All posts by kitch

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, German Berliner Weisse, New Glarus Brewing Company, USA

New Glarus Thumbprint Series Berliner Weisse

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Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 3%
Style: German Berliner Weisse

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A few times a year we cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul. This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again. Napoleon hailed this tart beer style “the Champagne of the North.” A lively and elegant masterpiece this Berliner Weisse is a kaleidoscope of fresh flavor. Barrel fermentation, Riesling and Chardonnay grapes with Wisconsin White Wheat are bottle fermented with five proprietary yeast strains. A connoisseur’s rare jewel both spirited and subtle, enjoy your sparkling toast under summer stars.

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

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw yellow colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention and left some lacing. Lots of nice upward streaming bubbles.
Aroma: Lemon, wheat and citrus zest. Lightly tart and lightly funky.
Taste: Tart, lemon, lemon zest, white grapes and green apple with hints of wheat on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: A nice, easy drinking Berliner Weisse with especially nice mouthfeel. A great thirst quencher on a hot day.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, German Hefeweizen, New Glarus Brewing Company, USA

New Glarus Bubbler

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Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: unknown
Style: German Hefeweizen

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Suits stride, Toes skip, Heels click staccato expedition rhythms. Labor and Workers and Shoppers alike pause to share Downtown Bubblers on Wisconsin blocks. The Bubbler Hefeweiss you hold in your hand sparkles with democratic spirit combining Wisconsin Wheat alongside European Pilsner Malt. Choice American hops partner with imported hops, even yeasts blend together in our Open Top fermenters. 100% naturally carbonated and hazy, expect this living beer to pour an exuberant effervescent gold. Bubblers beat in our hearts- it’s a Wisconsin thing. Cheers!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Reidel weizen glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow with a nice big two finger fluffy white head that had excellent retention and left lots of lacing.
Aroma: Nice strong clove, banana, bubblegum and wheat.
Taste: Much like the aroma, wheat, clove, banana and bubblegum flavours that combine well.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with high to moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was so tasty. It’s been a while since my last Hefeweizen and drinking Bubbler just makes me want to go out and buy more Hefe’s.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Boon, Lambic - Faro

Boon Faro

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Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Faro)

Brewer Description: (from website) Faro Boon is a beer of spontaneous fermentation for which “meertsbier” and old Lambic are blended together. The light brown colour and sour-sweet taste are attained by adding candy sugar before bottling.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.92
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.9

Intro: A 250ml bottle with a best before date of 23rd January 2019. Poured into a Lindemans flute glass.
Appearance: A clear copper colour with a one finger white head that dissipates quickly but settles to a thin but replenishing layer. No lacing.
Aroma: Sweet-ish plum, apple juice, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.
Taste: Sweet sweet apple, apple juice, brown sugar and maybe some herbal notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was overly sweet for me, even though it was easy to drink.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Against The Grain Brewery, Beer Reviews, Kentucky Common, USA

Against The Grain Kamen Knuddeln

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Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Kentucky Common

Brewer Description: (from can) Oodles & oodles. We came to knuddel, or is it the other way around? Whatever…try this one. It’s a Kentucky Common inspired by our friends at The Nachbar. This dark sour beer is tart and easy, just like we like em’.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 1 pint can with a best before date of 16th January 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear dark dark brown colour with a two finger tanned head that dissipated quickly and left pretty much no lacing.
Aroma: Roasted and toasted malts, brown sugar and smokiness with a hint of tart cherry.
Taste: Lightly tart and sour cherry, plum and apple with a hint of roast, toast, smoke and coffee.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An interesting dark sour that was more roasty/smoky on the aroma while more fruity on the taste, and certainly easy to drink. Reminds me of Lichtenhainer maybe.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Bellwoods Brewery, Canada, Wild Ale

Bellwoods Jelly King Strawberry Rhubarb

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Brewery: Bellwoods Brewery
Country: Canada
ABV: 5.6%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Dry-Hopped Sour w/ strawberry and rhubarb

Brewer Description: (from website) This limited edition version of Jelly King includes a large dose of strawberry and rhubarb purees, blended on top of a mixed fermentation sour ale. In addition, we added a complimentary dose of Citra-Mosaic-Cascade in the dry hop. The result is juicy, sour, and bursting with jammy aroma and flavour that comes enrobed in a dusty rose hue. A classic combo served on top of a sour beer for your pleasure.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 500ml bottle with no bottled on or best before date, poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A cloudy guava pink colour with a two finger white head that dissipated quickly and left sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet jelly fruitiness, strawberry, peach and apricot. Mixed berry instant jello.
Taste: Very juicy, moderate tartness, lightly sour. Strawberry, rhubarb, lemon and peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Really tasty stuff, and I felt that the addition of strawberry, rhubarb and dry hopping improved upon the base beer Jelly King quite a bit. Perfect for a hot summer day.