5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, IPA - Black, Mikkeller ApS

Mikkeller Beer Hop Breakfast

Monday, 31 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7.5%
Style: American Black IPA
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mikkeller at Lervig Aktiebryggeri (Norway).

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Black India Pale Ale brewed with coffee.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with surprisingly for Mikkeller, no best before date either on the bottle or cap. Poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: The beer poured opaque black with a slightly less than two finger dark mocha brown head that dissipates quickly leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Mainly roast coffee bean and chocolate, hints of almond and brown sugar with a pine hop background.
Taste: Strong coffee bean mixed with pine hop and grapefruit bitterness. A hint of brown sugar sweetness lends a hand to a very nice lasting bittersweet finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation and slight creaminess.
Overall: I enjoyed this a lot. It is very well balanced and extremely tasty. I see debate on whether this is a black IPA or just a hoppy stout, but for me, mostly due to its lightness, it’s a black IPA.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Belgium, Brouwerij Haacht NV

Tongerlo Prior Tripel

Sunday, 30 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Haacht NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Tripel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Abbey beer brewed with the approval of the Norbertins of Tongerlo. This beer was refermented in the bottle for a more refined aroma and a broader, richer taste palette. Contains barley malt and wheat malt.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 10th October 2016 and poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear deep golden colour with a fluffy two finger white head which lasts a long time and leaves stringy lacing.
Aroma: Mainly bready malts and unripe banana with hints of pear.
Taste: Flavour is strong with sweet banana, clove, honey and bready malts. There was also a hint of spicyness and the booze comes through towards the end.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with good carbonation.
Overall: This was quite a nice tripel especially when comparing its price to other decent tripels.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Czech Pilsner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Crisp Lager

Thursday, 27 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 5%
Style: Czech Pilsener
Other Notes: 28 IBU’s. Malts – Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Munich. Hops – Perle, Saaz, Spalter Select.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) There’s something about a warm summer day that calls out for a cold glass of great beer, and this classic Czech-style lager is sure to fit the bill. Crisp, golden and refreshing. Summerfest is the perfect choice for soaking up the sunshine.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged date of 17th March 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a nice clear golden colour with a light one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: On the light side, but its sweetish corn, grassy with hints of mineral notes.
Taste: Like the aroma, taste is a little on the light side, but its mainly sweet malt, honey and corn.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: Its definitely crisp and quite nice to drink. Definitely wouldn’t mind a bottle on a hot summer day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Denmark, To Øl

To Øl Southern Frontier

Tuesday, 25 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 6%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: Hops – Simcoe, Centennial, Columbus. Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A real American inspired south state pale ale packed with hops and maize. Brewed in collaboration with Bishops Arms Gustav as a tribute to the long lived peace between Danes and Swedes.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.74
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 8th January 2016 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy amber copper colour with a two finger slightly off white coloured head that slowly dissipated into a thin foamy layer with stringy lacing.
Aroma: Starts with citrus orange and grapefruit followed by a light hit of tropical pineapple and finishes with a somewhat caramelly note.
Taste: Strong caramel malts at the beginning but finishes bitter. The aftertaste bitterness lasts long and is largely citrus grapefruit with hints of pine and lychee.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: This was quite nice but personally due to the strong hop bitterness, it feels more like an IPA than an APA. Having said that, Southern Frontier is still nice to drink and goes down easy.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Witbier, Brasseries Kronenbourg, France

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc

Sunday, 23 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasseries Kronenbourg
Country: France
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Witbier

Brewer Description: (from website) Brewed with a hint of citrus and coriander spice, Blanc has an inimitable sweet and refreshing flavor that makes it special amongst all the other wheat beers (white beers).

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml blue bottle with a best before date of April 2016 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: Poured a hazy straw yellow with a slightly more than one finger white head that dissipates within a minute leaving stringy lacing.
Aroma: Fruity aromas of orange, banana and peach with honey floating about and a light citrusy lemon wheat backbone.
Taste: Flavours are mainly peachy with hints of fruity lemon, banana and apricot.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: Light, crisp and very easy to drink. It is refreshing on a hot summers day with the nice peachy flavours.

words of another dreamy traveller

Monthly Archives: August 2015