All posts by kitch

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, USA

AleSmith Decadence 2015

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: Belgian-style Amber

Brewer Description: (from bottle) AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale was originally brewed in 2005 to celebrate our first decade in business. Each year since, our brewers have commemorated our anniversary with a special beer of a new style. Now, ten years after brewing our first beer of the Decadence Series, we’re proud to present another hand-forged addition, AleSmith Decadence 2015. In the spirit of traditional Belgian brewing we’ve departed from style-constraints to bring you a fresh take on the popular European style, the Belgian Amber. This big, complex, amber-hued ale was brewed with a substantial amount of Belgian and European malts that complement the spiciness imparted by Belgian Abbey yeast. The result is a perfect balance between rich, toasty maltiness, Belgian candi sugar and the light floral profile of European hops. Enjoy this hearty Belgian inspired brew now or age at a cool temperature to increase it’s complexities.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl oz foiled bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber colour with a one finger off white head with an orange tinge that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Malty, candi sugar, caramel, brown sugar and toffee, with a hint of clove, banana and apple juice.
Taste: Toasted, lightly sweet, caramel with hints of clove, banana, alcohol and apple juice.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Quite nice and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Prairie Artisan Ales, USA

Prairie Brett C.

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Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 8.1%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Conditioned with brettanomyces claussenii. Brewed and bottled by Krebs Brewing Co., Krebs, Oklahoma

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A farmhouse ale brewed with Cascade and Citra hops, and a touch of sea salt.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 16.9 fl oz (500ml) bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 17315, meaning it was bottled on 22nd June 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw colour with an almost two finger white head that had decent retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tropical peach, apricot, pineapple, wood, citrusy orange, hints of lemon peel and the right amount of funk.
Taste: Semi-sweet orange, lemon, dried mango, dried apricot, honey, dates and prunes with light oak and funk. Not getting much of the sea salt that was added.
Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Nice and enjoyable with it not being overly sweet and having funkiness that is not overpowering. The high carbonation assists it in being refreshing on a hot day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Blackberry Farm Brewery, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Blackberry Farm Barrel Series Brett Fruit Blend 2016

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Brewery: Blackberry Farm Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.3%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Our Barrel family is fermented with a variety of yeast strains and aged in wine and spirit barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale aged in red wine barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A corked and caged 12.7 fl oz bottle, bottled on 17th August 2016. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy blonde orange colour with a slightly more than one finger white head that dissipated quickly to a thin layer around the glass and left sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mixed berries, grass, hay with a hint of brett.
Taste: Tart, oaky, vinous, wine, funky with only a touch of mixed berries.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The taste didn’t quite match the aroma, but it was still quite nice.

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

To Øl Sans Frontière White Wine Barrel Aged

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Brewery: To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) “Heaven knows no frontiers, and I’ve seen heaven in your eyes”.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 20th February 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy dark amber, reddish brown colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly to just the edges, while leaving sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Prunes, grape, white wine, oak, lightly tart and mildly funky.
Taste: Brett, prunes and vinous white wine with some light caramel and wood.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: This was interesting to try but perhaps not quite my thing.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Epic Son of a Baptist

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Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Novo Coffee – Epic Espresso Blend. Malts – Ultra-Premium Muntons Marris Otter, 2-Row Brewers Malt, Black Malt, Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, Cara-Aroma and Demerara Sugar. Hops – Nugget, Chinook and Cascade

Brewer Description: (from website) Son of a Baptist is an 8% ABV imperial stout. It is not barrel aged like its father, Big Bad Baptist; instead its flavor profile was designed to highlight the complex and often unique flavors of small batch coffees. Instead of sourcing a coffee that would play well in a beer we sought out creative and innovative roasters, then asked them which beans they’re passionate about. Each resulting release of Son of a Baptist is widely different depending on the coffee selected. Some are fruity and sweet with notes of jam and chocolate, others are rich and earthy with a big roasted finish. Each limited release will return to the Roaster’s home market where the beer and the coffee can be sampled side by side.

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

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with no clear canned on or best before date. Novo Coffee – Epic espresso blend. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: It was dark brown to black in colour with a just over one finger light brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate with hints of brown sugar and a light char.
Taste: Roasted malt, coffee, milk, bittersweet chocolate and caramel. Sweetish to begin, while lightly bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and velvety smooth, medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice tasting and great to drink, but definitely preferred the barrel aging of its father, Big Bad Baptist.