Monthly Archives: May 2017

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale

Crooked Stave Raspberry Origins

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Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 7.5%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Burgundy Sour Ale aged in oak barrels with raspberries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.42
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in December 2015. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A dark burgundy ruby red colour with a just over one finger off pink with a dark orange hue head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin cap with some nice lacing.
Aroma: Very nice sweet and tart raspberry jammy aromas with perhaps a hint of oak.
Taste: Sour and tart raspberries and lemon to begin, followed by some light sweet jammy raspberries and a hint of oak. It finishes sour again with lemon, some citric acidity and a touch of grapes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to light carbonation and a dry-ish finish.
Overall: The aromas were stunning and while the taste didn’t quite match up to the aroma, it was still very good.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V., Flanders Red Ale

Rodenbach Caractère Rouge

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Brewery: Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Flanders Red Ale
Other Notes: Aged on oak casks

Brewer Description: (from tag) The exclusive Rodenbach Caractère Rouge, with an alcohol content of 7%, is the result of a 6-month maceration with fresh fruit (sour cherries, raspberries and cranberries) of a beer which matured in oak casks for 2 years. After its maceration, the beer is re-fermented in the bottle. Rodenbach Caractère Rouge is vinous with a ver complex, fruity nose of raspberry and cherry combined with notes of wood and caramel. The undertone consists of an aroma of violets, leather and a hint of tobacco. Flavourwise this fruit beer has a rather sour taste, but of an exceptionally pure nature. Its light, residual sugars balance out the triangle of sour, sweet and dry flavours. This dryness mainly stems from the cranberries, which lend the beer an exceptionally long and pure aftertaste.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle with a best before date of 19th May 2017. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A dark ruby red colour with a half finger off white head that dissipated quickly and left some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Berry fruit forward, lightly sweet with raspberry, cherry and cranberry. Finish is lightly tart with earthy oakiness.
Taste: Great balance of tart, lightly sour and lightly sweet, with raspberry, cherry and cranberry followed by some nice light oak woodiness.
Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This is just really good. Nicely balanced, smooth and very fruity. I could drink this all day. Even though this particular bottle was nearing its best before date, it felt as if it would still be good to drink over the next few years.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Australia, Beer Reviews, Feral Brewing Co.

Feral War Hog

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Brewery: Feral Brewing Co.
Country: Australia
ABV: 7.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Treat like milk, refrigerate when possible

Brewer Description: (from can) Prepare to be tagged and bagged as this Full Metal Jacket of an IPA rains an apocalyptic, resinous hellfire of clustered hops and passionfruit aromas upon the senses. There’s nowhere to hide, so gear up, sound off, and blast “Ride of the Valkyries” at full volume, because, soldier, you’re at war. We love the taste of IPA in the morning.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml can with unfortunately no canned on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: A cloudy, lightly dark golden orange colour with a just under two finger white head that dissipated quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tropical mango, peach, passionfruit and some citrusy mandarin with hints of grass. Very juice like.
Taste: Citrusy orange, orange rind bitterness, grapefruit and juicy passionfruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice, juicy and easy to drink IPA. Aromas were especially good.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, New Zealand

8 Wired Grand Cru 2011

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2011 vintage. Pinot Noir barrel aged Strong Ale. Brewed with sultanas and funk

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer has been made with a little more love, care and attention than most other beers. After brewing this Belgian-inspired ale with a large dose of sultanas, we aged it in Pinot Noir barrels for more than a year. The barrel aging has added some funky sourness to an already very fruity beer, thanks to native micro flora left behind in the wood. If I should describe this beer with one word, it would be “vinous”. In fact, this may be the most wine-like beer I’ve ever tasted. So, maybe calling it “Grand Cru” – a classic wine descriptor – isn’t as preposterous as some wine snobs might claim it to be?

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

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2011 vintage, and poured into a Chimay goblet.
Appearance: A cloudy dark rusty red brown colour with a just over one finger tanned head that dissipates slowly to a thin replenishing layer while leaving nice curtain lacing.
Aroma: Red wine, grape and raisin with hints of vinegar and tart cherry.
Taste: Tart and sour cherry, vinegar, lots of dark fruit, grape, plum and raisins, vinous red wine with hints of chocolate and a light black coffee bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was pretty good and definitely complex. However, lately I’ve tried quite a few wine barrel aged beers, and I’m thinking that perhaps it’s not my thing in that I don’t feel wine barrels add anything better to the base beer. It’s solid, but perhaps not “Grand Cru”.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Garage Project, New Zealand

Garage Project Touch Wood

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Tripel
Other Notes: Elderflower & honey Tripel

Brewer Description: (from inner paper wrap) According to folklore, the Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a tree imbued with a deep magic. It was said to ward off evil and even that couples who drank an ale infused with the Elderflower would marry within the year. In Denmark a female wood spirit called Hylde-Moer was said to inhabit the tree – woe betide anyone who took from the elder without its permission. The origins of the term ‘touch wood’ come from this desire to placate these woodland spirits. Here, malted barley and wheat infused with Elderflower sugar syrup, fresh Elferflowers and honey create a beer alive with the verdant joy of Spring. You need a bit of good luck to pull off a beer like this – so ‘touch wood’ (and be very careful who you drink it with)!

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 650ml paper wrapped, stickered and string tied bottle. Bottle 1131/8500. Only when you unwrap the bottle do you see a best before date, which was 15th December 2016. It is very annoying when BB or bottled on dates are hidden like this, and I am perfectly fine with reviewing this beer even though its past BB date, because of this. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipates fairly quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Honey, pear, flowers (which I will assume is elderflower since I do not know what that smells like), apple skin and light pepper.
Taste: Lightly sweet, honey, light caramel, pear, apple skin and flowery with some alcohol on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was ok, but not close to being among my favourite Tripels. I prefer fruity over flowery, and all good Tripels can hide their alcohol well, which was not the case here.