Bear Republic Brewing Co. Racer 5 and BrewDog Tokyo*

Good afternoon all. In what could be perceived as a contradictory move, I've decided to lump together the two beers that rounded off the #openit weekend into one post to save a bit of reviewing time. This post has been stopped and started several times since Sunday due to exhaustion-induced writer's block, but today felt like a good opportunity to take a "wild, boyish fling at writing". Therefore, out of a lack of having anything interesting to say, I present Racer 5, an IPA from Bear Republic Brewing Co. and Tokyo*, an imperial stout from BrewDog. First review after the pic....

Racer 5 (7.0% ABV) pours a golden/light amber colour with a white head that dissipates gradually to a thin covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is mainly piney/resinous hops, with some floral aroma hops providing citrus fruits and a pleasing sweetness in the background. Not a lot of malt character coming through, definitely masked by the hops. The taste brings out more malt though, carrying with it floral citrus hops and resinous hops, a strong medicinal quality (TCP-like, reminiscent of Laphroaig) and a strong hoppy bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and quite thick, and the bitterness can be  quite cloying at times. Overall, a very solid IPA with something for everyone- a pleasing dichotomy between citrus/floral hops and resinous hops, plenty of malt and a decent amount of bitterness. I'd definitely get this beer again!

The last beer of the #openit event was Tokyo* from BrewDog, and in my opinion it was the only beer that fulfilled the necessary criteria in the first place. I had that bottle kicking about since Summer 2011, so I felt it was the perfect opportunity to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about. Review after the pic....

Tokyo* (18.2% ABV) pours a very deep red colour, verging on black, with a dark beige head that dissipates shortly after pouring to a thick halo around the inside of the glass. In all fairness, you wouldn't expect much of a head when considering the alcohol content, so even that's fairly impressive. The aroma is very boozy and sweet, with dark fruits, candy sugar, roasted malt, coffee and chocolate. I was expecting more of the bitter aromas to come through but the sweetness is very noticeable and makes this beer a refreshing change. The taste is just as sweet and alcoholic, with a complex array of different flavours including malt, licorice, yeast extract (Marmite), chocolate, dark fruits (blackcurrants, raisins) and some honey/toffee. The mouthfeel is lightly carbonated and quite thick. Overall, a truly unique experience that juxtaposes a lot of characteristic imperial stout flavours against a very sweet background, making it perfect as an after-dinner sipper or with dessert. Marvelous stuff- I would happily get it again but not for a while, the impression it's left is still very evident!

I'd like to close by saying a few words about #openit12. Frankly, I think it was a great idea that gave me an excuse to sample a few beers that I wouldn't have opened otherwise. Most beer drinkers, myself included, fall into the trap of acquiring a number of interesting and unusual beers and hoarding them, waiting for that special reason to get out the bottle opener. As shown by this experience, sometimes it's best to do away with the rationalising and get back to enjoying this beverage- sometimes controversial, always exciting- that seems to unite us all. 

Until next time....

Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus

Good morning all. Firstly, I hope everyone who participated in #openit had a great time, I certainly know I did! Although I would consider only one of the beers I consumed to fall into the required criteria, it still gave me a great excuse to have a couple of interesting ones, and it was also good to reacquaint myself with the delights of beer after my recent illness. I was planning to do a large post based around #openit, but in the end I felt smaller posts would allow me to focus on each beer and avoid missing out on any specifics. Also, the whole thing should be easier to read (at least that's the intention)! The first beer was opened at around 17:00, and that was Tap 6 Unser Aventinus, a weizenbock from the hefeweizen kings Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH. Review after the pic....

Tap 6 Unser Aventinus (8.2% ABV) pours a chestnut brown colour with a thick cream-coloured head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is typical of hefeweizens, with bananas, bubblegum and some cloves, with the extra malt presence bringing blackcurrants and raisins. There is also a noticeable bittering/floral hop aroma in the background. The taste is spicy and phenolic, with candy sugar, cloves, dark fruits, bananas and plenty of malt. There is a boozy presence in the background supporting all of these flavours, and the finish is sweet with no bitterness. The mouthfeel is light-bodied, moderately carbonated and slightly thick- I can see why doppelbocks are known as liquid bread now! Overall, another great offering from Schneider Weisse, with the typical hefeweizen flavours married against darker, fruitier tones to produce a rich and filling beer experience. Definitely recommended- I'll be getting this one again in the future!

Until next time....

Brasserie Cantillon Rosé De Gambrinus

Good morning all. I'm finally back after a self-imposed break due to illness, and whilst I'm still not completely free from the shackles of sickness (if that's not a death metal album name it should be), I have at least managed to progress to the point where I can perceive tastes and aromas, so I felt this would be an appropriate time to do a review. It's also #openit weekend, where the beer blogging community delves into the depths of their cellars to sample a beer they've been holding on to for some time, commonly with the intention of opening it "when the time is right". Of course, on the advent of that momentous occasion the beer could be wonderful or it could end up being an incredible disappointment, hence this pledge was created to encourage drinkers to savour a rare or unusual beer and hopefully not miss out on all it has to offer. I'm not sure if the beer I'm going to review now (consumed last night) will be my only contribution towards #openit, but I will at least say it's a start. That beer is Rosé De Gambrinus, a framboise lambic from the masters at Brasserie Cantillon. As always, review after the pic....

Rosé De Gambrinus pours a ruby colour with a wispy head generated during pouring that dissipates very quickly by the time the glass is full. I was expecting the aroma to be quite hard-hitting, but was surprised to find it was more subtle and well-balanced. However, the very nature of lambics means each bottle will be slightly different, so I'm not sure if this is universal for this particular offering. Plenty of raspberries with a tart sharpness/acidity, some characteristic barnyard funk and a background of acetic acid/vinegar. Tasting the beer, you'd be forgiven for thinking there weren't any raspberries in it in the first place, as their contribution is masked by sharp piquancy and a puckering sourness. The finish isn't overly dry or sour, and there's certainly no bitterness. During drinking, the beer seems to effervesce over the palette, amplifying the mouthfeel and tartness very nicely, giving a nice burst of flavour before settling down to bring out a bit of the raspberry character. The mouthfeel is light with low carbonation and no cloying on the palette. Overall a good offering from Cantillon, but one that left me wanting a lot more. For me, the lambic experience is all about the initial sensory overload from the spontaneous fermentation being gradually diminished by the fruit, which wasn't really happening here. The tartness and sourness kept going and the raspberries were really fighting to gain any prevalence, which only happened every so often. This could be a good introductory lambic, or a lambic for those moments when high acidity isn't on the agenda, but besides that I don't think I would get this beer again. Still worth a try though.

Until next time....

Brasserie La Binchoise Belgoo Luppo

Good evening all. My weekend was fairly hectic, with two gigs and a visit to the CASK Pub and Kitchen filling up my time very nicely, so naturally I wasn't able to do any in-depth beer reviewing. The choice at the CASK was incredible as usual, and I opted for the two Mikkeller beers that were on keg that night- Hop Burn High and Swinging Harry. The former was a very resinous and bitter DIPA, whilst the latter was a Belgian Quad brewed in collaboration with Cigar City Brewing that was initially disappointing but improved greatly as it warmed up. I even managed to buy a bottle of Boogoop (Mikkeller/Three Floyds Buckwheat Wine) and a bottle of Double Bastard Ale (Stone American Strong Ale)- expect reviews in the near future. Onto tonight though, and a Belgian beer I picked up at the Utobeer market a couple of weeks ago- Belgoo Luppo from Brasserie La Binchoise. Review after the pic....

Belgoo Luppo (6.5% ABV) pours a pale golden (straw) colour with an incredibly lively white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. Be warned, I had a bottle volcano situation on my hands (and the whole kitchen worktop) as soon as I'd liberated the cap, it's that lively! The aroma is quite complex and certainly not what I was expecting, with citrus hops, spicy phenols, a vinous quality and a funky smell that reminded me of lambics or Flanders red ales. The taste is quite acidic, with spicy phenols, citrus fruits and a vinous background (dry white wine). The finish is piquant with a tart bitterness that isn't overly offensive. The mouthfeel is surprisingly light despite the heavy carbonation. Overall, a very interesting Belgian beer that is a refreshing change from the more stereotypical flavours associated with beers from that region. I still prefer the simplicity and craftsmanship of the more conservative breweries, but when you want to shake things up a bit this beer is ideal. Probably wouldn't get it again, but it's worth a try!

Until next time....

Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock from Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn, a brewery I'd consider to be one of the most prestigious and well-known producers of German wheat beers (hefeweizens) today. This particular beer style is an eisbock, which is a bock (strong German lager) with a higher alcohol content, created through freezing and removing water from the beer to concentrate not just the ABV but also the flavour and body of the drink. I've only had one bock-style beer before so I'm looking forward to seeing what this brings to the table. Review after the pic....

Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock (12.0% ABV) pours a dark red colour with a beige head that quickly dissipates to a thin halo around the inside of the glass, although this is understandable based on the higher alcohol content. The aroma is rather complex, with bubblegum, cloves, bananas and phenols (all characteristic of hefeweizens) backed up by a caramelised sweetness and a decent helping of blackcurrants. The taste consists of phenols, cloves, dark fruits, dark chocolate and cherries, with a yeasty aftertaste and no bite or bitterness to the finish. The mouthfeel is thick, moderately carbonated and very drinkable. Overall, this is a dynamic and multi-layered beer experience that combines the best concepts of a hefeweizen with plenty of rich flavours in a surprisingly drinkable package. Definitely a beer to try at least once, although I'm sure that it won't be the last time either! 

Until next time....

Mikkeller/BrewDog I Hardcore You

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is I Hardcore You, a collaboration between Mikkeller and BrewDog with a difference- it's a blend of each brewery's flagship DIPA, namely Mikkeller's I Beat You and BrewDog's Hardcore IPA. In a move that you'd expect from such big names in the craft beer world, they've gone one step further by adding two extra dry hopping stages to amplify the beer even further. Since hearing about this beer a year ago I've been desperate to try it, so getting hold of a few bottles at the start of the week made me incredibly happy indeed! In regards to the individual beers from which this one was made, I've enjoyed Hardcore IPA many times before, but the closest I've got to I Beat You is a bottle currently residing in my cellar that I've yet to open. I'm thinking there may be grounds for a three beer taste test in the future, but before I entertain those thoughts it's time for the review. Which, as always, is after the pic....

I Hardcore You (9.5% ABV) pours a dark amber colour (verging on ruby) with a thick white head that dissipates gradually to a patchy covering on the surface of the beer. The aroma is full of resinous and citrus hops, with a candy sugar sweetness and a slightly vinous quality that is reminiscent of previous Mikkeller barrel-aged offerings. Hop lovers rejoice, you'll already know by this point that you're in for something spectacular! The taste is packed full of sticky piney hops, with some malt character present and a sweet caramelised aftertaste. The finish is, unsurprisingly, rather bitter and dry, and there is a flavour reminiscent of tonic water in the background. I'd describe the bitterness as biting slightly during drinking, then becoming more puckering in the finish. The mouthfeel is quite light and moderately carbonated. Overall, this is a wonderful collaboration from two of my favourite breweries, the result of which is a formidable yet balanced hop bomb with a sweet edge that offsets the bitterness nicely. It might have taken me a while to try this beer, but it was so worth it. Very highly recommended!

Until next time....

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat Duvel

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is a bona fide Belgian classic in the form of Duvel from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. Duvel was probably my first experience with Belgian beer, and I distinctly remember finding the new flavours and higher alcohol content to be a bit too "out there" for my tastes at the time. Fast forward a year and a number of perception-changing beer experiences, and I'm in the mood to properly evaluate this highly-revered classic that could easily be considered the benchmark by which Belgian Strong Pale Ales are measured. Also, it counts as another notch on my 2012 Belgian beer quest, so it's a multifaceted success. Review after the pic....

Duvel (8.5% ABV) pours a pale golden colour with a gorgeous thick white head that retains itself very well. The pic doesn't do it enough justice, it's an amazing thing to behold! As expected, there's some lacing present during consumption, but this diminishes towards the latter stages of the drink. Unfortunately I don't own a Duvel tulip glass, so I opted to serve this beer in my BrewDog Teku glass instead- beer geeks of the world, please forgive me. The aroma is very rich in spice and phenols, with oranges/citrus fruits, some honey-like sweetness and a slight awareness of the alcohol content coming through in the background. The taste is phenolic. fruity (both citrus fruits and dark fruits) and malty, with some floral hop character in the finish. There is a slight bite on the palette during drinking, but no excessive bitterness in the finish itself. The mouthfeel is thick, aerated and well carbonated. Overall, this is a great Belgian Strong Pale Ale that is packed with rich Belgian flavours but still manages to remain well-balanced and not overly cloying on the palette. Couldn't recommend it enough, and the best thing is it's so easily available!

Until next time....

Windsor & Eton Brewery Republika

Good evening all. Tonight I'm having a beer that I picked up earlier today at Utobeer during an unscheduled but ultimately rewarding trip to London. This trip culminated in a visit to BrewDog Camden, with two new beers from the scamps themselves available on draft- Libertine Porter and IPA Is Dead Simcoe. As Simcoe is probably my favourite hop variety, and because it was used so marvelously in this context, the IPA Is Dead is my firm favourite at the time of writing. Really looking forward to seeing these in bottles over the coming months now! The beer in question for tonight's review is Republika from Windsor & Eton, a pilsner lager that I've had before (and loved) but felt it deserved a proper evaluation on the blog. Review after the pic....

Republika (4.8% ABV) pours a golden colour with a white head that quickly dissipates to virtually nothing in the glass. The pic was only taken about 15 seconds after the pour, so you can see how short-lived it is! The aroma is subtle, with noble hops, malt and a sweetness that's very reminiscent of honey. The taste is much of the same, with bittering/noble hop flavours and biscuity malt, with a slight sweetness and bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is thin and not very carbonated. Overall, a very crisp and thirst-quenching lager with a decent helping of noble hops and a dry yet pleasing bitterness to the finish. Although it's not quite as good as I remembered, it's still a great lager and would make a nice transitional drink for anyone thinking of getting into craft beers. This is the sort of beer that you want to have at the end of a hard day, so it's a shame I can't have it around more often! Highly recommended.

Until next time....

Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse Trappist Achel 8 Bruin

Good evening all. If tonight's blog post doesn't win an award for the length of the title, I'm going to be incredibly disappointed. In case you haven't guessed, it's time for another Belgian beer! This time it's Trappist Achel 8 Bruin, a Dubbel from Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse. It's Friday, I'm listening to Dream Theater and I've got beer- pretty good if you ask me! Review after the pic....

Trappist Achel 8 Bruin (8.0% ABV) pours a rich maroon colour with a very lively bubbly head that retains itself well throughout the beer. Plenty of lacing down the side of the glass as well, always a good thing to see! The aroma is full of spicy phenols, dark fruits, citrus fruits and candy sugar, with a boozy dimension in the background that supports the aromas very well. The taste is slightly medicinal and phenolic, with candy sugar sweetness, raspberries, blackcurrants and a decent helping of malt in the finish. The aftertaste is quite dry and grape-like, and the mouthfeel is thick and well carbonated. Overall, a very good Dubbel that has plenty of the expected Belgian flavours and aromas in a very drinkable package. Yet another laconic Belgian beer review it seems, but when a beer is this well constructed the idea of being verbose seems rather superfluous. Definitely recommended, and another notch on the Belgian beer belt for the year!

Until next time....

Marble Beers Dobber

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Dobber, an IPA from Marble Beers. Marble is a brewery I've heard a lot about over the last year or so, but it wasn't until very recently that I decided to seek out one of their beers to try. This does seem a bit crazy, but for some reason I always hesitated when given the opportunity to purchase one of their offerings, despite the positive feedback and their seemingly ubiquitous presence at my favourite London haunts (particularly Craft Beer Co.). My expectations are already pretty high for this beer, so let's get tasting! Review after the pic....

Dobber (5.9% ABV) pours an amber colour with a decent white head that dissipates to a thin coating over the surface of the beer. The aroma consists of resinous and citrus fruit hops with a caramel sweetness in the background. The taste is full of piney hops, biscuit malt, citrus fruits and a slight hint of blackcurrants, with a puckering yet pleasing bitterness to the finish. Sometimes the beer tasted green or "young", with the flavours appearing unbalanced and the overall mouthfeel coming across as watery, but I only got this impression early on in the beer and it soon diminished. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and moderately carbonated. Overall, this is a very impressive beer, with the hoppy bitterness and ABV percentage to warrant the IPA title (one thing that consistently angers me about English breweries is the seemingly never ending stream of 4% IPAs with virtually no hop profile at all) and a decent helping of malt to add a different dimension to the experience. Along with Lovibonds' 69 IPA, this is one of the best examples of a beer balancing English and American IPA flavours that I've had for a long time. Definitely recommended, I'll no doubt be reviewing more offerings from Marble Beers in the future!

Until next time....

Black Isle Brewery Blonde

Good evening all. Unfortunately there's not a lot to report for tonight's introduction, so I'll start talking about the beer I've chosen instead! I picked up tonight's choice from a wine shop in town that turned out to have a decent selection of bottled beers, so I'll no doubt be frequenting that place more often in the future. The beer in question is Blonde from Black Isle Brewery, a brewery whose offerings I've only tried once before in the form of Heather Honey Beer, a wonderful pale lager that I had at Tap East towards the end of last year. If that place wasn't so out of the way, I'd definitely try and go there more often as the cask and keg options always seem to be interesting. Anyway, back to the task at hand and, as always, review after the pic....

Blonde (4.5% ABV) pours a golden colour with a decent white head that dissipates to a thin coating over the surface of the beer. The aroma is very subdued, with subtle bittering/noble hops and some malt character in the background- very reminiscent of a lager. The taste is much of the same, with biscuit malt, grassy bittering hop flavours and a slight sweetness in the finish (but no bitterness). The mouthfeel is light and moderately carbonated, making the beer very drinkable. Overall, a fairly unremarkable beer from a brewery that seems to be able to produce significantly better offerings. Would be good as a session beer or as a break from fuller-bodied beers, but I don't see myself getting this one again anytime soon.

As a side note, I read on the Black Isle Brewery web site that this particular beer pairs very well with Laphroaig whisky. As I have a special bottling of Laphroaig currently on the go (11 Years Old from the McGibbon's Provenance range), I thought it would be wise to test this particular claim and see how well the two drinks complimented each other. What I found was the light flavours and subtleties of the beer provide a great platform for the whisky, with the Laphroaig taking on an almost Speyside-like sweetness and the medicinal, smoky flavours becoming quite subdued and partially masked as a result. Because the beer is contributing very little in comparison to the whisky, the two work very well together. Well, I couldn't just take their word for it, could I? Even as a brief aside, it was a very interesting exercise and I hope to be able to try more beer/whisky pairings in the future.

Until next time....

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Good evening all. It's been a while since my last beer review, as my post-exam life has involved attending a Big Lebowski Quote-A-Long, watching a variety of films and getting back into the lab to reacquaint myself with the project I'm meant to be finishing in two months. These have all conspired against me to ensure I haven't had a decent window of time in which to properly evaluate new beers. Tonight presented a perfect opportunity though, and in the spirit of continuing my Belgian beer crusade for 2012, I opted for Trappistes Rochefort 10 from Brasserie de Rochefort, purchased at The Rake a couple of weeks ago. Review after the pic....

Trappistes Rochefort 10 (11.3% ABV) pours a chestnut brown colour with a thick beige head that settles to a thin coating on the surface of the beer. The aroma is full of typical Belgian phenolic character, with blackcurrants, raspberries and a candy sugar sweetness. The taste consists of spicy phenols, raspberries and candy sugar, with a malty/yeasty finish over some residual sweetness. Initially the beer appears to be quite boozy, but this diminishes soon after the first sip. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and moderately carbonated, but exceedingly drinkable (as any good Belgian beer should be!). Overall, a very good Quad with plenty of spice and a good helping of fruity sweetness. It's a very solid offering, hence the succinctness of the review. Definitely recommended!

Until next time....