as it warms up, there is certainly a higher level of wheat and the grassy/hay notes that come with the presence of the wheat. Nothing too crazy, though.

I can't write a ton about this brew as nothing stands out, but for their first go around, it's a solid take on a classic, slightly complex style. It's local, and it's cheaper, so I may use this as a go-to from time to time if I want a decent Belgian White. For any of my friends in St. Louis that may be reading this, it's worth a try for only $3.99.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Duvel

750ml poured into a over sized Duvel-branded tulip. 8.5% abv. Got it at the local grocery store (Dierbergs) at only 6.50 for a big bottle. That's pretty much better than you can find at most liquor stores.

Pours a nice, clear-golden that you'd see in a typical pilsner. As is suggested on the bottle and with the proper glassware, you get a massive, fluffy-white 4ish finger head with this. Even after a fair amount of drinking there's a minimum of a half-finger head remaining until your finished, and you'll often get big cottony-globs of foam that last well after the first sip, as well. You can tell there is a large amount of carbonation in this beer, and the clarity of the beer will show the rising bubbles for nearly the whole time you are drinking it.

It smells at first of a pilsner, and you get a a bit of the typical pilsner malts. What you also get is a hint of spicy and floral hops, some notes of fresh cut grass....maybe some hay as well, and a touch of banana which probably comes from the belgian yeast. What's also evident, is a fair amount of phenol-alcohol. While not massive at 8.5% abv, that's still enough to be present with a good whiff. With all this, what's pretty cool about this is that you can tell this is a very crisp, clean beer. Even the nose has a nice bite to it.

The first sensation you get with the first sip is a very sharp, crisp, beer with a fair amount of carbonation that's really evident on your tongue. After getting over that with a few more sips, you get an initial malty, not quite tart sweetness not uncommon to a typical pilsner. There's also a small hint of that banana that you may have smelled. Unless you let the beer sit for a while on your tongue, a quick drink will only allow that sweetness to last for a short while, until a quick bitter hop-bite cleans up. This is followed by the alcohol which offers an extremely dry and clean, crisp finish. Not quite "refreshing", but certainly feels, more light on the tongue then most complex belgian beers. 2 other things should be said; one: as the beer warms up, the malt sweetness that is very short lasting at first tends to linger longer and longer; two: the whole time you are drinking this, you keep thinking that at some point you are going to get this citrus zest/lemony thing at some point or another, but it never happens.

I've had this beer numerous times and it's honestly one of my favorites. I'm not saying it's a favorite as in I'd give it a 10/10 or it's the best tasting beer ever, just that it's seemingly very simple, yet there is still a fun complexity to it, even among its high level of drinkability. It's a top notch brew but it's not absurdly overpriced nor does it come off as some extremely exclusive beer that you need to be experienced to enjoy. It's an extremely straight forward, well polished beer. I'm also not sure I've seen too many versions of this style which is essentially a pilsner with a belgian tweak to it. Boulevard made their collaboration pilsner with the brewmaster from Orval and I was told by the beer guys at a few liquor stores that it was a unique belgian interpretation of a pilsner. Well it was somewhat unique in that the style isn't totally common, but it was their take on a Duvel, essentially. While pretty good, it did not reach the standard that Duvel has set.


Verdict: 8/10

Bud Light Golden Wheat

Objective review of an A.B. product with the world "light" in it!!! ZOMG!!!!!11!!!!!11!oneone!!!!

2-12oz bottles (1.5 actually) poured into a weizen-glass. Bottle says 4.1% alcohol. Also says that it is a "light beer brewed with coriander and citrus peels."

I know I said I'd probably do some more common beers, but you probably didn't think I'd go this low. Well, there was some in the fridge, and I also said I'd give everything a fair chance. So here we go. I'll try to be objective.

Pours a murky orange. There actually is a bit of sediment floating around, and also some left in the bottle. The weizen-glass is obviously too big for one bottle, so I opened a second to top it off. Aggressive pour only gave me a white finger or so head which did not last long, and quickly settles into a decent soapy ring. One thing you will NOT see in this beer or any other beer I ever drink is a lime, lemon, or orange. If the brewer wanted those flavors in the beer, they can put it in themselves. Citrus = acid = kills the head = adversely affects the taste of the beer that was brewed. I guess you can do what you want, but I get a little pissy when I pay extra for a micro brew or a craft brew and the douchey bartender assumes I want a piece of fruit in it. Ask me first. I will tell you no......then I will mock you and curse you behind your back. Besides, there are citrus peels in this beer, that's not enough citrus taste for you?

Smell isn't too bad. Citrus/lemon really dominates, but I do get a little of that hay/dry grass/earthy smell that you get with a wheat. Smells like a mix between, say a Boulevard Wheat, and a Blue Moon. A little bit fruitier than the former, but not as much as the latter. Are you confused? Good.

Taste? This isn't god-awful. Is it all that good? No, it is not all that good. It tastes like a wheat, just thinner....or "lighter" in this instance. There is a somewhat noticeable citrus bite (lemon and orange) at first, and it's pretty highly carbonated and very clean. Tastes (the citrus that is) somewhat natural too, as opposed to that bullshit lime syrup or whatever it is they use for the Bud Light lime. After that a bit of wheat tries to come in, and it's just a little above "noticeable". It's a dull, earthy taste that says "hey this isn't a normal bud light!", but it comes in almost the same time as that...........I can only describe it as the typical - not all that pleasant sweetness - that you get in Budweiser or Bud Light, for that matter. So the finish is a bit like a bud light, but there's a tiny little hint of a dry woodiness like you get in some wheats.

And thus, the "light" part is actually the main problem with me. When I want a good wheat beer, I know I'm getting something super heavy, super filling, and something very full in it's flavor. But I guess if they're going for a "light wheat" then they actually did a fairly decent job. Unfortunately I rarely if ever want something "light" when I want a beer.

I'm not a big fan of this beer, but I don't hate it with the fire of a thousand suns like I do the standard Bud Light. They (AB) wanted to give you something that's still light with a bit more flavor, and I think they accomplished that. To make it more plain for you, if I saw you or a stranger in a bar, and you got me a beer without asking me what I wanted, and showed up with a Bud Light Golden Wheat, I wouldn't have to "choke it down" just to be nice. Nor would I throw a fit if I showed up to a BBQ and this was all they had.

I'm giving it a 5/10, and I can assure you that I will have some beers in the near future from some more reputable micro-breweries that will be ranked below it. (Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat, anyone?).

Verdict: 5/10

Boulevard Dark Truth Stout

(review comes from notes taken earlier in the evening)

750ml caged and corked bottle. 9.7%abv. Poured it into a thinner chalice. I was thinking tulip, but I wanted this to get a bit more air, maybe mellow out. This is a supposedly typical imperial stout. Boulevard did make a limited edition version of an imperial stout a while back, but I believe that was 11%abv and had a different label (tell me if I'm wrong), and this is by all accounts part of their normal smokestack series.

So this cork was a HUGE bitch to get off. Had to resort to a cork screw. All that fuss with the bottle effed it up a bit and there was a massive head with the pour. Although I didn't think it was all my fault as a good half-finger or so head remained with most of the first glass. It's a dark-brown almost black and opaque color. Head is a typical tan head that you'd see on a stout. Pretty good lacing as well during the first glass, very sticky.

Smell is the roasted malt (duh), a nice bitter sweet chocolate, a bit of soy (yeah, I said soy, so what?), and a touch of coffee and hops.

Taste is the bitter sweetness that was apparent in the nose. Bitter sweet chocolate malt, followed by a nice roasted coffee bean, then a good clean hop-bitterness in the finish. The finish is really like that of a good, pale ale. Not overwhelming like some huge, lame IPA, but just a good bitterness to battle the sweetness. I also must say that the whole time this is a very smooth beer. The initial hit of it on the tongue is extremely smooth, and it goes in and out of tastes very nicely. While there is that noticeable hop-bitter finish, it is at no point harsh. I only say this because there are some impy stouts....even good ones, that can be a bit harsh with the malt, the roast, or even the hops. Some alcohol makes it's presence known as the big bottle warms up, but not consistently enough to really make it part of the flavor profile. For nearly 10%abv, this is pretty easy to drink. It's certainly thick on the tongue, but in a smooth, coating sense, not in an "overly heavy" sense.

As a side note, I had the second half of this with a big steak I cooked myself for my birthday. I've read of pairing big stouts with steak but I usually shied away. In this case I was wrong, and it was a good choice. This big, but not overly bold stout paired quite nicely with a medium rare NY strip with sauteed mushrooms.

Overall, for a stout that gets near 10% abv, this is very very easy to drink. There's not really any harsh aspects to it and it stays very smooth, even while it warms up. I think that's why it went well with a meal, it's extremely good, but not so "big" that's it's dominating what you're eating. Definitely a good compliment to some good, red meat. Not mind-blowing, but a very good version of an imperial stout. Once again, Boulevard understand how to make a "balanced" high-end brew.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Boulevard Rye on Rye

750 ml bottle, caged and corked. 11% abv. Had no idea what to pour this into, so I went with a slightly thinner belgian chalice. Starting to drink it at probably about 45 degrees F or so. I imagine the beer will probably change moreso than most as it warms up. I also plan to not submit this writeup until the bottle is done, meaning I'll be 1/2-way towards "shitfaced". That should make for a more entertaining review, huh?

This is a limited edition release of Bully's Smokestack Series, this is bottle 7863 out of 12148. It was about 12 bucks for this bottle at The Friar Tuck's in O'fallon, MO. This is pretty much what the name says. It's a rye-malted ale, aged in Templeton Rye whiskey casks. There's plenty of hops in it as well, but obviously this is all about the rye. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about this as I've had a bit of a rye-malt hard on as of late.

Pours a nice, deep red-tinted mahogany. 1 1/2 finger head quickly goes into a soapy foam and stays there with minimal lacing throughout the session. This beer just flat out, looks boozy. Smell is a lot of malt, then the rest is a battle in your nose between the spicy rye and a very very distinct alcohol (not really a surprise at 11%). There are some syrupy hints (like molasses/maple syrup) but it's not mind blowing. Sweet malt like you'd get in big Belgian Quad, mixed with the rye and the booze. Maybe a 750 bottle of this was a bit too much? We'll see.

Taste. Wow. This is very unique. Big and malty up front as expected, but a nice spicy bite to it as well. You think that the maltiness is going to coat your tongue and just kind of linger, but it gets out of the way a lot faster than you'd think. The spiciness of the rye stays throughout each sip, but the sweetness quickly subsides for a strong, but still well placed booziness that is every bit of the whiskey barrel this was aged in. I'm not a huge whiskey guy, but it absolutely works with the spiciness of the rye. The finish is what lingers, and it's a really nice, dry oaky finish that has a touch of the bitterness from the hops. When I say it "lingers" it's not that it overpowers, just that the oak sits on your tongue for awhile. It's pretty cool. This is an extremely interesting beer. And it's every bit as "good" as it is "interesting".


Drunken rant......GO!!!!!!!:


Boulevard gets it. Once again, they take their top-notch brews and absolutely (like the Saison-Brett and the BBQ Quad) just knock it out of the effing park. Sure there are slightly non-traditional ingredients in this, but when you drink it, you can tell that there was actually a thought process to the beer and an idea in mind as to what they wanted to do. Breweries like Avery, Schlafly, and New Belgium should take notes. Exquisitely crafted, and even their freaking lame story of the beer on the back label is spot-on as to what to expect in regards of taste.

You may or may not like Bully's every day beers like their Wheat, Pale, and Porter (although they are all solid), but their super top end stuff, especially their limited edition stuff can compete with absolutely anything this country makes. They take a supposedly "unique" style that everyone is screwing around with (oak/bourbon barrel aged fad we're currently seeing), tweak it just a touch to make it their own, and don't beat you over the head with the new, cool ingredient that everyone's playing with. They let the rye, and the oak aging (for example) work with the style at hand. It just seems like they take their time to make a top quality product, and in the end bend over every other midwest brewery that tries to hang with them. It's truly a shame that they don't get the same nation-wide love of some other operations as I think they, at times, deserve it. I'm not sure if their entire catalog can hang with a company with the diversity of a Rogue or Bells, but they certainly have some beers that should be in the discussion as far as the elite beers that are available in this country. This being one of them.

This beer is every bit of the 11% it says on the bottle, and it's going to take a while to completely finish it. But that's fine. If you have an hour or two where you're not doing anything, pop open a bottle of this guy and just enjoy. An absolutely remarkable brew. The quintessential balance of sweet and bitter, with the spicy rye linking the two.

Verdict:

9.5 out of mother******* 10.