Monthly Archives: February 2016

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Birra del Borgo, Herbed / Spiced Beer, Italy

Birra del Borgo Etrusca

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Brewery: Birra del Borgo
Country: Italy
ABV: 9.3%
Style: Herbed / Spiced Beer
Other Notes: Brewed with honey, pomegranate, hazelnut flour, pomegranate juice, raisins, natural resin and gentian root.

Brewer Description: (from website) A sip of history! Created together with our friends Sam Calagione and Dr. Pat McGovern from the States and Baladin’s founder Teo Musso, that’s really something unique: as we used unusual ingredients (for a beer) and most of all an unusual fermentation system (the amphoras!), the result is a real “archeological find”. The amber colour reminds the amphora-aged wines; the nose gives scents of honey and berries and quite uncommon mineral notes. When you taste it, sharpness is the main feature, and the honey notes are quickly followed by mineral ones, again. So, the few ones who will have the chance to taste this extremely rare beer (which has been made in a very limited quantity, of course) will be able to say that he had a sip of history!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of March 2016, poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy murky dark orange colour with pretty much no head.
Aroma: Sour, tart, grapes, vinegar, woody and citrus lemon, maybe even a hint of apple juice.
Taste: Sour, tart, fruity pomegranate, apple, apple juice and apple cider vinegar with a minerally finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low carbonation but with a prickly feel.
Overall: This was interesting. The sourness was nice, but I did not really like the minerally finish and it was on the flat side for me.

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3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Garage Project, New Zealand

Garage Project Pernicious Weed

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 8%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Hops – Nelson Sauvin and Rakau.

Brewer Description: (from can) Humulus Lupulus, the original “wicked and pernicious weed”. Nelson Sauvin and Rakau hops go head to head in this strong golden brew, for an intense citrus grapefruit character. Bitter, yes. Intensely hoppy? Absolutely. Too much? Never.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 8th March 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden orange with a two finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong tropical fruity mango and pineapple with pine, grapefruit and grassy notes.
Taste: Bitter citrus grapefruit, pine and grass with some light malt sweetness. However, at times, the alcohol booze seemed to creep out.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: This was a pretty good DIPA, but as a DIPA, I’d prefer if it was able to completely hide the alcohol taste, but other than that, it was nice and bitter.

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5 - Excellent (must buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, The Alchemist, USA

The Alchemist Heady Topper

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Brewery: The Alchemist
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Drink from the can! Drink from the can! Drink from the can!

Brewer Description: (from can) Heady Topper is an American Double India Pale Ale. This beer is not intended to be the biggest or most bitter. It is meant to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness on your palate. Tremendous amounts of American hops will creep up on you, and leave you with a dense hoppy finish in your mouth. So drinkable, it’s scary. Sometimes I wish I could crawl right into the can. Freshness and control have always been my main concern when it comes to our beer. We are committed to providing you with an unfiltered and unpasteurized hop experience. Why do I recommend that you drink it from the can? Quite simply, to ensure a delightful, hop experience. The act of pouring it in a glass smells nice, but it releases the essential hop aromas that we have worked so hard to retain. If you MUST pour it into a glass, you may find that some of the hop resins have settled to the bottom – leave them in the can when pouring. This beer is perishable, and at its best when it is young, fresh and hazy. Keep it cold, but not ice cold. Drink this beer immediately, we are always making more.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.74
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 1 pint can canned on 15th December 2015 (I would have drank it earlier but was very sick for a long period of time) and tried from the can at first then poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy golden yellow orange colour with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: As soon as I opened the can the tropical aromas immediately came pouring out, but there was still a hint of the metal from the can. After pouring it into the glass, the aromas were not as strong but better with a mix of tropical pineapple, mango and citrus mandarin, orange peel and lemon zest. There was also a hint of pine.
Taste: Strong juicy citrus grapefruit and pine with a hint of tropical mango and pineapple. Nice front loaded bitterness which continues into the aftertaste. On the can it says “drink from the can” so I tried that as well. I have to say that taste is just as impressive from the can.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: An excellent DIPA. Must buy and taste fresh if possible. I only wish I wasn’t very sick when I received it… but I know I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it as much if I drank it a month ago as I wouldn’t be able to taste or smell much. Although it says to drink from the can, which I did try, I still prefer to pour it into a glass to enjoy. It allows you to enjoy its look and gives a clearer aroma. Well worth the hype.

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5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Goose Island Beer Co., Stout - Imperial, USA

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout

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Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 14.3%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 vintage. Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Intense aromas of charred oak, vanilla, caramel & smoke.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.9

Intro: A 1 pint .9 fl oz (500ml) bottle with a bottled on date of 22nd October 2015, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Poured an extremely dark dark brown colour with a reddish hue on the sides. Dark tanned head was very thin and did not last long and there was some thin spotty lacing.
Aroma: Rich rich aromas full of bourbon, oak, caramel, salted chocolate and vanilla.
Taste: Much like the aromas it was full of bourbon, oak, caramel, salted chocolate and vanilla. Stunning, heavenly goodness.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, thick motor oil like richness. Low carbonation. Nice light burn as it goes down.
Overall: Wow, this was amazing… a brilliant sipper. Even drinking it 3 months in, aromas, taste and feel were already wonderful. It should develop more complexity with a year or two of aging, which is what I’m going to do with the rest of my bottles.

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