Monthly Archives: March 2017

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, USA, Wild Ale

Almanac Hoppy Sour: Mandarina

Leave a comment

Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Farm to barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour Blonde Ale aged in wine barrels & dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria.

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

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in November 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a one and a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour and tart orange and lemon with a hint of mango.
Taste: It’s what you’d expect from the aroma. Starts sour with tangy orange, lemon juice, unripe mango and peach. This is followed by hints of white wine and woody oak notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and some quite strong but nice acidity.
Overall: The citrusy fruits were expected from the Mandarina Bavaria, but I was pleasantly surprised by the unripe-ish mango sourness. Nice and refreshing from Almanac.

Advertisement
4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery, Stout - Imperial, Sweden

Omnipollo x Buxton Yellow Belly Sundae

Leave a comment

Brewery: Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery
Country: Sweden
ABV: 12%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed by Buxton Brewery & Omnipollo at Buxton Brewery

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.48
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 20th June 2020. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a thin mocha head that dissipated quickly and left sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, peanut, biscuit and caramel. There’s a hint of vanilla possibly from the barrel, but I’m not getting much, if any bourbon.
Taste: Peanut butter, milk chocolate, biscuit, vanilla and bourbon sweetness. There is bitter dark chocolate and a slight boozy harshness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with light to moderate carbonation and a slight boozy harshness which falls away as it warms.
Overall: Even with no bourbon in the aroma, the aroma was still stunning. Taste was a harsher version of Yellow Belly with alcohol booziness coming through, although this harshness dropped away as it warmed. It was still nice, but it makes this version more of a sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Omnipollo, Stout - Imperial, Sweden

Omnipollo Noa Pecan Mud Cake

1 Comment

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed with natural flavours added. Brewed by Omnipollo at Brouwerij De Molen in the Netherlands

Brewer Description: (from website) When I was 12, I dreamed of becoming a pastry chef. Call this a creative outlet. Thick, rich and excessively decadent, this beer aims to bring back childhood memories. Brewed with aromas.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 7th July 2020. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: It was black with a dark brown hue, a thin dark brown head that dissipates quickly and sparse lacing.
Aroma: An amazing pecan pie, chocolate, caramel, toffee and whisky aroma with hints of vanilla.
Taste: Sweet-ish chocolate, pecan, cocoa, toffee, vanilla and lightly bitter dark chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation and light alcohol warmth.
Overall: Superb aromas and nice taste, but for some reason the taste was a bit short and abrupt. I think in this case I definitely prefer Yellow Belly, but this was still interesting.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Dubbel, Belgium, Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

St. Bernardus Pater 6

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Belgian Dubbel

Brewer Description: (from website) St. Bernardus Pater 6 is a traditional abbey style dubbel, chestnut in color, very fruity with notes of melon and very fresh banana, finishing with slight bitterness.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 8th February 2018. Poured into a Chimay goblet.
Appearance: It was a dark brown-reddish colour with a very nice creamy two finger beige head that slowly dissipates to a thin but self-replenishing layer while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruits, plum, fig, raisins and apple with hints of caramel.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with dark fruit, plum, fig, raisins and prunes with some banana, light caramel and hints of nuttiness.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The dark fruit is there, but it disappeared quite fast. Other than that, it was easy to drink, but not nearly as good as one of my favourite Dubbel’s like Westmalle Dubbel.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery, Stout - Imperial, Sweden

Omnipollo x Buxton Yellow Belly

Leave a comment

Brewery: Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery
Country: Sweden
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed with aromas of peanut and biscuit. Brewed by Omnipollo & Buxton Brewery at Buxton Brewery

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Yellow Belly – a person who is without courage, fortitude , or nerve; a coward. To us, one of the most cowardly deeds is to act anonymously, hiding behind a group. A signifying trait of institutionalised racism. This beer is brewed to celebrate all things new, open minded and progressive. A peanut butter biscuit stout with no biscuits, butter or nuts. Taste, enjoy and don’t be prejudice. Henok Fentie, Karl Grandin, Denis Johnstone, Jake Oulsnam, Geoff Quinn & Colin Stronge.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 11th August 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Extremely dark brown to black in colour with a very thin brown head that disappears quickly while leaving very sparse lacing.
Aroma: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, peanuts, wafer biscuit, caramel and toffee.
Taste: Peanut butter, milk chocolate and biscuit sweetness followed by some nice lightly bitter coffee and dark chocolate with hints of peanut here and there.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, low carbonation with slight alcohol warming.
Overall: Really good wonderful aromas and taste. Even at 11% ABV, it was very easy to drink and definitely a must buy beer for me.